Sohn: Congress must find its backbone against Trump

As America’s protections are being thrown down the abyss by chaos created by President Donald Trump, Tennessee’s Republican senators and representatives are standing by – quietly.

Sure, they have a weak smile on their faces, like they smell something foul but hope if they pretend not to notice it no one else will either. But do they raise their hand or voice and say whoa-now, King Trump? Good heavens, no.

Our elected officials have royal health care and pensions, so what matter is it if Sen. Lamar Alexander is making a “quiet” rather than vocal campaign to be sure there is a replacement for Obamacare before the GOP majority repeal the Affordable Care Act?

And on the same weekend when we learned that federal investigators say former Gen. Mike Flynn, now Trump’s National Security adviser, was having conversations with the Russians during Trump’s campaign and transition period, Politico gives us a story and podcast quoting Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker, who says he is quietly working to temper some of Trump’s brash foreign policy moves.

At least Corker, who also is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, calls Trump a “wrecking ball” when it comes to longstanding American foreign policy. But still, Corker does not stand up and say, ‘enough!’

Rather, he does his finest imitation of the indecisive Ashley Wilkes in “Gone With The Wind.”

“I wish some of the things that were said and tweeted didn’t happen,” Corker told Politico. (Maybe like that angry phone call Corker got from the White House within 20 minutes of calling Trump’s temporary refugee ban “poorly implemented?”)

Politico put it this way: “Rather than turning their fire on a prickly president who clearly takes criticism personally, holds a grudge and rarely backs away from a fight, Corker is arguing in the backstage councils of Capitol Hill that they should seek to influence Trump more quietly.”

More quietly? Seriously?

If U.S. intelligence investigators are correct, Flynn was telling Russia not to worry within a very short time of then-still President Obama announcing sanctions on Russia for interfering in our election. And Flynn had repeatedly not told the truth about that so-called diplomatic outreach to the country whose leader ordered an intelligence operation to help elect Trump in November.

Flynn apologized on Monday, at about the same time that the United Kingdom’s Independent was reporting that the National Security Agency is so concerned that our U.S. spies have begun withholding their most sensitive intelligence from the Oval Office because they fear “the Kremlin has ears inside” the White House situation room.

Really, Sen. Corker, do you think your constituents and the American people expect you to be working quietly on this?

You told Politico: “What I see happening is an evolution. We should attempt to take those nuggets that are real and help as a Senate evolve them into a policy that is positive. It’s taking nuggets, massaging them to a little bit different place.”

Politico notes: “So far, though, Corker’s not been making deals with Trump so much as massaging bruised egos and reassuring worried leaders from around the world, like the Australian ambassador to the United States after reports of Trump’s belligerent phone call with the Australian prime minister. Trump cleanup duty has also involved meeting with anxious allies like Jordan’s King Abdullah and the Canadian and German foreign ministers, in town looking for clues to navigating the new Trump Washington.”

Perhaps, senator, you should save the Trump massage and give attention to Americans instead. Much of a demoralized America wants to hear some voices raised, and raised louder than “wrecking ball” Trump’s.

Unfortunately, it appears that’s unlikely to happen until Trump makes a secret agreement to make America a colony of Russia, or hangs a “Trump” flag over the Capitol, or publicly gropes someone.

We’re pleading with you, Sens. Corker and Alexander – and Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, too – to do your job and realize that your “quiet” effort to save the collective Republican face – and the president – is faltering.

Despite Trump’s continuing bluster about winning the election “bigly,” he did not get the majority of America’s popular vote. And we’re sure that you as elected officials in public office fully understand the ramifications of the popular vote.

The majority of Americans respect the presidency, but they didn’t vote for and don’t respect Donald Trump.

We understand that you understand you are walking a tightrope. We wonder, however, do you understand that we the people – Republicans and Democrats – are really your only safety net?

Find your backbones – and your voices.