J D Vance

Republican Party, Alarmingly, Going Along With Donald Trump On Russia!

It is mind boggling that large numbers of Republicans in Congress, along with MAGA supporters, are demonstrating a strong pro Russian, pro Putin stance, in alignment with Donald Trump, who has basically invited Vladimir Putin to invade NATO nations that Trump says are not paying enough for their defense!

The refusal of House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, to consider aid to Ukraine in its heroic battle for its sovereignty in the war provoked by Russia two years ago, is outrageous!

But even in the Senate, only 22 Republicans are willing to support Ukraine aid!

Among those who did so are:

Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
Susan Collins of Maine
John Cornyn of Texas
Joni Ernst of Iowa
Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Mitt Romney of Utah
John Thune of South Dakota
Thom Tillis of North Carolina

Among the nearly 30 Republican Senators who refused to support national security interests, including continued support for Ukraine are:

John Barrasso of Wyoming
Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee
Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Ted Cruz of Texas
Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
Josh Hawley of Missouri
Ron Johnson of Wisconsin
James Lankford of Oklahoma
Mike Lee of Utah
Rand Paul of Kentucky
Marco Rubio of Florida
Rick Scott of Florida
Tim Scott of South Carolina
Tommy Tuberville of Alabama
J D Vance of Ohio

Notice how many of the second list are among the most outrageous, obnoxious members of the Senate, but also including a traditional supporter of national security legislation in Graham, who is now a turncoat, and Tim Scott, who clearly is angling to be the potential Vice Presidential nominee for Donald Trump!

These Senators in the second group are those who have surrendered their ethics, morals, and scruples to cater to Donald Trump, and in so doing, along with the Republican House, they are repudiating the Republican past of Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and even the infamous Joseph McCarthy!

The Republican Party, except for a select few, has gone stark raving mad,and repudiated the heritage and traditions of the party started 170 years ago this year!

The need is clear for all sane, principled people to unite in the dissolution of the Republican Party, which has now been infested with MAGA Lunacy that cannot be reversed, and must be overcome by the decent majority of the American population!

The Strange Feeling About Mitt Romney Leaving The Senate: Regret!

The surprising news that Utah Senator Mitt Romney is retiring at the end of his term in 2024 leaves this blogger and author feeling regret.

While a major critic of Romney when he ran for President in 2012 against Barack Obama, Romney redeemed himself in the Senate since 2019, including being the only Republican Senator to vote to convict Donald Trump in both impeachment trials.

Romney also acted in a bipartisan manner with Joe Biden, although their differences are still quite clear on many issues.

But Romney was really one of a very few Republican Senators who engendered respect as decent, competent, and principled.

It has now been revealed about his strong criticism of Senators Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and J D Vance, and his disappointment with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and this redeems his reputation mightily!

With his retirement, only Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski is really the old style Republican, as even Maine Senator Susan Collins has been totally unreliable.

And whoever replaces Romney in the Senate from Utah is unlikely to have the distinction and dignity that Mitt Romney represents!

Democrat Tim Ryan Deserves To Be Elected As Ohio Senator

Ohio has an opportunity to elect a Congressman who has made a distinguished record in the House of Representatives for the past 20 years to be its new US Senator.

Tim Ryan is clearly a person of distinction and principle, who would join Democrat Sherrod Brown in the Senate, and replace Republican Senator Rob Portman, one of the small number of Republican leaders who performed in a reputable fashion in his years in the upper body of Congress.

Ohio deserves to have two principled Democrats who care about the state and the nation, not about pleasing Fascist demagogue Donald Trump, as Republican Senate nominee J D Vance does (after having denounced Trump in 2016). Vance also is an “Election Denier”, regarding the Presidential Election of 2020, so cannot be trusted with power in the Senate!

The US Senate Is Fast Becoming Degraded By Lust For Power And Control

The United States Senate, long thought to be the most prestigious legislative body by reputation, is fast being degraded by the lust for power and control.

There have always been Senators who were a disgrace to the institution by their actions or words, but now, the Republican Party has decided that Donald Trump should decide who is obedient enough to be promoted as nominees.

So we have the most disgraceful group of potential Senators in one election cycle ever, and if these candidates end up winning due to loyalty to Donald Trump by ill informed voters, then the institution of the Senate will be irreparably harmed!

America has had 1,994 US Senators since 1789, and there will be more than 2,000 after the midterm elections.

But do we want the likes of Herschel Walker in Georgia, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, Blake Masters in Arizona, Adam Laxalt in Nevada, Eric Schmitt in Missouri, Don Bolduc in New Hampshire, and J. D. Vance in Ohio being added to a legislative body that deserves people who are not “Election Deniers”?

Lunatic And Incompetent Republican Candidates Abound For 2022 Midterm Elections!

The Republican Party has, and is in the process of nominating candidates for public office, who are clearly lunatic and incompetent.

No wonder national Republican leadership is alarmed, and why Democrats are raising much greater amounts of campaign funds and leading in many polls.

So we have Pennsylvania with very dangerous Gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano, who consorts with white supremacists and antisemites; and Dr. Mehmet Oz, running for the US Senate, who has made a fool of himself, and undermined his television reputation, and is not even a resident of Pennsylvania, rather New Jersey.

And we have Georgia, where former football star Herschel Walker, running for the US Senate, has been caught in lies about his past, and makes totally loony statements, making one wonder if he suffers from brain damage from his football career.

And we have author J D Vance in Ohio, running for the US Senate, who is shown to have changed all his views from five years ago, and now says abused women should not leave their husbands or live in boyfriends, but just stay in the horrendous relationship with their children, a statement that makes one wonder as to Vance’s sanity.

And in Maryland, the candidates for Governor and Attorney General on the Republican side, Dan Cox and Michael Peroutka, are showing they are totally outside the mainstream in alarming ways!

And there are still primary contests to come that are potentially alarming, particularly if Eric Greitens, former disgraced Missouri Governor, ends up as the Republican nominee for the US Senate!

Republican Senate Candidates Are Horrendous, Promoting Optimism For Democrats!

The Republican Party has a group of candidates for election to the US Senate who are truly horrendous, and therefore promote optimism for Democrats in the upcoming Midterm Elections of 2022.

If these candidates somehow win election, they will disgrace the Senate and its history, as already there are Republican Senators who are a disgrace to the institution!

Among the disastrous candidates are:

Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania against Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman

Herschel Walker in Georgia against Democratic Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock

J D Vance in Ohio against Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan

The odds seem to favor Democrats, but the fight for what is ethical and moral must continue until November to promote a decent future in America!

The Ohio, Pennsylvania, And Georgia Senate Races Will Test Trump Influence

With the conclusion of the Republican Senate nomination battle in Pennsylvania, the next five months will determine what influence Donald Trump has on the makeup of the US Senate in the 118th Congress (2023-2024), and whether the Democrats can retain the Senate and gain more seats.

In Ohio, J D Vance, who used to be a moderate, is contesting for the open Senate seat of Rob Portman, retiring, against Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan.

In Pennsylvania, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who used to be a moderate, is contesting for the open Senate set of Patrick Toomey, retiring, against Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman.

In Georgia, former Football player Herschel Walker, who has no real signs of intellectual ability, is contesting for the Senate seat of Democratic Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, an all African American race, but one with a pastor in the tradition of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr, and like King, formerly pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

The three Republican nominees, were they elected, would join with the most horrendous Republican Senators already in the chamber, including Ted Cruz of Texas; Rand Paul of Kentucky (if he wins reelection); Ron Johnson of Wisconsin (if he wins reelection); Tom Cotton of Arkansas; Josh Hawley of Missouri; Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee; and Mike Lee of Utah (if he wins reelection). Of this group, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul have already run for President in 2016, and Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley are also potential Presidential candidates in 2024.

May: The Month Of Republican Primaries To Measure Donald Trump Influence

May is the beginning of state primary season, and a month to measure Donald Trump’s influence on nominees chosen by Republicans.

Tomorrow, Ohio will select a Republican Senate nominee, with author JD Vance backed by Trump, but facing a contest where any of five candidates could become the nominee.

It will be telling to see if Vance can overcome Josh Mandel, who is no better than Vance on the issues, but who has tied his reputation to Trump, even though Trump endorsed Vance!

Hopefully, Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan can pull out a victory, and take over the seat of moderate Rob Portman, who is retiring.

Future Of Former President And Former Vice President Campaigning Against Each Other–Trump, Pence!

This weekend, former President Donald Trump was in Ohio campaigning for his selected endorsement of J D Vance for the Republican nomination for the US Senate, and former Vice President Mike Pence was in Iowa testing the waters for a Presidential run.

It seems clear that Trump and Pence are very likely to challenge each other and numerous others for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2024, an event that has not happened since 1940, when Vice President John Nance Garner challenged President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the Presidential nomination.

Fireworks are likely, as Pence will continue, rightfully, to defend his upholding of the Constitution in accepting the Electoral College votes on the day of the January 6, 2021 Insurrection.

That was when Pence, personally, was threatened by the mobs encouraged by Trump to attack the US Capitol to try to prevent the ratification of Joe Biden as the 46th President.

It will be fascinating to see the rhetoric employed by Trump and Pence against each other!