Here’s the thing, in my fantasy world of being somewhat consistent, I believe “party” officials ought to exercise more assertiveness toward elected officials enjoying Republican support (with the platform as the guide), rather than being the lickspittles for the incumbents once they get elected.
Regrettably the prevailing mindset down to much of the rank and file in Iowa (if not Wyoming) seems to be heavily skewed away from the elected official being the votarist of the party instead of the other way around. Now Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger might contend they have the purity of spirit of the party, but the party has spoken, and they do not. The shield of saying something is a “matter of conscience” is fine, but it does not trump the party from exercising its conscience on a matter that rises to a high level of concern and telling such people of conscience where to get off.
1) That said, with the substitution of terms like “hazarding the republic” something like the RNC resolution censuring Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger could (arguably) ought apply to those Republicans who refused even a 10 day delay to the perfunctory electoral count held and protested on January 6, 2021. The purpose of the delay advocated by the Senate’s best Constitutional lights, was to allow an audit and hearing of the serious evidence-fueled challenges to the results of the November 2020 presidential election.
A censure could properly apply to the dereliction of duty to be the appropriate bulwark against the possibility of electoral fraud ignored by the judiciary in washing their hands of the matter and refusing to hear evidence due to a claimed lack of jurisdiction in spite of serious constitutional arguments and historic precedent made whole by sworn testimony, obvious official illegalities, and incredible anomalies.
Given what Democrats had telegraphed as to what they would do with the trifecta of power (ill-gotten as it was) Republicans in Congress should have supported such an effort by Congress because there was ample reason and authority to do so, whether or not a push for a thorough audit and hearing would pass, in order to send a message about the integrity of the vote.
Should a forensic audit validate an electoral college victory for Biden it is important to be part of confirming the legitimacy of the election, rather than a rubber stamp. A system of forensic auditing ought to automatically be part of every election process, not mere “canvasses” which might only recount garbage.
2) Distinctions as to intent and culpability of elected Republicans can be entirely appropriate, but strain validity when 19 Republicans knowingly vote in a manner to facilitate huge debt supporting a bill larded with progenitor “studies’ buttressing bureaucracies and benefitting big government intrusions. The Biden Administration is in many ways, resident evil. Facilitating their designs ought to be censurable.
3) Censure could apply to those Republicans who engaged in Democrat talking points and calumny about the events of January 6, who extended blame to President Trump and grotesquely implied that the whole of the throng gathered that day who protested in support of election integrity, were responsible for lives lost coincidently that day, as if it were a murderous rampage.
Essential truths about Jan. 6 were known long before the speechifying by the censurable ended — including that the only one who died that day as a result of participation in the demonstrations was a diminutive unarmed woman who was unjustifiably shot by a policeman, a woman ignored by all other policemen as not being a threat who were in as close or closer proximity to her than her assailant.
When such censurable matters (3 listed) apply to a group of the same Republicans, including Senator Charles Grassley, the cause for their censure of some sort is enhanced not ameliorated. Liz Cheney (and Kinzinger to a lesser extent) had some solid Republican votes in her time but those are eclipsed by serious faithlessness and disloyalty to the overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrators inside and outside the Capitol that day and the party as a whole. They deserved to be censured for the reasons set forth in the RNC resolution.
Cooperating with the Democrat propaganda machine to paint any overwrought incursion into the Capitol building that day as an insurrection encouraged by President Trump is hateful bunk. No congressional hearings are necessary as regards demonstrations on Jan. 6th other than to investigate overzealous prosecution and inhumane treatments of those arrested.
Below is a rendering of the resolution passed by the RNC on Friday. Note that the usual suspects are purposefully headlining the statement WHEREAS, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger are participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse, as suggesting that the RNC is saying ALL the activity even the vandalism we have noted as wrongful was “legitimate political discourse”. It is not and the RNC has not said so because they did not use the word ALL. It is correct to say that legitimate political discourse has been caught up in the Democrat led, Cheney and Kinzinger supported witch hunt — especially Trump’s remarks — and individuals who never set foot inside the Capitol, (or were ushered in according to some) for the minorest of infractions that are usually not prosecuted in DC.
RESOLUTION TO FORMALLY CENSURE LIZ CHENEY AND ADAM
KINZINGER AND TO NO LONGER SUPPORT THEM AS MEMBERS OF
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
WHEREAS, The primary mission of the Republican Party is to elect Republicans who support the United States Constitution and share our values:
WHEREAS, The Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress have embarked on a
systematic effort to replace liberty with socialism; eliminate border security in favor of lawless, open borders; create record inflation designed to steal the American dream from our children and grandchildren; neuter our national defense and a peace through strength foreign policy; replace President Trump’s “Operation Warp Speed with incompetence and illegal mandates; and destroy America’s economy with the Green New Deal;
WHEREAS, Winning back the majority in Congress, including the United States House of
Representatives, in 2022 must be the primary goal of the House Republican Conference
(“Conference”) and requires all Republicans working together to accomplish the same;
WHEREAS, The Conference must design the strategy to stop the radical Biden agenda and retire Nancy Pelosi, tasks which require that all Republicans pull in the same direction;
WHEREAS, The Conference must not be sabotaged by Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam
Kinzinger who have demonstrated, with actions and words, that they support Democrat efforts to destroy President Trump more than they support winning back a Republican majority in 2022;
WHEREAS, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger have engaged in actions in their positions as members of the January 6th Select Committee not befitting Republican members of Congress, which include the Committee’s disregard for minority rights, traditional checks and balances, due process, and adherence to other precedent and rules of the U.S. House and which seem intent on advancing a political agenda to buoy the Democrat Party’s bleak prospects in the upcoming midterm elections;
WHEREAS, Congressional Republicans bear ultimate responsibility for their own success or failure and the NC supports their efforts by denouncing those who deliberately jeopardize victory in November on which the future of our constitutional republic depends at this critical moment in history;
WHEREAS, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger purport to be members of the Republican Party; and
WHEREAS, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger are participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse, and they are both utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Republican National Committee hereby formally censures Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and shall immediately cease any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party for their behavior which has been destructive to the institution of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republican Party and our republic, and is inconsistent with the position of the Conference.
