How the GOP’s Darth Vader become Luke Skywalker

In politics, we’ve seen many eyebrow-raising friendships constructed throughout the aisle. President Ronald Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neill (D-Mass.) famously received alongside like Irish pols and buddies. Senate Leaders Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.) labored collectively and preferred one another. So did progressive hero Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and conservative chief Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah). 

However regardless that I do know that politics can generally make unusual bedfellows, I by no means dreamed, figuratively talking, I’d ever crawl in mattress with Dick Cheney. However I fortunately did so this week when the previous vice chairman introduced he wouldn’t solely not vote for Donald Trump however forged his vote for Kamala Harris. Cheney is my new BFF. 

“In our nation’s 248-year historical past,” Cheney said in a statement launched on Sept. 6, “there has by no means been a person who’s a higher menace to our republic than Donald Trump. He tried to steal the final election utilizing lies and violence to maintain himself in energy after the voters had rejected him.”  

People have a “obligation” to place saving the republic over enjoying partisan politics, Cheney added, warning that Trump can “by no means be trusted with energy once more.” 

For this dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, it’s arduous to explain what an image-shattering transformation that assertion is. Through the build-up to the Iraq Conflict, Democrats loathed Vice President Dick Cheney much more than they hated his boss, President George W. Bush.

We referred to as him “Darth Vader.” Books have been written about how Cheney led the youthful Bush by the nostril; Cheney who pressured the CIA to “cherry-pick” proof that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction; and Cheney who satisfied Bush to launch the warfare in Iraq. And now the unhealthy man is out of the blue the nice man. It’s sufficient to make your head spin. 

Dick Cheney, in fact, follows the heroic instance of his daughter former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who broke with Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 riot, served with braveness and honor as Republican vice chair of the Home Choose Committee on January 6 and final week introduced her intention to vote for Kamala Harris. She’s joined by fellow January 6 Committee member former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ailing.), who endorsed Harris at the Democratic National Convention. 

On this planet of politics, Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are at present’s profiles in braveness: these uncommon politicians who’re keen to place the nice of the nation forward of the nice of their political occasion. What a distinction with so many different Republicans, who’re afraid to face as much as Trump.

They fall into two camps. First, these like Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and former Vice President Mike Pence, who say they gained’t vote for Donald Trump but in addition gained’t decide to vote for Kamala Harris. Romney and Pence say they’ll write in another person.

That’s not adequate, as Liz Cheney has advised: “Given the closeness of this election, notably if you happen to’re going to search out your self voting in a swing state, you’ve received to take the additional step [and endorse Harris] if you happen to actually do acknowledge the menace that Donald Trump poses.” 

However the worst are these within the a lot bigger second camp: Republicans who’ve fiercely condemned Trump up to now, however who now line up behind him like spineless pet canine, together with: Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.); Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp; and even Trump’s personal vice presidential nominee, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio). In contrast to Dick Cheney, they’ve put their very own political futures over nation. 

Nonetheless, it’s a must to give Trump credit score for one factor. Solely Donald Trump might flip Dick Cheney from Darth Vader into Luke Skywalker. 

Press is host of “The Bill Press Pod.” He’s the writer of “From the Left: A Life in the Crossfire.”