Truth and Consequences

Recently the TV news showed an old video from 2019 of current Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) besieging the locked office door of Representative Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez (D-NY) (AOC) and shouting provocative statements into the mail slot. Greene started her campaign for Congress shortly after this incident. She was accompanied then by a man who was later part of the group, taking part in the insurrection. Last week she followed AOC down a corridor in the Capitol shouting at her along the way. Greene also harassed newly elected Cori Bush (D-MO), who is Black, so much that Bush moved her office far away from Greene. Although Republican leadership supposedly admonished her about her behavior, it took the House Democratic membership to remove her from her committee assignments, so she has been relieved of any responsibilities and allowed to roam free from restriction. Several House members have voiced doubts about her command of reality. She, however, remains a loyal supporter of the former president and of the lies he spreads.

Representative Liz Cheney who has told the truth about the 2020 election, voted to certify the election, voted for impeachment, and opposed the party line about the insurrection and the electoral process has been drummed out of her leadership position by a voice vote. She has also stated that refusal to acknowledge the truths of the election and the insurrection will lead to future acts akin to those of January 6^th. Cheney, who has valid conservative principles and has tried to speak truth to power, is no longer being tolerated by leadership.

What does this tell us about the direction of the Republican Party? A party that is built on lies will eventually fall just as a House of Cards cannot tolerate the slightest shift. Cheney’s successor Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is supposedly a policy wonk, but there is a little policy in the recent pronouncements from Minority leader McCarthy (R-CA) or Stefanik. Promises are being made to run primary opposition candidates to all Republicans who voted to certify the election or support Impeachment. So, it seems that the penalty for truth-telling by Republicans is to be disowned by those in power in the party.

In an attempt to reinforce the Big Lie(s)at hearings this week in the House, Representative Clyde (R-GA) claimed that the people who were in the Capitol on January 6^th were there as tourists walking through the halls, following the roped lines and snapping selfies. There indeed were some such people. Of course, he omitted the broken windows and doors, the ransacking of the halls and offices, and defecation and urination in public spaces. He also omitted the injuries to more than 150 police officers, the thefts and destruction of government property, and the deaths that occurred that day. Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) called Clyde out as a photo surfaced of Clyde apparently attempting to barricade a door along with House security during the battle for the House. Truth-telling seems to be missing here as well. But what are the consequences?

The hearing in the House this week noted that nearly 500 Americans have been arrested for their actions at the Capitol that day. It was learned that one of those arrested was an active duty, Marine Major. Major Christopher Warnagiris was charged on five counts with assaulting or impeding a police officer, obstruction, and unlawful entry. The military has a long road to follow to discern how many current and former members of the military or National Guard have been radicalized by paramilitary groups. So far, only two insurrectionists who were charged have pled guilty.

The House finally agreed this week to convene a January 6^th Investigatory Commission. There will be five members from each party, but no additional members from President Biden. This commission would be vested with subpoena power and the authority to investigate those who stormed the Capitol. Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) who had wanted a Democratic majority on the commission relented on that issue but refused to cave to the Republican demands that Black Lives Matter demonstrations and Antifa attacks also are included as she said they were not at the Capitol on that day. Given the extreme partisanship in the House, I am hopeful (but doubtful) that a consensus can be reached on any eventual conclusion. The 911 commission should be a model for these efforts as it produced a unified bipartisan final report. Ten years ago the commission produced a follow-up report on its findings, many of which had not even then been implemented. I do hope that ten years from now that we are still not waiting for any advice given by the January 6^th commission to be followed.

I noticed a report in the Washington Post which noted that a former member of the Military with high-security clearances was convicted of spying for the Russians over many years. According to the military, he caused great damage to military operations during his career; he was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. His mother was from Russia and he was recruited when a student in Russia and a member of student ROTC. He later married a Russian woman whose father was a high-ranking Russian Military officer and was directed in his career choices over many years by his handlers. While we in America think often of two-year cycles, our enemies are often playing a long game. Just something to keep in mind.

Another issue in the news this week was the gas shortage in parts of the east coast due to a shutdown of pipeline services from a Russian-based attacker in a cyber ransom attack. The news led to long gas lines, panic buying, and some acts of absolute stupidity as customers were seen loading multiple gas containers into trunks and filling large plastic bags with gasoline. Didn’t any of these “geniuses” realize that gasoline is incredibly flammable? Shaking my head on this one!

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This week saw the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announce that enough people have been vaccinated to allow some relaxation of the mask requirements for all. They indicated that those who are fully vaccinated may go without a mask in certain circumstances. Restrictions are still in place on public transportation, medical facilities, and some crowded spaces or restaurants, but open spaces and some public areas can be mask-free. The remaining question is how will we know if someone is following the rules and being truthful about their vaccination status? Basically, we have to rely on people accepting these new rules. Will the red/blue divide still stand? Many professionals are skeptical about this decision and fear that it will bring about a spike in illnesses. When I shopped today-I wore my mask even though I am fully vaccinated and saw many others doing the same.

Elsewhere the pandemic is still ravaging India and many parts of Asia and South America. Daily death rates exceeded 4000 in recent days in India as the disease spread from the crowded cities to the countryside where facilities are scarce. Western nations are still rushing supplies to India, but I fear that this is too little, too late.

The US is now reporting that 37% of the population is fully vaccinated and that 47% have partial vaccination. Currently, the US is reporting that 273,545,207 vaccinations have been given, with 47% of the population having received one shot and 37% who are fully vaccinated. Maryland is reporting 53.3% who are vaccinated with one dose and with 42.3% fully vaccinated. The “herd immunity number” is expected to be 70% fully vaccinated, so we are far from that statistic. Some red states are still vaccine-resistant. Maryland cases have been under 500 most days this week, which is a new normal low.

COVID stats NY Times:

Total US cases: 32,967,351. New cases: 32,041. Total deaths: 585,572. New deaths: 610.

Maryland totals: Cases 455,635. New cases: 378. Total deaths: 8,925. New deaths: 17.

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A final note about Liz Cheney and the GOP. In a report for the Brookings Institute, Elaine Kamarck, a Senior Fellow for Governance Studies and founding director of The Center for Effective Public Management writes that while Liz Cheney may have lost her opportunity to become a Minority Leader or Speaker, she might be fortifying her bid for the Presidency in 2024. Kamarck notes that the Republican electorate has aged and that younger voters are coming in as Democrats. She writes that others speak of more tolerance about change among the younger electorate and more fears of displacement among older voters. She indicated that the former president is aging and beset by legal problems and is not likely to be a candidate in the next presidential election. Many conservatives have stated their dismay that the former administration did not adhere to prescribed values of limited governance. However, Kamarck also shows that now that Cheney is no longer tied to the hierarchy in the House, she is free to further her conservative philosophy and rebuild the party in the direction of those values. By doing this, she may also be setting herself up to run for president in 2024. 

Her success may depend upon deposing the MAGA majority in the Party or by creating a viable alternative. We should know more after the results of the midterm elections. The jockeying around with voter regulations in several red states demonstrates how worried the Republicans are about free and fair elections. They are brazenly trying to diminish the youth vote and that of black and brown voters.

The voting in 2022 may be a war between those who support democracy and those who believe in autocracy. Stacey Abrams recently said in an interview “that partisanship has come to overwhelm citizenship”. Don’t say that you were not warned.

“Til next week -peace!