Kremer’s Corner: Spotting a zombie legislator

Jerry Kremer

Whether by choice or by accident the word “zombie” is being used much more frequently these days. Housing officials refer to zombie homes.

Television commercials use zombie figures to attract people’s attention. Based on the occurrences of the past 500 days, I can’t help but think about elected Republican U.S. senators and congress members and use the words “zombie legislators.”

Webster’s Dictionary defines zombie as “a will-less and speechless human held to have died and have been supernaturally reanimated.” I confess that I am saddened by the fact that the once great Republican Party that proudly called Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan their heroes, is now a group of souless, paralyzed and speechless public officials.

Our country faces countless challenges at home and abroad and almost every representative of the Grand Old Party has become a total zombie.

The history books of our nation have abundant stories about Republican Party officials who helped make America the great nation it is.

Names such as Jacob Javits, Howard Baker, Robert Taft, Arthur Vandenberg and Henry Cabot Lodge evoke memories of politicians who transformed the Republican Party into a well-respected and powerful voice for positive change.

All of them were willing to speak out in behalf of meaningful causes and they had the respect of both sides of the aisle.

Today’s national Republican Party has abandoned every principle for which the party stood for over the past 100 years.

Building strong relationships with our allies throughout the world is no longer a party priority.

The strong proponents of free trade and building economic bridges around the globe have been replaced by a group of frightened, overly cautious officials who are willing to sit mute while President Trump undoes all of the accomplishments of the party.

The Republican leaders of the past who dedicated themselves to creating programs that would last an eternity are long gone and their replacements sit spineless fearing that a party primary will oust them from their comfortable seat in Congress.

Can you imagine a Howard Baker sitting silent while the President of the United States attacked the Prime Minister of Canada?

Alternatively, what would a Ronald Reagan say if efforts were made by his party to make Russia a member of the G-7 allied leadership?

If President George W. Bush was asked to impose 20 percent tariffs on iron and steel sales by the Congress, you could bet that there would be a war of words.

Which current member of the Republican Senate from a farm state will speak out when Mexico raises tariffs on corn, soybeans, pork and pork products, dairy products and beef, the sale of which account for 6 billion in business for American farmers?

Chances are that few if any will stand up for their own people for fear of alienating President Trump.

Who will be the voice of American industry when Canada slaps import fees on vehicles, machinery, electrical products, mineral fuels and plastics that amount to $151 billion in income for these industries?

Which Republican Senator will talk tough about Russian intervention in the election process of his or her state? Is there anyone in the 52-member majority willing to take on the President when he is hurting their constituents and his voters?

There are a handful of elected Republicans who are taking strong positions and challenging the President. They all have the same thing in common.

Senators Flake and Corker are retiring. Congressman Gowdy has announced that he too is leaving.

Sen. McCain is battling for his life but isn’t reluctant to object to the President’s conduct in office. But a small handful of men with a conscience are not going to change the country’s direction.

Twenty or 30 years from now when someone writes the definitive history of the Trump presidency, there will be no stories about the brave and independent Congress members who fought Mr. Trump for overstepping the limits of the Constitution.

But there may be a footnote describing that the Republican Congress was populated by zombie legislators.

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