Now that the Arizona Senator Jeff Flake is out of office he feels he can finally speak his mind. He is doing everything he can to urge Republicans in congress not to support the current Oval Office occupant in 2020. Of course that has brought a Twitter rage to his doorstep but it now has no effect on him.
One of the things he mentioned in a recent article is that he has found that 23 Republican Senators would likely not support Trump if they were allowed to vote anonymously on the Senate floor. Given the vitriol atmosphere in that building it is almost impossible for anyone to cross party lines in any of their votes. If the Democrats are for it then they have to be against it. Of course, that logic is what has virtually stopped any progress inside the beltway.
My hero Will Rogers used to say that stifling action was a good thing and in some cases he is right. But there are some urgent matter that our country needs to deal with that it they aren’t handled will cause future agony. On top of that list is global warming. If there is any issue that demands bipartisan support that is the one.
I’m not one of those who think that the GOP has sold their souls to willful ignorance to stay in power. I think somewhere deep down every one of those 53 Senators has some level of apprehension when it comes to supporting the idiocy of the current administration.
Of course, nothing of any significance is going to happen in the Senate until McConnell loses the reigns and I think that will surely happen come January 2021. Getting him out would be a big plus for democracy but that won’t happen soon enough to prevent some permanent damage to our country and the world.
Being able to vote anonymously on certain bills will eventually be the most effective way to get critical legislation passed. It would allow each person in Congress to vote their conscience for things that really matter.
What do you think?
