• Home
  • Blog
  • Contact
The Screaming Moderate

Almost past the time for Congressional Republicans

6/11/2018

0 Comments

 
It may be past time for Republicans in Congress to speak out against the direction of the Trump Administration, from its dangerous foreign policy to its domestic policy that lacks empathy or seemingly any appreciation for the diversity of America.

As we stand on the day of the summit with North Korea (9 o’clock tonight, our time), President Trump just left the U.S. reputation in the G-7 in shambles, has succeeded in ticking off our closest geographic ally, standing (or sitting) apart, literally, from our other allies in the G-7, and prepared to have trade wars with many countries, which threatens the economic boom that is about Trump’s only claim to fame success so far.

If one was going to map out a strategy to destroy the Western alliance, just watch what Trump is doing because – knowingly or not – that’s what he is doing. He is buddying up to our long enemies (Russia, North Korea) and alienating our allies who have stood side by side with us in everything from strong economic relationships to fighting wars.

I imagine there is a slice of Americans who like that, but with all due respect, if you’re one of them, reassess now. He’s entering a summit with one of the world’s worst dictators and Trump says he is prepared and will “know in the first minute” the potential for success.

It’s not just that he’s counter to the typical U.S. president; it’s not that I disagree with a lot of his policies (he’s not the first president whose policies I oppose); it’s not even that he’s a television personality or so full of himself it’s almost a caricature.
It’s that he is a danger to the future of our country – unless the right people start standing up to protest and oppose him. Now.

Robert di Niro just plays into his hands when he barks an epithet at the Tonys. Good for a laugh butTrump will play off that to his own benefit, if he hasn’t already. He’ll say it’s just another example of those west coast liberals who hate him. (And, really Mr. di Niro, when everyone had tears in their eyes when the kids from Parkland sang?)

But, if Republicans in Congress stood up to him, and used the levers of power in their control – from making laws to having a platform to criticize his behavior and lack of preparation for any meeting – nothing will change.

It wasn’t until the G-7 meeting that I saw his full destructive power. If you can’t negotiate a milk deal with Canada, how can you negotiate a nuclear deal with North Korea, as one pundit put it?

The President sent out two of his staff – top economic advisor Larry Kudlow and top trade advisor Peter Navarro – to be interviewed on the Sunday shows and trash Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau.

Some worried that Trump didn’t have a pet dog, like so many of his precessors. But Kudlow is filling that role as he’s become a lap dog for Trump. Navarro talked about an ally in ways that no staff member of the White House ever has before. Yes, Mr. Navarro, you are “just” a staffer, you’re not the leader of the country, who also likely would never talk that way.  Well, unless his last name is Trump.

Kim Jung Un already has benefitted the most from the about-to-be held summit. He is going to have his picture taken with the President of the United States. And he will use that picture as propaganda in his country for months to come, demonstrating falsely that he is a leader in the world. Trump gets no benefit unless Kim literally hands him a nuclear weapon, because his promises mean about as much as Trump’s.

Bring Russia back into the G-7/8? After they took over a country? And pay no price for that. And, by the way, after they meddled in our election?? Come on! Trump has never even admitted it was Russia.

I never truly thought Trump was a Manchurian Candidate, but the resemblance is getting more and more by the day.

Intentionally or not, Trump is doing things “for” our country that our enemies have been trying to “do” to our country for years.

Republicans in Congress, the time is nearly past where you can do something about this – it’s time. But you have to act fast.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

     
    Follow @bjaycooper

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    B. Jay Cooper

    B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired deputy managing director of APCO Worldwide's Washington, D.C., office.
    He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five boys and one girl. He lives in Marion, Mass.

powered by bjaycooper.com