Tag Archives: Republican National Party

Look!  No Handshakes!

U.S. Capitol Hill police officer Brian Sicknick received a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal on December 6.

This past Tuesday, December 6, the Capitol Hill Police officers who battled enraged mobs on January 6, 2021 received Congressional Gold Medals – the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. Congress to individuals and institutions for distinguished achievements and contributions.  They certainly deserve them.

Among the recipients was the late Brian Sicknick, an Air Force veteran whose family accepted on his behalf.  Sicknick suffered a stroke amidst the chaos of January 6 and died the next day.  But something curious happened on Tuesday.

Sicknick’s family refused to shake hands with leaders of the Republican Party – Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Kevin McCarthy.  It wasn’t because they’re die-hard Democrats (what are often called “yellow dog” Democrats in Texas; meaning someone would rather vote for a yellow dog than a Republican) and certainly not merely to cause a ruckus.  To them it was a matter of “integrity”.

Integrity is an attribute that has been lacking in American politics for decades.  What little of it remained in Washington in January of 2017 was obliterated by Donald Trump and his supporters.  Like many Americans Sicknick’s family is disgusted with the GOP leadership as a whole; particularly their failure (unwillingness) to stand up to Trump and call out his repulsive behavior.  Trump’s disrespect for entire groups of people, discombobulated verbiage and other incendiary acts culminated in the horror of January 6 – a truly unprecedented event in American history.

While it may seem petty, even childish, on their part, I’m glad the Sicknicks decided not to be painfully polite and shake the hands of McConnell and McCarthy.  Craig Sicknick, one of Brian’s brothers, expressed no qualms about his family’s decision.  “I really do not hold respect for people who have no integrity,” he said.  “Which is what – this is not a partisan issue, this is an integrity issue. They took an oath to defend and uphold the Constitution.  And when somebody challenges it, like Trump, they do nothing.  Their silence is deafening.  Or worse they keep perpetrating the same policies and lies that caused the insurrection to happen.”

Previously McConnell has condemned Trump’s actions, but McCarthy has visited the former president at his Mar-a-Lago estate several times over the past year.  Conservatives frequently criticized former President Bill Clinton for his varied sexual indiscretions and even tried to remove him from office for one such liaison.  But, when Trump arrived on the scene with his third wife and a slew of even more reprehensible follies, they suddenly seemed to enter a forgiving state of mind.  Moreover, they let Trump reconfigure the entire Republican Party into a circus of hate and violence.

It’s also worth noting that 21 Republicans voted against granting any of those officers Congressional Gold Medals last year.  One, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, explained that he was bothered by the use of the term “insurrectionists” to describe the rioters.

“I think if we call that an insurrection, it could have a bearing on their case that I don’t think would be good,” Massie said, later adding, “If they just wanted to give the police recognition, they could have done it without trying to make it partisan, without sticking that in there.”

Partisan?  Really?  Hearing Republicans complain about partisanship is like hearing a drug addict complain about a friend’s alcoholism.

Integrity does matter.  The Capitol Hill police officers displayed it unrelentingly on January 6.  We need more of it across the world.

Leave a comment

Filed under Essays

Political Cartoon of the Week – July 30, 2022

Jimmy Margulies

2 Comments

Filed under News

Video of the Week – July 2, 2022

During a debate for the Republican nomination in Wyoming, current Rep. Liz Cheney explains her position on the January 6 Committee.

Leave a comment

Filed under News

Tweet of the Week – May 21, 2022

Liz Cheney

Leave a comment

Filed under News

Political Cartoon of the Week – April 9, 2022

DonkeyHotey

Leave a comment

Filed under News

Best Quote of the Week – April 9, 2022

“I think — you know, a lot of my friends are registered Republicans living out there.  They think that too.  I mean, it’s just so outrageous.  That $2 trillion tax cut, the last guy — what was his name?  Anyway, the last guy…I forgot it.  He never showed up for the inauguration, but anyway.”

President Joe Biden, at North America’s Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference

Leave a comment

Filed under News

Political Cartoon of the Week – April 2, 2022

DonkeyHotey

Leave a comment

Filed under News

Best Quotes of the Week – March 12, 2022

“Division superintendents disagree with your assumption that discriminatory and divisive concepts have become widespread in Virginia school divisions.”

Howard Kiser, executive director of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, in a letter to Jillian Balow, the state superintendent of schools, regarding Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s “tip line” set up to let parents complain about teachers and principals

All 133 Virginia public school division superintendents have urged Youngkin to scrap the “tip line” and have asked him to stop his campaign against the teaching of “divisive” content in schools.

The superintendents were reacting to a report Balow issued last month aimed at fulfilling promises Youngkin made during his campaign last year to end the teaching of critical race theory (CRT), an academic framework for studying systemic racism.  The concept had never been on the Virginia’s curriculum, but the first executive order Youngkin issued within hours of being inaugurated January 15 was aimed at banning CRT.  He later announced the establishment of the tip line for parents to tell the state about teachers or principals exposing students to materials deemed objectionable.

“Republicans are anxious — very anxious indeed — to tell us that Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn doesn’t speak for his fellow Republicans.  Sen. Lindsey Graham rushed to the microphone to assure us that Cawthorn is an outlier ‘in the largest sense possible on our side.’”

Charlie Sykes, regarding Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s denouncement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a column for The Bulwark

Sykes added, “This is also important to remember: Until about five minutes ago, Cawthorn’s remarks were more or less basic talking points among the MAGA right — and not just talking points, but holy script. His attitude is deeply embedded in the right’s DNA. So, it’s easy to imagine Cawthorn today, looking around at his GOP critics and asking: Dude, what do you mean ‘outlier?’ I’m just saying what we’ve all been saying for years now! He’d have a point.”

Leave a comment

Filed under News

Best Quotes of the Week – February 26, 2022

“There’s no Team America for Trump.  Not once did I see him do anything to put America first. Not once. Not for a single second.”

Fiona Hill, former Senior Director for Europe and Russia at the United States National Security Council, about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis and her belief that former President Donald Trump exacerbated the tension

“All this did was say to Russia that Ukraine was a playground,” Hill added, noting Trump’s admiration for Putin and his disapproval of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). She also highlighted Trump’s longstanding pushback against Ukraine as he relentlessly tried to obtain incriminating information on President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.  The controversy surrounding Ukraine was a major component of Trump’s first impeachment trial.

“[O]nly Donald Trump could stand in that way. Only Donald Trump and what he says and how he says it could prevent Republicans from winning the majority.  If he makes this about November of 2020 or January of 2021, that could cost the Republicans the Senate.”

Frank Luntz, Republican pollster, stating the Republican Party could regain control of both houses of congress during this year’s midterm elections, if Donald Trump doesn’t interfere

Luntz also said, “If you look at the polling data, and you do the focus groups, you talk to independents as I have done.  I find it difficult to see any other conclusion than Republicans winning control of the House and winning control of the Senate in November.  Now a lot of stuff can change.  And I know that we don’t know what’s going to happen in Ukraine.  But Republicans should win both of those based on what’s happening right now and what we know is going to happen in the coming months.”

Leave a comment

Filed under News

Back-Track Quote of the Week – February 12, 2022

“It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell, commenting on a resolution by the Republican National Party about the January 6, 2021 riot on Capitol Hill

McConnell added, “the issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views than the majority.  That’s not the job of the RNC.”

Leave a comment

Filed under News