Republicans Join Democrats in Calling for Independent Investigation

[Angrie]

I do think there are at least a reasonable number of Republicans who want to do the right thing, and in the end, if there is a there there, they will. Ultimately they care about America and take their duty seriously. And I do think that ultimately people like Lindsey Graham, Ben Sasse, Richard Burr, and Jeff Flake will do that, if and when push comes to shove. There are surely more that feel the same way, but are more quiet about it because primary elections can be harsh things.

If there were a similar matter involving a Democratic President, you would see similar patterns on the Dem side of things, with on the one hand a partisan impulse to minimize things, and some people who are better able to resist that.

Note that these people usually are NOT moderates, as integrity tends to go along with believing in something bigger than yourself, to some degree or other. The hackiest of partisan hacks are more often than not moderates (example, Susan Collins, and her stomach turning response to the Comey firing).

And so these people, with at least some minimal sense of integrity, are also not like Trump, who only believes in what is best for himself.

[Angrie]

Specifically, I'll believe it when I see a Republican who doesn't have a history of regularly tweaking or bashing Trump speaks up. Justin Amash, Jeff Flake, John "Not a War Hero" McCain, or Lindsey "Literally doxxed on national television by Trump" Graham don't count.

Howsabout Richard Burr?

And as for Graham, compare and contrast him to someone like Marco Rubio, who was similarly humiliated on national television (probably in an even worse way than Graham).

And look at the differences in how they have responded. Rubio simply has pathetically confirmed Trump's "Little Marco" caricature.

Graham has acted with a basic level of honor and decency, I would say. That counts for something, even if in other respects (e.g. national security policy) someone like Graham is more dangerous than almost anyone else in the Senate.