Sunday Show morning prop Senator Jeff Flake say MAYBE he will do something about Trump’s tariffs.
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) said Sunday that he thought himself “and a number of senators” would be willing to block President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees in the Senate Judiciary Committee with the intent of forcing congressional action on Trump’s tariffs.
Notice the wording. I think I would be willing, especially for Jeff Flake, is really, “I’m just doing some more talking here because I will cave at the appropriate future moment when action is needed.” Now, Flake has this down to a fine art, and it works beautifully on the Media who keep reporting that he is what the Republican Party should be — moderate and reasonable.
Except,
For two weeks, Flake has withheld his support from a nominee of the President’s for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Britt Grant. But Senate offices on both sides of the aisle, including a spokesperson for committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, told TPM this week they were unsure of Flake’s motivations for doing so.
That sure sounds like someone who doesn’t trust Flake. In fact, it sounds like more than a few people, include Feinstein, do not trust Flake. If you don’t trust someone, it makes it difficult to work with them on something that requires just a wee bit of courage.
Well, it would require some courage if you were sticking around the place and risking reelection. But quitting should be “liberating.” What are they going to do if you block some judges? Are the voters of Arizona going to fire you?
No, Flake has future plans, and he has no intention of rocking the boat. He will propose thought experiments about what might happen if he did take action to rock the boat. Even the Ancient Greek philosophers would sneer at Flake.
But let’s take Flake at his word — Himylayan high mountain of salt here. I’m reasonably sure there is an obstacle that prevents Brave Sir Robin of the Senate from doing anything. It is this awful troll called Senator Mitch McConnell. Somehow, the reasonable, moderate Republican Senators cannot seem to find a way around McConnell.
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who, like Flake, has announced he’s not seeking re-election this year, tried and failed to lead a congressional effort to rein in the President’s justification of tariffs on national security grounds. He directed his anger, with some passion, at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and other Republicans in the chamber who he said were wary of “pok[ing] the bear.”
So there you have it folks. Jeff Flake. Our one hit Sunday morning show wonder.