I think I know why the Republicans are circling the wagons and protecting Trump's

[tblue37]

innumerable criminal, borderline criminal, and unconstitutional actions from being dealt with before the election.

They KNOW he can be impeached--or even heavily fined or arrested--for many of his actions, but they like it that way. Once he is elected, they can use those potential consequences against him in one or both of two ways.

They can hold them over his head as leverage, saying that if he doesn't play ball they will impeach him or even arrest him, or they can actually use them whenever they want to, at the time most convenient for their purposes, to impeach him and put Pence in as a more pliable puppet president. The more outrageously bad his behavior is, the better to use it as a defense against his rabid cultists when they impeach him.

If his behavior is not seen as sufficiently outrageous, then they might lose their voter base if they remove him, so they want a whole dossier full of impeachable and even criminal offenses as justification for getting rid of him. If the offenses are sufficiently serious, they can tell his fans they have gone much easier on him than they could have, and that in fact by impeaching him they are protecting him from much worse consequences.

Either way, they see it as a benefit to have a president who is so very compromised that they can use those actions and their potential consequences to strong-arm him into doing their bidding, no matter how balky he might feel.

[skylucy]

1. I agree. And that is so depressing.

[Girard442]

2. In much the same way the German politicians were able to control Hitler. NT

[tblue37]

8. I don't know if the Republican establishment will be successful controlling Trump;

this is just my take on what their game plan probably is.

His violations are so numerous and so extreme, and yet the GOP isn't using them against him (yet), even though so many of them were aghast at the idea of him as their nominee or as the face of their brand. I am just guessing that this is how they are thinking to handle him--not saying that they are correct in believing that they will be able to do so.

[Squinch]

3. When he goes it will be the Republicans and not the Democrats who put it in motion.

[tblue37]

9. Probably, because the Dems have no real power now, and too many of them will go along to get along,

as is their wont.

[Wounded Bear]

4. He's there to sign bills...

nothing else. The RW extremists in Congress are salivating at the thought, but there is trouble in the hinterland. Even in red districts people are starting to have moments.

Hopefully, we can fend off some of the worst shit they try to pull.

[Lucinda]

5. +1

[VoicesAcrossAmerica]

6. Disagree

Unfortunately, too many Republicans in both the House and Senate simply do not care about their Constitutional duty to our country. I don't expect them to hold Trump's feet to any fire because it hasn't happened to date. There's simply no evidence that they are willing and able and want to stand up to him.

[tblue37]

10. No, you misunderstand my point. I do NOT believe they will "hold his feet to the fire" in the sense

of keeping him from doing terrible things as president. After all, the Republican Party wants to do terrible thing to the country and to its citizens. It's just that they want to do terrible things that they have chosen, not necessarily all of the same terrible things that he wants to do.

The Republicans do not need to stand up to him yet, because at this point he is not interfering with their power grab, with their moves toward total kleptocracy, or with the early steps of their dismantling of all honesty, transparency, and decency in our political system. But if he ever does become an obstacle to any significant part of their agenda, this is probably what they have planned.

He is not likely to interfere with much of what they want to do, partly because most of it will line his pockets, too, and partly (mainly) because he has no interest whatsoever in policy or in any of the details of governance. He just wants to be the prom king, the rock star, and have crowds of adoring fans stroke his ego. As far as he is concerned, the Republicans can have the whole country, including its domestic and foreign policy, to play with, just as long as he has the stage and the spotlight.

[VoicesAcrossAmerica]

14. Trump is an expert at making people dance to his tune

Two of the biggest 'manly men' in Republican world are Chris Christie and Guiliani. And yet, both men dance to Trump's tune and embarrass themselves in a way that is truly sad.

Trump is an expert at dealing with people who are as corrupt as he is. I don't see the Republicans desirous of impeachment, and I don't see Trump ever letting them hold that over his head.

PS -- I used to be Dems2002 but could never get my account back since I used to use AOL and I never got the emails -- I've been around here since 2000. It's so strange to have a new account.

[GP6971]

15. Welcome Back! n/t

[global1]

7. I Disagree - I Believe We're Stuck With Him For At Least 4 Years.....

Trump knows where the skeletons are buried within the Repug Party. If they try and take him out through impeachment - he won't go quietly. He'll spill the beans on them and take them down with him.

And even if he doesn't know where the skeletons are - he'll make something up and lie - and who do you think the People will believe.

The Repugs fear him and are stuck with him - and so are we.

[Grammy23]

11. Doesn't he also have to fear Putin?

With pressures from the Republicans to pull the plug on him along with the pressure from Putin to do his bidding, I see a lot of potential for tRump to implode. The pressure to expose him for the fraud that he is may prove to be the catalyst that brings it all to a head. The question is how long can he hold out before it is too much for his fragile ego??

Pop some corn. This is going to get real serious...real fast.

[uponit7771]

12. That would be true if hacking wasnt a factor

[Jacob Boehme]

13. And that's the tragedy of this whole thing....

....Trump's arrogance and bloated ego has completely blinded him as to how easily he can be manipulated.

The pathological "Delusions of Grandeur" voices in his head keep telling him he can't be fooled or used.... while all the while he's being fooled and used.

By himself this would merely be another spiraling, self-destructive process. But when he's sitting in the Oval Office and the seat of US Power, it's destructive for all of us.