I keep forgetting that Mitt Romney is now a senator. Is it just me or did that deserve to be a bigger headline in 2018? Mitt Romney, 71, was elected as a first-time senator in Utah, after serving as governor of Massachusetts and running for president in 2012. Well, Mittens Is Coming To Washington and he has some thoughts! Mittens wrote an op-ed in today’s Washington Post called “Mitt Romney: The president shapes the public character of the nation. Trump’s character falls short.” Strong words from a Republican who will vote with Trump 99.9% of the time, eh? Here’s part of the op-ed:

It is well known that Donald Trump was not my choice for the Republican presidential nomination. After he became the nominee, I hoped his campaign would refrain from resentment and name-calling. It did not. When he won the election, I hoped he would rise to the occasion. His early appointments of Rex Tillerson, Jeff Sessions, Nikki Haley, Gary Cohn, H.R. McMaster, Kelly and Mattis were encouraging. But, on balance, his conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions last month, is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office.

It is not that all of the president’s policies have been misguided. He was right to align U.S. corporate taxes with those of global competitors, to strip out excessive regulations, to crack down on China’s unfair trade practices, to reform criminal justice and to appoint conservative judges. These are policies mainstream Republicans have promoted for years. But policies and appointments are only a part of a presidency.

To a great degree, a presidency shapes the public character of the nation. A president should unite us and inspire us to follow “our better angels.” A president should demonstrate the essential qualities of honesty and integrity, and elevate the national discourse with comity and mutual respect. As a nation, we have been blessed with presidents who have called on the greatness of the American spirit. With the nation so divided, resentful and angry, presidential leadership in qualities of character is indispensable. And it is in this province where the incumbent’s shortfall has been most glaring.

[From WaPo]

If we still have books in the future Trumplandia Dystopia, many will be written about what happened within the Republican Party to get Trump elected, and what was done (or not done) within the GOP once Trump was in office. I feel like Romney will get a chapter – here’s an intelligent man, a man who could wipe the floor with Trump in business and finance, a man who looks like the poster child for Republican Hair. Romney comes into Washington owing no one, especially not Trump. And this is all we get? Some weaksauce “Trump is no moral leader” sad-sack routine? Trump is unpresidential because HE IS INSANE. He’s a despot, he’s a fascist, he radicalized homegrown terrorists and he’s a giant embarrassment at home and abroad. Now is not the time to tut-tut about how Trump has only recently made some bad decisions.

Wow brave op-ed from Mitt Romney pic.twitter.com/mD273muPqL

— Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) January 2, 2019

Mitt Romney still believes in tax cuts for the rich, overturning Roe v. Wade and putting corporations before people, but at least he’s real nice about it.

— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) January 2, 2019

“The Crazed Supernatural Killer Who’s Stalking Our Summer Camp Should Litter Less” by Mitt Romney

— Mark Agee (@MarkAgee) January 2, 2019

Mitt Romney is the Susan Collins of Jeff Flakes. https://t.co/hjIsNX3VwN

— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) January 2, 2019

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.