As readers will know, I have not been supportive of President Trump attacking folks who have been good conservatives – and have achieved for conservative Republican values over a prolonged period of time. I am talking about people like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Mike Pence.
Throwing people under the bus because they have occasionally not done what Trump demands, should not nullify their past good works. These petulant attacks are not one of Trump’s more admirable qualities.
Someone asked if I feel that way about Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney. My answer is no – and I feel it may be useful to explain why I do not.
There is no doubt that Cheney had one of the strongest conservative records in Congress. I might have forgiven her impeachment vote on that basis. But there is more to it. My preference is to allow the voters of Wyoming to determine her fate – as well as the fate of others, such as Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who voted for impeachment.
Perhaps it would have been better to allow her to retain her leadership position until the next election. In a previous commentary, I was critical of Minority Leader McCarthy’s handling of la affaire Cheney. It seemed obvious to me that booting her out of leadership would give her national status – a heroine to the left, the Democrats and the media.
It also created a woman scorned. She used her new access to leftwing media to broadly attack the Republican Party. She started singing out of the Nancy Pelosi song book. She embraced the leftwing’s hyperbolic narratives with the enthusiasm of a zealot.
In aiding and abetting the left to the extent she did, she nullifies her years as a conservative superstar. She went fully over to the dark side. Her impeachment vote was not an anomaly but change of character.
Her latest offense against the Republican conservative cause was to accept Pelosi’s invitation to serve on the highly political Select Committee– as a Democrat. Oh, I know … Pelosi is peddling Cheney as a Republican – calling the Committee bipartisan.
Cheney may not have officially changed her party affiliation, but she is now a Democrat. She meets with the Democrat members of the Committee to develop strategy to oppose the Republican message. Democrats do NOT allow Republicans to sit-in on the private planning sessions.
There was an opportunity for possible redemption, but Cheney has not taken it. When Pelosi booted two Republicans off her personal Committee, Cheney could have resigned in protest. Cheney has long claimed loyalty to issues, fairness and traditions. Now she seems obsessed with Trump hatred and bitterness.
She could have put the lie to Pelosi’s false claim of having “a bipartisan majority.” There is no bipartisan majority even if Cheney remains on the Committee. The word “bipartisan” suggests that the Committee is represented with people of differing opinions to provide a full airing of all sides.
Pelosi suggests that her committee will not be partisan – and that it will conduct matters with full transparency. Well, that is just another mortal sin-level lie.
I have consistently been critical of those Republicans who allowed their own personal contempt for Trump to lead them to aid and abet the enemies of conservative values. They helped elect the most radial progressive administration in history. There is no moral excuse for that.
Liz Cheney is now one of them. I have no sympathy for her. I trust the voters of Wyoming’s one at-large congressional district will have the good sense to boot her out of Congress.
So, there ‘tis.
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