This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Theorem:

— What stops Republicans from behaving rationally? — Jennifer Rubin | The Washington Post

" ... First, unlike Senate and House Republicans during Watergate, there are few genuine leaders of principle whose sense of propriety is offended by Trump. The moral and intellectual quality of the current crew of Republicans pales in comparison to the type of Republicans who finally told Richard Nixon the jig was up. Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., House Minority Leader Jacob Rhodes, R-Ariz., and Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott, R-Pa., who went to the White House, have few if any equals in today's House and Senate. ..."

Proof:

— Mike Lee says no evidence of Trump obstruction, wrongdoing, time to move on — Courtney Tanner | The Salt Lake Tribune

"Republican Sen. Mike Lee said he's yet to see 'anything, even a scintilla' of evidence indicating that President Donald Trump obstructed justice in his interactions with former FBI Director James Comey.

" 'And so it's time to wrap this up, and it's time to move on,' the Utah senator said in a Sunday appearance on ABC News' 'This Week.'..."

More proof:

— Chaffetz says fired FBI chief's testimony a win for White House, shows nothing 'illegal or nefarious' by President Trump — Thomas Burr | The Salt Lake Tribune

"Washington • U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz said Thursday that fired FBI Director James Comey's sworn testimony before a Senate committee validated President Donald Trump's arguments that he is not under investigation and was a win for the White House and a loss for Democrats hoping there was something more damaging that would emerge.

" 'It's a bad day in that we're not talking about health care or taxes or other pertinent issues — these things are a distraction — but the danger of President Trump doing something illegal or nefarious, I think, there was nothing there that would bolster those claims,' said Chaffetz, the outgoing chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee who had hoped to question Comey himself. ..."