The most honest person in the House (and my favorite).

On Tuesday, Representative Justin Amash faced his constituents for the first time since becoming the only congressional Republican to urge Donald Trump’s impeachment.

For two hours, he stood at the front of a high-school auditorium in Grand Rapids, Michigan, taking comments and questions from a divided crowd. A majority of those present joined a standing ovation after one constituent declared, “I want to salute your courage.” But some attendees insisted that Cheeto-Faced Ferret-Wearing Shit Gibbon is the victim of groundless persecution by his political opponents, and that their GOP congressman’s call for impeachment is a betrayal.

Amash got the best of the debates that ensued.

Several Trump supporters alleged that the FBI was guilty of abusing the process for obtaining warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and ought to be punished for spying on the Trump campaign. Why didn’t Amash seem to care about “deep state” abuses like that?

In reply, Amash accurately noted that he has been the leading champion of FISA-reform efforts in the House of Representatives, that he had introduced an amendment that would have reined in the ability of the surveillance community to spy on all Americans, and that both the Trump administration and many congressional Republicans had opposed him, fighting to expand those very powers.

“They don’t support FISA reform,” he declared. “They are not protecting your rights. They want to protect the president. But the rest of you, forget about it. The government can spy on all of you, and they don’t give one crap about it.”

But it was Amash’s comments about character and virtue that best underscored why he presents a potent challenge to Trump loyalists in the Republican Party. “More than anyone in our government, we need the president to be ethical, to be of high moral character, and to do the right thing,” he said. “And the pattern you find in the Mueller report is someone who does not meet that standard.”

Trump’s moral deficiencies trouble many of Amash’s constituents.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/justin-amash-moral-minority/590443/?utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_term=2019-05-29T14%3A27%3A05&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1n1F0IxgYtgDURHWSbs8ts6zheVCtiY4ePCdBKSYnzRxYFwG5KcfairQQ

He has also only missed one vote, and explains ever single one of his votes.

No one from either party even comes close to that record.

Maddog wrote:But it was Amash’s comments about character and virtue that best underscored why he presents a potent challenge to Trump loyalists in the Republican Party. “More than anyone in our government, we need the president to be ethical, to be of high moral character, and to do the right thing,” he said. “And the pattern you find in the Mueller report is someone who does not meet that standard.”

The very qualities that Republicans lack.  From McConnell's failure to confirm Merrick Garland's appointment to the Supreme Court, to the toady way Republicans obsequiously respond to the criminal Trump, Republicans have failed to meet the requirements of the Constitution.

Frankly, that's the reason I hold no hope that Amash's courage will amount to anything but his own demise.

Original Quill wrote:

Maddog wrote:But it was Amash’s comments about character and virtue that best underscored why he presents a potent challenge to Trump loyalists in the Republican Party. “More than anyone in our government, we need the president  to be ethical, to be of high moral character, and to do the right thing,” he said. “And the pattern you find in the Mueller report is someone who does not meet that standard.”

The very qualities that Republicans lack.  From McConnell's failure to confirm Merrick Garland's appointment to the Supreme Court, to the toady way Republicans obsequiously respond to the criminal Trump, Republicans have failed to meet the requirements of the Constitution.

Frankly, that's the reason I hold no hope that Amash's courage will amount to anything but his own demise.

His constituents seem like they are OK with him.

I imagine, like Ron Paul before him, his party will tolerate him, but do little to support him either.

Maddog wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

The very qualities that Republicans lack. From McConnell's failure to confirm Merrick Garland's appointment to the Supreme Court, to the toady way Republicans obsequiously respond to the criminal Trump, Republicans have failed to meet the requirements of the Constitution.

Frankly, that's the reason I hold no hope that Amash's courage will amount to anything but his own demise.

His constituents seem like they are OK with him.

I imagine, like Ron Paul before him, his party will tolerate him, but do little to support him either.

I watched Amash’s town hall meeting. The US voters (Republicans among them) are changing drastically away from Trump. As I expected, his constituents did applaud the congressman.

The problem is with the incumbent Republicans in Washington. The party is about to fall apart, and they are hesitant to do anything that will destroy what little unity they still have. That means siding with Trump regardless of his insane words and hopscotch measures.

But, the catastrophe can't be avoided. I think the Republican Party is about to suffer a massive election loss. The incumbent Republicans are forever associated with Trump, and their support/collusion with Trump's extra-legal and anti-constitutional measures proves it.

The people (Republicans among them) can smell it. That's why they applaud Amash's move. It's as much a distaste for Trump and Trumsterism, as it is appreciation for Amash's courage.