(from New York Times May 14th)
It
wasn’t so long ago that Republicans in Congress cared about how a
president comported himself in office. They cared a lot! The president
is, after all, commander in chief of the armed forces, steward of the
most powerful nation on earth, role model for America’s children — and
he should act at all times with the dignity his station demands. It’s
not O.K. to behave in a manner that demeans the office and embarrasses
the country. Shirt sleeves in the Oval Office? Disrespectful. Shoes on the Resolute desk? Even worse. Lying? Despicable, if not impeachable.
.
.
Now
seems like a good moment to update the standards. What do Paul Ryan,
Mitch McConnell and other Republican leaders think a president may say
or do and still deserve their enthusiastic support? We offer this handy
reference list in hopes of protecting them from charges of hypocrisy in
the future. They can consult it should they ever feel tempted to insist
on different standards for another president. So, herewith, the
Congressional Republican’s Guide to Presidential Behavior.
If you are the president, you may freely:
.
.
• attack private citizens on Twitter
• delegitimize federal judges who rule against you
• refuse to take responsibility for military actions gone awry
• fire the F.B.I. chief in the middle of his expanding investigation into your campaign and your associates
• accuse a former president, without evidence, of an impeachable offense
• employ top aides with financial and other connections to a hostile foreign power
• blame the judiciary, in advance, for any terror attacks
• call the media “the enemy of the American people”
• demand personal loyalty from the F.B.I. director
• threaten the former F.B.I. director
• accept foreign payments to your businesses, in possible violation of the Constitution
• occupy the White House with the help of a hostile foreign power
• intimidate congressional witnesses
• allow White House staff members to use their personal email for government business
• neglect to fill thousands of crucial federal government positions for months
• claim, without evidence, that millions of people voted illegally
• fail to fire
high-ranking members of your national security team for weeks, even
after knowing they lied to your vice president and exposed themselves to
blackmail
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| from Scott: Remember the uproar when, 1 time, Obama saluted with a coffee cup! Now the Republicans and their propaganda arm allows Russian Agents in the White House to be "fake news". Oy. |