Sen. Flake Condemns Trump and Quits

Odd Man Out: Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake stunned Congress and the Republican Party yesterday, announcing in a speech rebuking the leadership of President Trump that he will not run for re-election.

Flake declared, “We must never adjust to the present coarseness of our national dialogue with the tone set up at the top.” His voice sometimes quavering with emotion, Flake said, “We must never regard as normal the regular and casual undermining of our democratic norms and ideals. We must never meekly accept the daily sundering of our country. The personal attacks, the threats against principles, freedoms and institution, the flagrant disregard for truth and decency.”

Flake’s denunciation of the president came on the same day Trump was belittling Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker as “liddle’ Bob Corker”

and the “incompetent head of the Foreign Relations Committee.” Corker has resisted Trump’s proposed tax cuts.

Flake was seen as vulnerable, not far right enough, in a bid for re-election. He said, “It is clear at this moment that a traditional conservative, who believes in limited government and free markets, who is devoted to free trade, who is pro-immigration, has a narrower and narrower path to nomination in the Republican Party.”

Condemning Trump without naming him, Flake said, “We were not made great as a country by indulging in or even exalting our worst impulses, turning against ourselves, glorifying in the things that divide us, and calling fake things true and true things fake. And we did not become the beacon of freedom in the darkest corners of the world by flouting our institutions and failing to understand just how hard-won and vulnerable they are.

He described Trump’s behavior as “dangerous to a democracy.” Flake said, “It is often said that children are watching. Well, they are. And what are we going to do about that? When the next generation asks us, why didn’t you do something? Why didn’t you speak up? What are we going to say?”

The Anti-Trump: California billionaire Tom Steyer has launched a $10 million advertising campaign demanding the removal of President Trump because he “is a clear and present danger who is mentally unstable and armed with nuclear weapons.”

Steyer, a political progressive who founded Farallon Capital, one of the most successful hedge funds ever, says in a television ad, “Donald Trump has brought us to the brink of nuclear war, obstructed justice, and taken money from foreign governments. We need to impeach this dangerous president.”

Help Wanted: The Senate passed a $36.5 billion emergency aid measure, providing $18.7 billion to replenish the FEMA’s  dwindling accounts, and $16 billion to allow federal flood insurance to keep paying claims. About $5 billion would go to Puerto Rico.

This brings the federal government’s tab for the fall hurricane season to $50 billion.

Clinton Dirt: The Washington Post reports that Hillary Clinton’s election campaign and the Democratic National Committee paid for the research that went into the infamous “Trump-Russia” dossier dealing dirt on then-candidate Donald Trump. The report was written by Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence agent.

Trump has denied the contents of the report connecting him to Russia and tweeted as recently as Sunday asking demanding to know “who paid for it.”

Nation: Honolulu has passed a law to make it illegal to cross the street while looking at your telephone. $35 fine. — Police in Tampa are on the hunt for a presumed serial killer who has randomly murdered three people walking alone at night. — A student and his friend were fatally shot in a dormitory room at Grambling State University overnight. The gunman ran away.

The Obit Page: Actor Robert Guillaume, who grew up in the St. Louis slums and starred as a sharp-witted butler in the television shows “Soap” and “Benson,” has died at age 89.

Guillaume was playing in an all-black version of “Guys and Dolls” when he was picked to play the butler on television. It was just at the brink of the moment when black characters with character were becoming normal for television. Guillaume said, “To me, Benson was the revenge for all those stereotyped guys who looked like Benson in the ’40s and ’50s (movies) and had to keep their mouths shut.”

The Boys of Summer: The temperature was 103 degrees for the opening pitch of the World Series at Dodger Stadium last night. The Dodgers beat the Houston Astros 3-1. They also beat the heat.

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It's Been Said

"Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you Christians. I'm a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don't have to vote again, we'll have it fixed so good you're not going to have to vote."

  • Donald Trump courting the vote of the Christian right

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