44 Former Senators Warn We Are at a National "Inflection Point" on Russia Investigation, Call on Sen

[EricMaundry]

Source: Huffington Post

44 Former Senators Warn We Are at a National “Inflection Point” on Russia Investigation, Call on Senate to Defend Democracy

In an open letter in the Washington Post Monday, 44 former U.S. Senators issued an ominous plea to current and future members of the upper chamber: defend American democracy. “We are at an inflection point in which the foundational principles of our democracy and our national security interests are at stake, and the rule of law and the ability of our institutions to function freely and independently must be upheld,” the senators warned.

The inflection point is not just President Trump and his administration’s conduct writ large, but the coming reckoning over whatever it is that Robert Mueller ends up finding after rooting around in felonious life and times of Donald J. Trump. “We are on the eve of the conclusion of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation and the House’s commencement of investigations of the president and his administration,” the letter reads. “The likely convergence of these two events will occur at a time when simmering regional conflicts and global power confrontations continue to threaten our security, economy and geopolitical stability.”

It is a bipartisan call that doesn’t exactly single out Donald Trump and is enablers directly, and could conceivably be read as an appeal to better angels on both sides, but the subtext of the letter is pretty clear as are the leanings of the former senators who signed. Of the signatories to the letter, just 10 are Republicans and not frothing-at-the-mouth Fox Newsified Republicans of the post-Tea Party era. The GOP senators who signed on are more the Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), William Cohen (R-Maine), and John C. Danforth (R-Mo.) type of Republican, which, in itself, feels like a a throwback to a simpler time.

The complete list of signatories includes: Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Bill Bradley (D-N.J.), Richard Bryan (D-Nev.), Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.), Max Cleland (D-Ga.), William Cohen (R-Maine), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Al D’Amato (R-N.Y.), John C. Danforth (R-Mo.), Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), David Durenberger (R-Minn.), Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), Wyche Fowler (D-Ga.), Bob Graham (D-Fla.), Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Gary Hart (D-Colo.), Bennett Johnston (D-La.), Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.), John Kerry(D-Mass.), Paul Kirk (D-Mass.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), Larry Pressler (R-S.D.), David Pryor (D-Ark.), Don Riegle (D-Mich.), Chuck Robb (D-Va.), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Jim Sasser (D-Tenn.), Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), John W. Warner (R-Va.), Lowell Weicker (I-Conn.), Tim Wirth (D-Colo.)


Read more: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/12/44-former-senators-warn-we-are-at-a-national-inflection-point-on-russia-investigation-call-on-senate-to-defend-democracy.html

[Mz Pip]

1. Mostly Democrats

With a few old school Republicans. Not going to matter much.

[DeminPennswoods]

7. The "mostly" Dems are mostly center-right Dems whose goal

in politics was to be nice to Republicans who consistently kicked them in the teeth. There are only 4 liberal Dems on the entire list: Feingold, John Kerry, Milulski and Udall, maybe Rockefeller.

[karynnj]

9. I noticed that more of them than would happen randomly in both parties were on the SFRC or the Armed

Services committee. The biggest supprise of someone not there is Barbara Boxer, who in the 109th Congress was with Kerry and Feingold - three Democrats in a row asking tough questions of the GWB administartion. Another liberal missing is Al Franken - as is non liberal John Edwards. Not a liberal, but Reid is missing as well. Many missing are Senators who were there in the 1970s - before we lost about 10 liberal Democrats in 1980.

As to the Democrats, I think this might have a healthy percent of living past Democratic Senators. A few obvious omissions, Obama, Clinton, Mondale, and Biden might join with Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, and hopefully GWB in a seperate statement. I found this list on Wikipedia of the living former Senators as of October 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_living_former_United_States_Senators

As to this letter, I would assume that one of them or a group of them started this letter and personally reached out for others to sign it. It is entirely possible that each called people they knew - from personal contact - would agree. From that perspective getting 44 people, not in one place or organization now to agree on a text to which in adding their name, they are doing it from the perspectiveof their legacy and good reputation. I would assume that there were some they could not reach or some who did not want to sign - wanting something different.

[rsdsharp]

10. Tom Harkin was a center-right Dem?

I think not.

[DeminPennswoods]

14. Missed his name there

nt

[Judi Lynn]

2. It's great seeing these names again. Things weren't easy for Democrats, even when they served.

The rancor and tension has been there so long, was there when they were in Washington, too, clearly. It has been becoming more constantly intense for ages, but the Republicans have been vicious, aggressive, hostile since at least as far back as Jimmy Carter, whom they mocked, of course, attacked well before they started screeching and bellowing their lungs out with Bill Clinton's administration.

They have been headed in this direction as long as I can remember. From what I've heard and read, they were also foaming at the mouth over FDR, then Harry Truman, and clearly, JFK. Every year since FDR, there has been a steady hate campaign toward Democrats, and a continuous whine and howling claiming Democrats are also communists.

What an ugly, defective group of approximately human-shaped beings.

[byronius]

3. +1

[karynnj]

12. I'm less impressed than the Congresswoman - as Shane Goldmacher works for the NYT

He certainly is in the position of compiling a list showing who here is a lobbyist and for whom. Many of the few I know anything about are now working for universities. I know some are working as lobbyists - and agree that this is a problem. It doesn't make that quoted comment wrong.

Could it be that this was a Washington Post column?

[Hortensis]

13. Ocasio is SHOCKINGLY missing the point.

"the foundational principles of our democracy and our national security interests are at stake"

This is a very concerned call for Republican senators to protect our democracy at this critical point. They have not only failed to do that a few times recently but instead acted frighteningly destructively, most recently at the Kavanaugh hearing.

The writing is on the wall for what has become a white nationalist and increasingly authoritarianism oriented party: evolve to be able to once again represent a reasonable share of the American people and win elections or try to destroy representative democracy in order to be able to continue as is, serving themselves and new wealthy ruling classes. In the past few years the choice has increasingly been the latter.

The alarmist word is fascism. Keep America what it has been for over 230 years, a very successful western liberal democracy, or destroy and replace with a far-right authoritarian sham-democracy state run by them.

Heads out of the sand, maybe? 44 retired U.S. senators who believe it really could happen here.

[Achilleaze]

5. Hey republicans: Do your job. Protect and defend America.

You have been on your knees to your KGOP republican draft dodger for far too long. Get off your stupid knees and do your job.

[Maxheader]

6. "an appeal to better angles on both sides"

We've tried the conservative "angle" too many times and gotten bit..
Straight at the issues...no damn angling off in another direct..on
the environment, on nationalism, on getting rid of the criminal
trash in the white house...

[MFGsunny]

8. K & R

[Firestorm49]

11. The bigger game.

Here I go again - postulizing.

I believe what we are living through is all part of the larger Republican plan to transform the country in their likeness - whatever it may be.

As Rachael Maddow pointed out a year or so ago, having the Republican strategist whom she described as “brilliant” on her show, it all began regionally many years ago by electing conservatives to state courts, state Legislatures and Assemblies, judgeships, and any other smaller positions as well. This has been a long term plan, the end result of which we don’t know, but can only speculate that the end plan is for total control at any cost - aided by gerrymandering, constrictive voting laws, reduced early voting, Russian intervention, open and blatant electoral corruption ( North Carolina) illegally purging voters from lists, and on and on.

Then is it any wonder that the elected Republicans stand in lock step with the most offensive, disgusting, illiterate joke of a President that this country has ever not popularly elected? We, the stupid pawns in this game, don’t know the big plan, (even though it’s results are right in front of our eyes every day) but rest assured, by their actions, they know the plan well.

I always felt that there has to be a reason why the Republican alleged leadership refuses to take any kind of stance against this fascist President. We may never know the details, but we see the result. They had a plan.

[harumph]

15. Sorry, I kicked my "better angel" off my shoulder.