Similar to the way many Latin American ex-presidentes suddenly discover an interest in legalizing marijuana once safely out of office, GOP members of Congress have an uncanny way of finding reasons to oppose Donald Trump right around the time they announce retirement.
The move came precisely one day after the southwest Floridian became the first current member of the House Republican caucus to declare openness to impeaching the president over the question of whether he made delivery of authorized aid money to Ukraine contingent on the newly elected president there announcing a possible investigation into 2020 Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden.
The first Republican congressman to back an impeachment inquiry, self-described libertarian Rep. Justin Amash, became a non-Republican within two months of that announcement, and at the end of October he was the only non-Democratic member of the House to back an impeachment investigation.
It's not just on substance that self-liberated Republicans dissent from a president who is often more popular among their constituents.
In one sense, the spike in Republican self-deportations-44 and counting in the House alone since Trump's inauguration, compared to 25 Democrats during Barack Obama's entire first term-is a boon to Trump, since it helps him shape the party more in his idiosyncratic image.
Support for the president in the 53-member Senate GOP caucus has been wide but not deep, with Sen. Mitt Romney in particular criticizing Trump's Ukraine gambits.
There is one anti-impeachment argument that may persuade even the most ardent anti-Trump Republicans: Removing a president in an election year seems much less politically wise than letting voters decide for themselves how his first term should be rewarded.
https://reason.com/2019/12/23/trumps-gop-critics-are-dropping-like-flies/
The move came precisely one day after the southwest Floridian became the first current member of the House Republican caucus to declare openness to impeaching the president over the question of whether he made delivery of authorized aid money to Ukraine contingent on the newly elected president there announcing a possible investigation into 2020 Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden.
The first Republican congressman to back an impeachment inquiry, self-described libertarian Rep. Justin Amash, became a non-Republican within two months of that announcement, and at the end of October he was the only non-Democratic member of the House to back an impeachment investigation.
It's not just on substance that self-liberated Republicans dissent from a president who is often more popular among their constituents.
In one sense, the spike in Republican self-deportations-44 and counting in the House alone since Trump's inauguration, compared to 25 Democrats during Barack Obama's entire first term-is a boon to Trump, since it helps him shape the party more in his idiosyncratic image.
Support for the president in the 53-member Senate GOP caucus has been wide but not deep, with Sen. Mitt Romney in particular criticizing Trump's Ukraine gambits.
There is one anti-impeachment argument that may persuade even the most ardent anti-Trump Republicans: Removing a president in an election year seems much less politically wise than letting voters decide for themselves how his first term should be rewarded.
https://reason.com/2019/12/23/trumps-gop-critics-are-dropping-like-flies/
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