Today's Edition

May 12, 2021

         On the eve of her banishment from GOP leadership, Rep. Liz Cheney stood on the House floor to remind her colleagues that dedication to truth is a precondition of democracy. She told fellow Republicans that they were “at war with the Constitution” and that “[r]emaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar.” It was a remarkable scene, but not merely because Rep. Cheney spoke the truth. It was remarkable because her Republican colleagues fled the House chamber before she began her remarks, leaving Cheney to speak to their empty chairs. The scene was a perfect metaphor for the present state of the Republican Party. Members are unwilling to listen to the truth because they are unable to bear the harsh reality of what it reveals about the degenerate state of their party: It is the largest anti-democratic movement in the world and is built on lies that serve only to assuage the wounded ego of its petty tyrant.

          The text of Liz Cheney’s speech is here: The Hill, “Liz Cheney's speech on the House floor.” It was a good speech that will be remembered not because it was a great speech but because Cheney is one of the few Republicans who refuses to cower before Trump. Nancy Pelosi could have given the same speech and it would not have garnered notice beyond the walls of the Capitol. Liz Cheney’s defiance of Trump is remarkable because she stands nearly alone in her party in condemning a president who incited an insurrection. That is a low bar, indeed, and says more about the cowardice of the Republican Party than the courage of Liz Cheney.

          Still, the moment bristles with historic significance. Cheney’s speech is reminiscent of the 1950 speech by Senator Margaret Chase Smith, delivered from the Senate floor, in which she condemned the tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy. See Margaret Chase Smith at Senate.gov. “Declaration of Conscience.” Although Senator McCarthy would not be vanquished until 1954, Senator Chase Smith’s words set the framework for McCarthy’s political demise. In her speech, Chase Smith defended the “basic principles of Americanism,” including:

• The right to criticize.

• The right to hold unpopular beliefs.

• The right to protest.

• The right of independent thought.

In response to the speech, Senator McCarthy belittled Senator Chase Smith and her colleagues, calling them “Snow White and the Six Dwarfs.” Sound familiar? McCarthy later removed Senator Chase Smith from the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and replaced her with a ruthless and ambitious Senator from California, Richard Nixon. See Smithsonian Magazine, “The Senator Who Stood Up to Joseph McCarthy When No One Else Would.” Representative Elise Stefanik is following in Richard Nixon’s footsteps in replacing Liz Cheney in GOP leadership.

          It is worth your time to read the speeches of Rep. Liz Cheney and Senator Margaret Chase Smith (both are linked above). Though separated by 70 years, their words remind us that democracy depends on men and women of integrity who are willing to speak the truth. Both Cheney and Smith were silenced by morally bankrupt politicians named McCarthy. The parallels do not end there, as a review of Senator Chase Smith’s speech proves. Indeed, Senator Chase Smith’s speech is a reminder that “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” It was true seventy years ago and will be true seventy years hence. Let’s not lament our present duty to stand guard against anti-democratic forces. We are temporary guardians of democracy. Our task is to preserve it until we are relieved by the next generation. We can do that.

“For the People Act” stalls—sort of--in the Senate.

          Let me admit up front that I am confused about Chuck Schumer’s strategy for passing S.1, “For the People Act,” (introduced in the House as H.R.1). The current text of S.1 is here: Library of Congress, S.1 - 117th Congress: For the People Act of 2021.” S.1 proposes sweeping national reforms that would reverse the damage of dozens of GOP-sponsored voter suppression bills at the state level. On Tuesday, the bill stalled in committee as Republicans voted unanimously against advancing the bill to the floor for a vote. But Majority Leader Schumer has the ability to schedule a four-hour debate on the Senate floor despite the committee deadlock. See Talking Points Memo, “Voting Rights Bill Creeps Closer To The Senate Floor, But Now Comes The Hard Part For Dems.”

          As noted in the TPM article, above, passing S.1 in the Senate requires elimination of the filibuster as it relates to voting reform legislation. The last time we heard from Senator Manchin on the question of eliminating the filibuster, he responded to a reporter’s question by saying, “Jesus Christ, what don’t you understand about ‘never’?” So, why is Chuck Schumer expending so much energy to bring the bill to the Senate floor if Senator Manchin is willing to violate the Third Commandment to express his opposition to ending the filibuster?

          I don’t know the answer to that question, but the only thing that makes any sense to me is if Schumer has some type of secret assurance from Manchin that he will agree to modify the filibuster if Republicans fail to act in a bipartisan manner. If that’s the case (which I doubt), then the GOP’s unanimous opposition to allowing the bill to come to the Senate floor for a vote is a clear indication of bad faith by the GOP.  As I said, I am confused. I don’t fault Schumer for moving aggressively to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, but most legislative leaders are reluctant to call for a vote they know they will lose. Stay tuned. Schumer’s strategy may soon be revealed (if he has one).

What is wrong with Republicans in Texas?

Someone needs to buy every GOP member of the Texas legislature a copy of the United States Constitution (as amended by the Bill of Rights). The Texas GOP has fast-tracked a bill that will prohibit teachers from discussing “racism.” Among other dubious provisions, the bill providers that teachers

may not be compelled to discuss current events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs.

          Hmm . . . so Texas teachers can’t discuss “current events” (like presidential elections) or “controversial issues of public policy” (like climate change or regulating technology companies). Texas Republicans seem intent on raising a generation of students who are ill-equipped to enter a knowledge-based, globalized work force. I believe that if Texas Republicans were forced to read their proposed legislation out loud and replace the word “Texas” with “North Korea” they would recoil in horror at the “thought control” tactics of a socialist dictatorship.

Speaking of Texas, NRA fails in bid to avoid dissolution in NY by fleeing to Texas.

          New York has filed a lawsuit to dissolve the National Rifle Association for violating its tax-exempt charter. To avoid the dissolution proceeding, the NRA filed a bankruptcy petition in Texas in a bid to reorganize in that state—thereby avoiding the dissolution proceeding in New York. On Tuesday, a bankruptcy judge dismissed the bankruptcy petition, ruling that the NRA could not use the bankruptcy laws to avoid accountability for its misdeeds in New York. See National Review, “Texas Judge Dismisses NRA’s Bankruptcy Petition as ‘Bad Faith’.” As a result, the alleged looting of the NRA by its former executives will continue to be the subject of scrutiny in New York.  This is a good development that may bring some measure of justice to families who lost loved ones to gun violence facilitated, enabled, and excused by the NRA.

Concluding Thoughts.

          Long-time readers of the newsletter will recall that I have been predicting the demise of the Republican Party for the last three years. Some might argue that the GOP has already vanished, having been replaced by the cult of personality that surrounds Trump. But in a sign that the official demise may be drawing near, Republicans have finally broached the idea of a third party split from the GOP. See NYTimes, “Over 100 Republicans, Including Former Officials, Threaten to Split from GOP.” Such a development would be a cause for celebration among Democrats if it splits the Republican vote in red states—allowing a Democrat to win. It is too soon to celebrate, but the talk of a split in the GOP validates our outrage over the GOP’s actions. If Republicans continue to lose support at the margins, that may be all it will take to tip the balance in favor of Democrats in 2022 and 2024. Remember that fact next time you want to scream because Republicans are passing voter suppression legislation or forbidding teachers from discussing presidential elections.

          Talk to you tomorrow!