Jeff Flake: "We may have hit bottom"

[DonViejo]

Source: CBS News




By ED O'KEEFE CBS NEWS May 23, 2018, 3:05 PM


Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., leveled some of his harshest criticisms of President Trump to date — using a Harvard Law School commencement address Wednesday to say the president is debasing the office and that Congress "is dishonoring itself" by failing to stand up to him.

Flake, the junior senator from Arizona, has spent most of the past two years raising concerns about Trump's policy positions, temperament and fitness for office — drawing the ire of the White House, which used its influence over GOP politics to stoke potential primary opponents and contributed to the senator's decision not to seek re-election this year.

But in his remarks to law school students, Flake also attacks his congressional colleagues in sharper terms. He told students Congress "is failing its constitutional obligations to counteract the power of the president" at a critical moment in the nation's history.

"Our presidency has been debased. By a figure who has a seemingly bottomless appetite for destruction and division. And only a passing familiarity with how the Constitution works," Flake said, according to prepared remarks obtained by CBS News ahead of the speech. "And our Article I branch of government, the Congress (that's me), is utterly supine in the face of the moral vandalism that flows from the White House daily."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeff-flake-we-may-have-hit-bottom/

[Initech]

1. Oh Flakey, we hit rock bottom the day Trump was elected!

And we've been in denial about it ever since!

[marble falls]

2. This would mean so much more if Flake hadn't voted with cheetolini so much of the time.

[ChiTownDenny]

22. + 1

[Raster]

49. And correct me if wrong, but I don't ever remember Senator Flake stepping up...

...to call tRump* on his birther bullshit and affirm that the POTUS was indeed a US citizen. Senator Flake has been in Congress since 2000, and not once did he rise to defend President Obama from tRumpkethinskin's spurious Kenya claims.

[marble falls]

53. The whole time he was in office he contributed to the crap that cheetolini embraces.

[tazkcmo]

3. FU Flake

All talk, no walk.

[MrScorpio]

4. Oh, please, Jeff

There's always more bottom.

Always.

[irisblue]

5. Seriously Flake, you've voted with "dishonorable" one 92% of the time.

So Bull Pucky dude

[FakeNoose]

21. Yeah he's starting to sound like John McCain

[Eyeball_Kid]

35. Talk like a maverick, walk like a lemming. n/t

[LonePirate]

6. Yet Flake still votes exactly how 45 wants him to vote on every single issue and nominee.

Put up or shut up, Jeff!

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. I wondered, has he opposed even ONE appointment? Surely voted for the

tax plan that will devastate 94% of his voters.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. There is no bottom.

But Jeff? You enabled this mess.

[global1]

8. Guess Who Is Running For President In 2020?.......nt

[Freddie]

10. Put a Flake in the White House?

Already done. In triplicate.

[Eliot Rosewater]

27. .

[RockRaven]

9. If Flake was serious about Congress fulfilling it's constitutional obligations, he would convince

a couple of other like-minded Repuke Senators to caucus with the Dems thereby shifting the Senate majority for the purpose of generating true oversight in the various committees. They wouldn't even have to vote with the Dems on any other issues, or otherwise give up their conservative principles.

The fact that he hasn't done this shows how he's just a self-serving BS artist, not this paragon of morality or defender of constitutional principles that he paints himself as.

[exboyfil]

28. Every reporter should ask this of GOP Senators

anytime they shed tears for how Trump is behaving.

[Freethinker65]

11. And I, Jeff Flake, like hearing myself talk while doing absolutely nothing else about it

Oh. And please vote for me when I run for President.

[Pluvious]

12. He's just putting himself on record, for when...

...The Anus Face has become a pariah,
and then he'll run again for office.

[Raster]

50. oh yes, this is part of Flakey's calculated efforts to wipe the tRump* stink...

...off of his hands, so he can advance his political aspirations... 2020 anyone?

[lame54]

13. Then put away your fucking shovel

[LuckyLib]

14. Yeah, utterly supine in the face of the moral vandalism that flows from the White House daily."

Tell it Flake. But you weren't willing to walk the walk. Too busy kissing Republican power ass, then deciding to get out when it all got too hot.

[honest.abe]

20. Trump and his supporters would have no clue what any of that means.

Too many words.

[47of74]

15. Every time we hit bottom that orange fuck does something else that sinks us even lower.

[turbinetree]

16. Hey Flake FUCK YOU.................

you know how FUCKED UP you are....................here let's remind everyone how fucking uncompassionate conservatives are..................so FUCK YOU.................and that fucking shit eating grin...................and voted to fuck him and millions of others that have ALS.....................you fucking hypocrite....................this moment defines who the fuck you are and that traitor in the white house, you fucking enabled that fucker to fuck over 31 million people................

[pangaia]

38. I will add a fuck you.....

[duforsure]

17. They have the choice...

To refuse to accept him any longer , and his assault on this country and do the right thing and flip over to the Democrat side, or be forever branded a traitor and co-conspirator .

[Paladin]

18. Amazing how ballsy these Repubes get---when they're leaving office.

Talk is cheap, Flake---particularly from those identifying with what remains of your party. Hope the Harvard Law kids saw your speech for what it was.

[3catwoman3]

19. May have?

MAY HAVE?!

The Trump administration is digging a hole to the core of the planet.

As has been noted in many other threads, Flake talks a good game, but does nothing meaningful top counteract the wide path of destruction Trump is leaving in his wake. He is like a Cat 5 hurricane.

[RhodeIslandOne]

23. "But I'll keep supporting his shit agenda!"

Fuck you Flake.

[kairos12]

24. Spare me Flake. You vote with Drumpt you puke.

[Jakes Progress]

25. Look down mr. flake. The bottom is not even in sight.

Until politicians like you do more than just bemoan what is happening, until you and others admit their sins and begin telling what is going on, and voting like you gave a shit, we don't have a bottom.

[DFW]

29. Flake would have SO much more credibility IF there were only the one side to his mouth

Unfortunately, he says the right thing, and then votes the wrong things. If he thinks Trump is so bad, how come he votes for Trump's nonsense so much of the time? While I agree that in the USA, the word "conservative" has often come to mean "total whack job," especially when it comes to Republicans, the media and extremist right wing organizations, that is NOT what it means in English, a language we purport to put forth as our official language.

The IS one word in English whose recently established colloquial meaning is completely accurate here. Senator Flake has only to repeat his last name, and he will have scored a bullseye.

[lanlady]

30. So, quit the GOP already

Bring another Senator or two along with you, and put the Senate in Dem hands until the mid-terms. Cut some deal with Schumer where he’ll put you in charge of a committee to investigate Trump. How hard could that be?

[Volaris]

31. If If a Democrat or member of the press had said this publicly,

You'd be able to hear the screams of the GOP if you were in the Crab Nebula.
My guess is, Flake is gonna take a few years off and then run for gov of Arizona as a moderate Republican (in the model of John McCain).

[Retrograde]

32. Sez a guy who votes in lockstep

with McConnell and the other enablers.

Talk's cheap, Jeff - how about doing something for a change, like voting your supposed conscience.

[stuffmatters]

33. Sen Flake suffers from the self delusion that he is "the" moral,likeable Republican Senator

His one vote in the Senate could have prevented (& could going forward in 2018) so much Trump/Republican damage, but he always cowers & folds to Trump/Mitch/ Koch Bros.. There's nothing likeable or moral about a trash talking coward.
I'm amazed Harvard Students let Flake get away with this public blame shifting & whining.

[kimbutgar]

34. Get ready for some Russian bots to send out some nasty stuff against Flake

I suspect that the Russians have a bit of blackmail material on a lot of GOP members and that is why they are so compliant. Twitler is a gangster who will use blackmail to take down his enemies. McConnell and Ryan, Lindsay Graham etc probably have some secrets they want to keep. (Hidden payoffs, off shore bank accounts and illicit sexual activities] Why else would they stand back and let twitler destroy this country and the rule of law?

[dalton99a]

36. As soon as he finishes talking, he crawls up Trump's ass and gives him what he wants

[renate]

37. I think there's a difference between voting GOP and voting with Trump

Flake is a Republican, so he's going to vote like a Republican. Same with McCain. They're not going to change all their stripes just because they don't like the head tiger.

His words couldn't be any stronger. I believe in, and appreciate, his sincere disgust with Trump and the inaction of Congress, and I appreciate his discussing this at an event as mainstream and newsworthy as the Harvard Law School commencement.

[babylonsister]

39. Quite a speech. He's right. Am watching Rachel, first time

I've seen it.

[BadGimp]

40. IMO we have NOT hit bottom...

Things will get a lot worse.

[SunSeeker]

46. +1

[world wide wally]

41. Phoney

[Javaman]

42. just when you think the orange asshole has hit bottom, you discover...

there's a basement.

[SamKnause]

43. Fuck you !!!

Republicans are responsible for Trump, the Tea Party, the Freedom Caucus, and the

right wing nut evangelicals.

You are all traitors to the American way of life.

You would be happier living in a Theocracy or Dictatorship.

Fuck all of you.

[TeamPooka]

44. big talk. no action. nt

[NOMOGOP]

45. Where was Flake?

Jeff Flake runs his mouth now in an effort to distance himself from disastrous Trump presidency while NEVER disavowing equally guilty (literally) Republikkkan party. It is not just Trump involved. The entire party is ass deep in conspiracy and is culpable as is the guy sitting outside w/car running while bank robbery took place and security guard killed in escape. Where was Flake when DISASTROUS, MASSIVE tax giveaway goes through both chambers w/out even mention of affordability unless considering Corker last minute tantrum until he got his back scratched in sweetheart deal added especially for him. Health care? Check. Obama SCOTUS nominee? Check. Dozens of half baked Federal judges? Check. Flake is no less culpable than any of the rest of the REPUBLIKKKAN crime party.

[Raster]

51. You are correct, and WELCOME to DU!

[kentuck]

47. There is no bottom with Trump.

The Senator is naive.

[GoCubsGo]

48. Doubtful.

These sacks of shit can always find a way to go even lower.

[tblue37]

52. He could have gone Independent and caucused with the Dems,and so could all

of the other supposedly "brave" Republicans like Corker. But no, they wanted those big tax cuts, that deregulation, and that SCOTUS seat, and to pack the federal judiciary with right wingers. SO they went along with everything that Ryan, McConnell, and Trump wanted, even as they whined that they were shocked--shocked I tell you!--that their GOP president was behaving so scandalously.

They are just upset that the GOP dogwhistles have become embarrassing Trumpet blasts.

[niyad]

54. hey, jeffie boy, when you STOP voting for his monstrous policies, then I might take

your comments seriously.

until then quit pretending.

[Homer Wells]

55. Every time they hit bottom

The rePukes cut a hole in it, so they can fall even further.
To them, hitting rock bottom is seen as a challenge