Sen. Murkowski Stands Up To Trump & McConnell

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FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | JANUARY 2, 2020freadshot

“Senator Murkowski has been unafraid to oppose Trump on matters of great importance.”

Lisa Murkowski is a moderate/conservative Republican Senator who votes with her party most of the time.

Senator Murkowski (R-AK) is also a courageous, independent-minded Senator who has been willing to break with President Trump, Senate Majority Leader McConnell, and her party on matters of critical importance.

The latest example occurred last week when Murkowski broke with McConnell to become the first Republican Senator to express concern about McConnell’s indefensible position of “total coordination” with the White House on the Trump impeachment trial.

Murkowski said she was opposed to “being hand in glove with the defense.” 

This is by no means the first time Senator Murkowski has broken with Trump and her party.

She was one of three Republican Senators who saved Obamacare from repeal, much to the anger of Trump. The other two were Senators McCain and Collins.

Murkowski was the only Republican Senator to vote against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

And, following her improbable re-election in 2010 as a write-in candidate, after losing the Republican primary, she met with McConnell to inform him that she was going to prepare a bill to require disclosure of the secret “dark money” contributions being spent in federal campaigns. Murkowski knew McConnell would be adamantly opposed to her effort, as he opposes all campaign finance laws, and McConnell tried to talk Murkowski out of supporting disclosure to no avail.

Progressives will disagree with most of Murkowski’s policy positions. But, they should also recognize that Senator Murkowski has been unafraid to oppose Trump on matters of great importance.

Murkowski’s challenge to Trump and McConnell on the Senate impeachment trial, furthermore, comes at a time when almost all Republican Senators spend their days hiding under their desks awaiting for instruction from their authoritarian leader, who is unfit to serve as President.

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Fred Wertheimer is the Founder and President of Democracy 21, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to strengthen our democracy and ensure the integrity and fairness of government decisions and elections. See previous Notes from Fred here.