Shelby Could Do the Right Thing and Swing the Impeachment Vote Against Trump – But He Won’t –

Republican U.S. Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama won’t seek reelection in 2022: Video screen shot

Editor’s Note: In our continuing series showing how the press should be operating in America, as opposed to how it operates now and how it has failed in the 21st century, here is our take on the announced retirement of U.S. Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama.

The Big Picture – 
By Glynn Wilson – 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — So I was sitting in the kitchen in the bed and breakfast the other day talking about the impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump, and mentioned to the proprietor the news that Republican U.S. Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, at 86, had announced he would not seek reelection in two years.

“Who is that?” she asked. “Never heard of him.”

“That’s because he’s never done anything,” I said.

Down in Alabamaland, the news that Shelby would not seek reelection set off a scramble of people lining up to run for his seat, which he has held for 20 years.

In one of the last times I wrote about Shelby, I begged him to vote to impeach Trump in the first Senate trial last winter.

An Open Letter to U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, Republican of Alabama

Of course in the end, he did not have the courage or the convictions to do the right thing. And I doubt anything will change now that he’s decided not to seek reelection.

But who knows?

Maybe he was scared and appalled enough at the Capitol insurrection and breach that he might join the six other Republicans who have at least indicated they might join Democrats in voting to impeach Trump and prevent him from running for election again in 2024.

But I doubt it.

His entire career is a prime example of how do nothing Republicans have failed to provide actual leadership and show people that this country can be governed.

Six Republicans voted Tuesday that an impeachment trial of a former president was constitutional, allowing the trial to proceed: Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

No protest from Shelby.

Meanwhile, down in my home town of Birmingham, the pathetic blog called Al dot com, which used to be The Birmingham News, simply gushed all over Shelby as if he was some kind of a bronze god for all the pork barrel federal money he’s brought home to the state over the years, as if that was all the people should expect from elected public officials.

Richard Shelby announces retirement from U.S. Senate

“For everything, there is a season,” Shelby said in his statement. “Today I announce that I will not seek a seventh term in the United States Senate in 2022.”

“Shelby’s retirement is a blow for Alabama, given his seniority in the Senate and his ability to funnel millions of dollars to the state for various projects over the years – most recently an FBI campus at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville expected to top $1 billion,” the Birmingham blog gushed. “He was also widely credited for the Air Force decision to designate Huntsville as the ‘preferred site’ for U.S. Space Command headquarters.”

They went on to quote all manner of do nothing Republicans around the state as if they were writing Shelby’s actual obituary. But they totally failed to find one Democrat who might offer an alternative view of Shelby’s mostly do nothing tenure.

Where is the even one example of how Shelby used his power and position to actually lead the people in his state, maybe to turn them away from their virulent and even violent anti-government views?

If the press in this state and country is not going to show leadership, why should we expect leadership from elected officials?

Pathetic.