Blog Credo

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.

H.L. Mencken

Friday, January 10, 2020

Strange Times

A few days ago, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) came out of the Intelligence briefing on Soleimani's assassination furious at the lack of thought and care in the briefing or the rationale for the strike on a foreign military leader.

Yesterday, Matt Gaetz - of all people - voted for the resolution binding Trump's ability to use military force against Iran.  Gaetz's reasoning (I can't believe I'm writing these words about Gaetz) is rock solid. Congress has a constitutionally mandated role to play in the use of military force and they should not abandon this incredible power to the whims of ANY president.  But we don't have ANY president.  We have Trump.  This makes Congress's attempt to rein in his impulsivity even more critical.

It also means that you cannot - under ANY circumstances - break with Hair Furor. Keep an eye on Gaetz over the weekend. He's got the most ironclad Trumpist bona fides of anyone.  Will that give him cover for his vote? I have my doubts.  The GOP continues to spiral into authoritarianism.  Mike Lee walked back some of his criticism of the briefing ("I wasn't criticizing the President."), and I'm guessing Gaetz will crumble soon.

Thou shalt not break with the whims of Dear Leader.

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