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As Donald Trump took his obstreperous circus act to Brussels for the NATO summit this week, Congressional Republicans, who heretofore assumed a figurative fetal position in the face of the President’s bullying, decided it was okay to stand-up now that he was on another continent.

News Item, thehill.com, July 10

“[The Senate] on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted in favor of a motion supporting NATO, as President Trump continues to criticize the alliance ahead of his summit in Europe. The nonbinding motion, which came as the Senate voted to reconcile its version of the annual defense policy bill with that of the House, expresses the Senate’s support for NATO and calls on negotiators to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to it.”

“The 97-2 vote in the Senate comes as Trump heads to Brussels… Democratic Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.) proposed the measure, calling the U.S. support for NATO "ironclad."

News Item, thehill.com, July 11

“The House on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution expressing support for NATO as President Trump roiled allies with escalating calls for increased spending from alliance members.”

“The House, which added the NATO resolution to its schedule this week, approved the item via voice vote, according to multiple reports. It calls NATO “the most important and critical security link between the United States and Europe.”

It is anyone’s guess why Republicans decided that this was the time to, as they say on the street, “grow a pair”. NATO is the cornerstone of the liberal order that has dominated world affairs since the end of World War II; perhaps the seven-decade history of the alliance factored into the GOP decision. With Trump reprising his buffoonish behavior at last month's G7 meeting, some Republicans may sense it is time to distance themselves from what could be an upcoming trainwreck. If so, was it their intent to signal reassurance to European leaders at the same time Trump is befouling the summit with personal insults and silly demands? That would be a direct rebuff of Trump’s insistence that NATO deal on his terms. And how does it all square with the fact seven Republican Senators and a Congresswoman spent July 4, our most patriotic national holiday, in Moscow hobnobbing with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov?

Patriotism and honor are only pushed by the GOP when they face an exigency requiring they rev up their base. Instead, the dominant characteristic of recent Republican politics has been a swarmy, craven cynicism.  It should come as no surprise, for example, that the party of big business and free trade is getting the message their donors in the business community are unhappy with Trump inciting a trade war. GOP legislators understand that following Trump lemming-like off a cliff is not in their political self-interest. Rising consumer prices and stagnant wage growth portend a looming economic downturn in an election year. Except for diehard Trumpsters, many voters are are being turned off by the immigration kerfuffle.

With Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to fill Anthony Kennedy’s seat on the Supreme Court, Establishment conservatives and social conservatives got exactly what they bargained for when they threw in with the New York narcissist. Taking a risk that Trump may have the opportunity to appoint a third justice will do them no good if they lose their majorities. The evolving mindset may be to abandon ship before Trump steers it onto the rocks. Would they do this for the good of the nation or their own self interest- which is to remain on the payroll of the plutocrats who fund them?

Take a guess.