The GOP’s Endless War on Democrats
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The GOP’s Endless War on Democrats
The Iran debate shows Republicans don’t believe in fighting tyrants. They believe in smearing their opponents.
What does the Republican Party stand for? Lately, that’s been hard to figure out. In 2016, the party adopted a platform that talked about “moral leadership,” “the cause of liberty,” fighting “tyranny and injustice,” and standing up to “countries with repressive governments.” For three years, President Donald Trump, backed by Republicans in Congress, abandoned those commitments . Then last week, Trump reverted to the old Republican habit of using force. He killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani with a drone strike. And when Democrats questioned the wisdom of the strike, Republicans accused them of disloyalty to America.
From hawkishness to appeasement, the GOP has zigged, zagged, and zigged. Only one thing has remained constant: its partisan exploitation of the military and the flag. Republicans don’t believe in standing up to enemies abroad. They believe in impugning the patriotism of Democrats.
The 2016 Republican platform pledged “to support the Kurdish people,” continue “our partnership” with the Iraqi people, and press for change in North Korea, “the Kim family’s slave state.” It promised “assistance to the armed forces of Ukraine” and sanctions on Russia “until Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are fully restored.” Trump has proved that all these statements were lies. He has excused Russian aggression, extorted Ukraine, threatened Iraq, betrayed the Kurds, and glorified Kim Jong-un. You’d think that Republicans, having defended these betrayals and capitulations, might hesitate to lecture others about weakness or anti-Americanism. But you’d be wrong.
In June 2018, Trump held a summit with Kim, dismissed questions about North Korea’s human rights abuses , and declared, “ There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea .” U.S. intelligence debunked Trump’s assurances . But on Fox News, Republican Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia said Trump’s fake deal was working, and he denounced Democrats for refusing to give the president credit. “ This is a pattern for the Democrats ,” said Collins. “We’re seeing results.”
Now that Trump has taken the opposite position in Iran—denying that it complied with its 2015 denuclearization agreement and killing its top general—Collins says Democrats are sucking up to America’s enemies. In a Fox News interview on Wednesday, the congressman accused Democrats of trying to limit Trump’s war powers because “ they’re in love with terrorists . We see that. They mourn Soleimani more than they mourn our Gold Star families.”
Collins later apologized , but his accusation is part of an ongoing propaganda campaign and a pattern of Republican hypocrisy. Take the case of Mike Pompeo, Trump’s secretary of state. In October 2018, a Saudi hit squad murdered and dismembered Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and U.S. resident. The CIA concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing . In response, Trump and Pompeo tried to cover up the prince’s complicity. Pompeo said there was no “ direct reporting ” that proved the prince’s guilt—a misleading technicality—and he suggested that sometimes you have to put up with the murder of an American resident. “ It’s a mean, nasty world out there ,” he argued.
But now that Trump has killed an Iranian general for orchestrating the deaths of Americans, Pompeo has rediscovered piety and slander. “The Obama-Biden administration essentially handed power to the Iranian leadership and acted as a quasi-ally of theirs … underwriting the very militias that killed Americans,” Pompeo raged on Fox News Sunday . On Meet the Press, he said President Barack Obama’s policy “was designed to guarantee that the Iranian regime would have power, authority, capacity to take Americans” hostage.
In the spring, when special counsel Robert Mueller reported that Trump and his campaign had solicited Russian help in the 2016 election, Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to cover up Trump’s treachery. “Mueller said there was no evidence of collusion between President Trump or anybody on his campaign with the Russians, period,” Graham lied . In a press conference , the senator falsely claimed that Mueller’s “conclusion was firm, without equivocation, that no one on the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians.”
But this week, when Graham’s colleagues proposed to constrain Trump’s authority to use force against Iran, Graham accused them of treachery. He told the media , “I’m going to let people know that at this moment in time, to play this game with the War Powers Act, which I think is unconstitutional … whether you mean to or not, you’re empowering the enemy.”
In the fall, after Trump secretly urged the president of Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political opponents, Sen. James Risch of Idaho insisted, “ I saw nothing in the conversation that was inappropriate .” Now, in the debate over Iran, Risch says Democrats are betraying our country. “What you come away with after listening to the Democrats,” Risch told reporters , “is there is so much hate and vitriol and animosity against this president that they are willing to put at risk lives of American citizens and American military people.”
Steve Scalise, the House minority whip, also excused Trump’s attempts at collusion. In a November interview, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked Scalise six times whether it was “appropriate for the president to ask the Ukrainians—or the Chinese, which he’s also done in public—to investigate his domestic political opponents.” Six times, Scalise refused to say it was wrong. Scalise also claimed, falsely, that according to Mueller, Trump and his associates “ never even came close ” to accepting offers of campaign help “from Russian-affiliated individuals.”
Now Scalise accuses Democrats of using “ Iranian talking points to criticize the president .” On Wednesday, at a House Republican briefing, he repeated that “some in the Democrat leadership” were “trying to criticize those actions that kept America safer, using some of the same talking points that are coming out of Tehran.”
In October, Trump deliberately removed U.S. troops from Syria’s northeastern border so that Turkey could invade Syria and expel the Kurds who had helped us defeat ISIS. When Democrats offered a resolution to oppose the withdrawal and Turkey’s invasion , 60 Republicans, including Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas, defended Trump’s betrayal and voted against the resolution .
Now these Republicans are preening about national honor and slandering Democrats. “ They’ve run and helped our enemies ,” Gohmert said on Wednesday. He accused Democrats of having “helped [Iran] fund the terrorism that has continued to kill Americans.” On Fox News, Biggs said Democrats “ hate [Trump] more than they love this country . … They’re trying to overthrow the country. And in so doing, they do put our men and women … in jeopardy.”
In foreign policy—as in morals, trade, criminal justice, fiscal policy, and the rule of law—Republicans have no firm principles. Sometimes they stand for human rights and against tyranny. Sometimes they ignore human rights and defend tyrants. But rain or shine, you can count on Republicans to attack the patriotism of Democrats. That’s what the Republican Party is.
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[No calling out other members by name]
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Greg, I know you have nothing to say , so please keep it to yourself.
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Is this like Johns endless war on Trump and Trump supporters?
Is there no democrat party war on the GOP?
Time after time, as Trump has violated long standing US policy , policy previously agree to by Republicans, Republicans like Lindesy Graham have shown themselves to be feckless bootlickers of Trump.
The GOP has abandoned ALL its principles in a craven desire to be carried on Trump's coat tails.
There is no compromise with people like this, they have to be defeated.
One item really struck me in this story. When Khashoggi was butchered by assassins sent by a member of the royal family in Saudi Arabia, there was no outcry from the right to avenge his death. Khashoggi was not a citizen himself, but was a resident who applied for citizenship, and his children are US citizens. But Trump is all buddy buddy with the Saudis, and the GOP must kiss Trumps ass 24/7, so nothing was done about the assassination of Khashoggi.
An American contractor was killed in Iraq, and Trump ordered the bombing of militant locations that undoubtedly led to innocent Iraqi deaths.
Where are the Republicans on these issues? They do and say whatever will keep them in trump's good graces. They are ALL lackeys.
Democrats are sucking up to America’s enemies as the Congress man said. Democrats are America’s enemy within.
Great article John; thank you for providing some substantive conversation paths. One thing about your analysis struck me,,,
The GOP has abandoned ALL its principles in a craven desire to be carried on Trump's coat tails.
; ,,explaining a reason for this behavior. The reason why, there is this hopping onto Rumps coat tail.
my opinion is that it is pure fear.
Not merely political ambition.
Or, pure moral conviction.
A true apprehension that Anglo tradition will not much longer propagate manipulation of the system; and thus, a loss of a class status and advantage.
There is an absolute terror amongst our Republican cousins... a very real fear that we will lose our American way if we don’t beat down any perceived or imagined threat.
It’s completely messed up.
1st John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
It's as plain as day Larry. Republicans have whittled down America's "honor" in the international arena to agreement with whatever whims strike Trump at any given time.
The sum total of Trump's accomplishments with North Korea are some photos of him walking with the NK dictator in front of some DMZ scenery. Silence from the right. Trump betrayed the Kurds. Silence from the right. Our NATO allies laugh at us, because of Trump. The GOP ignores this stunning development. Whatever it takes to conform with Trumpism. Jim Jones couldnt have done it any better.
So are you coming back to the GOP after after Trump wins re electionand cant run again ?
That is your president*, conservatives. I challenge any of the right wingers on NT to find a quote where any prominent Democrat has "defended the life of " Soleimani.
There is a big difference between opposing war with Iran and "defending the life of" Soleimani.
Here is evidence of a Trump lie, and yet Trump cult members will continue to ask for examples.
Democrats "Love thy Enemy" before they don't !
U.S. Bombed Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia in 2016
The U.S. dropped an average of 72 bombs every day — the equivalent of three an hour — in 2016, according to an analysis of American strikes around the world.
The report from the Council of Foreign Relations comes as Barack Obama finishes up his presidency — one that began with promises to withdraw from international conflicts.
The Democrats have waged war against our Republic for the past 100 years. Statism and forced collectivism are tyranny and war against every principle of liberty and individualism our nation is founded upon.
No external foe represents a greater threat to our existence. No external foe threatens our liberties and our rights as sovereign individuals
Samuel Adams- 1772
"In the state of nature, every man is under God, Judge and sole Judge, of his own rights and the injuries done him: By entering into society, he agrees to an Arbiter or indifferent Judge between him and his neighbours; but he no more renounces his original right, than by taking a cause out of the ordinary course of law, and leaving the decision to Referees or indifferent Arbitrations. In the last case he must pay the Referees for time and trouble; he should be also willing to pay his Just quota for the support of government, the law and constitution; the end of which is to furnish indifferent and impartial Judges in all cases that may happen, whether civil ecclesiastical, marine or military. -
"The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man ; but only to have the law of nature for his rule."-
In the state of nature men may as the Patriarchs did, employ hired servants for the defence of their lives, liberty and property: and they should pay them reasonable wages. Government was instituted for the purposes of common defence; and those who hold the reins of government have an equitable natural right to an honourable support from the same principle "that the labourer is worthy of his hire" but then the same community which they serve, ought to be assessors of their pay: Governors have no right to seek what they please; by this, instead of being content with the station assigned them, that of honourable servants of the society, they would soon become Absolute masters, Despots, and Tyrants. Hence as a private man has a right to say, what wages he will give in his private affairs, so has a Community to determine what they will give and grant of their Substance, for the Administration of publick affairs. And in both cases more are ready generally to offer their Service at the proposed and stipulated price, than are able and willing to perform their duty. -
In short it is the greatest absurdity to suppose it in the power of one or any number of men at the entering into society, to renounce their essential natural rights, or the means of preserving those rights when the great end of civil government from the very nature of its institution is for the support, protection and defence of those very rights: the principal of which as is before observed, are life liberty and property. If men through fear, fraud or mistake, should in terms renounce and give up any essential natural right, the eternal law of reason and the great end of society, would absolutely vacate such renunciation; the right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of Man to alienate this gift, and voluntarily become a slave "
Daniel Webster
Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. Daniel Webster A speech delivered at Niblo’s Saloon , in New York, on the 15 of March, 1837.
"The state remains, as it was in the beginning, the common enemy of all well-disposed, industrious and decent men.” ~ H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)
"In a free society the state does not administer the affairs of men. It administers justice among men who conduct their own affairs.” ~ Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)