I read a lot. Some would say too much. I feel there is so much to learn that I can never read enough and therefore too much is impossible. Among my reading are a lot of op-eds – perhaps that is because I write five a week. Among the op-ed writers I really respect is Eugene Robinson. In Friday morning’s Washington Post I read his op-ed entitled John Bolton is a weasel in a party of weasels. By far it was the best piece I read last week. Let’s explore.
Robinson has a well deserve Pulitzer Prize and pieces like this are why. In it he uses the dictionary definition of weasel: “a deceitful or treacherous person” to describe John Bolton, most Republicans and especially the Senate Republican caucus, with two partial exceptions, fit the bill. The catalyst for the piece is John Bolton’s book which, unless Trump pulled some eleventh hour stunt, came out yesterday. (This article was written on Monday June 22nd.)
Bolton was Trump’s National Security Advisor (I honestly lost count of which one) and was an ear/eye witness to several impeachable offenses Trump committed. Bolton, in true weasel fashion, refused to testify before the House’s impeachment inquiry despite – if he is to be believed, which I do in this case – having relevant evidence instead opting to cash in on a book deal. I am among the many that will neither buy nor read the book. I have a policy of not supporting non-patriots.
All Democratic Senators voted to subpoena Bolton to testify at the impeachment trial along with Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah. The rest of the Republicans weaseled out, not wanting to hear the evidence because they had already made up their minds to vote innocent regardless of the facts therefore the fewer facts they heard the easier it would be to justify their vote in the future.
A note on Collins, who is in the political fight of her life in 2020: she knew her vote wasn’t enough to get the measure to pass but it gave her some political cover in the campaign. It was the right vote but far from a profile in courage. Romney on the other hand voted his conscious sans political consideration. The reality is that the only person that can beat Mitt Romney in Utah is Mitt Romney. Unlike Collins he doesn’t need the “help” of Trump or the Lindsey Graham arranged money of Sheldon Adelson’s. For the record, Romney was the only Republican to vote guilty on either of the two impeachment counts.
I disagree with Romney on many policy issues but I gained respect for him on the way he conducted himself during the impeachment trial. His character reminded me much of the late Republican Senator John McCain who I also often disagreed with on policy but always respected as a person of integrity.
The greater point of Robinson’s piece is that the current version of the Republican Party has lost its soul. They blindly follow Trump and are terrified to defy him.
In reality as important as it is to defeat Trump in November it is equally and arguably more important to take back the Senate. Trump is evil and stupid; Mitch McConnell is evil and smart.
On a personal note to you dear reader, I suggest you look up Robinson’s op-ed and spend a few minutes reading it. I reread it several times and passed it along to some friends.
(In full disclosure I have been a digital subscriber to the Washington Post for several years.)
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