Republicans Own Arpaio Pardon
BY BRIAN BEUTLER
August 28, 2017
... it gives fresh hopes to abusive law-enforcement officers across the country, teaching them that they can proceed with impunity.
... it further boosts the morale of white supremacists, who are already over the moon for their advocate in the White House.
... it stretches the muscles that Trump will have to use if he decides to pardon his aides and family members for crimes uncovered in the course of the Justice Departments Russia investigation, all while reaffirming his sense that Republicans in Congress will let him get away with it.
... the Arpaio pardon is one of many reasonable grounds on which Congress could initiate the impeachment process, and that even in the absence of high crimes and misdemeanors, Trump should be removed from office because he is unfit to serve. Republicans .. want you to think that while they strongly oppose Trumps behavior, they are powerless to do anything about it. But they are not powerless, and now they must confront the questions raised by their own post-hoc objections to something Trump all but announced he would do several days in advance. If Republicans in Congress are not going to do anything to stop Trump, what will they do to contain the damage? ...
https://newrepublic.com/article/144572/republicans-completely-trumps-arpaio-pardon