Not “moral heroism,” just the modicum of integrity that we expect decent people to manifest. Just contrast these guys to some of their GOP colleagues. Ann Wagner, my US representative, expressed disgust with Trump being Trump, backed down when she saw how the ground lay in MO, now coos sweet nothings about Trump and manages to achieve her longtime goals of letting bankers return to their pre-2008 wild west. Flake and Corker could have done something similar, but they chose to be honest about Trump because of the threat he poses to all of us, conservative or progressive. True – they’ve “gone along” in the past and will continue to do so when they agree with actual policies in play – but their motive is not to “get along” but simply to serve their conservative policy preferences. They don’t deserve a medal for this, but they do get credit for their integrity in this instance.

But they aren’t really bucking the GOP go-along-to-get-along tradition because they are a) getting along just fine with their peers by voting with them on legislation and/or supporting them where it counts and b) not seeking re-election. There is no need to get along, even if that were the case, right? They’re not fellow combatants, they are taking themselves out of the fight. It’s not a coincidence that they announced they will not be running for re-election before criticizing Trump. I’m telling ya, Willy, this is a strategic move on their part. Not sincere in the least. I have no proof, of course, just my opinion, but they have proven many times over they can’t be trusted. Where was all this good judgment leading up to the election last year, anyway? That is when this type of move would have had meaning, had punch. I don’t disagree with you in the least about Trump and his impact, I’m just not buying these guys’ “moral heroism”.

They vote with their party because they agree with conservative policy prescriptions. They aren’t violating their principles in the least, although to me, as a progressive, their principles are misplaced. When we notices that they are showing integrity because they buck the GOP go-along-to-get-along mandate in the case of Trmp’s obvious unfitness, we’re not endorsing their voting record, but welcoming more combatants in the struggle against the existential threat to democratic norms that is posed by a mentally and morally unfit president who may actually be in league with or in someway influenced by a foreign power with interests that run counter to those of the U.S.