Most of the time, bipartisanship is actually gross. The wheeling and dealing of bipartisanship has brought us some of the absolute worst legislation of our time. For the most part, bipartisanship usually means Republicans getting everything they want and Democrats going along with it because they think it will someday come back around, which, you know, it never actually does. That kind of bipartisanship is bad. However, every once in a while, a Republican decides to support something that is actually good, without demanding cuts to food stamps in exchange. That kind of bipartisanship, I'll take.
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who also got into trouble with his party for criticizing the administration's terrible Iran briefing this week, has signed on to co-sponsor Bernie Sanders' No War With Iran Act, which would freeze funding for any attacks on Iran without express permission from Congress.
In a joint statement to CNN, the senators said:
"As United States Senators, we often disagree on many issues. But standing up for the Constitution is not about partisanship. The Founding Fathers were absolutely clear. They wanted to ensure that our country avoided needless conflict and they understood that presidential war-making would be harmful to our democracy."
Both Lee and Rand Paul have also said they would sign on to Tim Kaine's bill limiting Trump's war powers.
You know who's also in trouble for not getting super jazzed about the US invading yet another country? Matt Gaetz. Gaetz, usually among the most loyal Trumpists and worst possible human beings in the country, is now also persona non-grata in his own party for voting for a House resolution to limit war powers. This move was described as "super uncool" by a senior White House official:
A senior White House official said it was "super uncool" and "quite unwise" for Gaetz to push for limits on the president's authority. This person added that White House officials would not be returning Gaetz's phone calls, text messages, "smoke signals or his kneelings in the snow."
As much as it pains me to say, from the very bottom of my soul... Good for Matt Gaetz. He knew exactly what the result would be of going up against the Trump administration on this, and he did it anyway. That is something that will always get my begrudging respect. Same with Rand Paul and Mike Lee here.
Perhaps Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Matt Gaetz have different reasons for not wanting to go to war than we do. That is very likely! But frankly, I will take whatever reason they have as long as it means not sending poor people from this country to go get killed on a mission to kill poor people halfway across the world. I don't care, and neither should you. Hell, I would praise Donald Trump himself if it were the key to that not happening.
Oh wow, you're so handsome and smart, far too handsome and smart to get us into another stupid war we have no business being in! I would say it and I would not blink.
[CNN]
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