The biggest gut punch to our rule of law lately hasn't come from Trump (WashPost)
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The rule of law has taken some gut punches the past few days, but not from the source most widely blamed: the outlandish memo written by President Trump’s lawyers claiming that he’s above the law, followed by Trump’s “I-can-pardon-myself” tweet. Constitutional democracy can survive self-aggrandizing claims by a president and his legal team; far more crucial is how our institutions, leaders and citizens respond to those assertions and act to constrain them. And it is on that measure that our system has been put at risk.
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But it is unclear if they will back these words with actions. Unlike most of us, Corker and Flake could actually do something immediately to curtail Trump’s flouting of the law: They could be the deciding votes on a roll call in the Senate. They could refuse to approve Trump nominees, block Trump’s appointees to the federal bench, even threaten to flip control outright to the Democrats unless Trump agrees to cooperate fully with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation. Trump’s words are not the greatest danger to the rule of law; it is the passivity of Republican leaders in the face of those words that is the real threat.
Nor can we rely on bipartisan public support to defend the rule of law. We are increasingly divided into political tribes with group allegiances stronger than our shared commitment to common values. Our confidence in the institutions that could constrain the president — Congress, the media, the courts — is near an all-time low . Republicans approve of Trump’s performance with near-record levels of support; presidential spokespeople who should be chagrined to see Trump and impeachment mentioned in the same sentence raise the “I-word” because of its rallying effect on Trump’s supporters.
Soon — and perhaps that time has already come — Mueller will have to subpoena Trump to testify. When he does, the measure of the rule of law will not be the position Trump takes vis-a-vis that subpoena, but whether the courts order it enforced and then whether Trump complies with such a directive. Ultimately, what Trump says about the legal constraints on his power matter little; what our system does to enforce those limitations — and whether leaders in both parties side with those institutions or a president who may refuse to obey them — will be the real test.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-trump-says-about-his-power-doesnt-matter-what-others-do-about-it-does/2018/06/06/a06984e8-68d1-11e8-bea7-c8eb28bc52b1_story.html?utm_term=.b85ce8799f07
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Where I've directed even more of my anger about the current state of affairs - the Republicans allowing IQ45 to say and do whatever he wants. THAT is the problem, just as stated about the "passivity of Republican leaders."
As long as they continue to get what "they" want - weaker regulations, tax cuts for the 1%, reduced social services, "they" will continue to support him.
"THEY" are the #1 problem!
WE must GET OUT THE VOTE!!!!!! 
