Cheney Calls Trump "Un-American"; Republican Establishment in Chaos; Congressman Asks Trump to Step Down; Reflections on Un-Americanism

The Republican establishment has finally had enough of Donald Trump.

Today the collective mice that constitute the Republican party establishment all lined up to attack Trump after Trump called for a ban on all Muslims entering the US.

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton joined the party with a tweet that Trump’s idea was “reprehensible, prejudiced and divisive”.

Criticism also came from Republican presidential hopefuls Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor, Sen Marco Rubio of Florida and Jeb Bush.

Trump Disowned

The Guardian reports Donald Trump's Muslim Ban Proposal Throws Republican Party Into Chaos

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was disowned by his own party’s top leadership on Tuesday and faced calls to drop his White House bid as the world reacted with outrage to his plan for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The billionaire frontrunner’s plan tipped the Republican presidential race into chaos, with party leaders from the chairman of the Republican National Committee to former US vice-president Dick Cheney condemning the idea as “un-American”.

Trump toured the US television studios in unrepentant form, unmoved by the gale of criticism that followed his speech aboard an aircraft carrier on Monday evening. Speaking aboard the USS Yorktown, he acknowledged that his proposal was “probably not politically correct”, before whipping up a cheering crowd and adding: “But. I. Don’t. Care.”

“We need a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States while we figure out what the hell is going on,” Trump said. “We are out of control.”

Horrified Muslims in the United States heard in Trump’s rhetoric an echo of Nazism, and they joined the Republican condemnation of Trump as un-American.

“He’s trampling on our constitution and packaging it as a snake oil cure for our security concerns,” said Kassem Allie, executive administrator of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Michigan, one of the largest mosques in the US. “He’s using fear-mongering reminiscent of Nazi Germany and Stalin.”

House speaker Paul Ryan said Trump’s remarks violated the constitution and were “not who we are as a party”.

“This is not conservatism,” the Wisconsin representative said, adding: “Some of our best and biggest allies in this struggle and fight against radical Islam terror are Muslims.”

There were signs that Trump was not deaf to the Republican insurrection. He appeared to make a veiled threat on Twitter on Tuesday to run as an independent. “A new poll indicates that 68% of my supporters would vote for me if I departed the GOP & ran as an independent,” he wrote.

In Congress, a Florida Republican spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives to make a passionate demand for Trump to quit the presidential race.

“It should be heartbreaking to every American that we have a frontrunner in the presidential race that suggests there will be a religious test for anybody who wishes to come to our shores,” said Representative David Jolly. “It is an affront to the principles upon which our nation was founded.”

Ukip leader Nigel Farage released a statement saying Trump had “gone too far”.

Muslim groups around the world expressing outrage at Trump’s proposal included Dar al-Ifta, the state religious body in Egypt.

Trump followed up the speech with a media blitz Tuesday morning, in which he claimed the mantle of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, citing the internment of Japanese Americans during the second world war as precedent for his policy.

“This is a president highly respected by all, he did the same thing,” Trump said on ABC News. “If you look at what he was doing, it was far worse.”

However, Rick Wilson, a Republican strategist who has been a vocal critic of Trump, told the Guardian: “There was a whiff of fascism around this guy. Now there’s a reek of fascism”.

Pot Calls Kettle Black

That's quite a coordinated attack on Trump.

And Dick Cheney is without a doubt correct in his statement that Trump is constitutionally un-American. Yet, this is the biggest case of the pot calling the kettle black since .... forever.

If ever there was a case of un-Americanism it was the Bush-Cheney administration's unfounded and illegal war in Iraq. And that war directly led to the formation of ISIS.

Dick Cheney belongs in prison if not hell.

Hypocrite Paul Ryan

The Republican establishment is the biggest collection of un-American warmongers in history.

Speaker Paul Ryan said Trump’s remarks violated the constitution and were “not who we are as a party”.

This same hypocrite has a rather amazing Stance on War and Peace. Ryan would engage Iran militarily, in advance.

Ryan claims "[Iran] is the world's largest sponsor of terrorism. They've dedicated themselves to wiping an entire country off the map."

It's a blatant lie, which Republicans often repeat, that Iran ever threatened to wipe Israel off the Map.

For discussion of what Iran really said, please see Peace Must Be Stopped At Any Cost; Lies and Hypocrisy on Iran.

Reflections on Allies

Next, please ponder Ryan's statement “Some of our best and biggest allies in this struggle and fight against radical Islam terror are Muslims.”

Actually, Saudi Arabia, our alleged ally, is a direct sponsor of ISIS. Our alleged enemy, Iran, isn't. And it was Saudi nationals that plotted 911.

While on the subject of "allies" please note what retired general Wesley Clark has to say: ISIS Serves Interests Of US Allies Turkey And Saudi Arabia.

Reflections on Un-Americanism

Under Democrat and Republican presidents alike, the US has backed corrupt regimes in Iraq, Iran, Argentina, Chile, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and countless other places while ignoring wholesale slaughter of civilians in many African counties. Is that American?

And since when is it constitutionally OK for the US to act as prosecution, judge, and jury in ordering drone strikes?

Both Bush and Obama are un-American on this issue. So is Hillary.

I like Representative David Jolly's suggestion that Trump should stop his campaign because he is un-American and unfit to be president.

Then again, they are all unfit. They should all cease campaigning.

Mish for President

Mish for President anyone?

I am not seriously running for president of course, but I do provide detailed answers on eleven different issues.

Such a platform by someone in either political party could conceivably win a presidential election, if only such a candidate could win the nomination.

The problem is getting nominated. Donald Trump proves what a joke the nomination process has become.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock