But in the weeks that followed, the first-term Republican issued a news release celebrating more than $3.7 million from the package that went to community health centers in her district as one of her “achievements.” She said she prided herself on “bringing federal funding to the district and back into the pockets of taxpayers.”
Malliotakis is far from alone.
Every Republican in Congress voted against the sweeping pandemic relief bill that President Joe Biden signed into law three months ago. But since the early spring votes, Republicans from New York and Indiana to Texas and Washington state have promoted elements of the legislation they fought to defeat.
The Republicans' favorite provisions represent a tiny sliver of the massive law, which sent $1,400 checks to millions of Americans, extended unemployment benefits until September, increased the child tax credit, offered housing assistance for millions of low-income Americans and expanded health care coverage. Republicans tried to negotiate a smaller package, arguing that Biden's plan was too expensive and not focused enough on the nation’s health and economic crises.
Democrats are promising to make the pandemic relief vote — and the Republican resistance to it — a central element in their political strategy moving into next year's midterm elections as they defend delicate House and Senate majorities. And there are early signs that Republicans may struggle to defend their opposition to the popular legislative package, which was designed to protect the nation's fragile economic recovery following the worst public health threat in a century.
GOP lawmakers have been especially bullish about promoting the rescue plan's Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which devoted $28.6 billion to the struggling industry. Applications for the program opened this week.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., topped a group of at least eight Republicans who have encouraged constituents to apply in recent days. The others included Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.; Greg Pence, R-Ind.; Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash.; Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas; Troy Balderson, R-Ohio; and Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio.
“The Congresswoman is using her platform to inform her constituents of federal funds and resources available to them,” Stefanik spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said. “She did not claim to support the bill in the tweet, and her constituents deserve to know about federal programs they can apply for regardless of how she votes.”
Wicker's office noted that he voted against the full package, but led efforts to ensure the restaurant relief was included.
“Sen. Wicker co-authored the amendment that successfully added the Restaurant provision to the reconciliation bill. Why wouldn’t he want to encourage participation?” Wicker spokesman Phillip Waller said.
The Independent Restaurant Coalition acknowledged the Republican's awkward position, but offered its thanks anyway.
“Senator Wicker did not vote for the package (we wish all members did!), but his work on the RESTAURANTS Act from the beginning made the relief fund possible,” the industry group tweeted. “We are grateful for that work.”
And White House spokesman Andrew Bates sarcastically expressed appreciation for the Republicans who have begun to tout elements of Biden’s stimulus.
“The American people — majorities of Democrats, independents, and Republicans — have long been firmly unified behind the American Rescue Plan,” Bates said. “So it’s heartening to see Republicans in Congress reaching across the aisle to endorse it — even retroactively.”
The politics of the Republican position are complicated.
The GOP ultimately benefited politically after uniting against the massive economic stimulus package signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009. Republicans scored massive gains in the House and Senate the following year. While the GOP is optimistic it will retake the House majority in 2022, it's far from clear whether the stimulus vote will help it get there.
Polling suggests the Biden stimulus is overwhelmingly popular. Two in 3 voters have consistently supported the $1.9 trillion package in recent polling, while individual elements such as the $1,400 direct payments to individuals are even more popular.
And just three months after the bill was signed into law, the Republican opposition has only begun to be tested.
The Democratic National Committee has already launched “digital takeovers” of local news websites in Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, Nevada, New Hampshire, Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania to thank Democrats and highlight the Republican obstruction. The White House's political arm has also put up billboards in 20 states calling out Republicans and focused on the Republican opposition in training for Democratic officials.
“Between now and next year’s midterm elections, we’re going to make sure every voter remembers how Republicans tried to stand in the way of this economic boom and our return to normalcy," said DNC spokesman Ammar Moussa. "And you can count on Democrats to call Republicans out for their hypocrisy when they try to tout the same programs they voted against.”
Beyond funding for restaurants, Republicans have also touted millions of dollars in health care grants allocated to their districts in the latest stimulus plan.
Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., in late March pointed to millions of dollars in such grants on social media, saying he was “proud” to see the taxpayer dollars returning to his district. A spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., issued a news release at roughly the same time to promote more than $41 million spread across 12 health care centers in his district.
“I am glad that this funding has been secured," he said, neglecting to mention how it was secured.
The four-term Republican congressman defended his decision to highlight the grants this week in a statement.
“Despite what anyone claims, all money that is appropriated by Congress is derived from the taxpayer, not President Biden," Mooney said. “Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent, especially as it affects their towns and communities.”
Malliotakis, who took office in January, promoted more than $3.7 million in health care grants from the Biden stimulus among her achievements in a self-issued “First 100 Days Report Card.”
"These grants were among the 9% of funds dedicated to COVID-19 relief that I was always in support of," Malliotakis said in a statement. “Regardless of any particular vote, I’m going to help individuals, small businesses and nonprofit organizations get funding they are entitled to."
I remember seeing the commercial w her saying she was "glad that funds were secure". Someone had mentioned that they don't want to see the pandemic end and voting against something that would help the people is doing just that.
0
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mickeyrat
up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 35,764
Opinion: Rep. Zoe Lofgren embarrassed Republicans with their own words. Now they seek to silence her.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) earned kudos from truth-tellers in March when she released a report simply documenting the social media posts of Republicans “who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election.” She compiled their
words, revealing a hodgepodge of conspiracy-mongering and lying about
the 2020 election. This was too much for the snowflake Republicans.
They
have now filed a complaint, a copy of which I have obtained, with the
Communication Standards Commission, an obscure body in the House
formerly known as the Mailing Standards Commission, as it historically
dealt primarily with franking issues.
The
complaint, filed by Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-Ga.), whines: “At
its core, the so-called report repeatedly violates the Commission’s
rules of decorum and civility by personalizing and politicizing attacks
on more than 100 Members of Congress for public statements they made on
social media.” Actually, it simply recorded Republicans’ own words,
thereby embarrassing them. He claims the report “engages in speculation
as to the motivation or intent of the Members,” but it does no such
thing. The giveaway is that Carter claims Lofgren only “insinuates”
members “aided and abetted the insurrection or incited the attack” on
Jan. 6.
Carter,
of course, did not come up with this on his own. The Republican ranking
member on the Committee on House Administration, Rep. Rodney Davis
(R-Ill.), solicited such complaints. As his staff wrote in a “Dear Colleagues” letter
that apparently was inadvertently released publicly: “If any Member
feels strongly that they want to take action against the report and
wants to know more about the process for filing a complaint with the
Communications Standards Commission please reach out to … schedule a
time for a call with our team.”
Lofgren
is having none of this. In her response to the complaint, which I also
obtained, she declares, “The Review does not violate the House of
Representatives’ Communications Standards Manual, which provides that
Members may use official communications resources to conduct official
business that relates directly or indirectly to congressional functions
and Federal issues of public concern. To the contrary, this Review is
critical to our obligations to the Constitution and our understanding of
the House’s responsibilities under the 14th Amendment.” (She refers to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prevents those who have engaged in insurgency from holding office, absent a waiver from Congress.)
She
reminds her colleagues that the disgraced former president was
impeached for “Incitement of Insurrection.” Therefore, the participation
of any members in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election is a
“fact-based question.” She explains:
In
order to make a determination regarding the application of the 14th
Amendment to sitting House Members, it would be necessary to examine the
actions and rhetoric of those Members. Accordingly, I asked my staff to
take a quick look at the social media postings of Members who had
objected to the counting of Electoral College votes in the same time
frame that the former President’s statements had been examined. It is,
of course, a judgment call for each Member to make whether any given
statements or the accumulation of those statements amounts to incitement
of insurrection.
The
nub of the problem for Republicans, as Lofgren points out, is that her
report “is a mirror that lists Members’ own words. If there are
screenshots of and/or links to communications that are ‘disparaging,’
including ‘personal insults, ad hominem attacks or attacks on a person’s
character,’ those communications were made by the Members of Congress
listed, not by me, and the Complainant could properly address his
concerns to those Members.”
The
Fix’s Aaron Blake breaks down the growing momentum among House
Republicans to oust Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from leadership and what it
means for the party. (JM Rieger/The Washington Post)
She
then quotes at length Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.),
who condemned the Former Guy after his acquittal and made clear that
there “is no question that President Trump is practically and morally
responsible for provoking the events of that day. The people who stormed
this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions
of their President. And their having that belief was a foreseeable
consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy
theories, and reckless hyperbole which the defeated President kept
shouting into the largest megaphone.” It was McConnell who declared the
problem was not merely the former president’s words but “the entire
manufactured atmosphere of looming catastrophe; the increasingly wild
myths about a reverse landslide election that was being stolen in some
secret coup by our now-President.”
In
other words, Jan. 6 was about the Big Lie that the election was stolen,
which many House Republicans helped spread and which they now insist Rep. Liz Cheney
(R-Wyo.) must countenance, if not embrace. Lofgren concludes: “There
has been much discussion about so-called 'cancel culture' of late, but I
can only note that Congressman Carter’s efforts to silence me could
never succeed in cancelling the dangerous, violent insurrectionist
misconduct the nation saw on display January 6th.”
Republicans’
political stupidity is hard to fathom. They chose to attack a strong,
informed woman (arguably the most knowledgeable on the subject of
impeachment and a master of House rules) for airing their own rhetoric.
Did they really think they were going to silence Zoe Lofgren, of all
people?
It’s
hard to think of a better way for Republicans to remind Americans of
their own wholly irresponsible conduct. (The complaint will go nowhere
since the commission is split 3-to-3.) What’s more, the timing is
priceless. This comes the same week the GOP is attempting to banish
Cheney from leadership for the “crime” of honesty, for refusing to sweep
Jan. 6 under the rug and for refusal to kneel (as they have) before the
MAGA cult leader. They simply cannot abide truth-telling women.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) earned kudos from truth-tellers in March when she released a report simply documenting the social media posts of Republicans “who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election.” She compiled their
words, revealing a hodgepodge of conspiracy-mongering and lying about
the 2020 election. This was too much for the snowflake Republicans.
They
have now filed a complaint, a copy of which I have obtained, with the
Communication Standards Commission, an obscure body in the House
formerly known as the Mailing Standards Commission, as it historically
dealt primarily with franking issues.
The
complaint, filed by Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-Ga.), whines: “At
its core, the so-called report repeatedly violates the Commission’s
rules of decorum and civility by personalizing and politicizing attacks
on more than 100 Members of Congress for public statements they made on
social media.” Actually, it simply recorded Republicans’ own words,
thereby embarrassing them. He claims the report “engages in speculation
as to the motivation or intent of the Members,” but it does no such
thing. The giveaway is that Carter claims Lofgren only “insinuates”
members “aided and abetted the insurrection or incited the attack” on
Jan. 6.
Carter,
of course, did not come up with this on his own. The Republican ranking
member on the Committee on House Administration, Rep. Rodney Davis
(R-Ill.), solicited such complaints. As his staff wrote in a “Dear Colleagues” letter
that apparently was inadvertently released publicly: “If any Member
feels strongly that they want to take action against the report and
wants to know more about the process for filing a complaint with the
Communications Standards Commission please reach out to … schedule a
time for a call with our team.”
Lofgren
is having none of this. In her response to the complaint, which I also
obtained, she declares, “The Review does not violate the House of
Representatives’ Communications Standards Manual, which provides that
Members may use official communications resources to conduct official
business that relates directly or indirectly to congressional functions
and Federal issues of public concern. To the contrary, this Review is
critical to our obligations to the Constitution and our understanding of
the House’s responsibilities under the 14th Amendment.” (She refers to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prevents those who have engaged in insurgency from holding office, absent a waiver from Congress.)
She
reminds her colleagues that the disgraced former president was
impeached for “Incitement of Insurrection.” Therefore, the participation
of any members in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election is a
“fact-based question.” She explains:
In
order to make a determination regarding the application of the 14th
Amendment to sitting House Members, it would be necessary to examine the
actions and rhetoric of those Members. Accordingly, I asked my staff to
take a quick look at the social media postings of Members who had
objected to the counting of Electoral College votes in the same time
frame that the former President’s statements had been examined. It is,
of course, a judgment call for each Member to make whether any given
statements or the accumulation of those statements amounts to incitement
of insurrection.
The
nub of the problem for Republicans, as Lofgren points out, is that her
report “is a mirror that lists Members’ own words. If there are
screenshots of and/or links to communications that are ‘disparaging,’
including ‘personal insults, ad hominem attacks or attacks on a person’s
character,’ those communications were made by the Members of Congress
listed, not by me, and the Complainant could properly address his
concerns to those Members.”
The
Fix’s Aaron Blake breaks down the growing momentum among House
Republicans to oust Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from leadership and what it
means for the party. (JM Rieger/The Washington Post)
She
then quotes at length Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.),
who condemned the Former Guy after his acquittal and made clear that
there “is no question that President Trump is practically and morally
responsible for provoking the events of that day. The people who stormed
this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions
of their President. And their having that belief was a foreseeable
consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy
theories, and reckless hyperbole which the defeated President kept
shouting into the largest megaphone.” It was McConnell who declared the
problem was not merely the former president’s words but “the entire
manufactured atmosphere of looming catastrophe; the increasingly wild
myths about a reverse landslide election that was being stolen in some
secret coup by our now-President.”
In
other words, Jan. 6 was about the Big Lie that the election was stolen,
which many House Republicans helped spread and which they now insist Rep. Liz Cheney
(R-Wyo.) must countenance, if not embrace. Lofgren concludes: “There
has been much discussion about so-called 'cancel culture' of late, but I
can only note that Congressman Carter’s efforts to silence me could
never succeed in cancelling the dangerous, violent insurrectionist
misconduct the nation saw on display January 6th.”
Republicans’
political stupidity is hard to fathom. They chose to attack a strong,
informed woman (arguably the most knowledgeable on the subject of
impeachment and a master of House rules) for airing their own rhetoric.
Did they really think they were going to silence Zoe Lofgren, of all
people?
It’s
hard to think of a better way for Republicans to remind Americans of
their own wholly irresponsible conduct. (The complaint will go nowhere
since the commission is split 3-to-3.) What’s more, the timing is
priceless. This comes the same week the GOP is attempting to banish
Cheney from leadership for the “crime” of honesty, for refusing to sweep
Jan. 6 under the rug and for refusal to kneel (as they have) before the
MAGA cult leader. They simply cannot abide truth-telling women.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee on "ghost guns" (firearms made at home that lack a serial number) on Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) tried to change the su...
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I’m getting a kick out of the very stable genius’s brilliant brilliance of brilliancy and how the repubs are in a feeding frenzy of eating their own. Have they no shame? We know they have no balls.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
You really have to wonder what is driving their fealty to POOTWH. Its a hoot to watch but I imagine there's a safe full of pictures and tapes, supplied by a certain someone, to hold over their heads. Its not like Roy Con, Roger Dodger Stoned, National Enquirer, Catch & Kill and holding Epstein like sway never existed, now has it? Funny how the squeaky clean ones like Mittens and Cheney are the ones speaking up. The others showing fealty might just be a lot more like Matt Getts Off than we know.
If anyone else has any theories for the self-destructive behavior, fealty to POOTWH and endorsement from leadership, I'm all ears.
You really have to wonder what is driving their fealty to POOTWH. Its a hoot to watch but I imagine there's a safe full of pictures and tapes, supplied by a certain someone, to hold over their heads. Its not like Roy Con, Roger Dodger Stoned, National Enquirer, Catch & Kill and holding Epstein like sway never existed, now has it? Funny how the squeaky clean ones like Mittens and Cheney are the ones speaking up. The others showing fealty might just be a lot more like Matt Getts Off than we know.
If anyone else has any theories for the self-destructive behavior, fealty to POOTWH and endorsement from leadership, I'm all ears.
cheap and easy. thats all. doesnt require and policy ideas OR chops. pander to the lowest aspects of white culture.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
that dude is a member of the us house of representatives.
if that child can get elected, i can get elected.
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.- Hemingway
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
0
Options
mickeyrat
up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 35,764
More than 100 influential Republicans plan to release a call for reforms within the GOP alongside a threat to form a new party if change isn't forthcoming, a person familiar with the effort said.
The statement, set to be released Thursday, involves a "Call for American Renewal," a credo that declares that it is imperative to "either reimagine a party dedicated to our founding ideals or else hasten the creation of such an alternative." The push will include 13 yet-to-be-revealed principles that the signatories want the GOP to embrace.
This is not the first group to form as the pro-Trump and traditional conservative factions of the Republican Party remain at loggerheads. The new effort comes as a vote looms to oust Liz Cheney of Wyoming from the No. 3 House Republican leadership post for her refusal to stay silent about former President Donald Trump's repeated election lies and his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The move was first reported by Reuters, which cited some of the people involved: former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, the first secretary of homeland security; former Transportation Secretary Mary Peters; and former GOP Reps. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, Barbara Comstock of Virginia, Reid Ribble of Wisconsin and Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma. Evan McMullin, a former CIA agent who ran for president as an independent in 2016, is also involved.
A push to channel anti-Trump sentiment with the "Never Trump" movement in the spring of 2016 was largely unsuccessful at the time, and none of the people backing this latest effort are serving as elected Republicans. However, it comes as Trump's pull within his party appears to have lessened. A recent NBC News poll found that 44 percent of Republicans said they support Trump more than the GOP, compared to 50 percent who said they support the GOP more than the former president.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
More than 100 influential Republicans plan to release a call for reforms within the GOP alongside a threat to form a new party if change isn't forthcoming, a person familiar with the effort said.
The statement, set to be released Thursday, involves a "Call for American Renewal," a credo that declares that it is imperative to "either reimagine a party dedicated to our founding ideals or else hasten the creation of such an alternative." The push will include 13 yet-to-be-revealed principles that the signatories want the GOP to embrace.
This is not the first group to form as the pro-Trump and traditional conservative factions of the Republican Party remain at loggerheads. The new effort comes as a vote looms to oust Liz Cheney of Wyoming from the No. 3 House Republican leadership post for her refusal to stay silent about former President Donald Trump's repeated election lies and his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The move was first reported by Reuters, which cited some of the people involved: former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, the first secretary of homeland security; former Transportation Secretary Mary Peters; and former GOP Reps. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, Barbara Comstock of Virginia, Reid Ribble of Wisconsin and Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma. Evan McMullin, a former CIA agent who ran for president as an independent in 2016, is also involved.
A push to channel anti-Trump sentiment with the "Never Trump" movement in the spring of 2016 was largely unsuccessful at the time, and none of the people backing this latest effort are serving as elected Republicans. However, it comes as Trump's pull within his party appears to have lessened. A recent NBC News poll found that 44 percent of Republicans said they support Trump more than the GOP, compared to 50 percent who said they support the GOP more than the former president.
Sounds like a Deep State coup. Particularly that Evan guy. And Reid Ribble, especially him.
More than 100 influential Republicans plan to release a call for reforms within the GOP alongside a threat to form a new party if change isn't forthcoming, a person familiar with the effort said.
The statement, set to be released Thursday, involves a "Call for American Renewal," a credo that declares that it is imperative to "either reimagine a party dedicated to our founding ideals or else hasten the creation of such an alternative." The push will include 13 yet-to-be-revealed principles that the signatories want the GOP to embrace.
This is not the first group to form as the pro-Trump and traditional conservative factions of the Republican Party remain at loggerheads. The new effort comes as a vote looms to oust Liz Cheney of Wyoming from the No. 3 House Republican leadership post for her refusal to stay silent about former President Donald Trump's repeated election lies and his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The move was first reported by Reuters, which cited some of the people involved: former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, the first secretary of homeland security; former Transportation Secretary Mary Peters; and former GOP Reps. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, Barbara Comstock of Virginia, Reid Ribble of Wisconsin and Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma. Evan McMullin, a former CIA agent who ran for president as an independent in 2016, is also involved.
A push to channel anti-Trump sentiment with the "Never Trump" movement in the spring of 2016 was largely unsuccessful at the time, and none of the people backing this latest effort are serving as elected Republicans. However, it comes as Trump's pull within his party appears to have lessened. A recent NBC News poll found that 44 percent of Republicans said they support Trump more than the GOP, compared to 50 percent who said they support the GOP more than the former president.
only 100?
might as well write a strongly worded letter to the editor.
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.- Hemingway
that dude is a member of the us house of representatives.
if that child can get elected, i can get elected.
I have noticed the more politicians post on social media, the more they sound like bored teenagers. If Twitter disappeared forever I wouldn't shed a tear.
If they don't come back toward the center, fuck them. Its not up to the Left to save their asses from the mess they created. I want no part of Liz Cheney's vision for 'Murica.
Opinion: The GOP has lost its way. Fellow Americans, join our new alliance.
Opinion by Charlie Dent
,
Mary Peters
,
Denver Riggleman
,
Michael Steele
and
Christine Todd Whitman
May 13, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. EDT
Add to list
Charlie Dent represented Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2005 to 2018. Mary Peters was secretary of transportation during the George W. Bush administration. Denver Riggleman represented Virginia’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2019 to 2021. Michael Steele is a former chairman of the Republican National Committee. Christine Todd Whitman was governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001.
The Republican Party made a grievous error this week in ousting Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) from the House leadership for telling the truth about Donald Trump’s “big lie,” which has wreaked havoc in our democratic republic by casting doubt over the 2020 election.
Cheney rightfully struck back against party leaders and warned about the GOP’s dangerous direction. She is not alone.
Alongside dozens of prominent Republicans, ex-Republicans and independents, we are announcing “A Call for American Renewal,” a nationwide rallying cry against extremist elements within the GOP, and highlighting the urgent need for a new, common-sense coalition.
We urge fellow Americans to join us.
Our alliance includes former governors, members of Congress, Cabinet secretaries, state officials, seasoned political strategists and grass-roots leaders dedicated to offering a hopeful, principles-based vision for the country — and ensuring that our votes have decisive impact in key elections across the United States.
We want to give voice to the millions of Americans who feel politically homeless and mobilize them to help chart a new path forward for our country.
It is time for a rebirth of the American cause, which we will pursue in partnership and loyal competition with others committed to the preservation of our Union.
Tragically, the Republican Party has lost its way, perverted by fear, lies and self-interest. What’s more, GOP attacks on the integrity of our elections and our institutions pose a continuing and material threat to the nation.
The Jan. 6 insurrection was a wake-up call for many who had remained loyal to the party, even while harboring concerns about its direction.
Many have since left. The GOP has effectively become a privileged third party, ranking behind independents and Democrats in voter registration.
Meanwhile, Republican legislators are trying to impede voting rights across the country as a last-ditch effort to retain power.
We will not wait forever for the GOP to clean up its act. If we cannot save the Republican Party from itself, we will help save America from extremist elements in the Republican Party.
That means hastening the creation of an alternative: a political movement dedicated to our founding principles and divorced from the GOP’s obsessive cult of personality around a deeply flawed (and twice-impeached) man, whose favorability ratings are reportedly tanking in key swing districts around the country.
But we will not rely on the old partisan playbook. We intend to work across party lines with other Americans to oppose extremists and defend the republic wherever we can.
Together with our patriotic allies in other parties, our movement will stand against fearmongers, conspiracy theorists and the opportunists who seek unbridled power.
We plan to invest in a deeper bench of effective leaders in cities and states across the country while recruiting a new generation of principled, pragmatic citizens to the cause.
Some no doubt will urge us to join the Democratic Party. We believe that inching toward a single-party system would be dangerous and would fail to represent the diverse viewpoints in our nation.
America cannot have just one party committed to preservation of its democratic institutions. There must be at least two, if not more.
With Cheney’s dismissal from House leadership, the battle for the soul of the Republican Party — and our country — is not over. It is just beginning, which is why we are forming a “resistance of the rational” against the radicals.
We still hope for a healthy, thriving Republican Party, but we are no longer holding our breath.
Next month, we will convene a nationwide town hall open to all Americans and featuring current and formerU.S. leaders who will lay out where we must go from here, how we can ensure a freer America and how all citizens can join the fight.
Extremists may have fired the first shot in this moral struggle for America’s future, but with truth as our lodestar, those laboring to renew America will fire the last.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Comments
Opinion: Rep. Zoe Lofgren embarrassed Republicans with their own words. Now they seek to silence her.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) earned kudos from truth-tellers in March when she released a report simply documenting the social media posts of Republicans “who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election.” She compiled their words, revealing a hodgepodge of conspiracy-mongering and lying about the 2020 election. This was too much for the snowflake Republicans.
They have now filed a complaint, a copy of which I have obtained, with the Communication Standards Commission, an obscure body in the House formerly known as the Mailing Standards Commission, as it historically dealt primarily with franking issues.
The complaint, filed by Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-Ga.), whines: “At its core, the so-called report repeatedly violates the Commission’s rules of decorum and civility by personalizing and politicizing attacks on more than 100 Members of Congress for public statements they made on social media.” Actually, it simply recorded Republicans’ own words, thereby embarrassing them. He claims the report “engages in speculation as to the motivation or intent of the Members,” but it does no such thing. The giveaway is that Carter claims Lofgren only “insinuates” members “aided and abetted the insurrection or incited the attack” on Jan. 6.
Carter, of course, did not come up with this on his own. The Republican ranking member on the Committee on House Administration, Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), solicited such complaints. As his staff wrote in a “Dear Colleagues” letter that apparently was inadvertently released publicly: “If any Member feels strongly that they want to take action against the report and wants to know more about the process for filing a complaint with the Communications Standards Commission please reach out to … schedule a time for a call with our team.”
Lofgren is having none of this. In her response to the complaint, which I also obtained, she declares, “The Review does not violate the House of Representatives’ Communications Standards Manual, which provides that Members may use official communications resources to conduct official business that relates directly or indirectly to congressional functions and Federal issues of public concern. To the contrary, this Review is critical to our obligations to the Constitution and our understanding of the House’s responsibilities under the 14th Amendment.” (She refers to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prevents those who have engaged in insurgency from holding office, absent a waiver from Congress.)
She reminds her colleagues that the disgraced former president was impeached for “Incitement of Insurrection.” Therefore, the participation of any members in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election is a “fact-based question.” She explains:
The nub of the problem for Republicans, as Lofgren points out, is that her report “is a mirror that lists Members’ own words. If there are screenshots of and/or links to communications that are ‘disparaging,’ including ‘personal insults, ad hominem attacks or attacks on a person’s character,’ those communications were made by the Members of Congress listed, not by me, and the Complainant could properly address his concerns to those Members.”
She then quotes at length Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who condemned the Former Guy after his acquittal and made clear that there “is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their President. And their having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories, and reckless hyperbole which the defeated President kept shouting into the largest megaphone.” It was McConnell who declared the problem was not merely the former president’s words but “the entire manufactured atmosphere of looming catastrophe; the increasingly wild myths about a reverse landslide election that was being stolen in some secret coup by our now-President.”
In other words, Jan. 6 was about the Big Lie that the election was stolen, which many House Republicans helped spread and which they now insist Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) must countenance, if not embrace. Lofgren concludes: “There has been much discussion about so-called 'cancel culture' of late, but I can only note that Congressman Carter’s efforts to silence me could never succeed in cancelling the dangerous, violent insurrectionist misconduct the nation saw on display January 6th.”
Republicans’ political stupidity is hard to fathom. They chose to attack a strong, informed woman (arguably the most knowledgeable on the subject of impeachment and a master of House rules) for airing their own rhetoric. Did they really think they were going to silence Zoe Lofgren, of all people?
It’s hard to think of a better way for Republicans to remind Americans of their own wholly irresponsible conduct. (The complaint will go nowhere since the commission is split 3-to-3.) What’s more, the timing is priceless. This comes the same week the GOP is attempting to banish Cheney from leadership for the “crime” of honesty, for refusing to sweep Jan. 6 under the rug and for refusal to kneel (as they have) before the MAGA cult leader. They simply cannot abide truth-telling women.
Read more:
Liz Cheney: The GOP is at a turning point. History is watching us.
Editorial Board: Liz Cheney told the truth. Republicans must decide whether they value Trump over it.
Barkha Dutt: I lost my father to covid-19 — along with my faith in India’s government to protect our people
Lloyd J. Austin III: The Pentagon must prepare for a much bigger theater of war
Kathleen Parker: The Republican Party has latched on to ‘woke’ — because it has nothing else
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
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another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
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www.headstonesband.com
https://www.instagram.com/tv/COqRUB4nRev/?igshid=1162oymxk4qwy
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
During a Senate Judiciary Committee on "ghost guns" (firearms made at home that lack a serial number) on Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) tried to change the su...
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
I love seeing this party eat their own.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
If anyone else has any theories for the self-destructive behavior, fealty to POOTWH and endorsement from leadership, I'm all ears.
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
cheap and easy. thats all. doesnt require and policy ideas OR chops. pander to the lowest aspects of white culture.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
www.headstonesband.com
if that child can get elected, i can get elected.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
More than 100 influential Republicans plan to release a call for reforms within the GOP alongside a threat to form a new party if change isn't forthcoming, a person familiar with the effort said.
The statement, set to be released Thursday, involves a "Call for American Renewal," a credo that declares that it is imperative to "either reimagine a party dedicated to our founding ideals or else hasten the creation of such an alternative." The push will include 13 yet-to-be-revealed principles that the signatories want the GOP to embrace.
This is not the first group to form as the pro-Trump and traditional conservative factions of the Republican Party remain at loggerheads. The new effort comes as a vote looms to oust Liz Cheney of Wyoming from the No. 3 House Republican leadership post for her refusal to stay silent about former President Donald Trump's repeated election lies and his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The move was first reported by Reuters, which cited some of the people involved: former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, the first secretary of homeland security; former Transportation Secretary Mary Peters; and former GOP Reps. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, Barbara Comstock of Virginia, Reid Ribble of Wisconsin and Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma. Evan McMullin, a former CIA agent who ran for president as an independent in 2016, is also involved.
A push to channel anti-Trump sentiment with the "Never Trump" movement in the spring of 2016 was largely unsuccessful at the time, and none of the people backing this latest effort are serving as elected Republicans. However, it comes as Trump's pull within his party appears to have lessened. A recent NBC News poll found that 44 percent of Republicans said they support Trump more than the GOP, compared to 50 percent who said they support the GOP more than the former president.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
might as well write a strongly worded letter to the editor.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Opinion: The GOP has lost its way. Fellow Americans, join our new alliance.
Charlie Dent represented Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2005 to 2018. Mary Peters was secretary of transportation during the George W. Bush administration. Denver Riggleman represented Virginia’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2019 to 2021. Michael Steele is a former chairman of the Republican National Committee. Christine Todd Whitman was governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001.
The Republican Party made a grievous error this week in ousting Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) from the House leadership for telling the truth about Donald Trump’s “big lie,” which has wreaked havoc in our democratic republic by casting doubt over the 2020 election.
Cheney rightfully struck back against party leaders and warned about the GOP’s dangerous direction. She is not alone.
Alongside dozens of prominent Republicans, ex-Republicans and independents, we are announcing “A Call for American Renewal,” a nationwide rallying cry against extremist elements within the GOP, and highlighting the urgent need for a new, common-sense coalition.
We urge fellow Americans to join us.
Our alliance includes former governors, members of Congress, Cabinet secretaries, state officials, seasoned political strategists and grass-roots leaders dedicated to offering a hopeful, principles-based vision for the country — and ensuring that our votes have decisive impact in key elections across the United States.
We want to give voice to the millions of Americans who feel politically homeless and mobilize them to help chart a new path forward for our country.
It is time for a rebirth of the American cause, which we will pursue in partnership and loyal competition with others committed to the preservation of our Union.
Tragically, the Republican Party has lost its way, perverted by fear, lies and self-interest. What’s more, GOP attacks on the integrity of our elections and our institutions pose a continuing and material threat to the nation.
The Jan. 6 insurrection was a wake-up call for many who had remained loyal to the party, even while harboring concerns about its direction.
Many have since left. The GOP has effectively become a privileged third party, ranking behind independents and Democrats in voter registration.
Meanwhile, Republican legislators are trying to impede voting rights across the country as a last-ditch effort to retain power.
We will not wait forever for the GOP to clean up its act. If we cannot save the Republican Party from itself, we will help save America from extremist elements in the Republican Party.
That means hastening the creation of an alternative: a political movement dedicated to our founding principles and divorced from the GOP’s obsessive cult of personality around a deeply flawed (and twice-impeached) man, whose favorability ratings are reportedly tanking in key swing districts around the country.
We will fight for honorable Republicans who stand up for truth and decency, such as Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney, to name a few.
But we will not rely on the old partisan playbook. We intend to work across party lines with other Americans to oppose extremists and defend the republic wherever we can.
Together with our patriotic allies in other parties, our movement will stand against fearmongers, conspiracy theorists and the opportunists who seek unbridled power.
We plan to invest in a deeper bench of effective leaders in cities and states across the country while recruiting a new generation of principled, pragmatic citizens to the cause.
Some no doubt will urge us to join the Democratic Party. We believe that inching toward a single-party system would be dangerous and would fail to represent the diverse viewpoints in our nation.
America cannot have just one party committed to preservation of its democratic institutions. There must be at least two, if not more.
With Cheney’s dismissal from House leadership, the battle for the soul of the Republican Party — and our country — is not over. It is just beginning, which is why we are forming a “resistance of the rational” against the radicals.
We still hope for a healthy, thriving Republican Party, but we are no longer holding our breath.
Next month, we will convene a nationwide town hall open to all Americans and featuring current and former U.S. leaders who will lay out where we must go from here, how we can ensure a freer America and how all citizens can join the fight.
Extremists may have fired the first shot in this moral struggle for America’s future, but with truth as our lodestar, those laboring to renew America will fire the last.
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
www.headstonesband.com
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
without the regs and rules labor pushed for. ..
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
On here I sound right leaning. Talking w my conservative family I'm a commie. I'm center.