Alabama has more than its share of Donald Trump apologists and sycophants.
And they’re kind of scary.
Why can’t we have at least one or two Republicans who understand that Donald Trump is just scamming voters and isn’t a true Republican and aren’t afraid to say it? Why isn’t there one Republican from Alabama who believes in holding our leaders accountable, regardless of political party?
Alabama Republicans were constantly up in arms and pushing investigations of Barack Obama when he was president, and there wasn’t a hint of corruption in the Obama administration.
With Trump comes all sorts of awful baggage, including using his own properties as funnels for tax dollars, failing to cooperate with Congress on legitimate oversight, committing obstruction of justice at least 10 times as revealed by the Robert Mueller probe, and sharing secrets more than once with foreign governments. And that’s just a few Trump misdeeds.
Yet, Alabama Republicans (and, indeed, most Republicans across the nation) cover for Trump at every turn.
The latest case has Trump pressuring the president of Ukraine to investigate dealings former Vice President Joe Biden’s son had with an energy company there.
Remember when the Republican Party was supposedly the law-and-order party? Yeah. And Republicans used to be fiscally responsible, too, but then they passed billions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while taxes are up for the middle class and poor. Now, deficits are at record levels.
The Republican Party that was a balance to a more liberal Democratic Party doesn’t exist anymore.
It’s downright sickening to hear what Alabama’s Republicans are doing to cover for Trump.
For a preview of next year’s races for president and Congress, look at the adjectives Republican have decided to use:
“Nancy Pelosi and her socialist horde in the House cannot accept that Donald Trump won the election in 2016 fair and square. From the Russia hoax, to fake obstruction, to fanning recession fears, to calls to world leaders, Democrats are obsessed with impeachment,” U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, said. “If only the Democrats would put this much effort in making America great again.”
You’d better get your head out of there, Mike. You’re going to smother yourself.
“Frankly, if Socialist Democrats had evidence proving guilt, they would have already impeached President Trump,” said U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville. “Socialist Democrats have yet to produce ANY credible evidence of President Trump’s violation of a SINGLE, SPECIFIC federal criminal statute that constitutes ‘Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.’”
Say hello to Rep. Rogers while you’re in there, Mo.
“The actions of the Democrats today are simply deplorable, to use a phrase they know so well,” Alabama Republican Party Chair Terry Lathan said in a statement. “They have spent the last three years trying to destroy Donald J. Trump by any means — fake news, investigations that went nowhere, using a fake dossier to stop him with other low moments — and after repeated failure they are now opening an impeachment inquiry without any evidence …”
Hey, Chair Terry: Two’s company, three’s a crowd.
Even Alabama’s own longtime letch, former Chief Justice Roy Moore, defended Trump, though Trump doesn’t support Moore’s effort to win the U.S. Senate.
“I am sick and tired of petty party politics,” said Moore, a known sexual predator of teen girls. “President Trump has been under investigation ever since he took office. Were the Clintons or Obamas ever under as much scrutiny as Trump currently is?”
Uh, yeah, Roy. They were.
Even if the “impeachment inquiry” turns into “impeachment proceedings” and the Democratically controlled House votes to impeach, there’s little chance the Republican controlled Senate will convict. Though other presidents, including Bill Clinton, have been impeached, none has been removed from office through impeachment.
Still, it’s important that Trump be held accountable, at least before the public, so there is value in the inquiry.
Trump has tried to stonewall Congress in its oversight responsibilities. Maybe if nothing else, the impeachment inquiry will give lawmakers the clout they need to proceed with their investigations.
Of all the Trump defenders, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Montrose, used all the clichés and was probably the screechiest:
“I will vehemently fight these efforts to impeach President Trump,” Byrne said. “The radical Squad has taken over the Democrat Party, and the American people will see right through this nonsense.”
More likely, the American people will see through all the nonsense being spewed by the Republicans these days.
Or, maybe not.
Joey Kennedy, a Pulitzer Prize winner, writes a column each week for Alabama Political Reporter. Email: jkennedy@alreporter.com.
