This last month’s events surrounding the Trump “administration” may seem wrenching, and Republicans’ inaction maddening, but let’s keep in mind Republicans, for the last 35 years, have steadily increased their attacks on the Democratic Party and on Americans in general, and their adherence to the Constitution and rule of law has steadily eroded. Their defense of (or at least silence with respect to) an obviously corrupt Trump regime is merely a pattern that has developed and worsened over that time:
- 1972: Watergate; Nixon re-elected
- 1974: Nixon resigns rather than being impeached; only 1/3 of Republicans in relevant committees vote for the proposed Articles of Impeachment against Nixon
- 1980: Reagan elected; administration becomes the most scandal-plagued in memory (Iran-Contra, arms-for-hostages, etc.)
- 1980s: Rush Limbaugh rises to prominence, spawns imitators. All push anti-Liberal hatred
- 1992: William Jefferson Clinton elected President after George Bush was revealed to be clueless about ordinary Americans
- 1994: Republicans retake House of Representatives under Newt Gingrich, who promises a “Contract With America”.
- 1994-1998: Shortly thereafter, hearings on alleged Clinton “scandals” (Whitewater, Vince Foster, TrooperGate, etc.) begin. Ken Starr appointed Independent Counsel after prior counsel found no wrongdoing. Starr continued his “investigation” well past the point at which it was clear there was no wrongdoing, and into the realm of political witchhunt. Starr expanded his investigation to other areas (Vince Foster, alleged misuse of FBI files, etc.). Conservative media, paid pundits, etc. fanned the flames and fed Starr’s “investigation” information.
- 1995, 1996: Republicans shut down the Federal Government because they couldn’t get heir way on Federal budget cuts they wanted
- 1998: Lewinsky scandal erupts, facilitated by Republican operative Linda Tripp, and furthered by Starr’s operation.
- 1998: Republican-controlled House of Representatives impeach Clinton.
- 1999: Impeachment fails in the Senate
- 2000: Election in doubt as results in Florida required a recount; Republican operatives interfered with recount effort. Republican-controlled Supreme Court stops recount as allegedly unconstitutional, effectively declaring Bush winner.
- 2004: Republicans Tom Delay, Karl Rove speak of a “permanent Republican majority”
- 2005: Bush attempts to privatize Social Security. Fails. Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, city floods, 1000+ die; Bush administration response is pathetically inadequate.
- 2006: Democrats retake House of Representatives, Senate
- 2008: Senator John McCain chooses untested, poorly-vetted Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate. Palin, an ultra-conservative Alaska separatist, quickly becomes a major headache for the McCain campaign after demonstrating her incompetence to lead the country
- 2008: Barack Obama elected President of the United States. Senator Mitch McConnell vows to make Obama a one-term President by blocking all of his policy proposals.
- 2009: Democrats pass Affordable Care Act
- 2010: So-called Tea Party emerges; styled a grassroots movement, it is funded by shadowy anonymous elite conservative organizations. Republicans retake House of Representatives.
- 2012: Barack Obama re-elected President, upsetting Republican predictions of a Romney win. Republicans regain control of the Senate
- 2012-2016: Republicans block practically all of Obama’s judicial nominations, policy proposals
- 2016: Justice Antonin Scalia dies. Senator McConnell immediately announces President Obama will not be allowed to appoint his successor. Republicans in Senate refuse to speak to nominee Merrick Garland.
- 2016: Donald Trump embarrasses Republican “leadership” by defeating all of his rivals in the primaries. After the Republican National Convention, Republicans line up behind him. By operation of the Electoral College, Trump is elected, despite losing the popular vote by ~3 million votes.
- 2017: Trump takes office; Republicans refuse to admit his incompetence, obstruction of justice, and likely treason with the Russians, despite a scandal-plagued first 100 days in office. Virtually none have suggested impeachment.
Thus, the Republicans’ current actions are no more than an extension of a path they’ve already set for themselves — an unwillingness to follow the law, the Constitution, and cultural and political norms, all in a quest for power.