Romney rejecting donors’ calls for him to primary Trump, but he’s planning to rally Senate Republicans to vote against Trump in impeachment trial. My latest:https://t.co/ps0SCpY8CC
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) October 8, 2019
This is physically painful for me — I’m grinding my teeth right now — but if he can actually bring himself to step up and lead a GOP challenge against the Oval Office Occupant, then props to Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor & current Utah Senator:
… According to sources, donors have in recent days called the Utah senator and encouraged him to run against Trump in the primary. “There is a half-billion dollars on the sidelines from guys who are fed up with Trump,” a GOP donor told me. Their hopes were raised when Romney attacked Trump on Friday, tweeting: “By all appearances, the President’s brazen and unprecedented appeal to China and to Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden is wrong and appalling.” Former White House communications director turned Trump antagonist Anthony Scaramucci tweeted a poll showing Romney beating Trump 55% to 37% in a hypothetical primary. Trump fired back on Saturday. “Mitt Romney never knew how to win,” Trump tweeted. “He is a pompous ‘ass’ who has been fighting me from the beginning, except when he begged me for my endorsement for his Senate run (I gave it to him), and when he begged me to be Secretary of State (I didn’t give it to him). He is so bad for R’s!”
According to people close to Romney, he’s firmly decided against primarying Trump, an enterprise he believes to be a sure loser given Trump’s enduring GOP support. Romney has also told people that, as an unsuccessful two-time presidential candidate, he’s the wrong person to take on Trump. Instead, a Romney adviser told me, Romney believes he has more potential power as a senator who will decide Trump’s fate in an impeachment trial. “He could have tremendous influence in the impeachment process as the lone voice of conscience in the Republican caucus,” the adviser said. In recent days, Romney has been reaching out privately to key players in the Republican resistance, according to a person briefed on the conversations. “Romney is the one guy who could bring along Susan Collins, Cory Gardner, Ben Sasse. Romney is the pressure point in the impeachment process. That’s why the things he’s saying are freaking Republicans out.” (Romney, through a spokesperson, declined to comment.)
GOP elected officials and donors are privately war-gaming what an endgame for Trump would look like. “It’s clear the House is going to impeach,” the prominent Republican told me. Making matters worse for Trump, a policy wedge has opened up between Trump and the Republican Senate at a moment when he needs its support most. Trump’s surprise decision to pull back American troops in Syria and allow Turkey to take on our Kurdish allies has enraged Trump’s closest GOP allies, including Lindsey Graham. “The Syria decision is a much bigger deal,” another former West Wing official said. “No one on the inside can hold Trump accountable. The Senate Republicans are the only check on power right now.”
Mitt Romney did not ask Trump for an endorsement in his Senate run, per two people with knowledge of the situation. https://t.co/7XPvbXFE6z
— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) October 5, 2019
What say the political touts? Well, Chris ‘Mad Bitcher’ Cillizza is visibly excited by the possibilities for media-worthy strife (as of course he would be). And the Boston Globe reports that some name-brand Never-Trumpers are clapping for Romney already. Then there’s the Never-Trumpist house organ, The Bulwark:
… [W]hat if—hear me out—Mitt Romney is the only person in America who is capable of saving the Republican party from itself, and in the process, saving the world from the current occupant of the Oval Office?
Lest we forget, Romney is a former Bain Capital man, and if there is one thing private equity knows, it’s how to read the numbers—and the writing on the wall…
The opportunity afforded to Romney by Trump here is enormous. The first Republican officeholder of consequence (sorry, Justin Amash) who backs Trump’s impeachment and removal will have a chance to become one of the most pivotal figures in American history. Romney could lead some of his Senate colleagues to join him in calling for removal. For other senators, he could provide much-needed cover…And beyond the ways he can lead his fellow officeholders, Mitt Romney can lead the country. Regardless of his political views and his reputation among conservatives for fecklessness, millions of Republican voters—and millions of people outside the Republican party—think of Mitt Romney as accomplished, fair-minded, reasonable, and honest. He is considered a man of integrity. Some people might even call him wise. (Remember, it was Romney who was widely mocked for describing Russia as America’s most significant geopolitical adversary way back in 2012.) It might be going too far to call Mitt Romney a unifying figure, but he is certainly a less divisive leader at the national level than nearly anyone else at the highest ranks of either party…
Yes, that vast pile of superlatives doesn’t smell great to me, either, but I’m not a professional vulture capitalist; perhaps the opportunity to strip the dying carcass of the Republican party really *will* prove irresistible to a businessman of Romney’s ilk!
Another bit of useful context for today (from my story in January): "According to polling data published recently by the Associated Press, 64 percent of voters in [Utah] want to see Romney stand up to Trump in the Senate." https://t.co/5rOY1FDfPO
— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) October 6, 2019
He needs to convince millions of Republicans in a primary, only 19 in a Senate trial. Utah is the only red state from which this can safely be done. https://t.co/IfqfzxX3hl
— Jim Antle (@jimantle) October 8, 2019
19 is still a lot, of course. But a majority for even a failed conviction could have a different 2020 impact than a majority for acquittal.
— Jim Antle (@jimantle) October 8, 2019
Trump got 45% in Utah. He can’t hurt Romney, who isn’t up again until the end of the next presidential term. This is an emotional outburst, he really is unhinged about this. But it’s also a warning to other Repubs who may be thinking of leaving the cult https://t.co/FeUtKNSMu5
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) October 5, 2019
Willard Romney & the RNC spent roughly a billion dollars trying to turn Willard Romney into a sympathetic Man of Principle™. They failed miserably. Trump did it in a few tweets. It might be the only genuinely impressive thing he's ever done. https://t.co/EW52uyOQag
— phillip anderson (@phillipanderson) October 5, 2019
schrodingers_cat
I am so old that I remember when Mitt Romney begged for Birther T’s endorsement in 2012
guachi
If Romney can help take down Trump I will thank him in public and send him a nice postcard. It’s more than I can say I’ve ever done for any other Republican. Ever.
NotMax
File under: Movies wholly undeserving of remakes.
MattF
I’d guess that the never-Trumpers (e.g., Jen Rubin) got a preview of this from Romney’s camp. One should bear in mind that Romney is driven principally by ambition– if he sees an opening he will go for it.
Elizabelle
the Jim Antle tweet:
Bingo. Mitt sees the danger to the Republican party. This is a way of mitigating (Mittigating?) it.
Although I also believe he sincerely believes Trump is a dangerous president who needs to go.
Gin & Tonic
Obligatory.
MattF
Also, bear in mind that Romney’s choice for VP was Paul Ryan, so I’d keep an eye on Ryan as well.
Joe Falco
@guachi:
Same. Right after I thank the WOC in Congress that stood up to Trump first then the rest of the Democrats in Congress and then any Johnny-come-lately Republicans that supported impeachment and removal.
Ten Bears
Didn’t he already try the white man riding a white horse to the rescue thing at Benghazi!? His so spectacularly successful covered-up even into the highest offices of congress of The Republican Party’s spectacularly failed attempt to stage a Reaganisq hostage taking and anticipated subsequent October Surprise white guy riding to the rescue of hostages the black guy in the white house could not as a campaign strategy – a stunt – to reclaim said white house that resulted in the deaths of an American diplomat and three service-members abroad? Can’t he come up with anything new?
Fair Economist
Romney is a monster, but when fighting fascists you have to take every cobelligerant you can. He’s not nearly as bad as Stalin, to be fair.
Z. Mulls
No, he won’t run against Trump in a primary.
But, if enough Republicans can be convinced to support a House impeachment and remove Trump from office……why, land sakes, there won’t be a President running for re-election? Whom would the Republicans turn to? Whom?
Quaker in a Basement
I can see a plausible, if unlikely, path to a Romney win.
The following would have to happen:
Trump loses the support of a larger percentage of the GOP base.
Romney can show that he’s a different man than the one who lost to Obama
The Dems nominate a candidate with built-in negatives.
Uncommitted middle-grounders decide to man the lifeboats for the GOP.
Even with all of the above, it’s still a close call.
WereBear
So supporting impeachment is okay if you’re a Republican?
Mike in NC
You automatically know whenever Fat Bastard tweets about “I’m hearing” or “Many people are saying” that he’s completely full of shit and lying as always.
MoxieM
Although I really dislike Bill Weld’s Libertarian tendencies–really, he’s an old fashioned Robber baron in worn out chinos–I would take him in a hot minute over Romney or, obvs Trump. Weld is smart, pro choice, pro Queer human rights…of course he’s all about the voodoo economics, trickle down, cut taxes bullshit. But he’s also very very strong on supporting positive change for the the environment–I heard him say that despite his Libertarian tendencies, it’s an area that requires the State to step in to fix. Well that was refreshing. I’d be delighted to have Sen Broad Shoulders-White Horse take on Trump in the Senate, if the charge gets there please God, and Weld as a candidate in the field peeling off the 2% of intelligent Repub voters who remain. who knows?
jl
@Z. Mulls: Trump already has three primary opponents, from different ends of the political spectrum, who will be attack dogs, giving the likes of Romney some cover. If Romney really follows through on working the GOPers in the Senate (and even money bet? Who knows?) then he can do a lot of good there. He’s much better fit for the quiet back room thing than selling issues to the public in a campaign. I read the GOP party apparatus has shut down 38 state primary contests and looking to shut down more. So the primary candidates will be essentially running a PR, social marketing, and public education tour.
Weld and Walsh already said on national TV that Trump has already committed treason and is jeopardy of the death penalty. Not sure what good it would do to have Romney hemming and hawing in the background. Already have Sanford to do that.
Yutsano
Meh. Wake me when Willard is no longer an invertebrate. I can’t see him sticking his neck out to do anything like this. Hell the church elders could be screaming at him to fulfill the White Horse Prophecy (personally I think he’s saving that for one of his spawn) and he wouldn’t jump without a high guarantee of success. Willard has lived most of his life without taking much risk, with the exception of running against Obama in 2012. Until he actually moves against the Orange Menace, I’m not getting any hopes up.
robmassing
Like that time on election night 2012 when he thought he was gonna beat Obama?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Yarrow
If the Senate is going to vote against Trump in the impeachment trial then it’s going to take one or more of Republican Senators to convince and get enough of their fellow R Senators on board. I don’t really care which ones are in that role. If it’s Romney, fine. Whatever. Good for him for putting country first. I’ll wait and see if it happens, though. Talk is cheap.
ronno2018
I think tdump resigns, they run pence with mitt as VP in 2020 and lose a close race.
jl
@Mike in NC: Trump’s presser, again, was insane and disgusting. Trump is back to claiming Turks and Kurds are natural mortal enemies, and alternatively bashing the Kurds with fantasies, lies and falsehoods, then adding that we kind of like them, then taking credit for what they’ve done.
Maybe Trump has a lot of discordant ‘last person in the room’ lectures that are all mixed up in his butt ignorant head, and he’s riffing off them.
Yutsano
@ronno2018: I believe some polling was already done on that. Dense loses and loses badly.
hueyplong
Shouldn’t we assume that these stories themselves constitute Willard’s trial balloon? And that Trump’s tweet is an admission that it scares him?
I agree with anyone who says to keep an eye on what J Rubin says next.
Jager
@Mike in NC:
Wait for the guy who approaches trump with tears in his eyes and opens with “Sir”
Ohio Mom
I’ve been wondering for a while now what happens if Trump can’t run again, for whatever reason (my favorite fantasy is actually a fatal heart attack, that way he can’t be made into a martyr by the diehards. The rest of them can be jailed however).
The Republicans would have to run somebody, and even though he’s already put his hat in, I don’t think it’s going to be Weld.
Earlier today I winced when Kasich crossed my mind but Romney also is an unhappy thought. Then again, what Republican wouldn’t terrify me?
pattonbt
If impeachment is going to be ultimately successful, it will be because one (or small group of three or so) republican senator make serious noise in favour (and backs it with actions). The Democrats have their votes, they don’t have enough, they need republicans.
This is not an enemy of my enemy situation. This is cold hard facts.
If Mitt is that man in the end. Kudos forever. His legacy will still be horribly mixed, but this would be worthy of praise.
That said, wake me when we get beyond the sternly worded letter / slightly scolding tweet / furrowed brow stage and action is evidenced. Until then, it’s much ado about nothing.
JPL
@Quaker in a Basement: Will evangelicals be excited about voting for a Mormon?
matt
Hard to imagine Romney doing anything good but if he does I’m ready to give him credit. Only then.
Uncle Cosmo
@Mike in NC:
FTFY.
Steve in the ATL
@matt: exactly—money up front from that guy!
PeakVT
If Romney openly turns on Trumpolini, Romney will lose the Repuke base outside of Mormonland. Forever. He has no path to a primary-based nomination in the aftermath of that “betrayal.”
Nonetheless, I hope he’s delusional enough to think that taking down Trumpolini gets him something.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
I wonder if Romeny sees himself as the John McCain replacement in the GOP? It sounds like the Mormon see Romney a man of destiny and Mitten can’t have run for senate for the life time health care. He does come across as the type of guy who would rather make ship models in his garage rather than gladhanding for office.
Uncle Cosmo
@JPL: Why not, it’s only one lower-case “m” more than what they voted for in 2016…
sublime33
@MattF: Keep in mind that Paul Ryan, who dislikes Washington and flew back to Wisconsin for every Green Bay Packer home game, moved his family to Washington in late August. This is about 4 weeks after the initial Ukraine phone calls occurred. There may be a coup going on but it is being engineered by the Republican establishment, not the Democrats.
mrmoshpotato
[W]hat if—hear me out—the Democratic party, which actually cares about the majority of the country, beats the hell out of the Rethuglican party next year and then comes back to wollup it every two years until it’s a dead husk? Then torches the husk and takes a leak on the ashes.
mrmoshpotato
@PeakVT:
Or humiliates himself trying.
low-tech cyclist
I’ll believe it when I see it.
patrick II
@Fair Economist:
Hell, as you say, if we allied with Joe Stalin once, so given the current circumstances I suppose we can live Romney.
Princess
He could do it, he could stand up to Trump. At least, a person who occupies the Romney-sized space in the world could. Can he? Has he ever done anything courageous ever in his whole life? Has he ever stuck his neck out for a principle that did not immediately benefit him?
jl
More batshit insane garbage from Trump presser: He’ll ensure Turkey is fair to the Kurds, whom we like, even though they didn’t help us like they should have in European theater during WWII [huh?], and they’re too expensive and we’ve spent a huge amount of money on them [100 percent false by any sane standard]. Turkey will pay a huge price if they are unfair to the Kurds, and don’t act according to our rules, which we’ll make up as things develop [insane].
What a foolish and dangerous buffoon Trump is.
jl
@Ohio Mom: I predict health problems for either Trump or Sanders that seriously hamper them, or force them to step down, will be called some sort of plot among their die hard supporters. If Sanders drops out and begs his supporters to back Warren and swears its because his heart attack seriously affected his health or forced him to downscale his campaign, his die hardest supporters (or maybe Russian trolls, who knows?) will say its a plot or he was forced to sell out and stomp off into some la la land.
Same would happen with Trump, except far more certain all of his supporters are already in la la land.
hilts
@jl:
Trump is getting dumber by the nanosecond.
Zinsky
While Mitt Romney is a more decent human being than Trump is, we might just be enabling and substituting one cult for another by giving Romney control of the GOP reins of power. Don’t ever forget that the LDS or RLDS or whatever they call themselves these days is at core, a racist, paternalistic wackadoodle cult that would have everyone in the U.S. wearing holy underwear, worshipping seagulls and reciting verses from a book that is an obvious plagiarism of the Old Testament.
Another Scott
Meh.
Rmoney is one of ~ 100 Senators who each think that they should be President. It’s the nature of the institution. None of the Senators are going to care what Rmoney does – they’ll make their own decisions. The only Senator that obviously cared about another’s opinion was/is Graham who followed McCain’s lead on just about everything. He’s the outlier, and he won’t care what Rmoney does.
Cheers,
Scott.
Another Scott
@Another Scott: Oh, and I see that Graham has told Pelosi that the GOP “won’t convict Trump over the Ukraine call” according to TheHill.
Surprise, Surprise, …
It’s early yet though. More stuff could come out, but it would have to be very bad for the GOP to actually throw out Donnie. They stick together otherwise.
Cheers,
Scott.
Mandalay
If only Biden had Romney’s wisdom.
dm
People are only persuaded by arguments that come from “one of their own”. Having it bruited about that Romney is taking impeachment seriously will mean other Republicans will start considering doing so, too. That will help turn the 50% who now favor removing Trump from office into 60%, which means it might actually happen.
So while I don’t have a lot of faith in Romney’s follow-through, I do think this sort of chatter is helpful (probably, especially, among the Village).
NotMax
@Another Scott
Would include the Mike Lee/Rand Paul BFF pact.
Ghost of Joe Lieblings Dog
Hear me out — “lest we forget” is the same sort of meaningless, falsely weighty, verbal flatulence as “hear me out” and someone who would unironically use them both in a “think piece” is doing something other than thinking.
ETA : Well, of course. It’s Cillizza. It would be … silly me for not noticing the source. CNN’s loss was WaPo’s gain.
Uncle Cosmo
@patrick II: The enemy of my enemy is my ally for the time being. No more, no less.
(Which reminds me of a tombstone allegedly seen in one of the Old West’s cemeteries:
Yutsano
@NotMax: Lee is definitively closer to Rand than his fellow Senator from Utah. I wonder what Lee’s position is with the Church.
Mandalay
@Another Scott:
Graham doesn’t even know what was said in that call yet; he only has Trump’s version of the truth. This is what Graham said this morning:
What Graham forgets to mention is that his comments are based on the WH Administration’s version of the phone conversation, which isn’t a “transcript” at all. Let’s see what Republican Senators have to say once they know what was actually said instead. This is where a whistleblower or two becomes very useful.
rikyrah
Willard…find a spine??
Ghost of Joe Lieblings Dog
@Ghost of Joe Lieblings Dog: ETA the 2nd : It’s not?! Jesus … there’s more than just the one like that.
(Checks sun; checks yardarm, and goes on drinking.)
sdhays
@Ten Bears:
The giddiness with which he pounced on Benghazi before the smoke had even cleared was just revolting.He couldn’t even wait a few hours to formulate a critique; he just ran out to the cameras and almost literally danced on the graves (before they were even dug). Only Trump could make Romney look principled and honest by comparison.
Chip Daniels
I yield to no one in my scorn for Romney, but in a fight to the death against fascism, we take our allies where we can get them.
Roger Moore
@Ohio Mom:
I would rather it be something incredibly embarrassing, like him going on a drug fueled rampage that ends with him jumping naked from the top of Trump Tower.
Ohio Mom
@Roger Moore: I could go for that too. Just as long as he doesn’t land on an innocent bystander.
Sublime33
I don’t know what kind of photos they have on Lindsey Graham but they must be awesome and NSFW.
Steve in the ATL
@Sublime33: I suspect they are FABULOUS!!!!
Mnemosyne
If there’s one thing Romney knows how to do, it’s how to rip apart the rotting corpse of a failing business and exploit it for his own ends, so I’m not too upset that he’s planning to go all vulture capitalist on the Republican Party. I just worry that there are enough morons in this country that they’ll give him the keys to do the same to the rest of us.
Kent
@JPL:
They voted for Trump who is the most amoral and unreligious candidate we have ever had in the history of the country.
WTF do you think?
Zinsky
@Roger Moore: They would NEVER get the grease stains out of the sidewalk…
Repatriated
@sdhays:
It should have worked! It did with the Iranian hostages, and, unbelievably, it worked with 9-11.
The GOP “knew” there was behind-the-scenes skullduggery and coverups because that’s exactly what they would be doing in the Obama administration’s place. It never occurred to them that it might just be an honest response to fast-moving events.
That’s why they couldn’t let it go.
Catherine D.
Mitt is a white horse’s ass.
Ella in New Mexico
If the only option we had right now was that Trump would be replaced by Romney tonight I’d take it in a red hot minute and so would most people–the man is literally giving the green-light to slaughter our friends and lives could be saved. That’s not gonna happen. Impeachment is actually a possibility, especially with the winds changing right now in the polls and among the less cowardly Republicans. Simply waiting for 2020 –actually, January 2021-while Trump continues to lay waste to all that is good on the planet is the worst option.
That being said, if Mitt wants to help us impeach him then run for President I’d say go for it. We’ll beat his ass again when he runs in 2020 anyway.
Mnemosyne
@Kent:
And yet voting for a sinner who claims to be with them is less bad than voting for an actual heretic.
They’ll probably still hold their noses and do it, but they won’t be happy.
Ella in New Mexico
@Ohio Mom:
Personally, I’d rather see him suffer some kind of debilitating stroke in which he’s wheelchair bound, mute and locked in and has to endure watching his entire family and empire get taken to the ground while he pees in his diapers…Kind of a white, rich Hector Salamanca https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-5DfdWrfsM
Chris T.
@Uncle Cosmo: You’ve tried the Moron, now try the Mormon!
randy khan
@Another Scott:
More and worse stuff is not what will convince the GOP to dump Trump; more and worse polling is what we need. They need to see the handwriting on the wall before they will move against him.
NotMax
@randy khan
Handwriting on the wall? Half these cretins can’t even see the wall.
laura
@Zinsky: Don’t ever forget that the LDS or RLDS or whatever they call themselves these days is at core, a racist, paternalistic wackadoodle cult that would have everyone in the U.S. wearing holy underwear, worshipping seagulls and reciting verses from a book that is an obvious plagiarism of the Old Testament.
You left out the p@ssy fever.
Less of a religion, more of a secret society of ….well, Giliadian proportions.
Achrachno
@Zinsky: I’m OK with worshipping seagulls. I wonder if the Mormons know that they were saved by California gulls.