Ambition is a change agent. Tillis gambled and lost. Now he has a clear conscience. Perhaps opposing President Trump's nominee to head the Federal Reserve Board of Governors will be his "coming out party."
Better late than never, I guess. And frankly, right now that is about all we have to hang on to. The executive has crossed the Rubicon, and the only thing that’s slowing it down are a few federal judges, and just enough members of Congress to keep from making it easy.
But the tide might have peaked already. In addition to Tillis taking a principled stand (which has to be pretty scary for him, since it’s territory he’s not familiar with) I got a response back from Budd today to an email I sent him regarding ICE and DHS. The letter was typically anodyne, and not long on specifics or details, which is pretty typical when we exchange form letters. But what was noticeable was not so much what he *said* as what he *didn’t* say.
“Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under Secretary Kristi Noem. It is an honor to represent the people of North Carolina, and I appreciate the opportunity to hear from you on this issue.
“The integrity of our government depends on the separation of powers between the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches. The Executive Branch, including DHS, is responsible for administering and enforcing the nation’s federal laws.
“DHS has a fundamental responsibility to protect our nation from threats, secure our borders, safeguard critical infrastructure, and uphold the rights and safety of United States citizens. My commitment is to ensure that these responsibilities are carried out transparently, effectively, and lawfully.
“As your Senator, I will continue to exercise oversight of the Executive Branch, including DHS and its important mission. Please know that I will keep your comments and concerns in mind as I fulfill my responsibilities in the Senate.“
This is not a portrait in courage by any stretch, but it’s noteworthy in that it makes no attempt to wave away the naked lawlessness of ICE and DHS. And in his previous email regarding the murder of Renee Good, he didn’t immediately leap to the defense of the shooter or try to blame Good for her own murder. He called the incident “tragic”, which is correct — if a bit of an understatement, and called for a thorough investigation (that everybody knows we won’t get from this DOJ or FBI).
The casual observer, correctly, would read this and say “And?”. But the casual observer wouldn’t have a basis for comparison. If you’ve read enough of Budd over the years he’s been in the Senate, this reads like a guy whose whole understanding of everything he thought he knew about Trump and MAGA just got knocked sideways in a big way. I don’t know if he’ll revert to form when he regains his footing, but it sure sounds like he’s having a moment.
Can he really leave with his head held high knowing that he sold out Hegseth's ex wife and let an abuser take over as Secretary of Defense? Can he really leave with his head held high knowing all the other things he enabled in the name of the party?
No, no he cannot.
At most he has a salve and an excuse for a book tour but he is already too complicit, too weak, to ever hold his head high.
Notice he still doesn’t criticize Trump directly but his advisers . In my humble opinion it’s his same old BS not sorry to see you go!!!
Ambition is a change agent. Tillis gambled and lost. Now he has a clear conscience. Perhaps opposing President Trump's nominee to head the Federal Reserve Board of Governors will be his "coming out party."
Better late than never, I guess. And frankly, right now that is about all we have to hang on to. The executive has crossed the Rubicon, and the only thing that’s slowing it down are a few federal judges, and just enough members of Congress to keep from making it easy.
But the tide might have peaked already. In addition to Tillis taking a principled stand (which has to be pretty scary for him, since it’s territory he’s not familiar with) I got a response back from Budd today to an email I sent him regarding ICE and DHS. The letter was typically anodyne, and not long on specifics or details, which is pretty typical when we exchange form letters. But what was noticeable was not so much what he *said* as what he *didn’t* say.
“Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under Secretary Kristi Noem. It is an honor to represent the people of North Carolina, and I appreciate the opportunity to hear from you on this issue.
“The integrity of our government depends on the separation of powers between the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches. The Executive Branch, including DHS, is responsible for administering and enforcing the nation’s federal laws.
“DHS has a fundamental responsibility to protect our nation from threats, secure our borders, safeguard critical infrastructure, and uphold the rights and safety of United States citizens. My commitment is to ensure that these responsibilities are carried out transparently, effectively, and lawfully.
“As your Senator, I will continue to exercise oversight of the Executive Branch, including DHS and its important mission. Please know that I will keep your comments and concerns in mind as I fulfill my responsibilities in the Senate.“
This is not a portrait in courage by any stretch, but it’s noteworthy in that it makes no attempt to wave away the naked lawlessness of ICE and DHS. And in his previous email regarding the murder of Renee Good, he didn’t immediately leap to the defense of the shooter or try to blame Good for her own murder. He called the incident “tragic”, which is correct — if a bit of an understatement, and called for a thorough investigation (that everybody knows we won’t get from this DOJ or FBI).
The casual observer, correctly, would read this and say “And?”. But the casual observer wouldn’t have a basis for comparison. If you’ve read enough of Budd over the years he’s been in the Senate, this reads like a guy whose whole understanding of everything he thought he knew about Trump and MAGA just got knocked sideways in a big way. I don’t know if he’ll revert to form when he regains his footing, but it sure sounds like he’s having a moment.
Can he really leave with his head held high knowing that he sold out Hegseth's ex wife and let an abuser take over as Secretary of Defense? Can he really leave with his head held high knowing all the other things he enabled in the name of the party?
No, no he cannot.
At most he has a salve and an excuse for a book tour but he is already too complicit, too weak, to ever hold his head high.