I will say that I have a bit more respect for Tillis now. Many people say that he should have stayed in office and keep his criticism of Trump going. If that happened, a hard-core MAGA would have joined the primary, and probably have won, thereby ousting Tillis anyway. If Tillis chose to run as an independent, that likely would have split the vote 3 ways, possibly getting the MAGA type in. By simply bowing out, Tillis is letting the spotlight go to Roy Cooper (very popular in NC) and whatever candidates that the GOP sees fir to throw out there. The republicans will try to out-Trump each other, and with the way the winds are blowing, that's a dangerous thing to do. Tillis leaving is making an easier path for Cooper.
I had a dream: Tillis resigns and joins the Republican primary for Senate where he crushes the MAGA right, runs against Cooper and loses. Meanwhile Stein appoints Jeff Jackson to Tillis' Senate seat, and with the Trump right in disarray, wins the special election. Come on Thom, you would hasten the implosion of a Republican Party you know needs to happen before it can be great for American again.
Tillis was awful in the NC Senate and still is. It's all about himself. He's doing the same thing as McConnell now that he's not running again. They and all the other Republicans stiil in power are responsible for where we are right now. Too little too late. The real Republican heros are Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney.
It’s no secret Tills is only speaking out because he’s not seeking reelection. When he should have been standing up for the American people, he always chose Trump and his party. Let’s face it he could have voted against giving Trump war powers in Venezuela but he didn’t. He hasn’t said a word about Trump and his family lining their pockets. He voted against the ACA when almost a million people in NC were on it, and we can go on……
But, he has spoken out on Ukraine, NATO, Greenland, and now DHS. I think it’s a very small but important crack in what has been a wall of silent acquiescence. It’s important because even the smallest crack can widen.
I agree with most of the comments here. Tillis has been bad for our future for some time now. He’s enabled trump all along and only now - in an attempt to rehabilitate his image - does he “indirectly” challenge the orange turd. He’s been a coward since the beginning, and still is.
Let’s not start the applause prematurely for Transactional Tillis again. Let’s see how he actually VOTES on DHS funding. He said he wouldn’t vote to confirm Kegseth and did it anyway. And that’s just one of many about-faces.
Mr Mills you seem like Charlie Brown in the scenario with Lucy and the football. 🤪
Can't agree with most of the commentators, Great column on Tillis, who deserves all the credit you are giving him. He's one of the few Republican senators with guts, no matter how he's gotten there. He's made uncourageous political decisions in the past, but he is making up for it the best he can now. Give him a break.
Why exactly should we give him a break after the following actions by Tillis?
“He voted against impeachment in 2021, even though he knew Trump was guilty. He voted to approve people like Noem and Hegseth who have shown gross incompetence because he thought getting on the wrong side of Trump would hurt his re-election chances. In the first Trump administration, he even voted against himself in an embarrassing move to prevent Trump from endorsing a potential primary challenger.”
Tillis is at best rehabilitating his rep for a job on K Street. He knows he’ll get hammered if he runs for anything (at least here in NC, maybe somewhere else). I’m skeptical about him finding some new moral clarity. If he has, great, and if he can be a thorn in the paw of the regime until November even better. But it does seem that his ethics are rather situational, and now that he has no political liability he can try to burnish his moral bona fides… leaving us to ask “what took you so long?”
At some point, hopefully sooner rather than later, anyone associated with the trump regime will be radioactive waste in terms of politics. The K Street gig sounds about right.
Even then, he’ll be trying to put some distance between him and the regime. He’s reading the tea leaves and figuring it’s better to back away than lean in. For what it’s worth, he’s probably correct.
Sorry but nothing good about Tillis! Why do you offer him any positive press on your page? I do not get it. Tillis's votes for the unqualified cabinet members allowed the country to be having murders and racist goons in our communities! I have about had it with you Thomas.
I cannot vote Republican, in part because of the stupidity in policy, foreign and domestic; but also because the silence of Republicans I've voted for --Romney, Bush, Haley, among others--the one's who I've thought would coalesce with the Cheneys and Kinzingers to rescue sanity in the Party, reflects complicity, or impotence. Tillis is just an example: He lost my trust.
I should have added: And I'm disappointed in my neighbors and local officials. They go to church, but somehow are silent on even middle class white women and men shot by ICE point-blank. Turns out meanness trumps morality even at the local level.
I will say that I have a bit more respect for Tillis now. Many people say that he should have stayed in office and keep his criticism of Trump going. If that happened, a hard-core MAGA would have joined the primary, and probably have won, thereby ousting Tillis anyway. If Tillis chose to run as an independent, that likely would have split the vote 3 ways, possibly getting the MAGA type in. By simply bowing out, Tillis is letting the spotlight go to Roy Cooper (very popular in NC) and whatever candidates that the GOP sees fir to throw out there. The republicans will try to out-Trump each other, and with the way the winds are blowing, that's a dangerous thing to do. Tillis leaving is making an easier path for Cooper.
He has nothing to lose as he’s not running again. He and we have to live with his heinous Hegseth vote, though.
I had a dream: Tillis resigns and joins the Republican primary for Senate where he crushes the MAGA right, runs against Cooper and loses. Meanwhile Stein appoints Jeff Jackson to Tillis' Senate seat, and with the Trump right in disarray, wins the special election. Come on Thom, you would hasten the implosion of a Republican Party you know needs to happen before it can be great for American again.
Tillis was awful in the NC Senate and still is. It's all about himself. He's doing the same thing as McConnell now that he's not running again. They and all the other Republicans stiil in power are responsible for where we are right now. Too little too late. The real Republican heros are Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney.
Only a bootlicker would continue to platform a nazi like tillis! Why are you reducing yourself to siding with nazis?
If he only would have listened to the 20 voice mails I left during the confirmation process
It’s no secret Tills is only speaking out because he’s not seeking reelection. When he should have been standing up for the American people, he always chose Trump and his party. Let’s face it he could have voted against giving Trump war powers in Venezuela but he didn’t. He hasn’t said a word about Trump and his family lining their pockets. He voted against the ACA when almost a million people in NC were on it, and we can go on……
But, he has spoken out on Ukraine, NATO, Greenland, and now DHS. I think it’s a very small but important crack in what has been a wall of silent acquiescence. It’s important because even the smallest crack can widen.
Tillis has no backbone. He is a huge coward.
I’m from NC and am really pissed off about our horrible Republican Senators and Congressman. They are worthless.
Tillis’s words and votes do not align. He is shrewdly presenting multiple faces to be liked. The positive press doesn’t help North Carolinians.
I agree with most of the comments here. Tillis has been bad for our future for some time now. He’s enabled trump all along and only now - in an attempt to rehabilitate his image - does he “indirectly” challenge the orange turd. He’s been a coward since the beginning, and still is.
Let’s not start the applause prematurely for Transactional Tillis again. Let’s see how he actually VOTES on DHS funding. He said he wouldn’t vote to confirm Kegseth and did it anyway. And that’s just one of many about-faces.
Mr Mills you seem like Charlie Brown in the scenario with Lucy and the football. 🤪
Too little too late. Tillis is still an embarrassment to North Carolina.
Can't agree with most of the commentators, Great column on Tillis, who deserves all the credit you are giving him. He's one of the few Republican senators with guts, no matter how he's gotten there. He's made uncourageous political decisions in the past, but he is making up for it the best he can now. Give him a break.
Why exactly should we give him a break after the following actions by Tillis?
“He voted against impeachment in 2021, even though he knew Trump was guilty. He voted to approve people like Noem and Hegseth who have shown gross incompetence because he thought getting on the wrong side of Trump would hurt his re-election chances. In the first Trump administration, he even voted against himself in an embarrassing move to prevent Trump from endorsing a potential primary challenger.”
Tillis is at best rehabilitating his rep for a job on K Street. He knows he’ll get hammered if he runs for anything (at least here in NC, maybe somewhere else). I’m skeptical about him finding some new moral clarity. If he has, great, and if he can be a thorn in the paw of the regime until November even better. But it does seem that his ethics are rather situational, and now that he has no political liability he can try to burnish his moral bona fides… leaving us to ask “what took you so long?”
But it’s a rhetorical question.
At some point, hopefully sooner rather than later, anyone associated with the trump regime will be radioactive waste in terms of politics. The K Street gig sounds about right.
Even then, he’ll be trying to put some distance between him and the regime. He’s reading the tea leaves and figuring it’s better to back away than lean in. For what it’s worth, he’s probably correct.
When it suits him, sure.
Sorry but nothing good about Tillis! Why do you offer him any positive press on your page? I do not get it. Tillis's votes for the unqualified cabinet members allowed the country to be having murders and racist goons in our communities! I have about had it with you Thomas.
I cannot vote Republican, in part because of the stupidity in policy, foreign and domestic; but also because the silence of Republicans I've voted for --Romney, Bush, Haley, among others--the one's who I've thought would coalesce with the Cheneys and Kinzingers to rescue sanity in the Party, reflects complicity, or impotence. Tillis is just an example: He lost my trust.
I should have added: And I'm disappointed in my neighbors and local officials. They go to church, but somehow are silent on even middle class white women and men shot by ICE point-blank. Turns out meanness trumps morality even at the local level.