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". . . . "Releasing the memo . . . ended in a pathetic fizzle. . . Nunes (R-Calif.) deserves his own exhibit in the hackery hall of fame. This was a true innovation: . . . created and released for the consumption of Fox News. . . .
"The existence of reckless partisans such as Nunes is hardly surprising. The nearly uniform cowardice among elected Republicans is staggering. . . . The Republican-led Congress is now an adjunct of the White House. The White House is now an adjunct of Trump's chaotic will.
"And what to make of Ryan? . . . By his recent actions, the speaker has provided political cover for a weakening of the constitutional order. He has been used as a tool while loudly insisting he is not a tool. The way Ryan is headed, history offers two possible verdicts: Either he enabled an autocrat, or he was intimidated by a fool. I believe Ryan to be a good person. But the greatest source of cynicism is not the existence of corrupt people in politics; it is good people who lose their way.
"The United States Congress is an institution of great power. . . . But now it watches as Trump makes the executive branch his personal fiefdom. It stands by — or cheers — as the president persecutes law enforcement professionals for the performance of their public duties. . . .
"Trump has made a practice of forcing people around him to lower their standards and abandon their ideals before turning against them when their usefulness ends. . . . A generation of Republicans will end up writing memoirs of apology and regret.
"The political damage to the GOP as the party of corruption and coverup should be obvious as well. This is a rare case when the rats, rather than deserting a sinking ship, seemed determined to ride it all the way down.
"But it is damage to the conscience that is hardest to repair. For Republicans, what seemed like a temporary political compromise is becoming an indelible moral stain. . . . By defending Trump's transgressions, by justifying his abuses, Republicans are creating an atmosphere in which corruption and cowardice thrive.
"How can this course be corrected? . . . . If there is nothing for which Ryan and other Republican leaders will risk their careers, there is nothing in which they truly believe."
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Michael Gerson has always been known as a man of conscience and morality. He stood out in the Bush era -- he could never be on the inside in the Trump era.
Are there any Republicans in congress who still have hold of a moral compass, or even a simple belief in the Constitution? John McCain is one. Where are the others . . . and will they speak up now, finally?
Ralph
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