Naming Names

One wonders how long elected Republicans will continue to cower before Donald Trump. More than two weeks have passed since President-elect Joe Biden was revealed to have won the election, but as of this writing only five of the fifty-three GOP members of the Senate have publicly congratulated the incoming chief executive.

Annoyed at their continued obsequience, legendary Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein revealed the names of twenty-one current GOP Senators who in his earshot have trashed Trump (details here). Not surprisingly, most have not acknowledged being unmasked while a few on the list denied it's true, still fearful of the tyrant soon to leave the White House.

In other words, they're continuing to grovel. Once Trump is out of office, will this public genuflecting continue?

The answer will lie in how long Trump's base continues to support him once he leaves office. If that begins to fade and quickly, then the GOP may show more backbone.

But if a large swath of Trump voters remain steadfastly loyal, Trump will continue to be a gravitational center for the party once out of office. That may change if he faces criminal prosecution. Politicians become notoriously disloyal the minute someone faces criminal prosecution.

Nevertheless, all of these obsequious Republicans are cowards. The longer they stay silent, the longer they will continue to put self before country.