Republicans

The Associated Press reports: President Donald Trump abused his power and shouldn’t be in office, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a fellow Republican, said Thursday in a rare dissent from within party ranks. The U.S. Senate should have been allowed to hear from more witnesses who could have provided evidence about the charges against the president, Scott, a frequent Trump critic, …

The Sacramento Bee reports: Twitter is demanding that Rep. Devin Nunes pay its legal fees in a new court filing responding to one of the Republican congressman’s attempts to identify anonymous people who heckle him online. Nunes, R-Tulare, is suing Twitter, two parody accounts known as Devin Nunes’ Cow and Devin Nunes’ Mom and a Republican strategist in Henrico County, …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: A rural Utah lawmaker is asking his colleagues to send a message of support to President Donald Trump by voting to censure Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, on Thursday announced that he had filed a resolution to censure Romney, saying the senator’s judgment was questionable even if his motives were pure. “We’re …

From the editorial board of the Salt Lake Tribune: He could have voted with the rest of the Republican members of the Senate of the United States to acquit the president of the United States on both of the articles of impeachment brought by the House of Representatives. He could have rationalized it — to himself, to his party, to …

The New York Times reports: Senator Mitt Romney of Utah said Wednesday that he would vote to convict President Trump of abuse of power, making him the first Republican to support removing Mr. Trump for his bid to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rivals. “I think the case was made,” Mr. Romney said in an interview in his Senate …

Via press release: Law360 has recognized McGuireWoods as a White Collar Practice Group of the Year — one of only five firms to earn the prestigious honor. It marks the second time the publication has recognized the firm for its elite government investigations and white collar litigation practice. McGuireWoods earned the Law360 recognition for its work handling high-stakes investigations and …

The Charleston Post & Courier reports: A group of prominent Upstate Republicans is preparing to launch a wide-scale effort this week to encourage GOP voters across South Carolina to vote for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Feb. 29 Democratic primary, The Post and Courier has learned. The Republican plan to impact the Democratic race, emerging just weeks before the …

Mediaite reports: Missouri Republican Congressman Billy Long became an Internet sensation of the 2020 State-of-the-Union address for enthusiastically cheering President Donald Trump and giving thumbs up while a wad of cash appeared to spill out of his suit’s breast pocket. Long was seen on camera, with stacks of what looked like US currency sticking up from his pocket, reacting with …

Fox News reports: Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said he was “disgusted and insulted” after seeing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tear up her copy of President Trump’s State of the Union speech following his remarks Tuesday evening. Pelosi’s move sparked outrage from many others on the right as well, including former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, House minority whip …

Reuters reports: Republican Senator Rand Paul gave the purported name of the anonymous whistleblower at the center of President Donald Trump’s impeachment in a speech in the Senate on Tuesday, after earlier being blocked from doing so during Trump’s trial. Paul uttered the name in a question that U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts had earlier declined to read …

The Associated Press reports: A Montana lawmaker on Monday rejected legislative leaders’ call for his resignation over his assertion that the U.S. Constitution allows socialists to be jailed or shot. He said he filed to run for the state Senate on Friday, a decision that had nothing to do with the response to his comments. Republican Rep. Rodney Garcia of …

From the editorial board of the Fresno Bee: Two years ago, The Bee did not recommend Republican Devin Nunes for the 22nd District congressional seat. He had previously received the paper’s recommendation in every campaign since he was first elected in 2002. What changed? Nunes himself. He became obsessed with defending President Donald Trump against the Mueller investigation, to the …

How utterly unsurprising: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said on Monday that she will vote to acquit President Trump on the two House-passed articles of impeachment. Murkowski is the first of a small group of potential swing-vote senators to announce their decision ahead of Wednesday’s expected final vote. “I cannot vote to convict. The Constitution provides for impeachment but does not …

The Daily Beast reports: A mysterious Hawaii company may have illegally funneled a six-figure contribution to a political group boosting an embattled Republican Senator 5,000 miles away, an ethics watchdog alleged on Monday. The company, Society of Young Women Scientist and Engineers LLC, was formed in late November, according to corporate records in Hawaii. Just over a month later, on …

The Associated Press reports: For the past four days, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been calling for authoritarian governments in eastern Europe and Central Asia to ease restrictions on press freedom despite criticism for his own treatment of journalists at home. In Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan over the weekend and again on Monday, Pompeo raised human rights issues, …

Talking Points Memo reports: So much for blood is thicker than water. Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel dodged when asked to respond to the GOP backlash her uncle Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) has faced since being one of two Republicans who voted in favor of witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial Friday. During an interview on CBS’ “Face the …

Bloomberg News reports: Iowa Senator Joni Ernst warned Sunday that Republicans would immediately push to impeach Joe Biden over his work in Ukraine as vice president if he win the White House. “I think this door of impeachable whatever has been opened,” Ernst said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “Joe Biden should be very careful what he’s asking for …

The Billings Gazette reports: A Billings Republican legislator said Saturday he believes the U.S. Constitution calls for the shooting or jailing of those who identify as socialists. State Rep. Rodney Garcia, from House District 52 on the South Side, first made a statement in the form of an unprompted question at a state party gathering in Helena Friday meant to …

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports: It was Young Republicans against old Republicans this weekend in Austin. As always, old Republicans won. With state Sen. Bob Hall [photo], 77, saying LGBT groups promote “unnatural sex,” party officials once again turned away the predominantly gay and lesbian Log Cabin Republicans. The Log Cabin groups were asking to become an official party affiliate, …

Once upon a time, the annual CPAC event was a cornucopia of the right – libertarians, teabaggers, hate groups, far-right groups, and yes, even some moderate Republicans would attend and be given prominent speaking slots. Not so anymore now that the entire Republican party has gone full Trump cultist. Evidence can be seen below by their reaction to Mitt Romney’s …