Wednesday, February 08, 2017

Catch 22

"In an extraordinarily rare move, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) interrupted Warren’s speech in a near-empty chamber, as debate on Sessions’s nomination heads toward a Wednesday evening vote, and said that she had breached Senate rules by reading past statements against Sessions from figures such as the late senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and the late Coretta Scott King."
-Washington Post

"I will not be silent about a nominee for AG who has made derogatory & racist comments that have no place in our justice system."

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 8, 2017



Republicans vote to rebuke Senator Elizabeth Warren for reading a letter written by Coretta King that was critical of Jeff Sessions, Trump's nominee for Atty General. The obscure rule was passed in 1902 after one US Senator attacked another US Senator. Talk about overkill and a direct attempt by the Republican majority to silence any dissent presented by anyone, including a sitting US Senator.

What is happening in these hearing made me think of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley's quote during the Police Riot at the 1968 Democratic Convention, "The police are not here to create disorder, they're here to preserve disorder."

I think the Republican leadership in Congress is not only there to create disorder, they are there to preserve disorder in order to get what they want.

In the past, long, long, ago, the Republican leadership in Congress believed as Confucius taught, "In his dealings with the world the gentleman is neither for or against anything. Rather he is on the side of what is moral."

These are bad times for a Party that has lost it's way and no longer represents the ideas they expound on their web page:

"We reaffirm the Constitution’s fundamental principles: limited government, separation of powers, individual liberty, and the rule of law. We denounce bigotry, racism, anti-Semitism, ethnic prejudice, and religious intolerance. Therefore, we oppose discrimination based on race, sex, religion, creed, disability, or national origin and support statutes to end such discrimination. As the Party of Abraham Lincoln, we must continue to foster solutions to America’s difficult challenges when it comes to race relations today. We continue to encourage equality for all citizens and access to the American Dream. Merit and hard work should determine advancement in our society, so we reject unfair preferences, quotas, and set-asides as forms of discrimination. Our ranks include Americans from every faith and tradition, and we respect the right of each American to follow his or her deeply held beliefs."

This from a party who has a racist as it's nominee for Atty. General, who confirmed a nominee for Secretary of Education who is unqualified, who said nothing as Donald Trump banned American citizens of the Muslim faith from reentering the country, who said nothing when Donald Trump said that his power as president was greater than that of any of the other branches of the government, and who has attempted to stifle anyone who exercises their right to freedom of speech under the Constitution.

The Republican Party has lost it's moral compass. Hell, they didn't loose it, they threw it away and never looked back.

3 comments:

Debbie said...

I am avid student and a great admirer of Lincoln. I believe he was probably this country's greatest president. We could sure use him now. The great man is surely spinning in his grave, no doubt with tears in his great eyes. May I also add I used to be a Republican. No More......

Ally Bean said...

I cannot help but wonder why the GOP even pretends to be moral. Is it to keep its base, who don't seem to question much of anything, happy? I'd respect the party a lot more if they just fessed up to being selfish + corrupt. At least that would be one honest statement to come from them.

la peregrina said...

Debbie- I am so sorry you had to leave your party. I am sure there are many other true Republicans who have done the same thing.

Ally- As we both know, that will never happen. They have turned to the dark side and they is no way they can turn back.