House retiree: Toxic politics, Trump White House, bad knees

[mfcorey1]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Paul Cook served 26 years as a Marine and was awarded two Purple Heart medals for combat wounds suffered in Vietnam. But amid his seventh year in Congress, the aching and discouraged California Republican has decided he’s endured enough.

At 76 and nursing brittle knees that make cross-country flights an ordeal, Cook is past the age when many lawmakers head home. Cook, who announced last week that he won’t seek reelection next year, is the oldest of 18 House Republicans who have said they are leaving.

He also is a case study in how some old-school moderate Republicans — the type that like him have Chamber of Commerce backgrounds and consider compromise laudable — feel alienated in an increasingly fractious capital.
Cook believes Republicans will not win back the House majority in the 2020 elections, leaving the GOP once again with frustratingly little clout after spending most of this decade controlling the chamber. He dislikes President Donald Trump’s late-night tweets and his criticisms of NATO and some of its member nations.

https://www.apnews.com/464ab6f1a2264bbfadb786a8a6b541c3

[yortsed snacilbuper]

1. Even a blind hog finds an acorn once in awhile.

[NCLefty]

2. Thanks for not helping?

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Once the Budget Deal is reached,

watch for many more to suddenly find Hemorrhoids,tooth decade and other maladies as their excuse to bail.

[JHB]

4. Say, Paul, that makes you free to support impeachment

Exhort your colleagues. Try to put some red, white, and blue back in that herd of Yellow Elephants.