Montini: Jeff Flake stands up to Donald Trump...almost

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake was this close.

Really, really close…to standing up to Donald Trump.

According to the Washington Post, when Trump met with Republican senators in D.C. on Thursday his “most tense exchange” was with Flake.

Yes!

Flake does what McCain should

According to reports, it went like this:

Trump tells Flake, “You’ve been very critical of me.”

Flake responds, “Yes, I’m the other senator from Arizona — the one who didn’t get captured — and I want to talk to you about statements like that.”

ROBERTS:I'm the other senator, remember?

This is awesome. This is great.

This is Flake doing what Sen. John McCain should be doing, only instead McCain is kowtowing to The Donald in hopes it will help him get reelected.

So, Flake apparently brought up some of the many, many reasons Republicans should we wary of supporting Trump. Much of it involving the candidates incendiary rhetoric about things like immigration and on and on.

It was all going well, apparently, until according to the Post Flake told Trump,  “I’m not part of the Never Trump movement.”

Why not join #NeverTrump?

Why not?

Can we not for one second forget the (R) or (D) stuff?

I get why Flake is no fan of Hillary Clinton. Lots of us are not fans of Hillary Clinton. But compared to Trump?

Even worse than saying he was not part of the “Never Trump” movement, Flake apparently said while he’s not yet actively backing Trump that, as the Post put it, “he wants to be able to support him.”

Really? Why?

What’s a Republican to do if he doesn’t support either the Democrat OR the Republican for president?

Pull an Alexander Hamilton

He should follow the example of Alexander Hamilton. It’s a way out that I’ve mentioned before.

Back in the day Hamilton wasn’t too keen on the idea of John Adams, with whom he shared a party affiliation, remaining president.

Hamilton said he would rather have someone from the opposing party, led by Thomas Jefferson, win the presidency.

Why would he want such a thing? he was asked.

Hamilton explained it this way.

He said: “If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures."

Are you listening Sen. Flake?

MORE FROM E.J. MONTINI:

Montini: Trump insanely praises Saddam Hussein

Montini: If Trump was Montini his boss would say: 'You're fired!'