This should not be a story. The headline "Senate Republicans Seek Sanctions Against Hostile Foreign Power" should not be shocking. Neither should "Senate Republicans Distance Themselves From Criminal Espionage Investigation." And yet here we are. Donald Trump has transformed our political discourse into a shoddy Tilt-A-Whirl, one operated by a drunk tween with a peach fuzz mustache and a shit-ton of fireworks in his backpack. And yet, even as America careens toward apocalypse, splattering its red, white, and blue vomit across the world stage, Congressional Republicans have seemed unwilling to stop the ride, or hold Trump accountable for anything. Even as he has offended our allies and SEEMINGLY COMMITTED OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, Republicans have stayed in line. Until now.

According to Politico, Senate Democrats are about to strike a deal with, and I can't believe I'm saying this, Mitch "Satan's Turtle" McConnell, and Senate Republicans to strengthen sanctions against Russia. It's a decision that will, I'm guessing, lead to a long and angry voicemail left on Donald Trump's iPhone by an unknown Moscow number in the dead of night.

A successful vote to punish Moscow would give a key win to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a longtime Russia hawk who telegraphed his interest in a deal when he agreed to combine the issue with an Iran sanctions bill teed up for passage this week. If negotiators can’t agree on a strong Russia sanctions package, however, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has warned that Democrats would defect from an Iran bill that most of them otherwise support. "Any member of the Congress who doesn't want to punish Russia for what they have done is betraying democracy," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday. "And if the president doesn't sign the bill to punish Russia, he would be betraying democracy."

Now maybe this is all lip service. Maybe this doesn't end up happening. Or...Maybe, just maybe, we're beginning to see the early stages of Congressional Republicans breaking with Donnie. Maybe we're seeing them realize that if they want to get their (granted, super evil) agenda passed, they can't constantly play defense for an unhinged, Russia-loving Trump. And depending on where Robert Mueller's investigation leads, maybe we're seeing a willingness by Republicans to cut their losses and move on to President Pence, who, while I disagree with him about everything, at least wouldn't launch nuclear weapons based on something he saw on Fox & Friends.