Republicans Have Nothing to Offer on Ukraine

Jonathan Bernstein: “One group of Republicans spent the buildup to the war mocking Biden’s warnings about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion plans; that includes the rump faction that had, until about a week ago, ranged from Putin-curious to full-on Putin fans.”

“As for most other Republicans? They have demonstrated they have little or nothing to offer. They’ve been at their best — or I suppose their least-worst — when they bash Biden for vague, unspecified weakness without suggesting how he’s been weak in Europe or what specifically they want him to do to be stronger. But it goes downhill when they do suggest specifics, whether it’s Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker advocating for a U.S.-imposed no-fly zone (which Florida Senator Marco Rubio, to his credit, knocked down as the beginning of World War III) or South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham calling for someone to assassinate Putin.”

“Republicans are so averse to agreeing with anything a Democratic president is doing that, when a Democratic president occupies the middle ground, they have little to say.”