This morning I spoke with a aide for a Republican Congressman to share my concerns over what a shame it is Representative Liz Cheney is being ousted from her position in House leadership in the Republican Party citing my arguments. After he listened to me, he noted I had a right to share my difference on positions.
I said, this is not a difference on positions – it is a difference between truth and lies. I said I do not agree with many of the positions of Liz Cheney, but in this instance she is calling out the former president for his lying and sedition. There is no widespread election fraud and the president invited and incited an insurrection on members of Congress, endangering your boss. That is unforgiveable.
Then, I shared that this is not just my opinion, David Brooks, a conservative pundit said on PBS News Hour just this Friday that “to be a leader in the Republican party, you have to lie.” I did ask him, as an independent and former Republican, what am I supposed to think about all of this? He could not offer me his opinion, which I knew. beforehand, but I wanted to pose the question. It should be noted that Senator Mitt Romney noted that Republicans are not going to gain one vote from this and will lose many.
I closed with sharing we need a viable Republican Party, but right now the party is adrift. In fact, GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger equated the party with a slow-sinking Titanic. I told him I agree with that statement.
musingsofanoldfart 
I’d have appreciated a position as a fly on the wall for your chat with Mr Kinzinger
David, thanks. I won’t mention the Congressman as I don’t want to get the young man in trouble. I have left messages for Kinzinger thanking him for his political courage. Keith
Good on you, Keith!!! Indeed, this is not an ideological or positional difference, but is the difference between honesty and dishonesty. If we cannot trust our elected leaders, then it is time to oust them! I only wish we didn’t have to wait 18 months to do so!
Jill, this party has brought all of this on themselves. They had two legitimate chances to rightfully impeach and convict the former president and failed to do so. Now, they have to deal with the Pandora they let out of the box. Keith
Exactly. The danger, though, is that the GOP is fully aware that they cannot garner enough votes to win a fair and honest election, so rather than re-think their policies, re-design their platform, they are cheating to win by such things as the voter suppression laws in most states that will keep millions from being able to have a voice.
Jill, having lived in North Carolina, the rampant cheating to win through voter id laws and gerrymandering has been surgical, as the judge called it when he ruled it unconstitutional. There is no shame in the Republican Party anymore. The demographics require it to cheat. If Democrats get out and vote, they can win, which is why the GOP wants to curtail that. Keith
The GOP’s slavish following of a one man anti-democratic autocrat makes the Republican Party an existential threat to the Constitution and the democratic process. Voting for the GOP is tantamount to voting against the country. That’s not an opinion; that’s demonstrated… by the January 6th uprising directed against the verification of the electoral vote, Trump’s refusal to concede to the will of the people, and the GOP’s support for the man over patriotic duty and sworn allegiance to the nation.
Agreed.
Hello Keith. When you call these elected politicians offices, do you find the people answering the phones to be under the same restrictions in what they can say as when their bosses are on TV? I find it strange the new phenomenon of politicians not being able to answer the simplest question dealing with tRump, Biden, and the election no matter how phrased or how many times asked. I wonder if the staff is also required to lie or be as evasive? I just read that Former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller in his written address to congress had a line that blamed tRump for inciting the riot on the capital, but in his verbal testimony he left that line out of his opening remarks. I guess he did not want a video that could be showed to their god, lord, and master tRump. Hugs
OT. Keith I started a new blog with a lot of help from Nan. I have been posting on it. I am not sure how to set up following and such. Some people are getting notified and some are not. The URL is the same if you are interested Scottiestoybox.com. No pressure, I just wanted you to know I was trying to get back on line. Hugs
Scottie, with only a few exceptions, they are courteous. Yet, they are forbidden from offering an opinion. My hope is to get them to think about my concerns. Being an independent and former Republican, I feel I have a freedom to say more things to encourage the party to be better than they have become. Plus, I love citing conservative pundits who are critical of the former president’s actions and words.
Thanks for letting me know about your new blog. I will look for it. Keith
I’m not sure if it was Adam Kinzinger I heard the other day saying the GOP must drop this slavish devotion to The Orange One or he and like thinkers would leave and set up a third party. I think this is the way to go. If the 17 who agreed that the election was fair left then others of a like mind might join them. Voters who prefer the genuine conservatives over the insurrectionists might also choose to follow them in droves knowing the new party will remain true to its ideals. They will take all their donations with them as might some of the sponsors who’ve ha t withdraw it’s support since Jan 6th. As long as they don’t allow Trumpites to move over and none who supported the sedition and insurrection, they could get a fresh start and the chance to develop policies. There could even be some willing cross party cooperation.
Hugs
David, I think that is the route to go as well. We need governance not lies. It will harm the current Republican party, but it needs a reckoning and it will reap what it sowed. Keith
We need (at least) two viable, fact-based, political parties. I find myself vacillating between worrying that the Republican party will be forever floundering (even as a Democrat, I see the need for reasonable push-back) and worrying that this new swamp creature IS the Republican party.
Janis, until they drain the swamp, the “swamp creature” is the party. Right now, the people in leadership positions have tried to feed the insatiable appetite of the “swamp creature” and his sycophants, so as not to run them off while pretending his rantings don’t matter. I do agree a viable party is needed, but this is not it. Keith
I hear you!
I am a Canadian who follows American politics closely. After all, it has ripple effects into Canada.
I certainly am not on board with Liz’s policies, but I am 100% on board with her clarity of truth and conscience.
I hope she runs for president!
Resa, Canadians probably get a big chuckle out of US polticians and the deceitful and seditious acting former president. Keith
Hardly a laughing matter.
Generally we’re very concerned because every US announcement, every policy, every disruption has a ripple effect on us. Specifically, almost every family I know has American family members, so the ties are very often personal. But, as the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt and so, especially for Canadians who don’t really know our deep and shared histories, there is an unreasonable amount of anti-Americanism. But many voters here are just as susceptible to populists as those who support Trump. The main difference, however, is that our core government operates by a different set of principles: rather than life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness (in the Enlightenment sense of the word ‘happiness’) the Canadian government’s duty is for peace, order and good government (again ‘good’ in the Enlightenment sense). There is a much stronger social sense here, an obligation towards one’s neighbours, that to us seems to be entirely missing from American sensibilities.
Trump’s electoral victory was a very deep shock to Canadians and his tenure a series of body blows to our relationship. Although Biden’s victory was met with relief, many Canadians simply don’t get why Trump is still relevant; here, when a leadership politician loses power, they immediately resign. Of course, voting here is easy and so the results represent the will of the people (under a first-past-the-post system) and are known quickly and with full confidence by all the people. Another significant difference is that the ‘loser’ here forms the Official Opposition and plays a vital role not just staffing all kinds of parliamentary committees but holds the party in power to public account every day. Compromise, therefore, is just smart politics.
On a lower lever from the national, however, we also have clownish populists elected like Ralph Klein in Alberta and Rob and Doug Ford in Ontario. So, we understand your pain. And we don’t laugh about it because it’s serious business.
Thanks for the summary. My oldest son and I visited Toronto and went to a Second City performance. They were not kind to Rob Ford, rightfully so.
Chuckle is not quite the word. trump is VERY unpopular here, but some of his disease has spread to up here.
I’d rather talk to a wall than those people who have caught his sickness. At least a wall just is there…no pathetic, lying, distorted opinions!
Resa, too right. It would be funnier, if it were not so sad. What has always amazed me if these “fans” worked for someone like Trump, they would get their resume in order. What gets lost in all of his machinations is he had the highest turnover rate of any president. He would run them off, fire them or they would just find another opportunity. Working for him is like holding mercury in your hands. Keith