Perhaps all those who favor increasing sanctions on Russia should first ask our European allies what they think.
That is, if we actually care what our allies think.
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/08/why-europe-opp...
3
It has often been said that the last surviving creatures on earth will be rats and cockroaches. Add to that list a sub-species of invertebrate Republican legislators who sell themselves and their country cheap while wrapping themselves in the flag and a corrupted version of Christianity. Certainly we should find a modus vivendi with all countries, but these folks appear intent on turning over the keys to the Russians. No brains, no pride, no dignity and no courage, but when it comes to sucking up and kicking down they are in a class of their own. The origin of the phrase "useful idiots" is uncertain but a correct application of the phrase is easy enough to make these days.
12
Ha!!! Talk about magical thinking!!!
1
The entire GOP is guilty of treason and need to be removed from our government.
11
Seems the Democrats won’t be pleased until Trump declares war on Russia and fires off nukes to the Kremlin
2
Republicans were hysterical when Snowden stole all those secrets.
Republicans were hysterical when Snowden found sanctuary in Russia.
Republicans were outraged that Snowden gave Putin all those secrets.
The so-called president believes his relationship with Putin will be beautiful.
Republicans support the so-called president.
And SNOWDEN sold America out??? LOLOLOL
5
Spine........
1
Obama never did..........
Ask Associate Justice Garland.
Obama never did.........
Ask Mad Mitch.
Obama never did.......
that's why Russian intervention on behalf of Chancellor Trump remained secret until after the November 2016 disaster.
Obama never did.......
2
hah. I echo another comment. good luck with this. the GOP has no spine
2
Your suggestions range between inadequate and irrelevant.
1
Why should they grow a spine? Who do you think the Russians are going to hack and then use that information to promote and support for election this November? That's right children, they're going to do everything they can to make sure Trump's enablers get elected
By the way, if it hasn't occurred to you already, why do you think even at this moment all of our intelligence agencies have absolutely no instructions as to how to handle and deter the Russian's hacking that's going on right now. Gee, I wonder why.
And if you think Republican congressmen would not put their election before any damage done to the country you're dumb. And if you elect Republicans this November you're not only dumb, you're stupid.
8
Trump's new slogan: MRGA - "Make Russia Great Again."
1
I agree with everything on this list.
Since the NYT is so big on taking action, I would like them to apologize for providing Trump with all the free campaign assistance leading up to the election.
4
I'm sorry...but as hard as they try...the left has no issue here...it's all FAKE outrage. Where were you when Obama was telling lies about keeping our healthcare?
1
The current ,spineless , politicians that have degraded and sold out Americas Democratic principles of freedom ,justice, and security for all........... to grasp the UNLIMITED power,TO FEED , themselves and their sponsors ,AT THE TROUGH OF PUBLIC FUNDS........is the wrong species to govern......due to their genetic inability to grow a spine or see beyond their self serving needs !
New headline: WELL BEYOND TIME for the republicans to grow a spine!
These are all wonderful suggestions in this article, but our fearless "leaders" in Congress won't even call Trump out by name. They will not do a single thing suggested here.
Apparently, judging by Ryan and McConnell's namby-pamby “expressing their discomfort,” Trump, like the evil villain Voldemort, has become “he who must not be named.” Those two quislings wouldn’t speak the name “Trump” in their faux-admonitions.
“Express discomfort”!? Have you Republicans forgotten that you are the party of McCarthy? The party that destroyed people’s lives and blacklisted the likes of Pete Seeger (!) for being “commies,” but now you won't call out the president of the U.S. for being treasonous? Prostrating yourself and literally winking at former KGB officer-become-poisoner-in-chief is just fine now?
McConnell and Ryan are despicable and have violated their oath to defend the constitution. They are the real problem, not the puppet in the White House. The biggest mistake the Republicans are making is that they think Voldemort is THEIR puppet. He is Putin’s.
6
If I were a Congressman I would introduce an impeachment resolution to force every member, Dem or Rep, to vote yes or no. Though it probably would not pass, it would identify every member who votes No to be exposed for his/her failure to stand up to Trump after he blatantly committed treason in asking for Russia to interfere and covering for Putin in the aftermath.
1
I am thankful that I live in the United States of America which has a free press. If it was otherwise, Donald J. Trump would have a free hand in burying the truth about the ongoing relation between him and Vladimir Putin.
1
You undercut your list, NYT, by suggesting that any of them would constitute "poking the bear" or even "requiring more political spine" as if items 6-10 were "extra credit." If they have no political spine, they're not going to do 1-5 either. That's how we got here: McConnell and, to a slightly lesser extent Ryan, have shown nothing but spineless self-service at the expense of democracy. McConnell's SCOTUS stunt in 2016 was pure sleight-of-hand fakery of democracy.
But, given your tripartite division of labors that should all be undertaken if this were in fact a democracy in action, this one should definitely be in the top 5 list:
• Compel the President by whatever legislative means necessary to produce the entirety of his tax returns, individual/joint and corporate, now that he has given ample cause for the entire nation to suspect he is beholden to Putin/Russia. Let it go to SCOTUS (pre-nomination hearings) if he whines. Congress should have done this in 2016; that failure of spine might have been their first taste of whimpery vis-a-vis Trump. Make it a retroactive law that no candidate for President or Vice President or Congress may ever refuse to release their tax returns upon request by any constituent they seek to govern.
And even you, NYT, pulled your punches already by failing to include this in your list.
As to #10, allowing him to get nominees after Congress implements "some" of your list is too loose for these loopholers by far.
4
I'm not going to hold my breath waiting.
1
“You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.” A. Lincoln
Republicans today take this as a strategy, not an observation. Ever since Nixon loss in his debate with Kennedy was attributed to the fact he didn’t use makeup and looked washed out in the bright television lights, Republicans have focused on style over substance.
When Reagan was president, I didn’t watch his speeches, but did chores and only listened. The next day I would go to work and people would be gushing about what a bold and decisive speech the president had made. All I could do was shake my head.
Most of Mr. Reagan’s most memorable statements didn’t make a whole lot of sense. “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” What a bold and decisive statement, but the wall was in Germany and Mr. Gorbachev was Russian, and was not in charge of the wall. “Trust, but verify,” is an oxymoron. “The most terrifying worlds in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help,” is an assault on the rule of law and an attack on a “government of the people, by the people and for the people,…” (also A. Lincoln)
2
All wonderful and useful ideas - all science fiction as far the Republicans are concerned.
1
Trump met with his cabinet this morning. Behind Sec. of State Pompeo sat Ivanka Trump Kushner. Why? Is she in morning that the Canadian dept. store, Hudson Bay, pulled her line from its stores there and here? And here, Hudson Bay owns Saks 5th Avenue and Lord & Taylor. No problem with her emoluments, too?
1
Trump and the Republicans have much the same goal, and Republicans are not about to “grow a spine” while they are continually cashing in on their corporate overthrow of America.
Corporations are in control of all branches of “our” government, and are ready to go in for the kill.
I don’t see anyone who can possibly stop e onslaught.
RIP America
3
It is time for Donald Trump to resign. Period.
Our president speaks in word salads -- with healthy dollops of Russian dressing on the side. The shame of it all.
2
don't hold your breath.
There is no doubt that President Trump and the various Presidents for Life in Russia, China, Turkey, the Philippines, and various banana republics around the world love the ability to eliminate any sense of fair voting, a free and unfettered press, or a society based upon the rule of law; i.e. brute power.
As I see it, the Republican Party has to make the decision as to whether they support the concept of Liberty, Equality, and Democracy brought to us by our Constitution or the road being built by our Republican/Communist/Fascist President.
It's too late for "Republicans to grow a spine." It's now too late for Democrats as well. The Constitution is thus paralyzed in its ability to remove a President who openly sold out his country to Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin. And, despite the feeble and nonsensical apology, Trump blatantly continues to do Putin's bidding whether it's continuing to cast doubt on the unanimous consensus of his intelligence agencies that Russia not only meddled in the 2016 election helping him into the Oval Office, but continues to so, but also waging another sneak attack on NATO by questioning defending Montenegro. We are on the cusp of an autocracy--an attempted coup d'etat that we all witnessed in Helsinki and the past two days. And the lack of outrage and protests in Congress, in the media, or in the streets is terrifying. Is there no one who will stand up to an autocrat and demand his resignation or impeachment? There is no spin, no simple legislative fix, no apology that will change it. And if we cannot change it by democratically changing presidents, then like Rome we will be subjects to an American Caesar--the Trump tyranny.
In a fair world with two honest political parties, this opinion piece would make a lot of sense. However, the Editorial Board is not acknowledging that the GOP is getting pretty much everything they want and need from Mr. Trump. He is giving them Supreme Court justices. He is giving them an obscenely unfair tax policy. He is decimating many functions of government that the GOP hates. He may be an embarrassment to any thinking person, but he is a willfully ignorant tool who is being used with great skill and appreciation by the likes of McConnell and Ryan. Why would they want to change anything when things are going so well?
1
We've been calling for the GOP to grow a spine through many of Trump's horrendous missteps. And, nothing! The only way to have them step up is to vote them out. There has to be a Democratic wave these mid-terms to make a point and start getting us back on track. What a nightmare this all has been.
2
We need to shore up our electoral system. Every intelligence agency has determined that the Russians are meddling in our elections. Yet our president says they didn’t meddle. Then the president said a totally insincere and ludicrous statement that they did meddle, then apparently he’s saying they didn’t meddle again.
We have a true crises in our country. How can we trust the vote in the 2016 presidential election when the Russians seriously meddled in our election? If the meddling in our elections is not dealt with we can’t trust future elections.
#10 on you list is key and in fact the easiest to do by far. Outgoing Senators Flake and Corker can hold the Supreme Court pick hostage until Trump agrees to the other other provisions cited, and there's nothing Trump can do about it.
Flake and Corker, and any other Senator who professes to uphold the Constitution, get some courage, use your leverage, and help check this unhinged and dangerous president. I would go so far as to say it's your duty.
Because the republicans are struggling with their sense of what it is to be an American, we will continue our slide into lost-ness. They were the party of no debt, of family values, and loyalty. And now, now the republicans have mortgaged our grandchildren's and great grandchildren's futures; they have supported a president who values nothing but his ego, and their sense of loyalty is to re-election and nothing else. Tragic for all of us that they have done this.
1
Great list. As a life-long Republican (now a newly-registered Independent) I would love to see Republican leadership take action on all of these suggestions. But I fear they too have sold out our Constitution and our country.
History will judge them on an equal level with the treasonous duplicity of 45.
2
All of the suggestions are great, but you are missing one big one. Demand that the House and/or Senate obtain the last ten years of Trump's taxes and then release them to the public. The world needs to know whether or not Trump is financially beholding to Putin.
For all I know, during their private meeting Putin could have told Trump that he, Putin, could make Trump richer than any of the Russian oligarchs he has created over the years. Heck, Putin is thought to be the undeclared richest man in the world. Turning Trump into a real billionaire would be a rounding error for Putin.
2
Telling Republicans to grow a spine implies that they are uncomfortable with Trumps machinations. It is blatantly obvious that Trump is giving them what they want. Let's quit pretending that there is honor involved.
The Republicans are doing just fine, thank you. Trump's various quotes and activities provide cover for the Congressional attack on America and the Rs are not about to remove their cover...
1
The Democrats should not let this drop. The Trump Helsinki Affair was a travesty. My hope is that the Democrats find their spines and pursue Trump and the Republicans with everything in their Democratic arsenal. Imagine the outrage if the situation were reversed. Seize this opportunity! If not now, when?!? Nothing short of America and everything it stands for is at stake.
1
Considering that Congressional GOP leadership is fully complicit with Trump's attacks on the media, has been allowing hearings that do nothing but trash the FBI and the Mueller probe, and worse, you might as well pray to make water run uphill as to get the Republicans to "do the right thing."
The NY Times should be calling for impeachment of Trump and Pence (effectively a co-conspirator who was hand-picked by Russian agent Paul Manafort).
Mitch McConnell, stealer of Supreme Court Seats, should resign. The Republican Party should be driven from power and required to register as a foreign agent. It is actively undermining the rule of law and the constitution to stay in power.
2
These are good suggestions. I especially like the one about Nunez. But none of these things will happen because we have elected people who glory in their demonization of our own government, it’s processes and institutions. These are people from Nunez to Gomertz to Goetz who do not have the slightest clue how to govern-and are delighted to rub your face in it. Much like Trump, they await their marching orders from the Mercer’s, the NRA, or whoever is behind the scenes with a brain and the bucks working strategy. There’s no virtue, integrity, respect for office, or even basic professionalism, amongst this entire sorry lot. We bought into this madness hook line and sinker, and the historians will have fun figuring out how and why we were so stupid. But this hopelessly inept Congress is our fault, and ours to clean up.
Perhaps Sen Schumer should spend time trying to get a few republicans to switch parties now. McCain, Flake, Murkowski, Collins and Corker keep complaining. They could do something about it just by switching parties
1
These are all great ideas and not one of them is likely to see the light of day because of the hideous sycophants and lickspittles that populate the Republican party. The single most important thing the loyal opposition (Democrats, Republicans, liberals and conservatives) can do is vote Democratic. The good news is that the Republican party is shrinking and the Democratic party is growing. This is in part what explains Trump's popularity among Republicans - those who still identify as such are dwindling, so naturally his poll numbers among them will be more concentrated. The only way to make America great again is to dump Trump!
1
Those members of Trump's Oligarch Party, formerly the Greedy Old Party, have been browbeat, and as stated in the piece, act like beaten dogs when it comes to Trump and his foibles and failures.
Since the installation of the grifter in our house, the only thing the TOP members will react to is Trump's dog whistling along with the whistling and gaslighting from Fox "News" comedians.
The members of TOP claim fear of those wearing the red hats of racism and bullying. No, they should fear the possible awakening of the voters who will think beyond the shrill cries of Trump and his lackeys.
This piece provides a wish list that should become and action item list with each item check off as they are accomplished. But, the members of TOP will be sure to not read the list as they may be rudely awakened and may need to admit they too succumbed to the con.
Maybe every single Democrat (and the reasonable Republicans) should stonewall everything. Nothing gets done until Trump is held accountable. They just cross their arms and sit there. No talking, no negotiating, just them repeating "Tell YOUR president to get it together."
Love these top ten ideas. I have #11: No longer attempt to do any business, any at all, until #1-10 are accomplished. Congress has sat on their butts for over 18 months with nothing except aggravation to show for it. This gives them a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Grow a spine? And commit suicide in the process? Republicans appear indifferent or even clueless but one thing they know for sure. Trump won the election by appealing to the considerably huge number or bigots and racists in this country, and those people are still there. They're called Republican constituents. And their Republican senators and representatives are scared to death of them. If you get a chance to view videos of the off the cuff interviews of Republican voters you'll see a group of people who could care less about Trump's colluding with Russia or his lying or his name calling. What's important to them is that he hates blacks and Hispanics and so do they, so they'll be with him no matter what he does. And the Corkers and the Rubios or the world will find ways to hem and haw and equivocate because they so dearly love what they're doing, or not doing, and they'll do anything including selling the country down the river to keep all those bigots and racists from voting against them. See? It's not rocket science, it actually rather simple. They call it real life. Some day the media will discover it, but don't hold your breath.
2
As Putin's ballboy, Trump presents Americans with only two options: Go to war or give away the store. As this editorial points out, there are many, many other options. Obama made it clear that war with Russia was not even a remote possibility. But he had no problem tightening the thumbscrews on Putin, and did so with dignity. There is no reasonable explanation for Trump's obsequy before this bloody tyrant. The only logical explanation is some form of coercion, and it's not hard to imagine the possibilities. If Stormy Daniels could get him over a barrel, think what Vladimir's Highly Trained Harem could accomplish! As Americans, we can only wax nostalgic about those days in the early 90s when we our economy was riding high and we were gloating about "winning" the Cold War. Little did we know that Russia could buy us out so cheaply! Now, they can drown our government in the Republican Party's bathtub and bury us in our own capitalistic debris. Is that what Khrushchev had in mind?
We watch, (all of us fortunate enough to live in democratic
societies) nervously and ask ourselves could our country be ripped apart like yours? Would we ever choose party over country, turn on each other, would we, could we? This Administration and the Republican party have given the free world a frightening template, now it's up to us to make sure we tear it up.
Supporters inside and outside your governing party sold their souls long ago, so, sadly no bullet-point guideline ( as good as it is) will ever be implemented by them. The only way back for your country is through voting, and the WORLD is counting on you to do just that! Right this ship, so we can breath again.
1
Expecting republicans to stop appointing conservative judges is extraordinarily naive.
Republicans already sold their souls to get Gorsuch appointed. Kavanaugh is basically a freebie.
2
They never will do this. VOTE THEM OUT. It's the only way.
Take it from this experienced gardener: You can't grow anything, including a spine, on barren ground.
4
"Refuse to confirm even one more nominee, judicial or executive, until you get some of the aforementioned answers and protections. Yes, absolutely including the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. "
Great thinking, Editorial Board! Let's politicize judicial selection even more than they're already politicized!
Thank you for this excellent opinion piece! I hope Republicans in Congress and the Senate will print it and use it as a check off list. They have the power to change the direction of this country.
1. Not going to happen.
2. Not going to happen.
3. Not going to happen.
4. Slight chance it could happen, since nothing tangible would come of it.
5. Not going to happen.
6. Not going to happen.
7. Not going to happen.
8. Not going to happen.
9. Not going to happen.
10. Not going to happen.
Election Day is the only hope that any of these results will eventually change.
5
To hope that the GOP will stand up to Russia is a forlorn hope. Some of them, along with Nunes and Rorabacher, are acting as though they are complicit. Just think: seven senators and one representative spent the Fourth of July in Russia. All of them were Republican. They are: Sen Richard Shelby (AL), Sen. Steve Daines (MT), Sen. John Thune (SD), Sen. John Kennedy (LA), Sen. Jerry Moran (KS), Sen. John Hoeven (ND), Sen. Ron Johnson (WI) and Rep. Kay Granger (TX). No one in Congress even raised an eyebrow at this insult to our country.
Will they do anything about Trump's ties to Putin? Not while there's a chance that Putin will help them win elections, whether by hacking computers or spreading disinformation campaigns. The only thing that matters to them is winning, staying in power, pleasing their wealthy donors, and making money. People don't matter; the country's integrity doesn't matter; our allies don't matter -- only power and money matter to these crass cynics.
6
We have become a nation that likes to avoid responsibility and the virtual ghosts of human beings who occupy the Republican held seats in Congress are prime examples. These days, it is news when someone involved in a major car crash stays and takes responsibility. Running away, if you can do it, so more or less standard. Would any of the Republicans on Capitol Hill risk defeat to save the nation? Surely, you jest.
How we have sunk to such a sorry state is the province of sociologists, historians and novelists. What happened? In the space of a few generations we have gone from the iconic "give me liberty or give me death" to "who, me?"
A lot of what's wrong with us can be traced to pure, raw greed. The benefits of financial success now are so great, no one who has a chance at the big score wants to turn away. Likewise, those who serve in Congress, in many if not most cases, have their eyes on the prize that can follow even undistinguished service in office. So, the struggle is to stay in office making 147K per year and await the time when that annual take can be multiplied by 10, 20 or even more times. There is so much money sloshing around for the top American earners, why not take yours?
When the history of this period it is written, it will likely feature the fact that no one in power cared, no one dared to risk taking a stand against the destruction of America's standing in the world and the perpetration of virtual treason in the highest office. No one cared.
4
What a hope!
Bought and paid for Republicans are thrilled to be winning. They know they were elected by a minority.
Who cares that they have power by cheating.
They rule as a one-party system, and now have control of all three branches of government.
These are not your friends, your parents' Republicans. They are wholly corrupt, and eager to retain power by any means, fair or foul.
Why would anyone expect a corrupt minority to give up power and wealth?
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. They don' care that Trump is a jerk. He's their guy, and they're getting their pet project, beyond dreams of avarice.
6
An 11th item needs to be added to your list regarding Republicans growing a spine. Those Republicans who are outraged regarding Trump's debasement of their party and his behavior not just in Helsinki, but since January 20, 2017, need to forego the bullying of McConnell and Ryan who force them to vote along party lines. If any Republican in the legislative branch has any moral conscience whatsoever, now is the time to become an Independent. Your country will thank you. How about it, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski?
2
There is one simple reason why none of this will come to pass, namely because of the members of the GOP base, nearly all of whom have long since lost their moral compass, their patriotism, their very commitment to our democracy and, to some extent, even their sense of decency - all because trump is fulfilling their wish list of tax cuts to the rich at the expense of the rest of us, working to deprive millions of low-income and middle class Americans of health coverage, eviscerating environmental protections for our public lands and oceans, our air and water and, of course, packing the Supreme Court with justices who will if not overturn Roe v Wade at least allow states to vastly reduce abortion services for poor women (affluent women will always be exempt).
Republicans have made their Faustian bargain and nothing will change that or them.
7
It is clear that he GOP will not turn on Trump until they get their agenda through, namely a further appointment to the Supreme Court.
1
Everything we need to know about the GOP these days is embodied in one key Republican: Mitch McConnell. McConnell and Trump have the one thing in common: an overriding commitment to winning at any cost. You can't be about winning at any cost and, at the same time, have a spine. The two things are mutually exclusive. Winning at any costs requires having no goal, principle, or ideal to which one is committed except winning. It requires being infinitely devoid of moral principle, which is tantamount to being infinitely unprincipled (i.e., infinitely malleable, i.e., infinitely spineless). Trump has managed to make being infinitely spineless look spine-y. That's partly due to the fact that he never even tries to look principled. McConnell makes it look like what it is - purely opportunistic - because he tries to hide his commitment to winning at any cost behind a principled veneer. The question is, Are there enough Americans who are actually principled to more than compensate for the evidently very high number of Americans who are purely opportunistic? The jury is out. That in itself is terribly sad. For, unless we as a nation stand for something besides winning at any cost, our days of greatness are over.
6
I have been a democrat since basically birth. My mother was involved in politics and raised her children to be involved. Though I have disagreed with Republicans throughout the years, I never doubted their patriotism, until now. Given Trump's obvious deference to Russia, on a foreign soil no less, Republicans have a choice, Country or party? Unfortunately they have already made their choice, despite their weak protests. The party of national security has bowed to the party of Trump.
10
It consider it empirically established that, particularly in a representative democracy like ours, leadership resides more with the men and women in the streets than with our duly elected leaders. Therefore, to expect our duly elected leaders to grow spines prior to mass action in the streets is misguided, and, from a practical standpoint, next to pointless. Why is no mass action taking place in the streets? Broadly, I can think of three possible answers: 1) people are too fearful, 2) people are basically feeling things are somewhere between okay and good, 3) people don't see any possibility of improvement (i.e., people are feeling hopeless). Surely all of these possibilities pertain, to varying degrees. Still, I believe that the last one, widespread hopelessness, if addressed head on, holds the most hope. Huh? Hopelessness holding hope - how does that work?I know it sounds illogical, and perhaps paradoxical - but what Americans lack, and what Americans need, is for somebody to articulate why mass action in the streets a) makes sense and b) is worth the trouble. If somebody does that effectively, mass action in the streets will happen - and, in due course, our duly elected leaders will grow spines. Until that happens, Trump will reign more of less supreme. Like it or not, that 's been the truly American way since the days of Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine.
5
@David
From Rasmussen Reports*:
"Forty-two percent (42%) of Likely U.S. Voters now think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey for the week ending July 12.
This is up three points from the previous week, which was the lowest finding since the end of May. This finding has been running in the 40s for most weeks this year after being in the mid- to upper 20s for much of 2016, President Obama's last full year in office."
********
* "Right Direction or Wrong Track - 42% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction"
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/...
Don’t waste your words. That horse has left the barn. They will never do anything no matter what Trump does. The will need to be removed from office.
9
Republican lawmakers are elected by Republican voters to represent their views. Polls show that 90% of Republicans are very supportive of Trump.
This morning, the Today Show featured interviews with Trump supporters in Wisconsin. None appeared at all irked by events in Helsinki. Don't those interviewed need to grow a spine before their elected officials do? If so, I see no suggestion of this in the Editorial Board's op-ed piece.
3
@Mike Edwards
I would suggest those the most outraged should seek greater insight, exhibit greater maturity and recognize that they're over-reacting (yet again) and that the country will be just fine.
Very constructive list, thank you (#10's a bit over the top; cutting noses to spite faces comes to mind), and all should be part of a healthy democratic republic.
But we all know none has a snowball's chance in hell of happening. That said, I'd be happy to see #3 alone happen as that the current attacks are tearing apart trust in our most basic institutions, perhaps for generations (and we know the bulk of law enforcement leans right, so the accusations are largely lies). These attacks serve no useful purpose and are borderline treasonous (we all saw on 7/16 where the Teflon Don's loyalties lie). I'd add to it showing support & confidence for those institutions publicly.
If #8 happened I'd be popping the champagne cork!
1
After watching the hysterical reaction to Trump's press conference, I found myself wondering whether he hadn't just set up his critics intentionally. Their reaction was so far over the top that it was bound to remind everyone about the craziness he's up against. Nothing causes sympathy for a president like insane attacks. Surprised Obama supporters don't know this.
1
I doubt that the Founding Fathers ever considered an entire political party would be compromised—let alone, compromised and in power. The same party that fomented national outrage over a tan suit can barely muster the words to condemn a president who objectively does not have America's best interests at heart. No words, no action, and now possible Russian ties to the NRA and the entire GOP? If this entire nightmare was orchestrated and intentional, there are no words to convey the disgrace and deception of the American people. Equally disheartening are the conservatives who accept and support the agenda with gleeful rage and indifference.
3
Excellent! -especially demanding that Americans show some American courage. It is time to be American in our response to hatefulness, bigotry, dishonesty, unkindness, ignorance and unpleasant behavior. What we have to be proud of are our values, our generosity, our intelligence, our forgiveness, our equality, our successes on every front - technology, economy, education, music, literature, humanities, business. We don't have to be subservient to anyone; we don't have to brag, either. Wake up, America, and be your kind and courageous self!
2
I think what appals me the most is to listen to the spokespeople who go on news shows to say what the president really meant. The kind of linguistic hurdles they must utilize are nothing short of amazing. Many of those spokespeople are congressmen or women who are willing to look in the camera lens and lie. It wouldn't be so bad if the very same people 3 years ago were not castigating President Obama for a tenth of what President Trump does. For him not a whimper.
It's the hypocrisy that gets me.
Finally the press briefings. Oh My God! Up is down down is up and if you question that you are an enemy of the people you are fake news. I was reminded of the old Robin Williams movie set during the Vietnam war where as a DJ he had to figure out how to respond to a similar kind of institutional crazeyness.
If you do not vote them out you are complicit.
3
Nice "to do" list. Good luck with that.
2
Latest headlines in NYT : "Russia Is No Longer Targeting the U.S., Trump Says, Contradicting His Own Intelligence Director." How can the GOP deny the unhinged nature of Donald Trump? Everyday brings with it more chaos and confusion. It's time for the GOP to step up to the plate and quit enabling this loose cannon of a president. They can begin by defending American institutions and the American public they were elected to protect, and to stop toadying to this madness.
Grow a spine? Fat chance! They wouldn't even bat an eye if Trump suggested outsourcing U.S. intelligence to Russia. At most they might gripe for one or two news cycles, before doing nothing. It's their well established MO at this point.
2
This grow a spine thing is funny coming from the EB.
Seriously. You give the man 24/7 coverage and over $2,000,000,000 of free media coverage getting him elected President...and you think this is our problem to solve?
Actually, it's not a problem to solve. Other than his petulance, he's doing exactly what he was elected to do...which is largely to tweak the Establishment; such as those members of the EB.
Seriously...I can't stand the guy, but until Democrats come up with someone not of the Establishment and not under criminal investigation by the FBI and not a part of an alleged criminal organization and not someone who's learned how to turn $1,000 cattle future investment into $100,000 in a blink of an eye...please be quiet?
We're at work here. YOu're disturbing our peace.
The few Republicans who disagree with Trump and who imply that he is a fascist still vote with him on every important issue, thereby empowering him further. Jeff Flake has strongly criticized Trump's authoritarian tendencies, and yet he voted for the tax bill, which he himself strongly opposed, saying it wasn't necessary in a good economy and that it would blow a huge hole in the deficit. Soon afterward Trump intentionally seated Flake next to him at a White House meeting, humiliating him.
Republicans and spine? They don't belong in the same sentence.
3
Dear Editors,
20+ years ago why weren't you asking the same question about the Democrats and former president Bill Clinton?
I guess maybe the Republicans learned a lesson from the Democrats and the MSM from that period, and it's payback time!
Note: I'm a so-called 'Blue Dog' Democrat who voted Third Party in 2016 and for President Obama in 2012 because he had the guts to go after OBL unlike V.P. Biden who now wants to be President!
Dennis
2
The word for animals without a spine is "invertebrates".
1
These ideas are spot on. Too bad the foxes are already in the chicken coop. ( Maybe Murkowski and Collins would like to step up?)
1
Republicans will never grow a spine. Trump's base is happy to have an emperor as long as the emperor serves their purpose. The Republican party is an insurgency that wants power for its faction and has no interest in governing for all Americans. To wish for anything else is a delusion. They will continue on the same course, even if it destroys our democracy, as long as they can hold power.
I don't know why this is true, but "why" doesn't matter. There have been groups like this throughout history. You just have to resist them even if you don't like it.
In our case, the only possible solution is at the ballot box.
4
spines are useful for standing up for ones convictions,, defending the downtrodden and being generally courageous and willing to fight against the morally reprehensible. There are a few republicans with spines but most wouldnt know what to do with one
Two years ago somebody hacked into DNC emails and John Podesta's emails and leaked them to WikiLeaks. The hackers used the most primitive of hacking techniques -- ones that I thwart all the time.
The emails were genuine but did not contain any government or classified information. They were meant to be private and their release caused mild embarrassment because they provided proof of shenanigans long suspected.
Robert Mueller and Rod Rosenstein believe that 12 Russian intelligence people were the hackers, or assisted the hackers. In a political move, they indicted those 12 on Friday the 13th as president Donald Trump prepared to meet president Vladimir Putin in a summit in Helsinki.
In a press conference at the summit after the two men had met for two hours, and they and their aides had lunched and talked, Donald Trump downplayed the importance of the indictment. He said that Vladimir Putin had denied that his government had done the hacking, but had offered to assist Robert Mueller in questioning the 12 men.
Although Donald Trump did not say it, he seemed to think that other things were more important to discuss than to argue over the sham indictment. (Sham since nothing will ever be done with it.) Barack Obama had said much the same thing in similar circumstances. You can argue with Vladimir Putin and get nowhere or discuss other things and, maybe, get somewhere.
Treasonous? No. Smart. Pragmatic. Effective.
1
@John Smithson
In fact, smarter than many of his critics. There's something about watching Americans become unhinged over a hacking of a single computer with a password of "password", while China houses thousands of global hackers in stadium-sized buildings.
This is why democrats cannot be trusted with the big national security issues. They lose the thread too easily.
I don't expect the Greed Over People party politicians to do ANY of your recommendations.
Based on the Butina documents, at least one, perhaps more, of the GOP legislators are in cahoots with the Russians, whether via the NRA or directly.
This is their last gasp efforts to undermine our democracy because they see the writing on the wall regarding the coming election(s), and know that the demographics of the country will bring them all down in the years to come. Those that may have spines don't want to be targeted by tweets. Those without spines know their days are numbered.
2
The dark cloud of reality is moving over the White House. While some call him " crazy like a fox" and others "just crazy", it is hard to believe any sane individual would act like he does to friends and adversaries alike. Perhaps it has to do with something in his tax returns, or compromising materials. In any event, once the facts are known, he knows his time in office is limited. The question remains, will he take down the country with him?
2
"10. Refuse to confirm even one more nominee, judicial or executive, until you get some of the aforementioned answers and protections.
Yes, absolutely including the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh."
The author(s) of those sentences definitely still believe in Santa Claus.
4
Absolutely agree with the ten actions you
suggest. As far as I am concerned, if the Republicans can't take action to protect our country and our elections, then they are complicit with Russian goals to undermine our democracy. They need to stop Trump from further collusion with Putin.
1
July 18, 2018
Surely a fine catalog to consider for the Trump inept leadership and towards compensation to manage this list of priorities with the best in Republican leadership. Trump's ongoing biography as President is a case in flawed abilities to engage in precision discourse and with, as we have had to bear the missteps and worst the tossing personnel out the oval office door as Rex is his prime example - and that was a personal Boy scout leader companion. Hey Trump is just sorry to use the metaphor radioactive and collateral damage is protracted, persistent, and profligate, etc. Damage control while we can still resuscitate the oval office chief executive - and get VP Mike Pence to the rescue - both for his Party and the nation.
1
I would add that Congress should compel President Trump and all Trump organizations to turn over his tax returns so that we can see how beholden he is to Russia and Russian interests
1
I'm not sure his indenture to Putin will show in his tax returns. I believe he owes his current job to Putin, and Putin can wreck him at anytime by "leaking" the evidence of Trump's conspiracy with him.
1
If the Republicans loose any more of their spine they may well be no longer considered Chordata, what then? Jelly fish I would think, or lost somewhere amongst the Eukaryotes.
Enough about MAGA. Now it's Making America Ridiculous And Legitimizing Autocratic Goons Often.
1
A spine would be a virus to the GOP. The once two fisted take no prisoner GOP is now as wimpy at its leader.Trump's performance will go down in history as a Chamberlain moment.Where is the Two Fisted Alpha Male that the Right has grown to love and fear?
1
Trump's performance in Helsinki makes Chamberlain look like the epitome of a statesman.
11. Impeach Trump and imprison him for treason.
3
No... It’s time for patriotic American voters to hoist this version of the Republican Party onto the scrap heap of history.
It’s the Democrats that need to grow a spine: Socialized medicine, quality education we can afford, social security, environmental protections. Hillary Clinton ( who I voted for and dearly wish was president) was a more-of-the-same big money Democrat, representing the same spineless, nothing- we-can-do-about-it Democratic Party that has caved in to donors, Republicans, and special interests for decades. The Republicans have a spine - they have the courage of their greedy convictions, they aren’t afraid to offend, they are focused with laser-beam intensity on pleasing the wealthy, and becoming wealthy themselves. Trump is helpful to them. They show spine by not caring what anybody else thinks of him.
3
Neither party is going to grow a spine. It’s not in their best interest, which is survival and retaining power.
The problem is this: we don’t have insurance against spinelessness - a mechanism installed in our political system - say, a vote of no confidence - to stop a Trump. He is a runaway train and we should have an automatic breaking system in place.
The reason we don’t is due to a large degree to our two-party winner-take-all system in which the winning party is in control and is not going to do anything - like challenge their leader - that would compromise their power. They also can prevent the other party from mounting a challenge. It’s nakedly anti-democratic.
Neither party wants to change the two-party system because it works equally for whoever wins. A mechanism that would check the president would also check the party he or she represents – and neither party wants that.
Therefore, it is imperative that The People buck the two-party system and challenge it with other parties to break their stranglehold on our democracy, and to fight for Constitutional changes like a check on presidential behavior. Left to their own devices, the two parties won’t change anything.
And for those who think that the two-party system will work when sanity and bipartisanship return – dream on. We’re in a cultural war; the genie is out of the bottle. To allow the two-party system to continue unchallenged is to guarantee that nothing will change and democracy will be destroyed.
2
I feel so sad. This editorial belongs to a different era. I don't even know how long ago.
I applaud the NY times for saying what needs to be said. However, J Flake is not running for reelection. The only ones speaking and basically the ones that do not have much to loose.
The only hope is that Muller came out stronger from this situation, now it looks worse to fire him, and that people vote in Nov. If we place our hopes in our GOP representatives the country will loose.
Well good luck with that! If they were going to do that one would think they would have done it long ago.
And now with the latest we are hearing about the Republicans coziness and cooperation with the Mariia Buttina, via the NRA, it's becoming clear that at least some of them don't take Trump on because in fact they are in agreement with him.
This is conspiracy at the highest levels of our government, and in plain SIGHT of the world. And yet, we get no major push back from any of our elected officials.
I don't think the Democratic leadership is doing enough to shout condemnation of the treasonous acts we are witnessing. They cannot say "wait until after the election" - that may be too late! We need all hands on deck NOW, the ship is sinking!
3
Congressional Republicans will do nothing to reign in our Quisling in Chief while he has ~90% approval from Republican voters.
Doing so would be political suicide for them and suggesting that they do so is just plain silly.
Voting Democratic majorities into the House and Senate on November 6th is the only hope of putting brakes on the runaway Trump train before 2021.
3
Spine! Rather, time to throw the Republicans the H-E-double-toothpicks out of office!
3
Yeah, right. Republicans wouldn't lift a finger if the found Putin in the oval office spanking Trump.
6
The Republicans and this administration are doing NOTHING to protect the vote. The money allocated to the state department has not been spent. THAT should be a huge story.
How many Republicans are compromised?
4
Helsinki prepares the ground, the public, for Mueller’s first report.
4
The Congressional Republican response to Trump is equivalent to their predictable "thoughts and prayers" comments following each mass shooting, signaling, "we know this is really, really bad, but don't look at us to do anything about it."
7
Nice list. Too bad all the GOP can offer are "thoughts and prayers" for the future of America.
7
MINIMALLY. These are the minimum actions that should be taken.
3
Great agenda but not one even remotely achievable with this Republican Congress. These are the same guys that spit in Obama's face. You expect McConnell and Ryan to suddenly display integrity, morals and concern for something other than their own self interests?They are all about retaining power not governing for the benefit of the nation. Their only accomplishment is a major tax giveaway to the already too wealthy and big corporations who have used their windfall to buy back their own stock. Change will not happen unless the voters send the GOP a clear message in November.
3
So Republicans finally reach across the aisle to Democrats, forming a bipartisan spineless political party. A true juggernaut of spinelessness, each contributing their campaign money from billionaires, corporations and dark money. They've got the country pretty much locked up for the foreseeable future - which now looks to be kinda brief.
2
Republicans in Congress are Republicans. When Trump, in all his awfulness, speaks, they hear themselves and the rest of the Republican Party singing.
2
Good suggestions, none of which will ever be implemented. While we are talking about things that will never happen, Congress should pass a resolution demanding that Trump apologize to our intelligence community and to our European allies.
2
Grow a spine? (Laughter).
I don't know about anyone else, but I can tell you this. I've pretty much had it with nearly every one of our so-called government 'leaders', of course the GOP too, for their loathsome inability to call a spade, a spade. Because, of all the hideous things Trump has said up to this point, his latest and most detestable moment of late, of cozying up to a Communist Putin, a man who orders hits not only on our electoral process, but far worse, snidely orders deadly nerve agent hits on his detractors, there aren't any excuses anymore to be had for Trumps bombastic behavior(s).
I've given up all hope that our US representatives will ever do squat to do right- by the people, and not their political benefactors. The moment I hit retirement age in two or a few years- I'm gone. We are becoming the laughing stock of all the world, and I no longer care to be a part of the undoing.
8
Of course all 10 are valid and for any elected representatives fulfilling their pledge to uphold the Constitution, taking action on the majority or all of them would be a first inclination. More than a few commenters have attributed those representatives' reluctance for fear offend their oligarch level donors and whose bidding they do to stay in power. As Upton Sinclair observed almost a century ago, "it’s difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it."
But, there's also the underlying fear that this is the best job that they could aspire to and they are dreadfully afraid of losing it. Jefferson spoke regularly about the need for citizen legislators who could properly express the views of Americans in government. He decried “office-hunters,” the political animals who’d be subject to “degeneracy” after too much time in their political jobs.
Is it degeneracy to seek to hold on to office because there's a fear of nothing better out there and that you might have to work for a living? Jefferson thought so.
4
Three states, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania were the difference for Trump. Now that we know how much time and effort the Russian Military put into getting into our voting equipment, has anyone looked at those machines and those voting results? Anyone other than the Republican controlled legislatures?
Maybe that is why the Republicans are pushing so hard to make the Russian investigation go away, it brings into question everything they have done since November 2016.
6
Well done! I like it... but then again I'm a DEM.
I've been talking among acquaintances and my mother that the REPS have no spine for many many months. She leans LEFT but can't seem to give up the concept that REPS are still what they once were. They are NOT!
4
Absolutely excellent list.
Top of the list should be items 7 and 9:
Pass legislation preventing Mr. Trump from unilaterally pulling out of NATO.
Pass a resolution censuring the president for his Helsinki display.
These actions by our Congress would send Trump a very, very strong message that we as a nation are strong, and strongly disagree with his abhorrent behavior and statements in both Brussels and Helsinki.
5
There's plenty of information out there to suggest that key GOP figures are involved in the meddling, use of stolen documents, and/or the cover up. They have a vested interest in trying to live through the furor. Meaning: They will do nothing.
8
GOP Congressmen and Senators will NEVER stand up to Trump. They know Trump's base supports him without question. They also know that if they denounce, censure, or (God forbid!) impeach Trump, then Trump's voters will turn on them. Those Congressmen and Senators would be DEFEATED in the November elections. The GOP love their six-figure salaries, their cushy offices, their power, and their perks MUCH more than they love their country. They are not about to sacrifice their lifestyles for our safety and security.
4
Shall I Write a Letter to My Congressman?
Each Congressman has got two ends,
A sitting and a thinking end,
And since his whole success depends
Upon his seat–why bother, friend?
E.Y. Harburg
Rhymes for the Irreverent
1965
2
Excellent. Add my vote to the "Yes, go for it." column.
4
Republicans turning on any meaningful scale on Trump would be akin to them turning on themselves. Won't happen. The Butina/Torshin spy story now beginning to play out in court demonstrates how a foreign power corrupted the entire GOP through its weak rightest wing flanks. Eventually - inevitably - their corruption bought them their epitome, Trump.
2
Why is it only Republicans who "need to grow a spine."
J'Accuse, NYT.
Democrats need to "grow a spine" re the following:
1. Condemn Antifa and campus censorship without hesitation or reservation (you equivocate like Trump re Charlottesville);
2. Condemn and disavow the election of anti-Semite Keith Ellison as DNC vice-chair, along with Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour for fawning over Louis Farrakhan and tolerating, if not encouraging, anti-Semitism;
3. Condemn Obama administration's lying to the American public that "the Syrian government has no more chemical weapons" and for permitting the Russians to establish air superiority over Syrian and Lebanon, thereby increasing civilian deaths in Syria and endangering Israel;
4. For paying ransom to Iran in return for hostages and then concluding a deeply flawed "peace in our time" nuclear deal with Iran without Congressional approval;
5. For Dem failure to address immigration reform and to find a solution to Dreamers, etc.
6. For the Dem failure to bring job training, community relief to rural and post-industrial America thereby losing the Rust Belt and Coal Belt votes, and electoral power;
7. For the Dem failure to honor the age-old promise to move the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem;
8. For the Dem failure to emphasize job growth and for building a vast regulatory bureaucracy which killed many more jobs;
9. For the Dem failure to hold the VA accountable for killing its patients.
5
Need to get serious NYT;
In January 2017, Director Comey revealed to a committee in public that the RNC servers and many local GOP candidate computers had also been hacked, but the information had NOT been leaked.
This seriously begs the question; Are Mitch, Ryan, and esp. the House 'Freedom Caucus' actually working against the interest of the USA out of fear of Putin and what he may expose all the GOP dirty secrets?
It may explain the gobsmacking performances of Nunes, Jordan, Meadows, and others in the House 'Russia Caucus', no?
4
@C. Morris
' and that he may expose' correction
The whole obsession with Russian influence on US elections is appallingly mis-weighted. So Russian operatives placed manipulative adds on Facebook and planted fake news stories that stirred up a bunch of people who were going to vote for Trump anyway. Meanwhile, far bigger malefactors have gotten and continue to get a free pass. The IRS just announced that politically-motivated organizations no longer have to disclose the sources of their funding. This will undeniably further empower the Koch brothers and their ilk, and facilitate their increasingly sophisticated efforts to bend the American political system to their will. The Citizens United ruling was just the first baby-step towards the subjugation of the American electorate to the will of the Deep Pockets. And this danger to democracy and truth is going almost completely unremarked-upon, while the press and others mindlessly bay up the tree of Russian Meddling. Trump’s innate ability to misdirect the attention of his would-be opponents is remarkable.
2
Maria Butina, a Russian spy, ties the whole conspiracy together-- Russian intelligence, NRA, GOP contacts, Right wing religious fundamentalists, Trump, and maybe even Pence. The whole bunch of deplorables. caught conspiring for Vladmir Putin at National Prayer Breakfast.
Nice move by Mueller arresting her same time as our President was committing treason in Helsinki. Hope her co-conspirators will join her in a DOJ cell. All of them!
Sad that US cannot stand by its allies on fourth anniversary of Russians shooting down MH-317. Mueller now is only one in US government capable of avenging those deaths and the deaths of civilians in Syria and Ukraine
Congress has abdicated its Constitutional power to oust a President who commits treason not to mention other high crimes and misdemeanors. Americans better wake up to the Bear in the room let in by the GOP.
George Will said it perfectly -----if you are a conservative and want Congress to do its job- vote for Democrats in November.
Good luck with this, NYT. Trump is Putin's employee, or at least his target of blackmail. We all know that the FSB (modern version of the Soviet KGB) keeps close tabs on famous and prominent foreigners when they visit Russia. They will also use the slightest thing as a weapon as needed. Trump might not have done a untoward thing while in Russia, but if it served Putin's objectives, the FSB would make his reading the evening newspaper in his bathrobe in his hotel room look like a capital crime. But it's clear as day Putin has something on Trump. Innocent people do not behave like Trump did. And innocent people do not so obviously do the bidding of the person who's not blackmailing them. The GOP will do nothing because all of them are afraid of their rabid base, and a significant number of them are likely on the take, on way or another, too.
2
"Let’s start easy, with a handful of 'Non-Lickspittle' moves"
It would be a lot easier if I had any idea what that means.
1
Sounds as If you are unhappy with Trump. The real question is are the "fly over" citizens unhappy? We will see at the Mid Terms
but as things look now you are not going to get much satisfaction.
While every single word of the Trump/Putin summit has been parsed many times over Mr Putin's statement that the CIA contributed $400 million to the Clinton campaign has been completely ignored. No wonder John Brennan attacked Trump so viciously...to deflect from the CIA's campaign involvement.
As long as Trump delivers on campaign promises he is going to win. Not along Madison Ave or the Upper West Side but in middle America where common sense and love of the USA still endures.
1
@Artbelieve it or not, fly-over citizens are not the only citizens in this country, and being a failure is not a certificate of virtue. Our “elite” votes count too and so does our money. As if “love of the USA” equals believing every lie that comes out of the former KGB agent’s mouth, maybe we could do with a little less patriotism.
1
Republicans don't care about America or the American People. Their ONLY concerns are 1) political power and 2) Money, specifically gaining more of both. Each is the means to get more of the other. That's it. Every single policy of Repubs can be traced to these two "values." Nothing else explains anything they do. And a small detail like an idiotic and treasonous "president" is really not concern for them at all. Or their "base." As long as they get more power and more money they are quite happy to let everything else dissolve around them. They'll have theirs; too bad about everyone else.
2
And perhaps a 'We the Undersigned'?....
We don't drink
#Trumpatanycost kool aid
And telling lies from truth
Isn't above our pay grade
We will fight to the end
What we watched and we saw
Democracy's not carrion
For the Russian bear's maw
And our values aren't grist
For your sociopath miller
Dictator, kleptocrat
And cold blooded killer
Putin's no friend
He's our enemy you (bleep)
And we know who you are
By the friends that you keep.
As a country, we are in a dark place these days. Darker even than Watergate which I remember well. I want to commend the New York Times for suggesting ways to deal with Putin's meddling in our democracy. Bravo. Will a Republican Congress impliment such measures: NOT A CHANCE. Remember this date: NOVEMBER 6, 2018 AND VOTE. Our American way of life depends upon it.
6
Add #11: Change party affiliation from Republican to independent, then cross the aisle to caucus with the Democrats. If the president's behavior is truly outrageous, then the only immediate means to provide a check on it is to empower the opposition in one house of Congress.
Only two GOP Senators need to do this. Aren't there that many who are retiring anyway? And isn't there one more whose own party primaried her the last time she was up for reelection, and with a singularly unelectable opponent at that?
2
How about Way Past Time for GOP leaders to grow a spine.
Trump, an indisputable racist bigot, doesn’t want football players to kneel at games because of racial injustice, but it is perfectly okay for him to kneel to Putin. Conspiracy? Is that what it’s called when in plain sight?
2
A kiss up kick down pecking order is the spine of the Republican Party.
1
It is no longer just a question of spine.It is whether they were on the receiving end of Russian money,colluding with russia vs. hillary or generally not honoring their oath to protect the constitution and our country.Some of these low lifes are bound for the big house.
2
Republicans have had plenty of chances to grow a spine; instead, they have told Mueller it's time to wrap up his investigation.
It's up to us.
(D) = Democracy
(R) = Russia
2
If only.
3
Well, I am getting depressed having to write the same thing to the Times and my Congressional "Representatives." But I will say it again, We are a Naive people. A certain amount of Republican Senators and members of the House, are also involved with the Russian Govt. The bribes and "Campaign Contributions" have shown and disclosed a degree of corruption few people are willing to admit. The Fascist/Republican Party is no longer a U.S. political party. It is owned by Russia and the highest bidder. It is really that simple. Yes, I know it is hard to believe, but ask yourself what other motive can or have they displayed but to consolidate perpetual power over the U.S.
3
trump and the republicans were brown nosed in helsinki. it hasn't sunk in(the n apostrophe t will never disappear)
3
You'll have to wait until a Democrat is in the oval office and only then will Repubs grow a spine.
2
The Republicans have no need of spines, they are fine as invertebrates. You have the deadly widow spiders like McConnell who simply kill their opposition. And then you have the carpenter ants like the Freedom Caucus that hollows out our freedoms and democratic institutions from the inside. What exactly would a spine add to their exercise of power, the only currency they recognize?
4
I think we're way past the steps listed. They should all be calling for Trump to resign. If he won't, open impeachment hearings based on an easy to prove charge of treason.
6
Good luck. The Republicans are cowards. The number one question they need to ask themselves is why Trump can criticize everyone under the sun but refuses to do the same with Putin. It's a sad day in America when Republicans accept a Russian puppet as our President.
6
". . . erect firewalls . . ." Not enough! Get anything critical related to voting OFF the internet. It is not worth the convenience it affords. Security measures are only speed bumps, not impenetrable walls.
Also, let's go back to mechanical voting machines, where you can inspect them and see them working, instead of electronic voting, where you can't. It is too easy to hide cheating in software. It can show a vote for A, yet secretly count it for B.
To the Editorial Board: What you are suggesting would make sense if you were dealing with a real Political Party whose main objective is to protect and defend the United States of America at all costs including personal demise. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Instead, you are dealing with a Tribe which very much resembles the Tribes of the Middle East following their Sheikhs or Imams no matter what! The Republican Party has become a dangerous liability and may well drag this nation to the abyss of dictatorship. Forget not how the Nazi Party gained strength and became the evil that it did. The ignorance of the masses is a very potent force in a Democracy.
6
It is interesting to find out that many Americans - mostly republican, really don't care about this country as much as they say they do. When black people take a knee - they're right there with their outrage. When guns are mentioned they weaponize the 2nd Amendment. That's about it. It's easy to toss out the entire constitution with the exception of the 2nd Amendment and that seems to be where we are politically. Good bye America!
5
Here's the big question folks, if this farce in Helsinki didn't bring the stable genius down, what will? Sorry, but you're stuck with this cad for some time. Oh the pain.
2
It is time for the Times to have the same attitude towards the dems. For 100 years the dems loved Russia and only had goods thing to say about Russia, "I will have more flexibility after the election" the 1980's wants their foreign policy back" Don't say tear down that wall"
so when are you going to own up to your ERRORS
1
An open appeal to Senator John McCain and Senator Jeff Flake:
Senators, our country is under present on-going attack. If you love your country and value your oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and as true patriots believe that safeguarding our nation’s security and integrity rises above partisan loyalty, I call on you now to recognize the present danger and to cross the aisle to join your Democratic colleagues. The Republican leadership, particularly Senator McConnell, has been implicated in the failure to defend our nation against the on-going attacks by Russia, and has made clear its unwillingness to hold the Trump administration to account for its embrace of our foreign enemies. If you love your country more than the Republican Party, stand up and do what you know to be right. Cross the aisle and save the Republic from its enemies, foreign and domestic.
In the name of We the People of the United States, I beg you - save the Republic.
Sincerely,
W. Travis Hanes III, B.A., M.A., PhD.
Follow the Bit Coins and Maria Butina NRA funded Republicans.
That's why this party isn't gonna do d**m thing about Russia!
Each time they meekly denounce an outrage of our traitorous president they walk it back. Yep. Nothing to see here Citizens.
4
It isn't that they are spineless. It is that they are all driven by avarice to be traitors.
That is so big a thing that most people cannot even begin to wrap their minds around it let alone say out loud that the GOP is a bunch of traitorous cowards seeking only to enrich themselves without regard for any harm they might do. I suppose they somehow imagine the money will protect them from the inevitable collapse or that the collapse is so far off they will be dead before it happens.
Congressional Republicans growing a spine is about as likely as all of us waking up tomorrow to find that President Trump has morphed into a Churchill-level statesman.
Never gonna happen.
2
Republicans will never move against Trump in any meaningful way, and will block Democrats despite any gains that might come in the midterms. Our national salvation will come from Trump himself when he implodes.
1
You propose good solutions, but you err when you say that Republicans need to grow a spine.
They have plenty of spine, and they use it to get what they want. Trump gives them what they want; that is, an oligarchy representing the wealthy.
1
It’s time for Putin to grant asylum to his number one fan, and to open his own borders for the immigration of Trump fawners and oligarchs, who apparently see life in Russia as superior to life in the US. Let Trump Tower Gulag be their last resort.
But it’s not only about the Russian thing. We are experiencing the most devastating train wreck in American history, and not one member of Congress can be allowed to look away. Each one of them must quickly decide whether to be written into history as a hero or a coward; that is precisely the choice they are making.
2
The problem we face with Republicans is that they don't hold democratic ideals. They believe that the rich have rights. The rest of us are just an inconvenience. As long as they hold power, things are working just fine in their eyes. Sad but true.
1
The expectation of courage from people who feel insecure without guns is a far stretch of imagination for me.
5
My vote is for option #9. In fact, here is the text of an email message that I sent to my congressman and both senators on Monday evening (I encourage others to do the same):
Dear (Senator/Congressperson),
I am writing to request that you either initiate, or if it is not in your purview to do so, sign onto, a petition to have the United States (House of Representatives/Senate) censure Donald Trump in light of his shameful and willful abrogation of his duty to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Specifically, I refer to the statements he made during the press conference held immediately following his meeting on July 16 with Vladimir Putin during which he took Putin's word over that of the United States’ intelligence community that Russia had not interfered in the 2016 presidential election despite ample and credible evidence to the contrary.
1
As long as Fox News defends Trump, that group of Republicans will continue defending Trump and the rest of the Republicans will remain quiet.
Mr. Trump, show us your tax returns.
1
What good is a spine if it is facing the wrong direction?
1
Nice try, NY Times. I mean that with genuine sincerity. But, the Republicans are just fine with the way things are. If that isn't obvious by now, those of us who still have the energy and capacity for outrage are in total denial. In wishing and hoping that Republicans will get a spine, we are wasting time and causing ourselves agita. They are immovable and they are in control and they are unfazed by Trump's embarrassing charade of a Presidency. They want to satisfy Trump's base and their big donors and they want to hold on to their seats. Republicans' morality, honor, patriotism, decency - long gone. We must laser- focus on the upcoming elections and use our rage as energy to move forward and take this country back. There's a lot of cleanup in our future.
1
I have read that Democrats do not want to call for impeachment because they know the Republicans will not give them that. As a person who supports some number of charitable organizations, I have considerable lack of respect for any group that will ask for only what they think the government will give them. If they do that, then they let a bad government (or a bad political party) ratchet down their expectations until they no longer remember a higher standard of behavior. Because morally challenged Congressmen refuse to do what's right does not mean that the public and all who are opposed should be too mealy-mouthed to ask for it. The public needs to know that leaders recognize what ought to be done. This will affirm the significance of these events. Right action cannot be measured by what crooks will willingly give you. A strong response to wrongdoing should demand something commensurate with the behavior and then build support for it. This is how the anti-slavery movement worked; it is how the Civil Rights movement worked. The Democratic Party is just a minority in Congress like these activists were — but a lot less helpless. They left legacies of courage that too many seem to have forgotten in this era of ask-only-what-your-opponents-will-give-you. Future history books should have written in them that the media, the public, the opposing political party, the ngo's, all shouted with one voice: "Impeach him!"
1
Nice Christmas wish list where none of these points will be enacted by a spineless GOP. Only time the GOP shows any spine is when a democrat occupies the Oval Office. Trump got his own party cowed, brow beaten, and in a federal witness protection program.
Dear Editorial Board: fantastic ideas! Whomever wants to lead the democratic party should pick this up and run with it. I hope Pelosi or Schumer, Booker, someone reads this and gets some ideas for action.
After the Congress' tepid non-response to trump's traitorous acts on international tv, I am now becoming worried that Putin has something on the WHOLE GOP. I don't want to believe in conspiracies, but why would our elected representatives stand idly by and muse at their bellybuttons while the president gives our country to Russia? What about the oath they all take to care for and protect our country FIRST?
They are nothing but traitors, too, if they don't rebuke trump and begin removing him from office.
With the President and the Republican Party determined to destroy American Democracy and, even, normal decency, what do we have left? Maybe the same as what our children have been given, "Thoughts and Prayers." Eh?
The GOP collectively doesn't have on e spine between them. I heard Marco Rubio this a.m. and his true weasel colors are showing through. Your suggestions are all salient but are falling on deaf ears. The scared and scary Rebubs are drowning in trump's sewer.
2
Thanks for a succinct editorial. The only problem is that it assumes that Republicans are patriotic, and care about our country and its citizens. They are neither. Their only agenda is consolidating more power and money, providing more money to wealthy oligarchs, and causing pain and suffering for the citizens of the United States, i.e., the peasants and parasites.
4
If Trump can change one word then so can the opposition. Start calling his spineless supporters Putin Republicans. It may get through to the shiny object crowd who voted for him faster than presenting complicated facts.
4
good suggestions... but are they suitable for the jellyfish Republicans who jumped on the Trump bandwagon to appeal to the lowest common denominator of their voters?
why is it ok the country is being led down the primrose path by the lunatic right wing which is far from a majority?
1
Find me one GOP person in Congress who will do any of what you suggest. Not even the Flakes or Collinses. And all it takes is two of them.
2
If nothing gets done by the GOP along the lines of the editorial in the short term, we should publish the obituary of the party.
1
Pass a law requiring Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates and cabinet nominees to open their tax returns of the last 5 years. Retroactive to 2016.
3
Yep, time for Trump to go. Let's elect Democrat party to both houses in November, so for the next 2.5 years this country gets nothing done but impeaching Her President. How that plan is not treason, I do not know / see.
3
@Yulia Berkovitz Better than leaving him there.
It's Constitutional, not treasonous.
@Seri This is not the point. the point is that we need to move this country forward in the right direction, which Trump largely has been doing. is he crus? - yep. But is he effective - yes and yes! Do you want Mike Pence in charge? Really?!
Most likely Republicans will seize on Mr. Trump's weak correction of his comments as an excuse to continue to do nothing or very little to rein him in.
Work now for better representatives and senators and vote for them in November!
2
This article states exactly what this country needs right now. The spell is broken, reasonable people have found their voices. Does that mean America is safe for democracy again? Not necessarily. We must never forget this display of incompetence, or worse, by Mr. Trump. This is a place to go forward from, having learned some lessons.
1
No mention here of F(alse)ox or limbaugh, et al. Pity.
If the Fairness Doctrine was reinstated to diminish some of the lies that form most of the central tenets to t rump's very base base's firm beliefs, we could be well on the way to saving the patient. US.
Other than that little nit, this piece is spot on. Good work today all around these pages.
Except of course, for Douthat.
3
The GOP is like Mr. Loopner, the late father of Gilda Radner's adorably nerdy Lisa Loopner. "What happened to Mr. Loopner?" Jane Curtin as Mrs. Loopner would answer "He was born without a spine."
Today I heard Marco Rubio and Rob Portman express their relief at Trump's "clarification" of remarks at the Putin press conference. Obviously, also born without a spine.
There clearly is no bottom here, nothing they won't excuse or explain away. The question is why?
1
It's one thing for Republicans to passively look the other way
As Trump demonstrates his fealty to Moscow. But it's more than that. They hay have aggressively attempted to thwart the Mueller investigation. They waste potentially productive time holding Kangaroo hearings arrogantly accusing and shouting down civil servants all in a strategy to end the investigation or to discredit the results when they come out.
No, it's not just a lack of spine. It's complicity. The Grand Old Putin Party knows how they consorted with the Russians to win the election. That is behind their efforts to obstruct.
3
Given their absence of a spine, suggest the Republicans change their symbol from the elephant to a jellyfish, or other suitable invertebrate.
4
Trump is back to his normal behavior, tweeting today that it was the “ haters” in American citizenry who were “ upset” the he “ got along” with Trump.
He claims the hater want us to be at war.
Hey, Trumpty: We are already engaged in a war, a cyber war the Russians are conducting, And you still are denying it is a real war.
Shameful.
5
The whole premise of the column is flawed because it assumes that Republicans have some principles that they would act on if they had a spine. Their principles are sucking up as much money from donors and special interests as possible and holding on to power. Their inaction is completely aligned with their principles.
The column should instead be 'Republicans Need to Grow a Conscience'. They simply do not give a damn about the country or their voters (they play to their voters with rhetoric, but the real beneficiaries are the corporations who bought them). And the Democrats are only marginally better by virtue of the fact that the core values they claim to espouse are more closely aligned with the government actually serving the people, rather than enabling a flawed free-market system to roll over individuals. The only things which could save this country from its downward slide are term limits and/or campaign finance reform. The moment holding political office changed from being a calling of the civic minded and accomplished individuals who felt an obligation to give back to the country to a lucrative lifetime job with incentives to sell influence is when the American empire started its descent.
3
This country is in dire need of new leaders who are truly concerned with the welfare of this country and its people. I do not see a single person from ANY PARTY interested in uniting the American people for the welfare of us all. We are witnessing the destruction of this nation for personal fortune and power.
When does the dialog start? Who's leading the way? How do we begin to function as a unified nation again? Who do those of us who are willing get behind to push for a new start?
@JF
We did have Obama and Boehner trying to work out compromises together, and we saw what happened there.
We have to get rid of the Republican obstructionists to make politics safe for centrist compromise again.
It's becoming more likely that the Russian do have compromising material on Trump dating from 2013 and his Moscow Miss Universe visit. This is spelled out in the Steele dossier, based on reliable intelligence sources in Russia, and that the Mueller enquiry has seen. What other explanation can there be for what amounts to 'treacherous' behaviour in Helsinki, for surely this can not just be Trump protecting his business interests in Russia or hoping to turn Putin against Iran and Syria.
11. Early on, there was a vote about getting Trump to release his incomes taxes and the visitor logs at Mar-a-Lago. The votes went mostly along party lines. Will it now?
If they want to find out if the Russians have something on Trump, it would be better to find out sooner rather than later.
1
The only Republicans that are speaking out against Trump are ones that are retiring or not running for reelection.
2
Trump just now stated that Russia has no intention of interfering with the 2018 election.
We need to be talking about impeachment and voting against every Republican in November.
Any suggestion that Congressional Republicans will act against Trump collusion is beyond ridiculous.
It's a false flag and it's long past time to face reality.
3
The Republicans need to grow a spine and the Democrats need to get a clue. Centrist corporate Democrats will continue to lose by suppressing the rising progressive movement as they did with Bernie Sanders. And the country will continue its escalating downward spiral.
1
Lack of trust in the integrity of the voting system is becoming one of my main worries in the coming election.
Therefore I propose the following:
First of all, ballots should be filled in by hand in every state. Some (most?) states already have this as a rule.
Second: In this coming election ballot counting/tallying needs to be transparently done/overseen by representatives of all parties involved in the election. That means going back to hand-counts and eliminating computerized counting.
Third: To further re-establish public trust in the final results all procedures should be simple to understand and published on official web-sites easily available to the voting public.
3
@JS, further, national ballots should all be printed in the same format regardless of the state.
The ten actions that the Times suggests that the Republican party take are all reasonable and would help it to regain some of its now destroyed credibility. But there is a simpler response: Republicans and Democrats should come to the defense of our country by immediately launching impeachment proceedings and as quickly as possible remove Mr. Trump from office.
4
I'll vote for that! Could we throw in a bill that would require all presidents present and future to disclose income tax returns? Could we also pass laws against corruption? "Norms" aren't working anymore.
4
One phenomenon that the GOP does not seem to grasp is the growing solidarity of U.S. women.
Even country boys who survive in the wild know you dare not get between mother bears and their cubs - their teeth, claws and determination are the most fearsome in the woods.
In the human species, that feminine nurturing instinct is no less prevalent as demonstrated by the fact that care giving roles are predominantly fulfilled by women, whether in the family or, increasingly,
in professional arenas.
Based on competence and leadership, the two best managers I ever served were exceptions:women - a Navy Lieutenant and an IT executive. The proof of their results was the cohesion, performance and satisfaction of their teams. I studied and applied some of their subtle nurturing techniques and it worked, often to the bewilderment of my male peers and bosses (and my wife's and my amusement).
I'm gratified to see the same dynamics in play as more women are proving very effective in promoting political concern and involvement from local to state levels. And these winners are attracting more of those (and not just women) for whom the time has come to declare, "We've had enough - it's time to take back what is ours!"
And here come the teeth and the claws... to teach government it must fear the people rather than the other way around. Sic 'em, Ladies!
2
And then, there's Sarah Sanders and Kelly Conway . . . and who can forget Momma-Bear Sarah Palin?
@Kirk Bready
"One phenomenon that the GOP does not seem to grasp is the growing solidarity of U.S. women."
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/01/us/politics/white-women-helped-elect-...
A majority of votes cast by white women in 2016 were for Donald J. Trump.
2
How in the world did the Republican Party become so pro-Russia? The extent that we see could not have happened only in the past 17 months. There is more to this than meets the eye. Until such time we can't expect much of a backbone to emerge.
3
@Karn Griffen, Russia got back religion with Putin. People who project a human personality onto nature support each other.
It's not going to happen and why major newspapers keep exhorting the republicans to change is beyond my understanding. Nor is this any different than all the other Trump crises that supposedly are so bad they cannot be ignored this time.
Editorials like this are truly the "triumph of hope over reality."
3
"Pass a resolution censuring the president for his Helsinki display. Let Mr. Putin know that not every American politician is eager to be his dancing bear." This action might force Trump to recognize the fact that he is President of the United States of America, not the First Businessman of the United States of America. The difference is that businessmen work for their enrichment not the country's good. As president, Donald Trump seems to have forgotten that if, indeed he ever knew it.
The GOP has enabled Trump. That entire party should be censured as well. They refused to work with a duly elected president, refused to honor his nominee for the Supreme Court on completely unwarranted grounds, and let the country fall apart in their quest to make Obama a one term president. The question here is what are they willing to overlook in their quest to remain in power for more than one term. The answer I fear, is everything because the GOP is no longer the party of Lincoln. It is the party of the Koch Brothers, ALEC, the Mercers, the Scaifes, the Waltons, etc.
While they claim to be representing all Americans they aren't unless those Americans are white, rich, and male. The GOP is responsible for this. The oaths McConnell, Ryan, and the others took to serve, protect, and defend our country and our constitution have been broken. They too deserve to be impeached.
3
You guys haven't been paying attention. You are making a request from a group that has already crossed the Rubicon with this president. Their silence will continue as they have exchanged love of country for love of power. Save your words.
5
While I agree with your "Rubicon" comment, saving our words would be wrong. The [for the time being] free press has to continue reporting and hammering away at the real and present danger the republicans and their president are posing.
1
@Harry Toll and: Good point....dw
Excellent suggestions. This is not a republican or democrat problem. This is a national emergency in which we need the adults (if there are any left) to come forward and put a stop to this mess. It is not too late.
5
All of your points here are valid and in a normal political atmosphere would stand a chance of being considered. But I believe the Republican party has indeed "Crossed the Rubicon" with this president and his administration. They have made a deal with the devil and have given up their love of country for a stronger love of power. Witness all the stupefying acts of silence they have committed in the face of countless comments and actions that run counter to American values and leadership. You are making requests of a group that have already sold their souls. Probably useful to get it off your chest, just don't expect any response.
5
Re #4, demand extradition. Think this one through again. How difficult would it be for Putin to indict 12 American military officers on anything from jaywalking to murder and then demand reciprocity. If it is correct there is no treaty right to extradition for the alleged crimes, then it would probably be illegal under Russian law. Even if Putin were able to get that law changed, it would most certainly come with a reciprocity condition.
2
The problem is that it’s increasingly apparent that this GOP Congress knows what Trump did, when he did it, and the illegality behind it. But they tied their sinking ship to this dying star because, you know, tax cuts, Christianity, Stop the gays, etc...
And as for the idea that Democrats have “abandoned” the working class? Well, not exactly. I’d say it’s more that the white working class starting believing the outrageous idea that rich people care about them and the ignorant concept that people of a different pigment are their enemies instead of accepting them as their coalition.
Many Trump supporters smile because he angers liberals. What they fail to notice is that liberals are angry, in part, about the way the GOP treats the working class.
I’m not sure what Democrats can do to counter this bigotry and strange fealty to rich people. Go to a Trump rally. What do you see? White people seething over gays, blacks, Latinos, etc demanding respect as if stopping this will help them regain jobs that left this country because the GOP gave this country away to big money and big corporations.
The sad thing is that Democrats, having gained moderates in the suburbs, don’t necessarily need these white rural folk anymore.
I’m sorry, but, womp womp...
5
The prospects of these measures vary with Donald Trump's approval rating among Republican voters. Very likely that change will be negligible and temporary. Donald Trump is unparalleled in his ability to validate the inbred misery, hatred, and ignorance of the typical Republican voter.
1
1. Congress must obtain the President's Tax returns, review them, and release them to the public.
8
Let's see...I'm imagining the videos and advertising for the November election that the Democrats put up. The Dems sure have a lot to choose from. Plus maybe just maybe Democrats are now making darn dead sure they understand computer security and the ever popular social media approaches. Maybe they even have some experts around this time to train up staff? On their political ads, there will be those lovely July 2018 pictures of djt gazing into Putin's eyes, or on the other hand, the ones of djt looking like Putin's pet dog, eyes downcast, worried face as Putin looks at him. And then there will be the voiceovers one of which might be "What did your Republican Congressperson do when Trump committed treason against the U.S.? Nothing? Oh, nothing. They did nothing. I see. Do you really want this person representing you in Congress when you don't know how loyal they or djt are to the U.S.?"
2
People who believe that government as an institution is the source of all ills are people who are incapable of governing. Republican voters embraced this self-destructive policy many years ago, and our current state of affairs is the result. I will never stop believing that working to sabotage and belittle our form of government is anti-American, and I refuse to let cynicism keep me from voting.
2
Excellent editorial but impossible dream. I can believe that a horse can fly in the sky but can not believe that the Republican Congress member will grow spine. Most of the GOP leaders are crook, dishonest, greedy for power and money, fraud, phony and coward. They love dollars and power more than their country,USA , Bible and God. I have ZERO expectation from them. They are scared of Trump. They are slave of gun lobby. They are good for themselves only.
1
GOP is saying Trump "embarrassed" himself? Really? Throwing your country under the bus of an adversary nation is not embarrassing, it is treasonous! To top it all off, the Russians beyond Putin (those in his circle of power) know what was said behind closed doors, and what Trump agreed to in our name. WE don't! Time for Trump to be interviewed by Mueller UNDER OATH. If nothing else, Donald will be unable to reel in his compulsion to lie, and he can then be impeached under the same rules as Nixon and Clinton...lying under oath.
6
I live in the middle of Trump country. An extension of the swamp. And you know what?
The people here don't care what Trump does. They don't care what he says. They don't care how he gets his money, or who he cheats, or whether he likes kinky sex romps, or whether he has Putin on speed-dial. If Trump is trying to destroy our government, or if Melania turns out to be an imbedded spy, or if innocent children are harmed, well, so what.
As long as they feel like they, personally, are "winning" by forcing others to live as they want them to, they will support Trump.
And they will say they're doing God's will.
10
Time for the NYT Editorial Board to grow spine. When are you going to have the guts to use the "I" word? What further indignities must we suffer from this deranged, sociopathic President before you'll demand he be gone?
2
The problem is he cannot be removed without a two-thirds vote for conviction in the Senate—
Requiring 18 Republican senators to vote for conviction (49 + 18 = 67).
[Would that we had a "nuclear option" on this, requiring a simple majority, and he'd be gone.]
4
@srwdm
Of course you are correct, and I too am aware of the language of Constitution regarding impeachment. But, I still have some dregs of hope left that relentless pressure from a free press can be a powerful persuasive force.
And then, we are left with Pence, perhaps more coherent, certainly more "attractive / photogenic" than Trump, and, hard to believe since DJT tells us he is perhaps the most intelligent person in creation, Pence is more politically smart; but, unfortunately, committed to the same freedom-denying philosophy as his boss..
1
I heartily agree with the many comment writers who suggest that the GOP agenda is more important to Republicans than the need to contain and discipline their party leader.
I'd like to add, however, that what is true of the GOP is just as true--if not more so--of their donors in finance, marketing, tech, and the fossil-fuel industries.
We all now have more than good reason to believe that President Trump is in a deep sense an enemy of American values and society. But the same is true of the GOP's corporate supporters.
What matters to them is what visibly matters to the GOP: finding ever new ways of enabling the outrageously rich to become even richer, regardless of the impact on the lives and well-being of workers and consumers, regardless of the impact on the environment and the health of the planet, and regardless of the moral cost involved in blinding the public to the damage unfettered corporate greed inflicts on every facet of American life.
Trump's ignoble subservience to Moscow directly mirrors his party's equally ignoble subservience to amoral corporate interests. There is little to choose between the evil of Vladimir Putin and that of the Koch brothers.
8
But they WON'T! VOTE Nov 2018
6
For the first time in a while the word, "treason" has been used widely as it is more clear that Trump is aiding the Russians in direct opposition to our country, values, and the truth. At what point can the same be said of the GOP?
6
"At what point can the same be said of the GOP?"
When they line up behind him and not only do nothing about his misdeeds but actually try to thwart the country's attempts to learn what has been going on.
5
Write to the Republican Senators who have said the strongest things contra Trump and press them on point ten. Words without deeds are meaningless. Trump cannot be allowed to choose the men and women who will stand in judgement of he and his cronies. Maybe some of them will listen. Better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.
1
As disgraceful as the president is (and he's very, very disgraceful), those who enable and support him are even worse! How can the Republicans in Congress and in the cabinet work with this man? How can the voters across the country who elected him still believe that he's doing a good job? I would urge that Trump be impeached if not for the fact that Mike Pence would then be president and I fear he'd be even worse.
3
The Republican congress doesn't need a spine as much as it needs a conscience. It takes a lot of nerve to turn your back on America in favor of continuance in office. And that's exactly what the congressional Republicans have done and are doing. Trump can be overlooked; he was never a patriot. His five deferments and bone spur bear this out. Many of the individuals in congress that carry Trump's water, on the other hand, were once true patriots. Now, they're caught up in a herd mentality that blindly follows Trump and allows all sorts of mischief. Since Trump is president and the Republicans are in the majority, there is no end in sight.
See: RevolutionOfReason.com
4
Putin doesn't only want to destabilize democracies around the world because it strengthens his hand. He wants to show just how corrupt, hypocritical, self-dealing, oligarchic, and in many ways un-democratic our politics (i.e., our Republican political leaders) really are. Is he wrong?
1
I agree it's time for Republicans to Grow a Spine, but certainly not in the way the Editorial Board means it. President Trump is the most influential and important president we have had in our lifetime. His accusation, yes, while standing next to Putin, concerning the FBI was in response to the biased and odd questions from reporters who are bound and gagged by their own leftist agenda. And is it such a surprise that after years of this pack of liars attempting to take him down by any means necessary, that he knows full well who they are and what their agenda is. The President speaks powerful truth to such phoney and toxic forces within the leftist media-government complex.
1
America is war weary and we are paying a price for it. Since 1945 America has fought -- to name just a few -- the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War and is mired in a 17 year old conflict in Afghanistan. The American people, left and right, have a profound sense of betrayal by our leaders, Democratic and Republican, thanks to the lies that led us into Vietnam and Iraq -- wars that cost us dearly in life and treasure. World War I gave rise to fascism abroad and isolationism and appeasement at home. Vietnam and Iraq have given birth to fascism rooted in our ugly racist history and rebirth of The Ugly American. No wonder so many on the Left and the Right want to assume the fetal position. The Republicans are spineless because they no longer have a sense of history or destiny. The Democrats are in danger of drifting as well. Both parties are allowing the American people to think we can focus on domestic issues and put foreign affairs on hold. We can't do that now anymore than we could in 1939. Hitler was a criminal. So is Putin. He steals from his people and he wants to steal our democracy. Putin has broken into OUR home -- not just the Democratic home but the American home -- and is doing his best to ransack it. The Republican leadership and base refuse to recognize that truth. So it is up to the rest of us to get the job done. Nothing less is at stake than our way of life -- just at it was on December 7, 1941, and September 11, 2001.
2
We have proof the Russians interfered, and Vlad's admission that yes, he wanted Trump to win. We need a new election.
No Supreme Court appointments until after a new election.
We have the technology for a one-person-one-vote, the Electoral College is no longer necessary.
2
Good ideas, all. Let me add: the Senate should initiate impeachment proceedings. And you know the GOP has the votes if it's their plan, and the Democrats will sign on. It won't be the Age of Aquarius, but at least they can get back to politics as usual.
2
To immediately thwart Trump's "agenda", let me suggest two more moves requiring even more "political spine"—
To retiring Senators Flake and Corker (known for their distaste and criticism of Trump):
This is no longer the GOP you know. It is the party of Trump. Both of you could announce you are becoming "independents" for the remainder of your terms and that you are going to caucus with the Democrats. 49/51 would become 51/49.
Same for moderate Senators Collins and Murkowski who are not retiring, but well realize that this is not the GOP that they have known and represented. 49/51 would become 51/49.
Either of these sets of senators would change 49/51 to 51/49 and end Republican control of the Senate immediately.
And block Trump's "agenda" immediately.
6
It’s not a matter of spine.
The Republicans have been selling the country since Reagan.
They are complicit.
2
Republicans are hopelessly glued to the whims of their now fully Trump enabled Archie Bunker base. Until it mostly dies off in a generation or two, the GOP will continue its accelerating devolution into an intellectual and ethical wasteland. What emerges from the wreckage later in the century is anybody’s guess.
3
Hell will surely freeze over before any of these salutory suggestions are implemented by timorous Republicans.
1
Remember the Alamo.
Remember the Maine.
Remember Pearl Harbor.
Remember Helsinki.
6
Instead of these mild treatments, how about a remedy?
Now that all are agreed our presidential election was compromised, let's call for a new one. Whether he is Putin's puppet or patsy (soon to be determined) this president is illegitimate. As a nation of little d democrats, we can expect and demand free and fair elections. So let's extend the November ballot to include the highest office in the land.
5
Yes! Even Mitch McConnell said to Russia, "we know what you did and don't do it again." Don't do it again??!! That's the United States of America responding to the usurpation of its democratic presidential election??
Think about what would happen if they put the same names on the ballot this November, under "U.S. President," that were on the ballot on November 8, 2018. No additional campaigning allowed, just a chance to revote now that we're aware of the earlier hacking, infiltration and misinformation campaign by the Russians. And no Electoral College. The only thing that would be uncertain after that is, would she be willing to disrupt her life so suddenly to heed the call of a vast, overwhelming majority of American voters.
I meant to write "November 8, 2016" - I must have been excited at the idea of the country getting another chance.
This goes beyond being a silly waste of time and column inches good only for, maybe, making some Dems feel involved, less stressed & better about themselves. It's delusional. The first step toward getting back to reality based thought is to recognize that Mr. Trump and the Republicans are exactly what they have appeared to be and they ain't gonna change. That's not in question. The question is, What are we gonna take power from them? The obvious first thing is to seek effective Democratic Party leadership, men and women with the guts and risk tolerance for what will have to be a bloody knife fight. Hint: Chuck & Nancy don't.
3
How about getting Trump's tax-return made public?
9
It’s not spine. It’s conscience, of which these Reps have none. Along with their president, that ship of all that is decent and ethical has sailed and sunk. They are irredeemable, devoid of moral compasses. We talk about Trump behaving treasonous. But he is not alone. This GOP Congress is as guilty as he through their silence which ironically is deafening.
5
You omit the actions necessary to protect us: either invoke the 25th Amendment or impeach and convict. As long as Putin's lackey remains in power the United States is in mortal danger. We can only hope that the damage already done is not fatal and that we can recover.
5
The ONLY response is for the Democrats to push strongly NOW for impeachment. The evidence is ALL there. The performance in Helsinki is not some aberration or misunderstanding. It is not only an impeachable offense, but a treasonous one. ALL further government business should cease NOW in favor of deposing the idiot in chief.
It's time we all stopped trying to figure out why or what he really means or any more hand-wringing and attempts to hold up some sort of veil of normalcy in government. It is time to attack and expose the man relentlessly and head-on. The evidence is all there. In the face of a full-on attack at this point, there is NO respite for the republicans. Let them try to defend this presidential performance. It would be a losing battle, if there was a straight forward case made that our country cannot continue to support this mad man. The next election should not be focussed on immigration or health care. It should focus on impeachment - and I guarantee the Republicans would lose. - Again if the attack was united from Democrats and the evidence was repeatedly laid out for all to see, even some Republicans would have support impeachment once given no quarter on caviling about his behavior.
5
Putin 2 Trump 0
Kim 1 Trump 0
GOP absent
Senate absent
Congress absent
9
Pierre, we don’t play soccer in America.
It goes more like this:
Putin 56
Trump 0
Kim 35
Trump 0
GOP still in the locker room
GOP house missed the bus
GOP senate waving a white flag
4
The problem is not that Republicans lack spine but that they are co-conspirators chin-deep in illegal Russian money and treason or at least misprision of treason, and they know it!
8
One thing is prominently missing from this article: any incentive for the GOP to do any of this. If they were more serious about "defending democracy" than they were about "winning", then gerrymandering and voter suppression wouldn't happen. The fact that they do happen, and are in fact commonplace practices among the GOP, suggests that democracy is only meaningful to the GOP when it helps them win.
2
If ever there was an official of the US government undeserving of the trust of the American people, Donald Trump is at the top of the list! In terms of US national security, all sensitive information that may have been revealed to any member of the Russian delegation, must be reported back to the Director of National Security, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the President's National Security Advisor and the President's Chief of Staff.
The fact that all of these Trump appointed sycophants were nonetheless shut out of Putin's secret meeting with Trump, suggests just how horrifying and how compromising this so-called "summit meeting" must have been!
Conducting any high level discussion between these two individuals allegedly without an agreed upon recording and official transcript is so far beyond the proper exercise of Presidential power that Congress should immediately disavow any agreement allegedly arrived at by these discussions. Doing otherwise essentially allows Putin to dictate actions that the US government and its executive branch will be obligated to perform.
This amounts to a full throated repudiation of the President's Oath of Office. Leaving the question of Treason aside, these actions, initiated in secret at the President's sole discretion, if they can be shown to conflict with any existing US statute or obligation, require that Congress immediately begin an expedited procedure to Impeach the President.
1
I'm sorry, for a country really, that needs two vertebrate political parties. Now it has none. Until medical science develops an effective procedure for sinal transplants, America will retain its current jellyfish character.
2
Republican members of congress are being paid by taxpayers to do a job; their accountabilities are spelled out in the Constitution (a document they and so many Republicans claim to revere). I don't know about you, but if I didn't do my job I'd be fired. DO YOUR JOB.
1
Why Wouldn't Russia and the people they used not just keep right on interfering in America. Our Elections, laundering rubles, hacking the electric grid, donating anonymously to Election PACS.
Those were a very good set of suggestions. Sadly, and the author knows it, implementation of those suggestions takes guts and patriotism, neither of which you are going to find in the Republican party. Sure, Republicans like to wrap themselves up in the flag, give it a hug and work to protect guns, but when it comes down to protecting our Constitution, they are really just a bunch of spineless cowards who want to get re-elected. Sadly, the easiest path for Republican re-election is to support a traitor to our nation's values. Sad.
1
I think we should take America back from Donald Trump. His abusive relationship with us and other countries is astounding. He is merely using America for personal gain. Both America and Melania need a divorce.
2
West completely destroyed the following countries in it's was against Russia and to thwart the spread of communism (the very communism now Bernie Sanders is recommending!):
Korea
Vietnam
Afghanistan
Iraq
Syria
Libya
and now Yemen
And efforts to thwart communism (that pesky idea being embraced by Democrats now) also destroyed Latin America and introduced violent drug cartels in that region.
People of the West never objected (except Vietnam war which killed too many American soldiers) because it's people never suffered any physical (wars now are being fought with drones) or financial (it's been postponed but coming) ill effects.
But rest of the world understands that WARS HURT.
So please grow a conscience and support all or any effort by any leader to stop these endless wars.
1
@Vasantha Ramnarayan
Bernie is not a communist. He's a liberal in the same way that FDR was. We've moved so far right that no one knows what the center or the left looks like anymore.
3
Wow, NYT didn't know you had it in you. We need the media to stop fritzing around and dabbling with not seeming too whatever; satisfying everyone and no one. The citizenry demands some moral clarity and action. This is OUR country! I'm sorry to say but the lines are very clear here and the POTUS and his enablers, late night hosts not withstanding, are no longer cute and funny. This is a serious and dangerous path we're on.
2
The Republicans may have the same dirt on Trump as Putin does. They need Trump to be the clown that distracts us all while the GOP advances their Crony Capitalists agenda of enriching elites by rigging the economy. They need to fan so-called cultural issues so impassioned voters continue to vote against their interests. They think they can control Trump...and maybe they can. Once they truly stuffed all the courts and create a true Deep State for themselves, they may remove Trump.
3
How did we get to the place where our leadership is so absolutely horrible? How did the American public get to the point where so many of our elected officials are not just poor choices but utterly craven, cowardly, worthless human beings.
You can't really blame the press, like the NYT for coming up with lists of steps that Republicans can take to grow a spine. But the problem is, one cannot all of a sudden grow a spine.
It takes time, starting with embryology and through many stages of development in childhood and adolescence, through education and life experiences to fully develop a spine.
Republicans are incapable of, at this stage of their lives, growing a spine.
The only solution is to vote them out. But look who's standing in the wings, waiting for their chance to display their lack of spine.
You don't need a spine to be a racist, greedy, selfish or cruel. In fact, I think it helps not to have a spine. But you need these things to be a Republican.
GOP job qualifications: racism, greed, cruelty, selfishness. Spine? not needed.
1
No miracle of regenerative medicine can grow spines in genetic invertebrates, even if the DNA was only recently mutated by Trump's radiation damage. Time to restock the GOP gene pool.
2
Fellow Republicans, please put country above party or ideology. Speak up and oppose this tryant before it's too late.
2
Republican ideology that promotes the belief that the United States is a white, Christian nation is eerily similar to the 1930s German belief in the Aryan purity of the German heritage. The Nazi Party did not proclaim its intention to commit genocide in the 1930s elections. It started down that road, step at a time, promoting and using race hatred to gain power. To maintain and increase that power, they had to continue farther down the road to the death camps and ovens.
How far down that path do we go? Will we be able to stop? Democracy and equality are valuable assets and, once lost, are hard to regain.
1
Republicans in congress will pay no attention to anything the NYT demands. That bridge was burned long ago.
1
Since this Helsinki summit was announced, the scene in the "Star Wars, the Empire Strikes Back", where Vader kneels before Emperor Palpatine's hologram and says, "What is thy bidding, my master?" has constantly run through my head. The meeting was pointless beyond giving them an opportunity for private, off record communication. I'm surprised someone skill with Photoshop hasn't turned this into a meme with Trump and Putin.
2
Subpoena his tax returns for the past 10 years. If he refuses, hold him in contempt and invoke the 25th Amendment---he is the living example of "unfit for office".
2
I would add one more and follow the money. Subpoena Trump's tax returns.
1
Good list, but it doesn't go far enough. Number 11 should be drawing up articles of impeachment and then forcing a vote on them.
1
Wait, have you people never tried to point out the many flaws of Donald J. Trump in a discussion with a rabid Trump supporter, either in a direct verbal confrontation or on the internet? If not, you haven't experienced Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) in its fully-inflamed form. It's a disease, folks; a nasty, infectious disease, easily passed among susceptible human beings in the air, in newspaper ink and in the pixels of your trusty display screen.
The NY Times, other mostly non-susceptible organizations, and certainly the individuals who make up those organizations, whine and complain about the Republicans and the red-hatted "deplorables" who attend Trump's ego-stroking rallies but you all fail to understand that no amount of arguing, begging or pleading with a diseased Trumpster will produce any measure of relief from the disease itself. There is only one known cure and it will be painful for the already affected to endure once the rest of us decide that it must be applied if we are to save our country.
The cure is the vote. The dosage is large and uncomfortable to swallow but totally necessary. Even confirmed politically non-aligned people like myself have to take our version of the cure by voting BLUE top to bottom of every ballot in every city and town in the United States without regard to the level of the office, federal, state or local.
We hold the cure in our hands. It is up to us, not our politicians, to apply that cure in November.
2
One person could end this nightmare now. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska could change her affiliation to independent and caucus with the democrats. After all, she won re-election after being defeated in the Republican Party. My guess is that she would be hailed as a hero in her own state and go down in history as someone who saved the republic. Lisa, your country needs you!
Trump and the GOP is and has sold off the U.S.A. to the Russians and to their rich friends and the only way out of this mess is to vote each and everyone of them out of office in November and elect people who will hold Donald J Trump and his corrupt administration accountable.
If we fail to change the direction which the country is heading I fear that by the time the next presidencal election comes around there will not be a U.S.A. to save.
It is time to subpoena his translator and Trump if only to bring this to a place where if he lies there are consequences. The suggested actions are great but the Republicans have sold their souls to their donors or worse to people controlled by the Russians. The Arrest of Maria Butina opens up the possibility that she bought, coerced, co-opted numerous Republicans perhaps even Fox News talking heads such as Sean Hannity.
I expect more indictments from Mueller this week or next moving to the next level of Americans who cooperated with the Russians. I don't know this but trail is there in the way he has issued indictments. I am shocked by how unwilling to defend America Trump and Republicans are. Every ballot in the mid terms needs to be on paper and counted by hand to avoid hacking of the results. The Republican voter suppression needs to be dealt with but Russian interference must be blocked now!!!
Another issue that few people have failed to raise regarding Republican congressmen and senators. How many of them are also compromised by connections to Russia? This is more than just party loyalty or being afraid of blowback from Trump voters. There has to be some compromised elected officials, especially in the House, I'm looking at you Devin Nunes, who have ties to Russia.
1
All nice suggestions, but let's face it: the Republicans will do NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING to punish this President. There are still CHILDREN in cages, and he escaped that one unpunished.
There is nothing that can, or will, be done. Not with this Congress. There is only one solution, and that is the Democrats controlling the Senate and the House and beginning the impeachment proceedings during the first session.
If that doesn't happen, well, then God help us all.
#2 and #5 strike me as reasonable proposals and within congressional oversight. #4 is largely symbolic. I'm less sure about the others, but I would say this: if Democrats want Republicans to stop playing politics, they have to do the same as well. Endless conspiracy theories attempting to reverse the results of the last election don't qualify.
If, big IF, the worms (i.e Republicans in the Senate and Congress) do manage to develop a spine, it will have all the stiffness of those belonging to that legless and poisonous reptile, the water moccasin.
Ten excellent suggestions for a re-boot of the GOP, exactly none of which will come to pass.
2
An excellent list of actions that are both reasonable and needed. I would begin, however, in calling for Trump's tax records. This could reveal so much, or so little, but seems to me a necessary prerequisite to all other activities. Clear that air. This long list, some of which are "band aids" could be dispensed with.
The Republicans are not concerned with anything remotely related to preserving the values of our country. They are getting just what they want: a conservative majority on the Supreme Court; tax cuts for their only real constituency, the rich; gutting of multiple regulations (environmental, internet); and free reign to consolidate monopolistic power. They will continue to excuse Trump no matter how outrageous his behavior. The only way to stop them is at the ballot box, and that is an uphill battle given the GOP's squelching of the heart of our democracy through gerrymandering and voter disenfranchisement.
2
"Time for Republicans to Grow a Spine"
Won't happen, of course. Trump is where the Republican Party has been steering itself for decades - beginning with Goldwater's attack on the 64 Civil Rights bill and a pledge to "Get tough" in Vietnam, to Nixon's "Southern Strategy", to Reagan's "the government is the problem" and attacks on unions, to Bush IIs "support the troops" by sending them to Iraq and Afghanistan. And so it flows. And its happened because a large portion of the electorate has allow themselves to be deceived.
And fear not - it will all age out of the news cycle within 72 hours.
George Will has a column in today's WaPo describing Trump as a "sad, embarrassing wreck of a man" - perhaps someone could write a column "A Sad, Embarrassing Wreck of a Country".
The Republicans will not act because they are the beneficiaries of Russia’s interventions. And we have not seen how deeply into congress the “collusion” extends. Why believe that it is limited to the White House?
3
The Republican Party faces a real dilemma when it becomes clear in the mid term elections that Trump's diehard supporters do not have the numbers to sway general elections. Trump scares everyone else and they will overwhelming support any candidate that articulates similar concerns about his scariness !
Compelling arguments, but nothing will happen. Politicians in general, and this crop of Republicans in particular, are motivated to act only by personal interests and political survival. If there is another tax to be cut, judge to be appointed, or regulation to be removed, they will not act against Trump. If they are in a red district and their electorate likes Trump, they will not act. If they or their families are being enriched through patronage, they will not act. If they are either directly or indirectly being funded in some way by Russian-sourced money, they will not act. I am done with everyone's lucid logic, impassioned arguments, and patriotic pleas. I instead await Mueller's final act, revenge of the voters, or Trump's physical expiration. Nothing else will cause change in this horrific American moment.
3
It will take a republican drubbing in the midterms for Trump supporters to realize, at long last, that the emperor has no clothes.
1
While I don’t disagree with any of the 10 suggestions all of the have the proverbial snowballs chance in hell of being enacted in a Republican Congress. The Republican Party has chosen Party over country so it is up to the 60 percent of the country that finds all of this disgusting to take control and vote every Republican out of office. Only when they pay a massive price for choosing Party over country will they change their behaviour.
This is serious just imagine the nightmare that is on the horizon when Mueller tells the nation that not only was the Trump campaign colluding with Putin but the rot extended into the Republican Party and their supporters.
2
Despite all their flag waving and blustery comments about patriotism, the republican party [along with their president] continues to be the greatest threat to Democracy in the US today.
As long as they can hold onto power, Democracy be damned.
1
Republicans are invertebrates. They cannot grow a spine. Better for them to sink to the bottom of Trump’s treasonous swamp.
Every single last one of them is now complicit, directly or indirectly. Gowdy, Nunes, Ryan, McConnell. Embarrassing “senior” statesman like Graham and Hatch, people who should have pulled the plug on this nonsense long ago. Spineless cowards hiding behind their bibles and tax cuts and donors.
3
Haha. You lost me at "the dark bond."
More facts, less hyperbolic hyperventilating.
2
Remember how he acts in America...
Remember how he acted in La Malbaie...
Remember how he acted in Brussels...
Remember how he acted in Helsinki...
"Treasonous traitorous dog" is not an exaggeration.
2
There's nothing to be done because Trump DID NOT embarrass himself. The NY Times is embarrassing itself every day as it sends its writer hounds howling for a non-existent rabbit. It's basically making something out of nothing.
3
Timing.
Wait and see whether the Democrats manage to decapitate him, let the Democrats absorb the fury of the cult, and count on the news having long cycled past the shuffling evasions of his stooges.
1
They could caucus with the Democrats. 4 or 5 of them. Ditch Mitch. Regain control from the Treason Party.
2
Better not do anything. If Trump runs again I will vote for him again. If another Republican runs I may vote Democrat.
Fifty years on, The Heritage Foundation has brought us this mess and the monster who helped them achieve it. The Republicans have not simply run through the proverbial china shop. They turned it into a mosh pit.
Add the efforts of the right wing Federalist Society, the Tea Party Idiots, and the laughably incompetent and constitutionally illiterate Freedom Caucus, and you have all of the collective forces eager to roll back the Voting Rights Amendment, the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, Roe v. Wade, dissolution of the EPA and the Interior Department, the conversion of free public education into a for-profit venture, and of course, the loading of all courts, from the SCOTUS down to the municipal courts with deeply religious, right-wing judges. That is how gerrymandering has become so successful in reducing the voting rights of our people of color.
While Speaker Ryan may feel freer to speak his mind before he officially retires, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell likes everything about having power. To paraphrase the great shock jock of NYC, Don Imus, "What's the point of having power if you can't abuse it?" Gingrich always knew it; now Devin Nunes knows it; Trey Goudy gets it. THE ENTIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY LIVES BY THAT QUOTE AS A PARTY MANTRA!
Between now and November, there is little chance the invertibrate Republicans will grow spines. They are relegated to life in a petry dish as experiments in the power that corrupts absolutely.
1
Thanks for this laudable list of fantasies. Perhaps the media might grow a few more vertebrae as well.
Now where did I put my wand. . . ?
If I understand correctly, many of the Republican members of Congress have expressed clear discomfort at what Trump has been doing and saying "off the record" while staying neutral or passive "on the record". If they continue to lack spines, maybe it's time the media starts outing those members by sharing the names of these members and their "off the record" comments so America can fully appreciate the sheer cowardice of these folks, and they will have to begin to take ownership of their hypocrisy and actions (or in most cases - inactions). Too much is at stake.
1
Republicans in Congress will only begin to turn away from Donald Trump once they realize that the dam
is breaking . When they finally begin to see that their own self interests and their jobs are in jeopardy , they will do more than just speak out in an innocuous tweet . Yesterday may have been the very beginning of a shifting momentum away from the President on the part of the Republican Party... While the indictments against Russians are piling up and Robert Mueller’s probe is slowly circling Donald Trump and his allies , eventually the truth will come out and no amount of doublespeak by this dishonest president will invalidate the truth . In the end the majority of Americans will value the truth more than they value lies.
1
Oh my God. Will the NYT's never stop? The GOP? It will never happen. I can't even believe the Editorial Board would write such nonsense. Time for the GOP to grow a spine?! It's been time for forty years, and they haven't, and they won't.
The real question is - when will the NYT's and the rest of the so-called national news media grow a spine?
I'm guessing the same answer as it is for the GOP.
1
Sorry, but republicans are not going to do your dirty work for you. Your hatred of Trump is still yours to own. Republicans have other, more important things to worry about.
2
"Time for Republicans to Grow a Spine"?
About a year and a half too late, wouldn't you say?
3
Impeach Trump for treason. I’m with former director Brennan.l on this one.
3
If you ever wondered where the NYT stood politically, you should have no trouble figuring it out now after reading this vicious partisan diatribe.
This is the most partisan editorial I have ever read in the NYT and it shows what it is no longer a newspaper who speaks for main stream America.
This is a paper that speaks like and for George Soros and frankly I saw nothing in this hatefully little piece that I would sign on to.
This is a disgrace and should never have seen the light of day.
1
@ judyweller
George Soros? That is such a novel non-sequitor to make an unreasoned screed against the esteemed New York Times, that I was left speechless.
1
I think Republicans in congress have provided enough evidence that they are complicit at the least in the travesty of Trump. Republican voters are the ones who need to grow a spine and be more vocal in their disapproval of Trump. A Republican friend recently said “not all Republicans support Trump”. When I said, “where are they?” she said “they’re out there & that’s all I’m going to say”. Republican voters should create a group, Republicans Against Trump, (RATs?) to give their elected officials the information that “they’re out there.”
@mb," renounce capitolism" You honestly describe the underlying goal of anti Trump leftists.
1
Horace comes to mind. He often does. Bear with me.
" . . . . . .Si pugnat extricata densis
Cerva plagis, erit ille fortis
Qui perfidis se credidit hostibus."
"If a deer fights, having gotten free of the nets--then that man will be brave who has entrusted himself to a faithless enemy."
Your suggestions, New York Times, are excellent. I applaud them.
If the Republican controlled Congress adopts even ONE. .
. . .then I'm a____________ (Fill in the blank)
They'll never do it, New York Times.
And I'm sorry to say it. BUT. . .
. .. the bad part of me wishes they don't. How come?
Because II consider these Republicans as flaccid, as utterly spineless as you SAY they are.
Whatever they do is BOUND to be no more than window dressing. Dry bones tossed to an enraged and snarling electorate. Tossed in the fervent hope that (once the elections are done). . .
. . .we the people will forget all about Mr. Trump. And Mr. Putin. And Russia. And Russian hackers. And. . . .
Bearing ALL THIS in mind. . .
. .. I hope, New York Times--I DEVOUTLY hope. . . .
. . .that, come November. . .
. ."the American people in their righteous might. . . ." (FDR just after Pearl Harbor). . ..
. .. will sweep 'em out of office--lock, stock, and barrel. . .
. .and show 'em what happens when political hacks and time-servers and toad-eaters. . ..
. .put their party before their country.
I pray God that happens.
I really do.
Good luck with this.
In order for the Republican Party to take these steps, it has to actually oppose what Donald Trump is doing.
Other than a few Congresspeople who have objected to how President Trump expresses himself and others who support sanctions and keeping NATO together, the Republican Party has acquiesced to all of Trump's antics, even supported them by trashing the Mueller investigation and repeatedly calling into question the integrity of the FBI, the Justice Department, other intelligence services, and their findings. (The Senate intelligence Committee has at least confirmed that Russia meddled in our elections, but to no appreciable dampening of Party support for Trump.)
Face it - this is not your father's Republican Party any more. It is illiberal, enamored of authoritarianism, dominated by fundamentalists both secular and religious, and increasingly Nationalist.
It has gone beyond the point of no return. Trump is the face of the Republican Party and only by repudiating him and it at the polls will we rescue America from their clutches.
Nice wish list, but it's not gonna happen under this Congress.
It's up to us voters to make it happen in November.
Dear New York Times:
Please grow a spine. The tone of this editorial, chiding, even conciliatory--"a lovely start"--adds to the idea that this is terrible, but really, we can all work it out.
We can't work it out. This President must be removed from office, and the GOP needs the spine to do that. I know that it might not be 'politically expedient' to suggest this. But most of us have grown up with a Times willing to take a stand, and say what must be said.
That's the editorial we need now. The rest is kowtowing, and pretending that we are living in a reasonable country. We are living in a country with an incompetent and dangerous President, who achieved the Oval Office via collusion with a foreign power. In any other country this would be called a coup.
The Times must take a stronger stand.
1
Leaving the stinking, rotting carcass of the Republican Party is the only action that will really demonstrate seriousness. Take away Trump’s power base in congress and he can be effectively neutered. This won’t happen, of course, but it should.
Did anyone else notice how quickly Marco Rubio picked up this pathetic crumb of a walk back? He said, “now we just need to move forward.” In other words, Helsinki is forgotten and forgiven.
Unfortunately the Republican party of America now has nothing to lose. In fifty years if this party is still based on racism, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia and religious bigotry they will be an obsolete minority party in America. Which is why Vladimir Putin's determination to destroy Western and American Liberalism is their best bet in the meantime. The Republican party is now overflowing with Putin's puppies. Who is going to clean up after all of them? After they have treasonously defiled our sacred Democracy.
1
The country that presents the greatest and most persistent threat to the United States is Mexico, not Russia. Although Russia is not an ally, and always was an enemy as the Soviet Union, Russia does not export into the United States literally 1.5 million pounds of illegal drugs a year.
Russia does not tolerate criminal cartels, like Mexico does. These criminal cartels operate with impunity, shipping to the United States, the most debilitating illegal drugs; heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. Mexico also permits, if not encourages, illegal immigrants to sneak into the United States, allowing the failures of the Mexican economy and government to be mitigated by a reduction in population. American society then has to bear the burden of law enforcement and social services to address these illegal aliens.
It is time for the Congress, led by the Republicans to pass legislation that will address the continuing assault by Mexico upon the United States and American society.
2
John, are you completely oblivious to the role of Putin's oligarchs in Russia's global criminality? Not able or just not willing to open your eyes to the near complete integration of Russian organized crime into Putin's Kremlin? The term oligarch is simply lipstick on the pigs that allow the officially recognized heads of the crime families that dominate the entire Russian economy (cartels in most civilized societies) to enjoy direct access to Putin and the entire Russian government. Criminal activity in Russia is completely integrated with both the government and the "main stream" economy, via the extra-legal corporate industries that dominate Russian GDP.
In Mexico, the cartels have had limited success integrating themselves into the buying & selling of legal products and services. Hence, the cartels in Mexico are recognized as drug cartels.
In Russia, aside from tobacco and alcohol, which are distributed via a strictly controlled list of Putin-approved enterprises, "illegal drugs" are not a path to extraordinary wealth. Extraordinary opportunities for personal wealth in Russia are found in trading basic industrial raw materials, and more usually in controlling the means of extracting these raw materials from deposits controlled by the state itself. The opportunity to conduct these transactions is granted in exchange for Putin's participation. In a miraculously short time, relative to customary business growth, Mr. Putin has become the richest man on earth!
1
The Times is obviously in full #Resistance mode on this story, so logic and discourse are out the window. Of course a liberal paper whose idea of a conservative is the ever malleable Bret Stephens will ask Repubs to turn against Trump. However, I recall no such ire against President Obama when he promised Putin’s henchman Medvedev “flexibility”. Hmmm. Oh, and that was off-mic, of course. Also, while Trump’s rhetoric has been predictably idiotic, his actions have been quite sensible. Perhaps the Editorial Board could review the Times’ recent piece on the destruction of 300 Russian mercenaries in Syria. Or Trump’s provision of offensive weapons to the Ukraine. Or the criticism of the inane Nord gas pipeline from Russia to our erstwhile ally Germany. The list goes on. Obama did not have Trump’s gift for asinine comments. But Trump does not have Obama’s gift for spineless appeasement. Let’s call it as it actually is, shall we?
Congressional Republicans: Profiles in Cowardice.
Specifically, subpoena the interpreter from the one on one meeting...we need to know what was said.
1
I remember the GOP going hog wild in 2003 when the Dixie Chicks criticized Bush 43 at a concert in Europe. They were practically ready to repeal the 8th amendment and have those girls burned at the stake like witches for having said something negative about the U.S. on foreign soil. I guess witch hunts were okay back then.
1
Sarah Palin, for all of her many faults, got one thing right: you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.
It's really, really hard to make Palin look good, but both Trump and Congressional Republicans have managed to do so.
Fat chance. Spineless Republicans are led by power-mad and soulless Mitch McConnell. They'll do anything to stay in power, including propping up Russia's Manchurian Candidate, Trump.
1
Time for Republicans to lawyer up. I think we're going to learn that more than few GOPers illegally took Russian money,
4
All good suggestions, but
'Republicans Grow a Spine' – fat chance.
I think you are missing the point. It is money and only money; the rest being a corollary, tools and schemes to achieve control over money and policies for lucre. GOP is a den of dons. Dons have power because they have money. Money buys power, Voila!
Don Putin has money and enough power to afford quieting, and when he want yes, killing people. Donnie Don is Putin's MiniMe and will bide Putin's play rules as far as he is allowed. GOP will restrain Donnie while his base will hoot and holler while being robbed - by the GOP!
First, Congress must require Donnie Don's tax returns. Then follow the money trail. Mueller will do that. The fish head stinks. Body politics of GOP is thoroughly corrupted.
Only The Blue Wave and Mueller can restore order!
This is indeed a scary moment in US democracy. Lets flush the putrid den of Dons like Hercules flushed the Augean stables!
1
Grow a spine? Why are you pretending that Republicans are being weak? They're immoral, not weak. They have been so for many years.
Every journalist in DC should carry copies of this, and every time some GOP jelly-bag shrugs when confronted with Trump's latest atrocity, they should be made to answer "why not" to every move that is suggested.
1
Treasonous is an apt word to use when describing our current president. Our allies are no longer sharing their intelligence with our intelligence services, because Trump has blabbed to the Russians before. This leaves us open to another 9/11 or worse attack by Al Qaeda or ISIS. This man is a total loser and should be impeached for high crimes --- right now!
1
Alaska: Return to Sender
They got snookered, the Russkies, a way back when
We snapped up Alaska, every bear and its den;
“North to Alaska,” to make our spines tingle
A great package deal – and we got Kris Kringle,
But Donald, he wants to “return to sender,”
A give back, for sure, he’ll cut off our member
For Vladimir Putin, czar of the Russias,
With Trump in high office, Vlad sure can push us
From land deals to oil wells to annexation:
Trumps on board, nohow, with no explanation.
1
I feel like we've fallen deep into the rabbit hole...and how are we going to climb out?
I do not understand why Trump is getting away with all he does..I'm sick of hearing about "his base"..which amounts to what..1/3 maximum of our country's population..all its shown me is how breathtakingly ignorant, if not.downright stupid some Americans are. It's like.a section of their brain does not function....Policy differences are one thing...but Trump is a vile Cancer that has infected our country and is toxic beyond belief..
Everyday it's one more hideous melodrama... one bigger lie than the last.
When will this nightmare end!?
2
Vote them out. Show them we do not tolerate
fascists. End the GOP in November.
1
“Sounds good, doesn’t work”
-Trump
For all their so-called past 'hawkishness', Trump and the GOP are chumps, and wimps. And a disgrace to the country.
11. Subpoena Trump's translator
And if enough Republicans take the advice of the New York Times Editorial Board and lose the election in November, then control of Congress will pass to the Democrats. Don’t bother denying that this was on the minds of the NYTEB as they drafted this piece. This is the cost that advocacy journalism imposes.
1
It isn't just time to grow a spine but be courageous as men about evil. This should cause them to invoke some real testosterone and do all these things and clean out the cabinet as well.
This is not about treasonous behavior but about being a total TRAITOR... Do all these things and when he pushes back, arrest him publicly... Don't let Putin have his puppet...
Over 50 years reading your daily newspaper, agreeing with much of your thinking, and wondering from time to time why you seem to be off the rails.
Bear with me for a moment and publish my diatribe.
It's too late now, but you, many of your reporters, and contributing writers, and the general bent of your newspaper, revered worldwide for the most part, is more than partially responsible for the fact that the current corporate owned President of our nation, is Donald Trump, warts and all.
You and I know it, and millions of our people know it; you simply couldn't, and worse, wouldn't acknowledge that the electorate was enraged at the nearly complete disenfranchisement of the poor and middle-class, except for some pithy article on occassion lamenting the level of inequality, but hey who could dwell too much on that tidbit, given the vastness of the wealth accumulation growing in the coffers of the .01%ters, the one deliberate orchestrated effect of the disenfranchisement.
The rabble gained control of the pulpit because you and your pretend mostly coastal liberal elites, the bereft of empathy nemesis of decency itself, preferred that anything was preferable to allowing real representative government to exist in this developing fascist state.
Of course Trump is the burr under the saddle, affecting the stability of the world, disrupting on an increasingly incredible scale, and no one can stop him, because no one in power, wants to, regardless protestations to the contrary.
2
The unspoken conclusion of this strong editorial is: "Impeach the traitorous boor who is the current occupant of the White House". But, given the predominance of his boot-lickers in Congress, impeachment is no more than wishful thinking.
1
What a ridiculous editorial. Yes, Trump's performance was horrible and appalling, but the NYT ed board--of course they had to bring up Kavanaugh--has risen to the occasion and responded in kind.
Another Trump Trap successfully sprung.
1
The only way they will grow a spine is if in the next couple of months they see they will lose the House and/or the Senate.
Otherwise they will be spineless wimps enabling and co depending a de facto traitor.
If the generic polls hold up, ie the republicans losing the house, look for the republican rats to start abandoning a sinking ship ie they will say Trump has gone too far when in reality Trump went too far 6 mos. before his election.
2
You wish reptiles would grow spines? First get them to stop spitting venom.
1
Trump drew a line in the sand in Helsinki. You are with him and Russia, or with the American people and their true allies. There is no middle ground. Stand with a traitor, Trump and his GOP lackeys or stand with those who fought for everything this nation is supposed to be about.
The Republican Party has sold out this country by allowing Donald Trump to continue to disgrace the American Flag, and those that died to defend it. Are they afraid of Trump's racist base that lives in a closed Fox News universe, or does Putin have something on them as well (e.g., they were in on the collusion).
Throw these traitors out of our government. Get out the vote in every election and let them know that the we the people cannot tolerate a lying Russian puppet in the White House!
1
Asking a Republican Congress to show some courage is like asking a pig to stop sweating at a Hawaiian luau
3
Agree with 1-9. 10 is typical Editorial Board overreach.
1
This was clearly written by a 20 yr old leftist who is clueless as to politics, and would never have advocated similar outrage of Dems against Obama.
2
Gotta say, the Times little wish list certainly had me laughing out loud this morning. Good luck with that. Still giggling happily. Love you #Liberal warriors - sort of like watching France fight a war - big fun!
1
Jelly fish cannot grow a spine.
Just toss 'em out.
2
The New York Times is getting a little creepy here in its reporting of the Trump-Putin relationship. We don't know what they discussed behind closed doors in Helsinki (could be a lot different than what was said in the presser) and sometimes, a wink is just a wink.
And
11. Write articles of impeachment and proceed to impeach Mr Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors represented by the treasonable actions taken and the abrogation of his oath of office.
12. Proceed to trial in the Senate and obtain a guilty verdict.
13. Declare the 2016 elections tainted and invalid and proceed to new elections for both president and Congress.
Nothing short of these last three steps will begin to repair the damage done to our democracy and standing on the world.
They have a SCOTUS to install. This is the only thing left to toss their BASE......so they'll do nothing.
The GOP reps the top .01%, period, and will sell whatever propaganda they must to keep power. Kavanaugh is a key player to assist the top tier against any pro-majority business or voting decisions.
The only hope is voting. The DNC has proven to be useless and have learned nothing from the last election.
1
While the Editorial Board suggests some of the obvious & less aggressive steps that could be taken to demonstrate that Congress is not completely supine in the face of Russian aggression, the recommendations utterly fail to address the potentially catastrophic damage to our national security that may have been concealed by the "closed doors" behind which Putin's summit occurred.
First of all, the role of the US translator that is claimed to have provided translation serves should be vigorously investigated. Did this translator provide complete translations of the verbal exchanges between Putin & Trump? At any point, did Trump defer to Russian provided translation? All notes and any recordings of the secret discussions must be produced for scrutiny by all members of the "Big Eight" congressional representatives.
Congress should immediately pass resolutions subjecting all verbal agreements claimed by either side in these so-called "negotiations" to direct votes affirming or rejecting the terms of such alleged agreements.
2
You forget the most important of all: Impeachment proceedings.
1
#10. Refuse to confirm even one more nominee, judicial or executive, until you get some of the aforementioned answers and protections. Yes, absolutely including the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
It took til the end to get to your real objective, the previous nine were just cover. Nice try. You are too funny. Thanks for the laugh.
1
But the tax cut! The tax cut! Thank God we have a country to sell.
It's a fine list. But there is not a chance that a single one of these will be implemented, because Team Red is getting everything they want. Donald Trump may be the worst president in history, he may be a puppet of Vladimir Putin, he may wreck NATO and do unimaginable damage to the free world, but: he's delivering exactly what the 35% of the country who elected him want: making America white again, putting an end to pesky women's rights, lowering corporate taxes. Beyond that, the invertebrates in the Red Congress are terrified of that 35%. And this is supposed to be a democratic republic. Well, let's see what November brings.
Jellyfish cannot grow a spine! (With due apologies to all the jellyfish.)
1
2018 is a hard sell for the party of Russian collaborators. The GOP had to speak contrary to the president. Too little, too late.
1
Even books aimed at children warn of evil such as the current Republican party. I am thinking of Harry Potter, with Voldemort leading a manic charge against those who are not purebred.
Except for John McCain, I cannot think of one Republican who loves his country. Trump is Wormtail. McConnell is Voldemort. Ryan is Kreacher, the vile house elf.
They and their base are downright gleeful when they are stomping on liberals, minorities, immigrants, the poor, and anyone else who is different. They trick their bigoted base into going along, even though their base only facilitates election wins. They send a wrecking ball into the environment, programs that help people, and the budget. Why this makes them happy is beyond most educated, civilized people.
I see no purpose for these spineless, weak people. They do not represent the ideals of this country. Good people all over the world have said how they thank God for America. I do not hear this anymore. Republicans are destroying the country and the world, and they are enjoying every minute of it.
We need to come out in great numbers to oppose them. This is de-evolution, and we must go back to the civilized progress we had during the Obama years. Do we now realize how good we had it?
I agree. Good luck with that.
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Please understand that this has NOTHING to do with spine.
Republicans have been serving the rich since Reagan. They have destroyed the middle class. They are getting away with murder.
They keep giving tax cuts to the rich. They are out to destroy Medicare and Social Security.
They are after the money.
All three branches of our government are now corporate controlled, and that’s the way they want it.
The Republican Party does not care about the country.
They are a for profit business.
And they are every bit as treasonous as Trump.
1
Scientists will solve the cold fusion problem first.
Republicans? Spine? You must be joking. This party has never ever ever taken on anything serious, or any worthy adversaries.
They have taken on women, minorities, immigrants, the old, the frail, the poor. They have done this bravely; supported every degenerate from Thurmond to Trump. They have bravely fought any rules, regulations, laws that would interfere with their right to feed shamelessly at the federal teat (boy they love their subsidies and tax breaks), the right to loot and pillage unsuspecting, disorganized consumers, the right to dump everything they can anywhere they want, and the right to socialize their losses while privatizing profits. It has been at least four decades since they fought for anything good, decent, or wholesome that does the country good (even Nixon started the EPA).
And they have so done while getting half of all Americans think of them as virtuous, and on their side. The republican hoax is about as effective as any other ideology that preached one thing while practicing another - and to perfection.
Take on Trump? Bah humbug.
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Yeah, right. And pigs will fly and all that nonsense.
One of the saddest facts of the Trump presidency, if you call it that, is that Democrats have been utterly unable to proffer a better future (Grandpa Schumer is a weak choice) or unified platform of mandatory changes that they will not budge from.
Last week it was blocking the nominee (a futile effort since he's a sitting judge on the DC Circuit); this week's it's....what? No cohesive plan, always reacting to the world's most popular TV reality star.
As a life long Democrat, this fact is the most frustrating of all and the party has no unified front or face: if it's Hillary in 2020 we might as well write the coronation invites now for the Donald.
Canada, where I grew up when my parents left the US as a protest to Nixon's presidency, is looking better every insufferable hour of this administration and the spineless Dems in opposition.
All Americans should assume that the Republicans in Congress who have not denounced Trump in the same forceful terms as John McCain are themselves traitors to the Constitution, just as Trump is.
It is time to cleanse Congress of Republican traitors. We can start with Rand Paul.
Abolishing healthcare for millions of Americans is the first priority for Republicans. If Trump betrays the democracy, so what. This isn't very important for the worshippers of money and white supremacy.
I can't help but wonder how Hillary would have reacted to Putin in the same situation as The Donald in Helsinki? She would not have been Vlado's love-toy, that's for sure.
1
Grow a spine? Evolution takes millions of years. The Republicans will be dwelling in the swamp for a long time.
David Rothkopf, DEFINING MOMENT: Way Trump Deals With Russian Attacks Is ‘Textbook Treason’, The Daily Beast, July 17, 2018
“Consider this: If we updated our definitions of war to include cyberwar, then aiding a foreign power engaged in such a war against us would certainly meet the Constitutional definition: ‘Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.’”
2
Unless and until every Republican in Congress stops caucusing with their party, they are traitors to our country every bit as much as Trump -- if not more so, because they know better.
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Number 8 should have happened a long time ago. Nunes is to Trump what Trump is to Putin. He has no business anywhere near the House intelligence committee, much less at its helm. And removing him would be an easy lift politically; even a sniveling invertebrate like Paul Ryan should be able to manage it.
This editorial is so very sad. Why on earth would Republicans do anything to hobble Russian active measures? Putin helped them secure all three branches of government in 2016 and promises to do so again and again. What’s not to like? Republicans routinely lie and cheat to cement their power, and if they get Russian help for free, well, that’s a fabulous deal. Earnest editorials aside, Republicans and their cult followers are not about to bite the Russian hands that feed them.
Let's get real. There is no Republican Party.
The Democrats are facing the Confederacy of the Old South's Slave States, now fighting the Civil War as the Culture War with the Evangelical Party leading the way.
Unless and until the Democrats wake up to what they are really facing, no amount of whining about the Republicans will do any good, because there are really no Republicans left.
1
I despise almost all Republican policies, but from their vantage point, why not go full throttle on these suggestions and even go as far as throwing Trump overboard? They would get their tax cuts for billionaires, right-wing judges, and NRA puppetry from virtually any Republican President - Romney, Kasich, Rubio, whoever, and certainly Pence for the short term. Why put up with this horrifying circus which can only hurt their party in 2018 and 2020? Why risk it all on such a clownish buffoon? Ah yes, the Trump voters, that's what stops them from considering any of this - they believe they can't win without the Trump voters. And even retirees Corker, Flake and Paul Ryan can't give up the notion they may be running for higher office someday.
Republicans are politically paralyzed because of their need for Trump supporters. In other words, only the voters can change this disaster. Please oust these Russian Republicans in November.
Republicans, with their empty patriotism, are complicit with Trump's surrender of the American people to Russia.
The Republicans will do nothing except follow the craven example set so quickly by Mario Rubio. Trump will do nothing but fill a stadium with Iowa pig farmers and hold another nasty rally. Democrats will wish they’d shown some real backbone. Lather, rinse, repeat.
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@RMF
Hopefully the Iowa pig farmers have the common sense to realize what the trade war is doing to the price of pork, and modify their support of Trump accordingly.
What the media is largely ignoring or under reporting is Benjamin Netanyahu and his role in mediating Trump Putin friendship. It is very clear Bibi has an agenda, his wife has already been accused of corruption and he too is not a saint. Israelis need to wake up and recognize what is going on. Supposedly a believer in democracy, Israel via Netanyahu is indulging in strongman’s politics promotion, globally. Whatever the deal between kushner and Netanyahu, it is as obvious as daylight that there’s mischief, between Bibi Trump Putin. They think the entire world is blind and they can get away with disruption. The Russians have been hacking into cyberspace since internet was created so they likely have enough material to extorti and blackmail any leader of any nation that dares to have an email address!
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Good suggestions, but no Republicans will do any of this because they are terrified of their rabid base.
Literally speaking, it's long past time for Republicans to grow a spine. Had they found their backbone a year or more ago, before Trump stomped all over everyone, Monday's repulsive lovefest with Putin would not have happened.
1
Reptiles only spew venom, they don't have a spine. That about sums up the gop Congress today.
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This an extensive important list that will fall on deaf Republican ears. Just reading the responses in the Times by so many republican legislator that ignored, watered down or provided excuses for trump and his treasonous sellout of America. The only way to really make America great again is by voting Blue.
All good measures here, most of which the GOP will eminently ignore. How about the death penalty for those convicted of being traitors to the United States? Certain sinister perpetrators come to mind, like Trump, Mc Connell, Ryan, Nunes....
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I hope that when you say, Devin Nunes “needs to be put in a safe corner miles away from the entire issue,” you’re talking about putting him in prison for obstruction of justice.
LOCK HIM UP!!
2
As a 21 year old white male, there's nothing the GOP and Trump can do or will do that will make me vote for them. Until there is a new conservative party that places itself in the center, I will vote for the Democratic Party, maybe until the day I die. That's how far the GOP have fallen in the rabbit hole.
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just 3 words: ain't gonna happen. the republican congress is fully complicit in trump's treason.
2
The NYTimes Editorial Board must live on another planet in another universe. The GOP/Republicans (so-called conservatives) want and love Trump as he gives them what they want, including the alt-right, while they can keep their distance to Trump for the seek of history and the next election. GOP is actually more to blame for Trump's behavior than he does. He is nothing but an inflated balloon of a spoiled toddler who is easily distracted by shinny objects. It is the perfect WH resident where can get to satisfy all the GOP/Republicans goals and accomplish their dirty deeds (tax breaks, kill ACA, support white nationalists, oppose immigration, etc.) while the party can maintain clean hands and distance from the party's neo-leader!
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@Dr. Professor
If only his critics didn't behave like equally buffoonish, spoiled toddlers, distracted by his every tweet, they might gain more traction. Most times they just look ridiculous and are dismissed because they've been crying, "Wolf!" since he was elected. When everything is an outrage, nothing is. They really haven't learned anything since Trump was elected.
1
@AACNY
"I know I am, but what are you" was funny when it was said by Pee-Wee Herman as a parody of childish thinking. It's not so amusing when it comes from adults who are supposed to be running the country.
The republican party doesn't need to grow a spine; it needs to disappear. The last thing this country needs is a party whose only objects are greed and bigotry.
1
Trump didn't just embarrass America, he made it clear that he is so deeply in Putin's pocket, so actively his puppet, that he is endangering America in order not to risk being exposed by the Russians himself. He has made a bargain with the devil and Americans will pay the price for it. These spineless Republicans should recognize that their children and grandchildren will have to live in the weakened state they are aiding and abetting Trump in creating. They should at least think of their own kin, and act on their behalf, even if they don't care about anyone else in this country.
3
Republicans in Congress are concerned about Trump's crimes & misdemeanors only insofar as they affect their own careers. They'd behave the same way if he were Beelzebub. They're lost souls.
I suggest sleeping at home on election day and complaining, that seems to be standard operating procedure for Democratic voters.
1
Actually I am beginning to suspect that there is much more to Republicans in Congress support of the Traitor in Chief. Some of them must be compromised as well. Sounds outrageous? Yes it does. But very possible.
3
@LFK You are so right. This is another instance when "following the money" can provide a lot of interesting background information to support these conclusions. Take, for example, North Carolina's two senators. Richard Burr & Thom Tillis. Burr is the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence committee investigating Russian meddling. We haven't heard anything from Burr for months but have heard from his Democratic co-chair. Tillis is in his first term & has co-sponsored some notable bills/resolutions One was to "protect Mueller" from being fired. McConnell refused to allow this to go to the floor for debate/action(no surprise). Didn't hear a peepor protest from our boy Thom.
So, where does the money factor come into play?????
Simple. Burr and Tillis are in the top 10 list of senators receiving BIG money from the latest named apparent contributor to the whole Russian/Election debacle - you guessed it - the NRA! Burr was, in fact, #1 on the top ten list & Tillis was number 3 or 4. Not hard to connect the dots on this one. I "wouldn't" be surprised to see similar scenarios with other congressmen.
If the President misspoke, then he is not competent to be POTUS. Nuclear missiles can be launched on the basis of such "misstatements". Any other president might make a mistake in language, but would have aids who would interject with "Mr. President, could you clarify that ...?". But of course none of Trumps aids know WHAT his position is on anything from one minute to the next, so he has scuttled that safety net -- another sign of his incompetence.
Alternatively, if the President did not misspeak (can we get an analysis of how often Trump uses double negatives in unprepared speaking?), then he is a traitor.
Take your pick: incompetent or traitor. Either way, he should be removed from office. He is putting the nation in grave danger every day he is in office.
1
It was that easy for the republic to fail, who would have thought. Retired presidents would fail silent or when speaking would sound like a black preacher bemoaning a recent lynching of a parish member by asking for understanding when retribution was necessary. They knew that the American society hadn't stood face to face alone against a mortal enemy since the Civil War; that its elite was either corrupt or morally lazy; its general population was either selfish or stupid; its clergy too busy hiding from the past to be concerned about the future. And in the end it would accept denial and submission to avoid personal risk. They knew the coward and where they would be herded under its lead to the precipice for the end of their society just as others had been lead in societies before them. "Just don't hurt me" would be their last plea before....
Well thought out. And tragically for this country, these proposals don't have a snowball's chance with the GOP cowards in Congress.
Maybe the Times can show some spine too. Condemn the FBI and CIA for the global and internal terror they have been responsible for. For destabilizing governments and political movements. For spreading disinformation, for torturing people, for murdering people, etc. Stop sanitizing their crimes.
The US has played a treacherous role in world affairs. As has Russia. Why cheer on the hideous dance of death that nations and governments are engaged in. The leaders have much more in common with each other than they do with the rest of us.
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11. Renounce capitalism
12. Promise to support Bernie Sanders in 2020
Please go back to writing serious editorials.
The real tragedy is not Trump - the real tragedy is that he is not being impeached - anyone can make a mistake, even a country - every day he is in office speaks volumes to the world about America’s will & moral compass!
Jerry W N E Kingdom VT
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What are you talking about- punishments? Remove Trump from office. Congress, it is your job to protect the American people. Impeach, fire, arrest Trump now! Remove him from power now, If you are American-protect us-now!
Garbage. Puerile nonsense. If anyone is guilty of treason to the human race it's the Western MSM. It HAS to be better to talk, even if the talk is flawed, than to continue the race towards another major world war.
Watch the Putin / Chris Wallace interview. Sure, Putin is a slippery eel, but he made one crucially important point: the summit was preceded by extensive behind the scenes interaction between various State agencies on both sides. Once the foot soldiers start talking to each other, the fear and suspicion gradually dissolves. Even if the respective Presidents are oafs, this bilateral contact is crucial.
We need more summits, not less. That path , though rocky and difficult, is far cheaper than isolation and immature paranoia.
It's the MSM grandstanding, like this execrable piece of miserly thinking that keeps ordinary Americans and ordinary Russians from understanding each other.
A disgraceful piece from one of the supposed leaders of Western liberal / enlightened thinking.
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
You just don't get it, or refuse to believe it. This is the Republican "New World Order".
TV viewers starting to toggle between Fox News and RT could be the last straw for them.
From my viewpoint, your description of "Whipped Dogs" is more apt for the Democrats. Where are they? I don't see them on the Sunday talk shows, or on Fox News standing up against the bullies and liars. Where are THEIR editorials in the big news outlets? What's their message, "We're Not Trump"? Remember how well that worked for Hillary? Democrats, step up please, our country has been hijacked by posers and authoritarians.
A GOP congressperson from California is negatively labeled as one with a long history of "pro-Russian sympathies."
Such sympathies have long been admired and promoted by the NYT. Read the archives, especially NYT pages from the "glorious" years of the 1930s, when the NYT published reams praising the mass-murdering regime of Uncle Joe Stalin.
Since millions of us have decades-long history of anti-Soviet sympathies, we rightly wonder: What changed?
1
NYT only speaks right on, telling us what we ourselves do know,
Shows us sweet America’s wounds, poor, poor dumb mouths, and bid them speak for us.
Wounds that Trump aided by Putin delivered to this country on the world stage in Helsinki.
Consider the many lives lost in defense of this land, and then look upon Donald Trump, who not only refused to defend our country, but now has turned it over to our enemies.
We need to take back our country from tyrants and autocrats. These are reasonable steps to follow in doing so.
And at the very end we get to the real agenda of the NY Times and the rest of the liberal establishment--stopping Brett Kavanaugh from reaching the Supreme Court. What Kavanaugh have do with the need to contain Russia? Nothing! But liberals don't really care about Russia being our number one geopolitical adversary. When President Obama offered his smarmy ridicule of the brilliant and prescient Mitt Romney for declaring Russia a grave threat, liberals, including the Times, fully supported Obama. I will take the Times seriously on this matter when they write an editorial apologizing to Romney and condemning Obama. Where was the Times when Obama was caught secretly promising Putin more flexibility after the 2012 election? How about when Obama refused to enforce his own "red line" against the Russian puppet government in Syria? Or when Obama cancelled missile defense in eastern Europe to appease Russia? How about Obama's refusal to arm the Ukrainians to help them resist Russian aggression. The only reason the liberals care about Russia now is that they hope they can use Russian aggression to undermine the legitimacy of the Trump presidency. Granted, Trump does his best to help them out with his buffoonery, but the liberal media would not even be discussing Russian meddling and Russian cyber attacks if Hillary Clinton had been elected.
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This week the world watched in shock as a demented grandpa held one-on-one, private military talks with an expert KGB interrogator, while the U.S. Government did nothing.
It was always coming to this moment, and at every step the U.S. Government did nothing.
The U.S. Government has done nothing upon nothing despite warning upon warning of Trump's utter incompetence.
The history of this debacle will not be about Trump. It will be about the U.S. Government's gross cowardice and crass impotence in the face of abject, evident imbecility. It will also be about the treasonous hypocrisy of self and party over country.
Hint: Without country there is no party, and the self becomes a subservient comrade.
Nice editorial. Listen for the wave of approbation from the GOP. We hear....... crickets. Maybe the sound of a passing plane, off in the distance.
They will do nothing to rock the boat before the mid-terms, then will hold the line before the election in 2020. They know, even as the President draws a bright picture of easy victory, that they need both the gerrymander and the electoral college to swing their way to hold a majority. The Democrats shoot themselves int eh feel frequently, but they don't want to count on that. They need their base.
Fundamentally holding power is more important than anything else - more important than stanching the fascist movement globally on the right; more important than upholding the law; more important that upholding our faith in institutions that makes us voluntarily follow the rule of law.
Majority power from a minority population base. That is the sole goal, and nothing else matters. It is beyond morally bankrupt, but then if you win, who cares?
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I think the editorial page would do itself and its readers a wonderful service by explaining its silence with regard to US/Russia matters during the prior administration. Your current view is all things about Russia and Putin are evil and we should do nothing to support Russia overtly or covertly. Yet, you never spoke aggressively about HRC or Obama’s attempted inroads or Russian favoritism. A partial list below
a) HRC reset met w support by this paper
b) decision to allow Russia into Syria- many in the foreign policy establishment think this the greatest blunder by the US jn 50 years.
C) withdrawal of nuclear warheads in Poland clearly benefits Russia
D) Crimea -
E) Ukraine
F) laughing at Romney when he suggested Russia was largest geopolitical threat
G) Obama whisper to Mededvev that he has more flexibility
When and until you address your 180 degree turn, it’s really hard to take your comments seriously.
1
Go down to the palace of the king and declare, “Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.” —Jeremiah 22:1, 3
1
Senator John McCain hit the nail on the head. He said Trump "abased himself ... abjectly before a tyrant." And went on to say, "the damage inflicted by President Trump’s naivete, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate..." .
Trump is the POTUS and act's like, and is taken for, a complete fool. Putin is laughing his head off at the spectacle. He sized up Trump months ago, just waited for his moment and watched as Trump went up in flames...with no shots fired. Easy peasey.
2
How about a resolution to have the president psychologically evaluated? He is seriously impaired, and we should stop dancing around his-fitness-for-office issue. I am a mental health professional, and he clearly shows signs of a personality disorder and likely dementia.
1
Gee, as much as I wish congress had a spine, I wish the president had a brain.
If he thinks I’m buying his “misspoke”, he’s delusional.
November 6 can’t get here fast enough.
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Why so timid, editors?
Impeachment, removal from office, and subsequent investigation for numerous crimes should certainly be on your list of modest proposals.
Yes, the loathsome Pence might take power, but a successful impeachment would defang the ®Russpublicans and clear the way for a return to a government ruled by law, so eloquently advocated today by Willian Webster in his op-ed in your paper.
1
Will send these recommendations, with endorsement, to Congressman La Hood, R Illinois, 18th District.
I am cautiously (very cautiously) optimistic that Helsinki was the beginning of the end for Trump. Putin overplayed his hand and miscalculated. He loves to humiliate his opponents, beyond what serves his interests. Humiliating Trump is the surest way to undercut him with his followers. Trump's supporters love him when he's the big intimidating blowhard boss, but they aren't going to like seeing him get bossed, and getting bossed is what happened to him in Helsinki. My hope is that they will start to spurn him - not because he is a liar and a traitor, which they obviously don't care about, but because their hero was bottom dog, and no one could miss that. So maybe, just maybe, the spell is broken.
Or the end of the beginning for Trump..
Even this is to tame. The New York Times must call for impeachment of this President now. There is no spine in a Republican lead Congress so the Press must step in to secure our Democracy. Every paper in this country should be calling for impeachment after Trump’s shameless and treasonous showing in Europe. Don’t just ask others to make a stand make it yourselves for the good of our beloved country!
Both GOP house and senate members are too coward and are afraid of Donald. Ryan, McConnell et al kowtow to Big Don while he stands on the world stage and sides with Putin.
1
How can an anyone doubt that Mr. Emoluments & his grifters are more than willing to sell out American democracy for personal gain? Senator Jeff Flake (R): “I never thought I would see the day when our American president would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression.” He blames America's intelligence agencies & Justice Department headed by his appointees. George Will aptly referred to Mr. Emoluments as "this sad, embarrassing wreck of a man”.
1
The first step is to censure him.
2
Any and all electronic voting systems at all levels of governance need just as much protection from Republican vote-fixing as from the Russians. They work as a team on this issue.
1
Corollary to the quote that you can't make anything straight out of the crooked timber of humanity; you can't expect anything straight from a crooked person.
All points are valid. Common sense has it that we are in for 2+ years of dysfunction and obfuscation. With effort, from the ashes will arise a renewed effort at justice. And to the dust bin will go the shabby remains of what was once a very mean administration.
1
I don't think the problem is lacking a spine.. it certainly takes a bit of a spine to blatantly steal a SCOTUS judge pick as they did in 2016, and it certainly takes a spine to declare that the Senate's #1 job is to see that the sitting President fails and to launch a scorch earth campaign so ridiculous that you wind up opposing even your own ideas. Nor is it spineless to gerrymander so extremely that legislative districts look like jig saw pieces on steroids. No... what Conservatives have lost is a MORAL COMPASS. Seems like ANYTHING now goes with them in the pursuit of political power.
4
Number 11. Cut to the chase.
Do we need any more proof that Trump is Putin's Puppet.
Trump and his no longer hidden agenda go hand in hand regardless and relentlessly.
Current events call for a new definition of treasonous behavior.
Globalization calls for this kind of immediate attention for the sake of our democracy and for the sake of our loyalty to our country and for our loyalty to our allies.
Treason, as understood in the 18th and 19th century, must be brought up-to-date and redefined for our modern times.
Trump's behavior has trampled on our country as a democracy and on our government as a viable, reliable, and valid institution designed to protect us from foreign adversaries and their duplicitous behaviors.
As a result Trump is guilty of treasonous behavior.
Trump is a traitor - pure and simple.
Call the name-caller by his own well-earned nick name ......... Benedict Trump.
Do unto him what he advocates for another well-known person and then throw away the key.
(Although Treason can well call for other alternative actions.)
3
How does a Russian spy get a visa? Clearly Homeland Security and the fringe right are paranoid about poor asylum seekers. And then we have Ms. Biting - we must hand out visas to Russians agents like candy. A gun toting NRA supporter? Non citizens are supposed to stay out of politics - hear that Mr. Trump.
1
None of this will happen until Democratic majorities are returned to both House and Senate. Trump is now so confident as to fully reveal himself as Putin's Quisling on the world stage, and the current Republican Congress is nothing more than his rubber stamp.
5
Subpoena Trump's tax returns. Maybe there's a clue about his subservience to Putin in those files.
2
I agree with all what you expressed in this article. but congressmen and senators in many occassions showed such discomforts for the last 3 years since his campaign. it is time to take serious actions. To me, Nunes and others including P. Ryan nad M. McConnel should be shamed and sanctioned by the congress as they were not proactive to control Mr. Trump's irratic behavior. Rather, they gave Mr. Trump license to go beyond control slowly. Yes, conservative policies may be good for the country but acting by the President as Russian spy agent is not good now or later. Anybody else would have been put in jail by now. why not President?
3
I agree completely with your suggestions for remedies to what Trump said and may have done in Helsinki. I can't imagine that you expect the Congressional Republicans to attempt even the lick-spittle ones. Trump has control of them just as surely as Putin has control of Trump. We all saw it in real time on Monday. Frankly, I am focusing on getting my life in order in any way that I can for whatever is coming down the road in the next few months. America has been compromised and those who took oaths to protect her are doing just the opposite--letting our country go into the Russian abyss. I believe that there are several words that describe this situation and these people--most of them begin with T.
1
You missed one major suggestion, that could immediately accomplish much of what you propose.
Get at least two Republican Senators to caucus with the Democrats (McCain and Corker? Collins and Murkowski?) giving Democrats the majority in the Senate.
Hand wringing and denunciations do no good against a man impervious to shame. Unless and until some Republicans take steps to limit Trump's authority, he will continue to damage our country at every opportunity.
2
Don't expect Trump's flock of followers to change; they are just that, sheep-like followers. And they are going to plod behind that strange orange ram all the way onto the bus that takes them to the abattoir that will be the November elections, where they are just going to be slaughtered. The weird ram, if he's still around, will just direct them to climb aboard the transport to oblivion. They might get nervous at the very end, when they can see and smell the end. But, don't count on it--sheep can be entirely oblivious to anything resembling a fact.
1
You call them "sheep". I call them "rational". They don't expect Trump to change when he leaves the country and appears with foreign leaders. They focus on his actions versus his words and are not unhappy with the steps he's taken to address Russia's transgressions.
Perhaps the smartest thing they do is not keep banging their heads against the wall and demanding that the wall move, which is pretty much what Trump's critics keep doing.
Like the lazy housekeeper who sweeps dust under the carpet - so too will Cap'n McConnell and his band of legislative pirates sweep this mess out of sight. And as appealing as these ten suggestions are, I doubt even one will be adopted and the broadside against positive legislative reforms of the past five decades (including Roe v Wade) will continue unabated. Of all the suggestions listed, item 9 should have appeal for politicians seeking to distance themselves from the carnage of the Trump/Putin administration - it would in fact go some way to restoring confidence in a GOP that has lost it's head, it's heart and it's soul and possibly help them in the upcoming mid-terms.
1
All good suggestions, but still not enough.
The US has to face up to the fact that there is now a very high probability that it has a POTUS who is a Russian Asset, if not a Russian Agent.
What is Capitol Hill going to do about that?
1
Trump's conduct was really outrageous.
However
The Russian constitution does not allow any Russian to be extradited to face trial in a foreign court. This became an issue during the Litvenienko case some years ago. UK investigators did go to Moscow and questioned the alleged perpetrators.
On the one-on-one meeting with Putin, it would be usual in happier and more normal times for the president's chief advisors to present a detailed briefing on this to the relevant committees in closed session. The Congress should make this happen.
Trump is a terrible president but we should not set a precedent for inviting Congress to curb executive branch authority in the conduct of foreign affairs. This could harm our ability to conduct diplomacy.
How about the Dream Team option: retiring Republican leaders like Paul Ryan take one final action to redeem themselves, abide by their oath to the US Constitution and serve the democratic principals and Country the profess to love: they impeach Trump.
Ok, so it was just a dream...
1
Nobody knows nothin' until Mueller comes out with his report (hopefully soon). So the ONLY thing that matters is for Congress to insulate the DOJ and the Mueller inquiry from interference from Trump and his minions. The arrest of Marina Butina yesterday was hugely significant, as is the increasing pressure upon Paul Manafort to come clean. These two were likely the agents and nexus of collusion -- Manafort was no Presidential campaign manager, he was a guy with no moral compass, a deep greed, and excellent contacts with Russian oligarchs and intelligence agents. Butina apparently set up the NRA to be a money laundering agent for the Russian Federation, so they could donate massively to the Trump campaign. The NRA gave $30 million to the Trump campaign, a sum they have never even approached in previous Presidential elections. Very suspect...
All will be revealed!
4
A good article, going nowhere. Republicans will continue to behave as they have since November 2016. They will clutch their pearls and look the other way, as trump, and his handler Putin, destroy our democracy. They will hide behind the skirts of Christian Evangelicals, spouting thoughts and prayers and squirrel!, to deflect from their effort to hold onto power and wealth.
Unless voters wake up, we are in for some dark times.
For a newspaper that has sold a lot of newsprint covering the lies and uncovering covert operations and the behavior of the CIA over the years, your stand on behalf of intelligence agencies tells me this is about getting rid of Trump, not your conviction that intelligence agencies are deserve our unquestioning support and trust. We know your position on wateboarding, WMD's in Iraq, the support of brutal, but anti-communist regimes, etc. You published the Pentagon Papers! The Trump-Putin presser may have been unprecedented, but also unprecedented is the extent to which intelligence organizations got involved in presidential politics, and how rabid one side wants intelligence agencies to provide them with the leverage to take down a President. If I were Trump, I would do nothing to lend credence to the agencies that I viewed as politicized against me, no matter what stage I was standing on.
All this hyperventilating about Russia and so little difference between the Republican vision for Ameria and Putin's Russia.
Russia -- ruled by a handful of crony capitalists. Republican vision for America -- ruled by a handful of crony capitalists, the 0.0001%
Russian media is dominated by state-controlled outlets. Republican vision for America -- get rid of Fake News Media, i.e., media questioning the party narrative.
Russian "elections" are controlled by the ruling party. In the US money is equated with speech, and marketing passes for reason and argument.
George Soros is not welcome in Russia, branded as a foreign agent. George Soros is vilified by Fox News, the US government official news channel.
One can go on and on. How is anyone in the world not going to see the heights of hypocrisy in all this political grandstanding? The US used to be the beacon of light. It used to stand for freedom and democracy. That is no longer the case. The light is gone and one can't even find much light between Washington and Kremlin.
2
Trump is guilty on many counts but even so his Republican friends in the senate and house continue to cover for him and that is as far as things will go until we have Democratic control of both houses but can that now happen even with the electorate solidly behind the Dems? It is quite possible that Putin has such solid control over our voting results that it will be impossible to oust his party by any legal means. He may also have "Kompromat" on many members of both houses of congress and in both parties. Keep in mind that many of our congressfolk are easy targets for blackmail. After all, many of them are still in their prime years sexually and they are frequently away from their spouses and surrounded by adoring supporters. My sense is that a significant percentage of them could have already been in thrall to Putin for years. Now Putin plays his hand openly which he would not do unless he had more than enough control.
1
You’re calling on Republicans to put country over party and re-election. Not a chance.
3
@Psst
Kind of like expecting Putin to confess and subject himself to democrats' flogging.
"Time for Republicans to Grow a Spine" That time has long passed. It is time for the NY Times and other media leaders to grow a spine and call for the impeachment of Donald J, Trump and his removal from office and a massive voter wave that will sweep all of his supporters from any form of public service.
2
Condemn Trump, yes. Sanction Russia. But Kavanaugh is a mainstream and well respected conservative judge and it’s imperative that he be confirmed.
Could the NY TIMES, and everyone else, please stop using "meddling" to describe Russia's cyber attacks and efforts to undermine our electoral process. Meddling is what in-laws do in a family disagreement. The word plays right into Trump's rhetoric of trivialization.
Here is an incentive
The nation votes straight Democratic in November
2
If the midterm elections don't purge Congress of spineless Republicans too focused on keeping their place at the trough by placating the GOP base than by restraining a reckless president, I fear that our fine nation with its lofty ideals will teeter on the edge of ungovernability.
1
It’s more than obvious that the present supine GOP Congress is bought-and-paid-for, and will do nothing on this list. A list of great suggestions - but what we, the voters, can do about all this is “ throw the bums out”.
4
You forgot the most important thing Republican Senators with a conscience can do, the one act that will make the others possible. Declare yourself Independents and caucus with the Democrats. It's been done before, during the reign of George. W. Bush, by Senator Jim Jeffords. And it worked.
2
But as you said: the GOP is spineless. When the president lies constantly and now the GOP also does....words mean less than nothing. So, any toothless resolution saying that maybe, possibly, Trump misspoke, should re-speak, should lie to us again by misrepresenting what he DID already say.......get the idea? Our GOP Congress should ACT, not speak. But then....elephants flying is only in Disney cartoons.
1
You might as well add “...and shoot themselves in foot.”
The GOP is the now the POT. The Republican Congress is not concerned about sending messages to their leader; they are terrified of his tweeting messages to their constituents. They would not vote to override veto because they have assumed the role of toady to Trump’s bully.
Ironically, if Congress had the guts to smack Trump down on day one:require him to release his tax returns, or fully divest his business interests, or deny his nepotism , he would have reacted as all bullies do-back down. But Trump established his dominance and the weak realize they have too much to lose if they challenge the leader of the pack.
Democrats put their hope in Mr. Mueller, but he deals in provable facts. Trump deals in lies, power and manipulation and only the strongest, irrefutable facts can overcome his entrenched position. There is no question that Mueller is in the game...the timing of the recent indictments is his chess move to counter Trump’s b/s with hard facts. Mueller was ones move ahead of Trump. We do not know many moves he has left.
The soccer ball sim in Trump’s Court, but containing hm is in the hand s of the voters. Unless the Democrats take control of Congress, Trump will continue to lead us to ????
Too late. Time to vote Republicans out of office. It may take 6 years, but vote them out we Americans must do.
1
The fact that the NY Times editorial board needs to point these things out to Republicans in congress is proof of their political weakness and personal cowardice (Arizonans McCain and Flake excepted).
If any Democratic president were to "step in it" a third as much as Trump has done a hundred times before yesterday, Republicans would have impeached and removed him or her long ago.
2
Wishes, wishes, wishes and large number of suggestions for a totally supine republican congress (Devin Nunes and his ilk) are never going to reach fruition. The ONLY way to stop all this madness approaching treason (if not already there) by a Russian puppet President, is to win both houses of congress in the November election. Given the lack of information and ability to think independently (and not blindly follow Fox and friends), I cannot help but worry for the fate of the nation I love and which I adopted 52 years ago.
1
Republicans have plenty of spine when it comes to boxing the Democrats out of offices by virtue of right wing corporations money.
1
The false summit in Helsinki went smoothly because no one represented the US. For Trump, the measure of success in US foreign policy is if he gets along with the foreign leader, nothing more. (He always confuses his personal interests with our national interests, as his absurd golf course promotion showed in the preceding days.) To get along with the thugs running N Korea and Russia, all Trump has to do is abandon our interests for theirs. No military exercises in S Korea in return for . . . well, nothing. No warning that Russia's ongoing cyberwarfare with the US essentially is approaching the threshold of a hostile act. To show he's tough, tho, Trump betrays friendships with allies that have been nurtured over decades.
What can Congress do? Short of impeaching him, which needs to be seriously considered, how about appointing the US a much-needed guardian advocate for the remainder of Trump's term? Doesn't our country at least deserve to be heard?
2
The contemporary Republicans have gone from being partisan to being extremely partisan to being treasonously partisan. If you don't believe that then just watch them decline to do anything besides blather "tsk-tsk Mr. President" about Trump's traitorous behavior in Helsinki.
And the NYT is still fantasizing about Republicans getting a spine and standing up to Trump! C'mon NYT, wake up already. They ARE Trump and he IS them.
There are no more country first Republicans who will finally come forward and do the right thing. There are nothing but Republicans who are so perverted by their personal ambitions, their lust for power and their blind partisanship that nothing Trump does or has done, including betraying this country to the man and nation who attacked it, matters more to them than those three things.
The only way to save this country is to remove the Republicans from office this November and in 2020. Until then the Democrats, the press and the people must work together to prevent the GOP destroying this great nation.
3
Republicans will do exactly zero. I near choked on my dinner listening to them, post the double negative nonsense....well, it's all good now, he clarified and explained it all away, do carry on.
What Republicans were gleeful about today is the IRS decision that the NRA no longer has to provide the names of its donors: total black out. And, of course, it's just a coincidence that on the same day that the criminal complaint against the Russian national today became a criminal indictment alleging conspiracy and involving the NRA.
Trump and Republicans are running the Country as a mob organization and no appeals to patriotism, justice, ethics, law, fairness will move them....there's not a darn thing that can be said to make them threaten the power they hold, especially while they have a SCOTUS seat to fill and hundreds of judicial appointments to ram through. I expect they may make time for another round of tax cuts: trump thinks is a midterm "winner".
2
To your worthy list of suggestions, let's add an enforceable time limit for the GOP to act: 7 am local time, Tuesday, November 6th.
Trump’s baffling behavior toward Russia can only be explained by one of two things: Either they have dirt on him from a blackmail standpoint (i.e., the Steele Dossier is onto something), or he is indebted to Putin or his cronies financially.
The latter could possibly be explained, at least partially, by releasing his tax returns. As has been reported elsewhere, over the past several years Trump has had some of his projects around the world partially funded by murky non-traditional sources, including potentially Russian money.
Trump has chosen to not release much financial information about his holdings. The GOP in Congress, who could pressure him, has let him get away with that. That needs to change immediately. The GOP needs to decide if they are Americans first, or Republicans first.
Many people in his orbit also have some kind of Russian ties—Cohen, Manafort, Gates, Flynn, Felix Slater, Kushner, Carter Page, Roger Stone and a host of others. Manafort, Flynn and Gates have been indicted—three of almost 30 indictments. Cohen is heading that way. And, of course, there was at least one, if not more, meetings with Putin emissaries. Donald Trump Jr’s explanations about what went on at the one meeting we know about have changed over and over.
And now Helsinki.
Are we supposed to take all of this as coincidence?
The root of most lies and corruption is usually sex or money or both. These have been prime motivators for Trump his entire life.
How can Republicans get a spine when they are so compromised themselves? If they speak up, their Russian handlers will expose them. It’s way past time for the media to do some deep digging into the reason for their spinelessness. Start with Dana Rohrbacher and Devon Nunes. Easy pickings.
1
Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Axios is now reporting that Dana Rohrabacher is the Congressman named in the indictment of Mariia Butina.
New York Times, you are read far and wide. Please start encouraging everyone to vote in this year's elections. In the hypothetical scenario where every eligible voter - all viewpoints, all parties - participates this year, the complicit hypocrites would be swept out in a tidal wave. And that's the ONLY way the degradation of our government that led to yesterday's national backstabbing will be stopped and reversed. The Republicans are snickering even as they read this editorial, because they figure that Mr. Trump's non-explanation today is enough for them to remain intransigent. They will do NOTHING.
As long as there is a Republican with a pen in the White House, the Republican Congress will always ignore even Trump. They have been initiating major legislation during this period of Monopoly Republican power. The public Republican comments are only needed for a few days until everyone forgets. That's a fact Jack.
I would suspect that in their inner thoughts every GOP legislator is appalled by Trump's boot licking of Putin while impugning our justice system. But numbers talk. Trump retains an 80 percent approval rating among Republican voters, and these GOP legislators, like Trump, are more interested in saving their own skin in upcoming elections than bucking Trump's supporters. The ones who have been calling Trump out, such as Corker and Flake, have nothing to lose. They are leaving this debacle. Some who remain have reacted critically to the Helsinki fiasco but at the end of the day they will not censure their fearless leader. Grow a spine? P-L-E-A-S-E!!!
1
All fine suggestions, but each one requires a GOP leadership already equipped with spines. Since Reagan, the GOP has morphed into a party that actually believes that government is the problem. Republicans in Name Only have been banished. Gordon Gekko added is mantra to the list, and greed is now a major driving force among Republicans at all levels. The American gene pool has been enriched for the altruistically deficient. Many Christians have exposed the primitive tribal broths in which they evolved and from which they crawled to dominate the SCOTUS, the GOP leadership, and much more. The top five of the House leadership has four men, all Catholic, and one woman, a committed Evangelical. Waiting patiently for reason to penetrate that thicket is doomed to failure.
1
Our President by his own words, sides with Russia over the combined research of our intelligence community. He is a Russian agent and therefore a traitor. That is grounds for impeachment. Those who defend Trump are giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Trump has finally crossed the line. He must go.
1
If The Times Editorial Board stopped at Item 7, then there would be nearly universal agreement.
A minor quibble on Item 4; at the present time there isn't an extradition treaty with Russia. President Putin should be more concerned on how Mr. Mueller's Team was able to deftly connect the dots necessary to secure these indictments.
1
In an earlier article this morning (or last night), a congressman condemned the press for Trump’s “faux pas”:
“I call that a successful summit,” said Representative Andy Harris, Republican of Maryland, “and I disregard and discount anything that involves the mainstream media press.
Oh yes, the mainstream media. As if every word was not captured live as Trump spoke. Precisely the kind of ingrained, blind stupidity we’re dealing with.
1
I know this is trivial, but the metaphor of the "whipped dog" is a misplaced and defames dogs - who actually ARE dependent upon human beings, and are social by nature. The Republicans in question are simply greedy and craven. They are privileged human beings. They DO have a choice. There ARE other things they can be besides members of Congress. Not only is this not true of dogs, it isn't even true for their less privileged constituents; people whose interests they also do not serve.
But we have to support the nominee of our party.
If we survive as a democratic country, and I hope we do, the history books are going to have lots of chapters (actually entire books) about the Republican Trump Enabler Congress, or Rubber Stamp Trumpers who put their better angels aside and did damage to our country.
These Republicans have been so craven they've allowed Trump free reign to stoke hatred and division in our country, to set off trade wars and economic calamities, to damage our democratic values and lose us our standing and reputation and then our economic engine in the world, and finally, to hold hands with the despicable strongman Putin: a man who poisons his adversaries, who looted his country so cruelly that his own daughters changed their names and have to live absolutely secret lives. (Nice chum, eh?) And most tellingly?, they supported a man whose anti-immigrant policies based on hate, separated children and babies from their parents seeking asylum here. These Republicans in this congress (mostly men) will have children and grandchildren who will be rightfully ashamed to be descended from them. The only family that can actually remain proud will be the McCain family.
But the tax cuts! The tax cuts! Thank God we have a country to sell!
1
Each elected or candidate Republican needs to ask themself 'Am I with America or Putin.' Then, as the election rolls up they need to be asked again and again and again. By their families, their children, friends, neighbors, citizens, even foreigners.
America or Putin?
Not Russia. Putin is not Russia any more than Trump or Obama is America. We hold elections that are almost all binary, R vs D, the two-party system. Well, this is a binary choice.
America or Putin?
Ask yourself, your family, your friends. Ask the president.
Who has been saying America First?
America or Putin?
1
Republicans grow a spine? Please. Rather than what compromising information does Putin have on Trump, the question increasingly seems to be what information does Putin have on the Republican Party?
1
Actually, I wrote Senator Collins about this and it included legally protecting the Mueller investigation from all political influence and obstruction and for halting all nominees including Brett Kavanaugh. Got a nice form letter back referencing her obligations of Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch, yeah, right... Take a moment and check her responses to Benghazi. It amazes me as a Mainer all the positive press Senator Collins receives from the national media when all you have to do is check her actual record. One example is what she said she got for her tax cut vote. I guarantee that she will not run for re-election.
1
Republican leaders are weak in their responses because they want to stuff the courts with republican ideologues. To do that, they are willing to close their eyes to the potentially treasonous behavior of a president who meets secretly with the skilled interrogator who is a former head of the KGB.
2
It ain't gonna happen.
The Republican Party does not have the fortitude to implement any of these laudable suggestions. They have shown time an again they will not sacrifice their electability for principled action on meaningful issues. Even this latest example of Trump's ignorance, ineptitude, misogyny and yes I'll say it, treason, will not tip the scales of the craven GOP and his supporters.
The answer is to VOTE in November and in 2010.
Mr. Trump has committed a mortal sin, yet again and we who think we understand the world have gotten angry and outraged yet again. We have watched the crumbling of our checks and balances and have to suffer an angry old man run the world. It is a disaster without a check to his foolish vanity that he and he alone can fix the problems that face us. Except that his list is wrong and he won't listen to the smart people we have hired to give him the best advice in the world.
He maintains power through his "base" of 30% of Americans who have bought his sales pitch. Those Americans are the ones who have kept Republicans in office and we need to figure out what they are so angry about that they would give up the principles of our Republic to support Trump's supposed redress. They don't know it but Trump is failing them as badly as Putin is failing his people. That would make them allies, to what end?
Not to rain on your Republican spine growing parade, but, the only sense of an ideological spine, if you can call it that, is a party, who understands full well, it is a minority party to begin with, and yet, has used every political trick in the book to maintain power---which it appears they are very good at. As a party, they have a miserable domestic and international record from taking this country into an almost depression and into endless wars. And yet, here they are, in electing two unqualified Presidents, in charge of both houses of Congress, and at the state level firmly in control of most red state legislators---why fix a strategy that on all accounts is working.
2
I have been thinking that the Democrats should adopt the slogan "Country before Party". That should shake up a few Republicans, let's own their rally cry. It would go over big with many conservatives voters (many Trump wafflers), after all, they are desperate to "take back the country" and that means Russia too!
2
Would v. wouldn't.
I'd love to hear our Stable Genius argue that in front of SCOTUS, no matter how stacked the deck is.
1
It's not spine that is lacking, it is integrity.
4
And show us his taxes. In addition- make a law that any candidate running for President must show the last five years of taxes returns.
11
The time for symbolic showings of disapproval is ling past. Of what use is it to censure the president, other than to scold "Bad, Donnie, bad!"?
It is time for Congress to assert its power:
1) Pass a law closing the loophole Trump is using to call tariffs "national security". Make it effective immediately upon passage.
2) Pass emergency legislation requiring the use of paper ballots for all federal elections, and provide the money and resources needed to make that happen by this November.
3) If a president has the right to pull us out of a treaty on his sole authority, take away that right. Make sure there are no loopholes allowing Trump to formally withdraw from NATO without specific congressional approval.
4) Pass a law that any federal judge must recuse him or herself from any case personally involving a president that appointed that judge.
5) And most important of all..... restructure command and control of our nuclear weapons. No one person can have the sole power to launch a nuclear first strike attack.
3
Past time. Without congressional checks this man who holds the title but deserves no respect will continue to run amok and debase the country. The only problem is that I would bet that not one of your suggestions will come to pass. Excuses will be made and our tragedy will continue. Congress can't even agree to require him to disclose his finances when it seems he was saved from his most recent bankruptcy by Russian money. The fact that his base is large enough to keep his approval near 40% is appalling. How do that many support a man with a trail of failed businesses where he hasn't paid contractors for work done, proudly admits that he does not read, trades in demonstrable non-truths, has refused to separate himself from his businesses and appears to think of the presidency as a marketing gimmick
3
I agree with all ten suggestions. However, I have strong doubts that any of them will be considered by the republican puppy dogs which dominate our congress.
1
Under a GOP administration the natural GOP response is to kowtow to the hierarchy. These guys aren’t small-d democrats, they are autocrats or monarchists at heart. It’s learned from Christian culture. Yes I said that. The two things the dems ought to be doing are one, introducing vote bait, things that are easy to vote down and also easy to run against. Many of the suggestions in this piece fall into that category. Number two is using the GOP’s no votes against them in the mid-terms. It’s called giving them enough rope to hang themselves. You aren’t going to change congress unless you change congress-people. Let’s get on with it.
4
And another:
11. Compel the translator present at the "private" session between Trump and Putin, a government employee, to testify before Congress about all the exchanges witnessed and all promises made.
3
It's time for the press to grow a spine, too. I can't understand why the expression "election meddling" is used, when what actually happened was a series of vicious cyberattacks. The press keeps missing the main story!
2
@ps
The press went overboard in its "collusion" reporting and now lacks credibility. The other major misstep of the press was to ignore GOP's allegations of campaign tampering. Once upon a time, we could have counted on the media to investigate an alleged plot to thwart a potential president. Now it's left to the GOP.
The media parrots the democrats in many cases, but it, like democrats, lacks credibility because so many of its accusations against Trump are politically motivated. For example, members of the media didn't care about the 68,000 unaccompanied minors who arrived under Obama, but suddenly they're crying over a few thousand. How are those 68,000 doing? Where are all the articles about the stress they experienced? Exactly.
If Trump is guilty of completely surrendering himself to Putin and effectively turning a blind eye to the whole conspiracy of the Russian interference in the US elections, the Congressional Republicans are equally guilty of abdicating their constitutional obligations of holding the executive responsible for being unperturbed about or even being complicit with the perpetrators of this unprecedented Russian attacks on the American sovereignty and its governing system. The Republicans along with their President stand betrayer before the country.
13
And if Republicans in Congress want to prove their concern for the American people, they could repair and restore the Affordable Care Act admitting their opposition was all about partisanship rather than patriotism. Or they could revisit their disaster-in-the-making "Tax Reform" providing the government with sustainable income and a fairer distribution of the tax burden of all segments of the economy.
20
All worthy recommendations but Trump is the byproducts of the GOP multi decade efforts of undermining American democracy, why would they change until the American voters change them?
12
A good ten point suggestion list. It will be interesting to see where it goes. Trump's irresponsible mouth and actions arouse these kinds of responses on a nearly weekly basis and yet he coasts along made stronger by his suspect base and a colluding Congress.
A look at his taxes would be a good start but if he has his Secret Service people protecting him and his family from receiving indictments, how will we ever know?
Where is American law when we need it?
31
It is unlikely that the majority party in either house will do any of these things; most Congressional Republicans do indeed seem to have lost their vertebrae. But not all have. Those Republicans appalled at Donald Trump's shameful abdication of his responsibilities to preserve, protect and defend the nation and the Constitution can refuse to caucus with those craven members of their party who themselves refuse to honor their oaths of office. It wouldn't take many - just two in the Senate - and Trump's shameful anti-American behavior could be curbed. A drastic step? Yes, but this is an occassion when such drastic steps are called for. It is up to each individual Republican member of Congress to decide whether they are first and foremost Americans, or mere partisan tools of Donald Trump.
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The Republican base is to blame for the mess we’in. And why does the base support Trump and his cronies? It’s because they hold a world view shaped and bolstered by Fox News and other right wing press outlets. Unfortunately this world view is not in line with reality. There’s little point trying to convince this group of the damage this administration is doing to our country and the world because they are inhabiting a universe that doesn’t exist. I don’t understand why these people are so gullible and uninformed but the path they are taking jeopardizes the planet and civilization as we know it.
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Trumps base gets to much blame for this. Hillary told us they were deplorable’s. She was right. It’s Bernie, and his base that won it for Trump. Like Sarah Silverman called them “The Ridiculous.”
1
I read that many NYT commenter propose that the real problem is Trump's base and not Trump himself. Not really the way I see the whole thing here. For one thing, Trump's base has always been there. Trump is now their king. Yes indeed, they will accept anything Trump throws at them. Even if many of his policies hurts them directly. So the problem is definitely Trump himself. Trump has to go. He has to be replaced by a normal, responsible, intelligent, diligent, qualified, well informed, hard working person like most of us are trying to be in their everyday life. In short, he has to cede the reign to a Democrat.
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The time for Republicans to grow a spine was the day Trump was elected . None of what he’d said or done as president should have come as a surprise to them.
The hope that they will stop standing by him, regardless of what this insane leader of their party is going to do from now on, is far too optimistic.
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Republicans (other than those not facing reelection) are unlikely to suddenly grow a spine, because they would also be admitting they made a titanic mistake in backing Donald Trump as their party's standard-bearer.
That group suddenly growing a spine seems as likely as Donald Trump suddenly developing a conscience.
We've seen enough of this madness. November, 2018.
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Why wouldn’t Republican cowardice reflect Trump’s? He’s their candidate. They are just as weak in standing up to Trump as he is in standing up to Putin. Whatever their interests are, it is not the well being of the United States.
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He's a bad President but people are unrealistic on what the GOP can do. Are they suppose act like Democrats? Are they suppose to wave their hands all around? Most of all what the media talks about is pointless drama and has nothing to do with the issues. Almost all the summit hand waving was just drama and makes no difference in the end. We already knew he was a bad President.
These are all admirable suggestions. The Republicans will never take them up. They are too afraid of Trump's insanely rabid voters ... who are they only people in the country who will contemplate voting for them at present. Without an aroused and angry Trumpian base, the Republicans are simply toast and they know it. So out of pure fear, in most cases, they have completely abandoned their constitutional station as a check on an overreaching out of control executive. This means we are in a constitutional crises, because with out the Republicans being willing to step up the constitutional system of checks and balances is basically rendered inoperative. What we need is a massive turnout of right minded people in the midterm elections who will sweep the Republicans out of office. I do not know if we can survive that long. As Mueller closes in, Trump will get more and more desperate.
4
But those who are serious about defending American democracy ..."
I doubt if there are any as we have seen from the past 500+ days of the trump admin. Term limits would help solve this problem, voter and citizen participation would also help as congress now thinks it is immune from public action (and it may very well be due to stupidity).
If trump was reading this he was already asleep after "fully implememt..." ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
We are going to have to depend on NY State prosecution of his charity fraud, Mueller and whatever else comes up via Cohen, Manafort and others. There seems to be no hope of some illicit leak of his taxes, sadly. We could guarantee a gostartme fund for legal expenses for the honoree. The KONGRESS -dems and GOPEE TAPE PARTY--are for now useless. THeir paycheck is more important that their country. BIGLY SAD.
3
Now that Trump has acknowledged, sort of, that he agrees with intelligence findings that Russia did interfere with our 2016 election, congress needs to find out specifically what he intends to do about it. Also, congress needs to find out why the Trump administration recently eliminated the position of cybersecurity coordinator on the National Security Council at a time when Russian hackers are becoming more sophisticated and aggressive.
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This is all well and good, but has it occurred to any of our dear Republican leaders that Trump could give Russia our nuclear codes at any time. Lest there by any more doubt that he would, I hope that this recent pathetic display in Helsinki finally lays it to rest. What are we waiting on...as Trump gets squeezed more and more? The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming!
4
In addition to being a stable genius, having the best words, and being really rich, Trump has another skills set: spinal surgeon. He has crudely yet surgically removed the spine of nearly every Republican in Congress. They're sitting in a box, stuffed in a closet next to his tax returns. The Republicans have until November to decide if they want to go claim them. I bet not.
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There are only two explanations for Trump’s actions in Helsinki. He is either beholden to Putin for some reason we do not yet understand or he is completely incompetent. Either way, Congress, at minimum, must take all of the steps you have outlined to protect our democracy from the dangers both within and without.
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@Flowerfarmer...............or both.
The GOP Congress better get on board with Americans who demand protection for our elections. This president should be censured.
That is Square One.
The rest is icing if these guys think they can keep minimizing the danger to our democracy- standing around doing nothing and protecting Trump instead of our vote.
3
Let me get this right...the Republicans in Congress are suddenly going to act with integrity and do what's best for ALL Americans. Right.
They'll do no such thing and we all know it. NOTHING.
They are nauseating. The epitomy of the politicians that Trump's "base" claims to, well, deplore.
And when the backlash against this "base" and it's enablers finally comes, it won't be pretty.
How in God's name did we let this happen.
3
We all have reason to be angry and upset. But if we're going to put an end to this bizarre, disastrous situation we need to keep our wits about us. We need to be hyper-rational and realistic.
For a start, we should stop howling things like "treason!" where we have no legal basis to support it. It simply weakens our message because it is wrong.
"Treason" has a legal definition:
"Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason..."
And within that definition the words "enemy" and "hostilities" essentially mean that we have to be in a declared state of war.
Since we are not in a declared state of war with Russia Trump's actions are not legally treason.
Trump may be committing other crimes and THOSE are what we need to be focusing on. He's a lot like the magician who distracts us with his right hand while pickpocketing us with his left.
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The Republicans managed to get Trump to say he "meant" to say wouldn't so now all is ok. Read the transcript and change that one word and see how much it changes the meaning of everything he said. None. I'm beyond dismayed that his supporters and enablers believe this is all it takes. Sad.
3
The republicans who face re election in November need to take leadership of their own constitutuency. Trump's base has an emotional, irrational attachment to him that reason does not permeate. However, these are the same people who were Reagan cold war warriors distrusting the "Ruskies." This is the pathway to capturing the positive attention of these voters and frame it through the concept of good ole' fashion flag waving patriotism. Optics are everything these days; flag waving touches a lot of hearts. These republicans must take back the party without denigrating Trump. But they must show the backbone necessary and be willing to lose.
4
At this point, it's clear no GOP incumbents are worth a vote. my Sen. Collins only looks good because the rest of her party are lying rug-like on the floor....or speaking out because they are leaving en masse. There are no leading GOP spokesmen, they are following behind the herd of Trump supporters.....who voted for Trump because they were voting AGAINST both parties.
Gerrymandering. That's what gave Trump the presidency. If enough people in the districts that turned the vote from popular to elitist Republican see the scam that was pulled on them we might have a chance. Better yet, get equitable voting districts.
3
I doubt the current crop of Conservatives are ever going to grow a spine - only the whole sale replacement of them can get the country moving in the right direction and get Putin's grubby little hands off our country. On the off chance that a miracle should happen and a few vertebra appear, they should acknowledge that President Trump is obviously SERIOUSLY compromised by Russia and the VERY least they should do is demand a FULL financial disclosure from him... something they should have demanded from the get go.
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@Michael very well said! At a minimum that should be a starting point.
Well said and excellent suggestions. The whole thing is disgraceful and frightening.
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While we're at it, let's abolish the electoral college. It's utterly ridiculous that the popular vote is potentially meaningless and, gerrymandering would be become obsolete.
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Maximum Extraction
The Democrats need to exploit this moment and inflict maximum damage against Trump and his sycophants in the House and Senate. Trump has left himself exposed, and Republican legislators who don't speak out against his wild embrace of Putin, and denigration of US intelligence services, provide tragic cover for him. Dems need to frame this widespread Republican lack of engagement as anti-patriotic, immoral and, when appropriate, anti-Christian. Hard elbows, extreme advertising, hyperbole and slanted positions are not out of bounds here. The increasingly dire stakes justify extreme rhetorical campaign tactics Make the Republicans explain why the Dems are factually wrong, for a change.
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OK, I agree, but don't know whether we need it: NATO might already be a Congressional Act, I just don't know. If so there is nothing Trump can do. And if not I am pretty sure the Congress will act on it in a veto proof way. What I don't agree on is this "dark bond" thing. Trump has been perfectly open about his feelings for Putin. Out of the closet you might say.
1
Well motivated, but useless advice. Republicans have amply demonstrated they do not even want to contact, much less talk to, their Democrat colleagues. They may lack a "spine", but their stiff backs are more than enough. Because they control both branches of Congress, if one branch dares to deviate from orthodoxy, the other (Usually the House) is only too happy to shoot it down. The lastest trend? To become a "Helsinki Republican", loyal only to Trump and, by extension, Putin.
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A well-formed spine in our Republican Congressman looks like starting impeachment proceedings against the President. Donald Trump is seriously compromised and cannot be trusted to lead this nation safely and soundly. Every day he remains President is every day we expose our country to danger.
10
The majority of the Republicans in the house are content to continue aiding and abetting Mr. Trump. Most of Trump's supporters will not see Mr. Trumps antics as anything negative because they won't want to admit they could have possibly made an unwise choice in supporting him.
Don't expect the GOP to do the right thing and remove Trump. Worms don't grow spines, they're invertebrates.
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Excellent. Until Americans gets action from Congress in terms of protecting its election process from tampering by foreign nations I suggest they simple do not vote. They are good at not voting and letting their politicians severely restrict their ability to vote. Why vote at all - if the election process is merely a sham used as a basis to legitimize the power plays of the wealthy and the powerful? If every American stayed home on election day, that would send a powerful statement to those that meddle and those (Congress) that allow them to meddle.
"Fake" recommendations for "Growing a Spine".
1. Proposed Russian sanctions are ineffective
2. Demanding public disclosure of all private presidential discussions is nonsense
3. Federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies have demonstrated too much politically motivated behavior
4. Extradition of indicted Russians won't happen
5. The integrity of elections is subject to meddling by anyone including the political parties, foreign interests, and teenage hackers.
Relating Russian relations to the confirmation of a U.S. Supreme Court nominee is a show of irrational political desperation.
1
Well, refusing to even consider Obama's SC nominee was a blatantly political act; Trump's son knowingly colluded with agents of a foreign power, sanctions are effective, otherwise Putin wouldn't be pushing for their removal, and if elections are vulnerable, instead of ignoring the issue (no doubt hoping for a repeat in the mid-terms) our "Commander In Chief" might actually direct an investigation into what did happen and how to prevent it.
1
@jck You're not paying attention to the facts here. We are under attack and the executive and congress are unpatriotic in their responses. The justice department is protecting our democracy by upholding the rule of law and following evidence. The President has a conflict of interest in selecting a court nominee right now. Read up on your civics.
1
Devin Nunes could act as one of the original three stooges, he is so laughably inept at his games of smoke and mirrors. But then he may be a genius who deliberately messes up the tasks he has been given to run interference for Trump.
The Republicans on the whole are unlikely to act on any of these recommendations for the simple reason that quite a few of them have taken Russian money for their campaigns. All of them benefited from Russian interference which brought their party and Trump to power. Why bite the hand which feeds them?
3
Monday's debacle in Helsinki was a disgrace. Fortunately, it was televised and recorded, so trying to justify or explain any of Trump's remarks by lying about what was said just doesn't work. And Tuesday's "hostage statement," clearly written by someone other than Trump, yet "enhanced" with the president's usual free-styling additions, did nothing to correct or fix yesterday's pathetic - and treasonous - performance.
So why is "the base" still behind this man? And - even scarier - why are so many Republican congresspeople still behind this man? Is this really what we want for a president?
2
If Republicans can really grow a spine, they ought to impeach Trump. Clinton was impeached by the Congress for lying about the Lewinsky affair, which seems such a trivial charge compared to being a threat to national security as a compromised President. It totally seems like Putin has something on Trump, and is going to use that as a leverage to destroy Western alliances. The worst is yet to come.
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Not possible for the Republicans to grow a spine. They have been seduced and corrupted by power. Power for power sake. Absolute power has corrupted them absolutely.
Only the prospect of political decimation can change things. Change will come from without not within.
11
if Republican leaders and their flock are clinging to Trump because of all the judgeship slots he can fill for them, even a golden SCOTUS slot (and a stolen one at that) is beginning to seem very expensive.
Compared to what Trump is costing the country (whether measured in dollars or in political and moral gain), the rewards must be dropping dramatically.
2
I have been writing my Congressman and Senators (all Republicans) for 18 months now. They would follow this president if he jumped off a cliff, figuratively and it appears literally as well. For the past several years, I have thought democracy has not been working well for Republicans. They run their political campaigns on taking away Rights and freedoms; Republican-led State legislatures pass laws that suppress the vote for some; if you are a shareholder in a corporation or wealthy, you experienced a huge tax break. My medical insurance premiums are increasing and coverage reducing. There should be hearings into the Administration’s inhumane treatment of migrants, refugees, and their children at the southern border. The circle of obstruction of justice surrounding this president in Congress must be broken. This would involve congressional leadership growing “a spine.” The rule of law must prevail even in Congress. The Republican-led Congress seems to like the idea of an authoritarian President; their jobs would require no thought, no patriotism, no more pretending to support and defend the Constitution than enshrine democratic, American values for ALL Americans. One Party rule has its advantages. They defend a president who should NOT be defended. I don’t buy the one word walk-back Trump issued with all insincerity yesterday. This does not make everything else wrong, embarrassing, and humiliating he did while in Europe last week disappear.
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