Friday, May 11, 2018

Taunting


Put up or shut up. On Thursday evening The Hill reported

A White House official mocked Sen. John McCain’s brain cancer diagnosis at an internal meeting on Thursday, a day after the Arizona Republican announced his opposition to President Trump’s nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel.

Special assistant Kelly Sadler made the derisive comments during a closed-door White House meeting of about two-dozen communications staffers on Thursday morning.

“It doesn’t matter, he’s dying anyway,” Sadler said, according to a source familiar with the remarks at the meeting.

People were shocked! shocked! to hear one of Donald Trump's employees speaking disrespectfully about another human being, especially the one Trump himself said was no war hero because he was captured.

That may sound sarcastic but McCain's Senate colleague and friend appeared to be angry, if not actually shocked. Again, from The Hill:

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Thursday hit back at a White House aide who mocked Sen. John McCain's brain cancer diagnosis in response to his opposition to the nomination of President Trump's pick to lead the CIA.

"Ms. Sadler, may I remind you that John McCain has a lot of friends in the United States Senate on both sides of the aisle," Graham, a close friend of McCain, told CNN. "Nobody is laughing in the Senate."

How are those (Republican) friends in the United States Senate going to react to the offensive remark? They- with the possible exception of Arizona senator Flake- will react exactly as Graham will.

They will vote in favor of President Trump's nominee for director of the Central Intelligence Agency and give the President another opportunity to brag.

That will be Gina Haspel, of whom on Wednesday Senator McCain, recuperating in Arizona from brain surgery, wrote

I believe Gina Haspel is a patriot who loves our country and has devoted her professional life to its service and defense. However, Ms. Haspel’s role in overseeing the use of torture by Americans is disturbing. Her refusal to acknowledge torture’s immorality is disqualifying. I believe the Senate should exercise its duty of advice and consent and reject this nomination.

We've seen Senator Graham's act before.  In July 2015, Grump labeled Graham an "idiot" and gave out the senator's personal cell phone number. In November Graham called Trump a "xenophobic, race-baiting, religious bigot" and in February, 2016 pronounced him "not fit to be president of the United States," who is not only "an opportunist" but "a kook. I think he's crazy."





And after the President ridiculed McCain on Twitter last September because of the senator's thumbs-down vote on repeal of the ACA, Graham responded "John McCain was willing to die for this country. So I would say to any American who has a problem with John McCain's vote that John McCain can do whatever damn he wants to. He's earned that right.”

Lindsey Graham then punished Donald Trump by voting for the GOP tax bill craved by the President. He is only the most pitiful example of the shamlessness of contemporary GOP members of Congress.

The South Carolina senator helped pass that Trump priority just as he has voted for practically every measure favored by the " race-baiting....kook."

And he will continue to do so. Graham and the 47-48 other members of his caucus expected to vote for Haspel are being challenged by President Trump. The President has slammed, mocked, and called them out previously and- except for McCain's health care vote and a very few other instances- he has gotten his way with them. He will say or do little or nothing about Sadler because he has no reason to be concerned.

When she stated "it doesn't matter, he's dying anyway" Sadler mimicked her boss by throwing down the gauntlet. McCain's opposition to Haspel doesn't matter, Sadler understands, because he is not present in the well of the Senate giving an impassioned speech criticizing the nomination- which might sway one or (at most) two votes, thus endangering Trump's pick.  She's betting that Republican senators are a bunch of sheep, with President Trump the sheepherder.

Republican senators and Representatives have been humiliated endlessly. But they will continue to vote for the President's agenda, including the vast majority of his judicial and other appointments. They will do so not only because they are in agreement and he's the head of their party, but because, like the obsequious Mike Pence, they are fine with him leading their party.

Donald Trump is daring Republicans to vote against him.  He is disgracing and degrading them. Evidence indicates they are enjoying it.



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