THE AMERICAN POSEIDON ADVENTURE

Over the weekend I listened to a podcast, read about the Louisiana primary where Senator Cassidy was defeated by a Trump supported rival, and reflected on the Indiana primary where Republicans who dared oppose Trump suffered a similar fate. Then I read the Sunday article, “Lamar Alexander Wants Republicans to Stand Up to Trump.”

Alexander, a former governor and senator from Tennessee, supported Trump during the first impeachment trial but had already left the Senate by the time of the January 6 attack on the Capitol. It appears he likely would have supported second impeachment conviction had he still been serving. Nevertheless, one of his central points is the Senate is failing to fulfill its constitutional duty, and that senators enabling Trump’s deconstruction of American institutions need to step up. Importantly, Alexander takes a nuanced approach, one grounded not in partisan antagonism, but in a belief that defending the Constitution and strengthening American democracy should transcend party loyalty.

It is frightening to watch the Republican Party’s increasingly cult-like attachment to Trump, as voters punish Republicans who merely disagreed with him. This becomes even more disturbing when one steps back and considers the broader picture: the abuse of power, the abandonment of the rule of law, the taxpayer dollars flowing to cronies connected to the January 6 assault on the Capitol, the needless war, and the extraordinary personal windfall Trump has engineered during his first year back in office. Reports indicate his income increased by roughly $1.5 billion and his overall wealth by nearly $6 billion, much of it tied to foreign governments or sovereign wealth funds dependent upon American support. All of this while he openly admitted last week that he does not care about the financial struggles facing ordinary Americans. Why should he, when his wealth continues to grow through foreign-backed interests?

Alexander supports many of Trump’s policy positions, even while criticizing his personal abuses and disregard for institutional norms. His argument is not that the Senate should act as an antagonist, but that it should fulfill its constitutional role by acting as a co-equal branch of government, one capable of making any president better, more disciplined, and ultimately more successful for the good of the country. By standing silently as Trump tramples protocol, traditions, ethics, and constitutional guardrails, the Senate weakens itself and further undermines American democracy.

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if Republican leadership in both the House and Senate placed America’s interests ahead of their own political survival? Based on what we have seen so far, that does not appear likely or perhaps even possible. If the country is to survive this period and eventually thrive again, voters will have to replace those unwilling to defend the people and institutions they were elected to protect.

VOTE!!!

RESIST!!! & EDUCATE!!!