In the past 24 hours, several senior American generals have spoken out to remind Americans that they serve the constitution, not the president. Where are the senior Republicans? Why don't they offer a similar message? Here is my explanation:
theatlantic.com/magazine/archi…
theatlantic.com/magazine/archi…
my article criticized James Mattis, former Secretary of Defense, for not speaking out. But now he has:
theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
Where is Lindsey Graham? As an ex-military lawyer, he has some of the closest ties of any US politician not just to the military, but to rule-of-law issues in the military.
Where is Mike Pompeo? As an active and robust China critic, he surely understands that the use of the US military to keep order in central Washington DC is not an image that will help rally the world's democracies to fight Chinese authoritarianism
Where is Mike Pence? As a believing Christian and the highest-ranking American evangelical, surely he was appalled by Trump's use of a church as a backdrop and an unopened bible as a prop for a political statement.
Ben Sasse, Republican Senator from Nebraska, said this: "I'm against clearing out a peaceful protest for a photo op that treats the Word of God as a political prop." Why can't the vice-president - just about the only White House official who cannot be fired - speak up too?
William Barr is a Catholic, who has said “militant secularists” are destroying America and“irreligion and secular values are being forced on people of faith.” Why isn't he speaking out now too?
