Another Retiring Republican Congressman Suddenly Discovers His Balls On The Way Out The Door

Meet Great Big Fucking Hero Mac Thornberry via the Dallas News:

Retiring Texas Republican, Rep. Mac Thornberry, chides GOP for ‘mindless sort of obedience’ to Trump

Cool!

So when it came to actually doing something to stop the deranged Republican mobster in the White House, what did you actually do?  

From soon-to-be-ex-Republican Congressman Smallberry's statement regarding the impeachment of Donald Trump almost exactly one year ago today:

Madam Speaker,

In 1998, I voted for three of the four counts of impeachment brought against President Clinton.  Those votes were some of the most difficult I have cast during my 25 years in Congress.  Impeachment is an extreme remedy, which, in effect, alters a decision made by the American people through an election... 

Yes, we know Representative Thornbush.  Having an affair is bad!  So very bad!  And lying about a blowjob is even worse!  But what does that have to do with what steps you have taken to stop Donald Trump's four-year treason and crime spree?  

Back to the Dallas News:

The top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee said Congress ‘was created to be and meant to be a separate independent branch of government.’

That was a great repetition of the third question on every junior high school U.S. government exam, Mr.  Thornbangle.  Really top notch!  But about the question I just asked you...?

Retiring Clarendon Rep. Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, offered this message to the GOP on the best way forward: "It’s pretty simple: Put the country first."

You've sure got a way with words, Representative Hackenbush, and I'll thumb-rassle any man who says otherwise!  But, again, what exactly does "put the country first" mean in a literal and specific way?  How should that manifest itself, especially when the threat that Donald Trump has posed to American democracy every day for the past four years has been so grave, gargantuan and blindingly obvious?

Back to soon-to-be-ex-Republican Congressman Chokecherry's statement regarding the impeachment of Donald Trump apparently written one day after someone taught him how to pronounce the word "partisan" and urged him to use it as often as possible so that he'd remember it:

Count one alleges “abuse of power,” the same phrase rejected by the House in the Clinton impeachment. The allegations relate to the phone call, an investigation that was never conducted, and a temporary delay in military aid being released. In spite of a last-minute attempt in the Judiciary Committee’s report to allege some form of bribery, the evidence and the law do not support the charge, and the Committee made no serious attempt to prove it.  Instead, we are left with a nebulous, subjective phrase that can be used to cover any political or stylistic difference. 

Count two alleges “obstruction of Congress.” I find it remarkable that an impeachment process which, in contrast to those prior, has been totally partisan with no attempt at a jointly-decided bipartisan process, would attempt to impeach a president for resisting such partisanship.  In addition, I believe that it is a mistake to essentially criminalize the inherent tensions between the legislative and executive branches of government.

To describe these counts as “weak” overstates them.  A partisan process, designed from the beginning to achieve a desired result, brings to the Floor two counts that do not begin to meet the constitutional standard for impeachment, even if all of the facts alleged are assumed true.  It is a misuse – one might say "abuse" -- of the Constitution’s impeachment power.

One final concern:  the partisan process used in this case degrades established boundaries of political competition that have helped this nation survive intense political differences for over two hundred years.  As a result, I fear that partisan impeachment efforts may well become just another tool in the political arsenal, expected to be pursued by whichever party loses a presidential election. 

The damage done to our constitutional processes and to our institutions by this hyper-partisan, flawed process is greater than any alleged harm done by the President’s phone call.  I hope and trust that the American people in their wisdom will see that appropriate boundaries and constitutional balance are restored.

So... impeachment for lying about a blowjob is a solid "yes" but impeachment for treason in plain sight and on-the-record is not just a definite "no", but is so out-of-bounds that it "degrades established boundaries of political competition that have helped this nation survive intense political differences for over two hundred years."

Cool.

Anything else you want to add to the record, Representative Huckleberry, before you fade into obscurity and spent the rest of your days on this Earth boring your relatives to tears with tall tales about what a fucking heroic MarySue you used to be?  Perhaps a little Both Siderist side-meat?

“And it’s that mindless sort of obedience – and to some extent it happens in both parties, but it’s more evident now in the Republican Party – that No. 1, doesn’t do credit to the individuals, but secondly, it undermines our institutions."

Of course.

Of course. 

No Half Measures