Top Senate Democrat Harry Reid is among those who is enjoying the hell out of the GOP establishment’s quandary over how to put down the Trump insurrection. The more time that Republicans spend in trying to commit fratricide against their own front-runner the less time and money that is expended on keeping Hillary Clinton out of the White House come November. Reid is a longtime political trickster well versed in the art of deception and he is gleefully pouring gasoline on the fire to bait Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell into going after the Donald and leaving their flanks unprotected for a liberal surge designed to retake Congress.

According to a report from the Associated Press “Senate Dem leader accuses GOP of ‘moral cowardice’ on Trump”:

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on Thursday accused the House and Senate Republican leadership of “moral cowardice” for failing to stand up to GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

In a speech on GOP policies and Trump’s success, the Nevada Democrat said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have tried to have it both ways, saying they intend to support the eventual nominee while assailing Trump for his call to bar Muslims from the United States and his slow disavowal of the support from white supremacist groups.

“Giving Trump a slap on the wrist each time he says something detestable, but always committing to support him at the end of the day,” Reid said in a speech at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank. “This is precisely the kind of moral cowardice that enabled the rise of Trump.”

Reid offered a scathing critique of Trump, from the candidate’s embrace of the widely debunked notion that President Barack Obama is not American-born to his bombastic campaign comments.

“Trump has made disgusting, sexist statements,” Reid said. “He has insulted veterans, immigrants and people with disabilities. Americans are being assaulted and taunted with racial slurs at Trump’s rallies. Violence is being threatened and committed against African-Americans with disturbing regularity. And Trump encourages it all.

“There is no gray area here. It is time for Sen. McConnell and Speaker Ryan to find the backbone to say: “Enough!” the Democrat said.

Neither Ryan nor McConnell’s office had immediate comment.

Both Ryan and McConnell were reportedly guests at that secretive Sea Island conclave where GOP leaders and operatives schmoozed with billionaire donors and influential media figures to scheme about how to stop Trump. Beltway rock star Ryan in particular has been increasingly distracted from his day job and has been engaging in more frequent attacks on the front-runner and plotting how to rig the game in time for July’s brokered convention.

With the entire Republican establishment fixated on retaining their jobs and lofty status even to the point of putting the Clintons back in the Oval Office they are going to end up being caught with their pants down when it comes to protecting those congressional majorities. Reid understands this and he is about to give young Ryan a lesson in Machiavellian power politics that he won’t soon forget.