Yep, you read that correctly.
Republicans convened to discuss the fate of two members of their party. Representative Liz Cheney, who unapologetically voted for Trump's second impeachment (she voted against his first impeachment, enabling him to get to this point, however), and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who peddled brain-dead conspiracy theories and advocated for violent insurrection and the assassination of Democrat politicians before she was elected.
Democrats introduced a resolution to expel Greene from her committee positions, since, you know, she is not qualified to scrub toilets let alone be in government.
Republicans had their millionth chance to plan a lawful path going forward and remove her. Instead, they gave her a standing ovation. Yes, a literal standing ovation where they clapped in support of her.
She even has Trump's backing, solidifying her rising status in the Republican party.
"Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Trump's backing amid intra-GOP debate over her fitness to serve.https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/30/marjorie-taylor-greene-trump-support-463996
[...]
Trump has previously called Greene, 46, a “future Republican Star.” Many other Republicans have condemned Greene’s comments, but GOP House leaders welcomed her into their ranks when she entered Congress and have so far declined to discipline her.
Greene has become an instant lightning rod during her first few weeks in office. She enthusiastically backed Trump’s false claims about a stolen election, and promoted the “Stop the Steal” rallies that preceded the storming of the Capitol building on Jan. 6."
***
Here are Greene's opinions which the Republican party just endorsed. She said these in 2018-2019 before she was elected. The ancient days of 2019, which can in no way possibly still represent her views, supposedly.
Also, we should not gloss over the fact that her statement below, made in February 2019, suggests the Capitol insurrection plot may have been in the works for a very long time.
"In a video posted to social media months before announcing her congressional candidacy, Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene called on supporters to "flood the Capitol Building" in a protest against "tyrannical" leaders, telling them that Democratic lawmakers "should fear us" and that "we should feel like we will" use violence "if we have to."https://www.salon.com/2021/02/02/in-2019-marjorie-taylor-greene-told-protesters-to-flood-the-capitol-feel-free-to-use-violence/
"All of us together, when we rise up, we can end all of this. We can end it," Greene said in the 90-minute rant, which was posted in February 2019 and unearthed on Sunday by Twitter user @zedster. "We can do it peacefully. We can. I hope we don't have to do it the other way. I hope not. But we should feel like we will if we have to. Because we are the American people."
Greene, an adherent of the QAnon fantasy movement whose internet posts about conspiracy theories had by that time already attracted a following, posted the video to recruit attendees for a Feb. 23, 2019, "Fund the Wall" march in Washington. At the time, the Southern Poverty Law Center described the event as Greene's "brainchild," citing national support from right-wing militia group American Defence Force. (It also featured members of Cowboys for Trump, including group leader Couy Griffin, who was recently arrested for his role in the Jan. 6 riots.)
[...]
Greene also emphasized the importance of getting inside the Capitol Building: "If we have a sea of people, if we shut down the streets, if we shut down everything. If we flood the Capitol Building. Go inside. These are public buildings. We own them. We own these buildings. Do you understand that? We own the buildings and we pay all the people that work in the buildings.""
"Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Liked Posts Calling For Killing Democratic Politicians: Reports.https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marjorie-taylor-greene-facebook-posts_n_6010f257c5b6b8719d885347
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) repeatedly supported disturbing conspiracy theories and liked social media posts that suggested executing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and FBI agents, among others, according to several media reports published Tuesday.
Media Matters for America, a progressive watchdog group, first reported that Greene, a far-right firebrand who was recently elected to Congress, had endorsed fringe conspiracy theories on Facebook in 2018 that suggested former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton murdered a child during a satanic ritual.
CNN’s KFile later found other troubling activity on Greene’s personal Facebook page after reviewing hundreds of her posts and comments. In January 2019, Greene liked a comment that said it would be “quicker” to remove Pelosi from office with a “bullet to the head.” On another post from April 2018, a commenter asked her if “H & O” — referring to former President Barack Obama and Clinton — should be hanged.
“Stage is being set,” Greene replied, according to the archives obtained by CNN. “Players are being put in place. We must be patient. This must be done perfectly or liberal judges would let them off.”
Greene has embraced the conspiracy theory woven by QAnon, joining an unhinged cult that believes Democrats, the media elite and powerful people in Hollywood are engaged in a child trafficking ring, imprisoning children in dungeons run by Satan worshipers."
"Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Liked Facebook Post That Called for a Bullet to Nancy Pelosi’s Headhttps://www.theroot.com/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-liked-facebook-post-that-ca-1846143962
[...]
“Over the years, I’ve had teams of people manage my pages,” Greene said. “Many posts have been liked. Many posts have been shared. Some did not represent my views."
[...]
And who the fuck was running her page when she wasn’t around? Surely not someone who thinks the same way as her? Did she yell out to her office, “Is anyone in here a QAnon member?” And when everyone raised their hands, did she give them all her Facebook password?"
"Marjorie Taylor Greene Was a Moderator of a Facebook Group Featuring Death Threats and Racist Memes.https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/02/marjorie-taylor-greene-facebook-john-birch-society/
It promoted assorted conspiracy theories—and even the John Birch Society.
[...]
While her bio does not specify what her duties were as the organization’s national director, the group’s page still lists her as one of just nine moderators.
Under the watch of Greene and that small group, the page has served as a platform for some of the right’s darkest notions. A 2018 post shared on the page contained an image of a noose with the superimposed words “If you want to make America great again, we will have to make evil people fear punishment again.” The poster added, “Start with Hillary and obama!” (Greene endorsed hanging Obama and Hillary Clinton on her own Facebook page that year.)
[...]
Another post from 2018 on the Family America Project page showed a Punisher skull with blood-red eyes: “God Will Judge Our Enemies. We’ll Arrange the Meeting.”
[...]
Other posts make clear that the group’s members considered their political opponents to be enemies of the nation and worthy targets of violence. A post with an American flag stated, “I will defend my country against all enemies foreign and domestic, including liberal Democrats.” Another said that “Some people need a caress…(Democrats) On the head with a hammer….Democrats The Evil Amongst US Seeking to Destroy And To Kill.” A 2019 message depicted the murderous psychopath from the movie Sling Blade holding a glinting weapon and saying, “I reckon I’ve had enough of this Democrat shit. How about you?”
[...]
The page also provided a home to racism and anti-Muslim bigotry. One post featured photos of presidents and their pets—and one of Trump with Michelle Obama: “These heartwarming images offer a rare look at recent US Presidents with the White House dog.” When Rep. Ilhan Omar, then Minnesota state representative, looked on track to be among the first Muslim women elected to Congress, a video posted on the page decried the victory, and a commenter noted, “We don’t want Muslims in our government. Our parents and grandparents didn’t fight for this. We might have to!”
[...]
Though Greene’s bio suggests she is no longer a Family America Project official, her personal account still has moderator powers on the page, where her own content, including her Facebook live videos, regularly appears."
The only good news is mainstream media is finally taking things seriously and writing accurate headlines:
"Republicans Officially Okay Violent Death Threats Against Democrats, Psychotic Conspiracy Theories About Jewish Laser Beams.https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/01/democrats-dangerous-republicans-marjorie-taylor-greene
There will be no disciplinary action against Marjorie Taylor Greene because, let’s be honest, she’s the future of the Republican party."
Lock this terrorist up. Removing her from committee positions is not enough. Removing her from Congress is not enough. Lock her up in federal prison for her crimes.
***
"Marjorie Taylor Greene gets standing ovation at closed-door GOP meeting, reports say.
Earlier on Wednesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the newly elected congresswoman from Georgia will not face any consequences from within her own party for her history of bigoted remarks, including apparent support for executing prominent elected Democrats and Islamophobic attacks against other members of the House.
He said "past comments from and endorsed by Marjorie Taylor Greene on school shootings, political violence, and antisemitic conspiracy theories do not represent the values or beliefs of the House Republican Conference,” but his party has not introduced any punitive measures."
[Yes her comments do represent the beliefs of the Republican party. MCCARTHY AND OVER 200 REPUBLICANS ACCEPTED BLOODY COUP ATTEMPTS AS PART OF THEIR PARTY STRATEGY. MCCARTHY AND 146 OTHER REPUBLICANS VOTED FOR A COUP AFTER A VIOLENT INSURRECTION THAT THEY PLANNED AND INCITED. Now they gave a standing ovation to a terrorist who was involved with the planners of the insurrection.
Lock them up.]
"He also drew false equivalence between Ms Greene’s behaviour – for which she has never publicly apologised – and the past controversial comments and actions of various Democratic House members.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-standing-ovation-b1797361.html
[...]
The full House will vote on Thursday on a resolution to strip Ms Greene of her seats on both the House Education and Labour Committee and the House Budget Committee, putting Republicans on record whether they support Ms Green’s place within the party."
"Republicans Just Said They Won’t Punish QAnon Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenehttps://www.vice.com/en/article/bvxbn3/republicans-wont-punish-qanon-congresswoman-marjorie-taylor-greene
But Rep. Liz Cheney easily survived a challenge to her conference chairmanship after voting to impeach President Trump.
[...]
Now, every Republican member will be forced to go on record in a Thursday floor vote on whether they think Greene should retain her committee assignments. And the 145-61 secret ballot vote for Cheney suggests that McCarthy might have had the political space to remove Greene after all, while showing that there is indeed room for Trump-critical members in the modern GOP, even if members aren’t willing to go to war with their fringier colleagues.
[...]
Cheney was defiant as she addressed the conference and said she wouldn’t apologize for her vote, according to two sources familiar with her remarks. McCarthy and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise both defended her, saying that she should remain in leadership. But two sources said that McCarthy initially spent more time arguing for why Greene shouldn’t be removed from committee than defending his fellow member of leadership, and a source said Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger slammed him for it. McCarthy closed the lengthy meeting with a more impassioned defense of Cheney."
Cheney was not removed from her leadership position, but she fell in line to support her party's new platform of treason:
"Cheney holds on to House GOP leadership position amid furor over impeachment vote.https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/cheney-refuses-apologize-voting-impeach-trump-during-closed-door-gop-n1256670
Liz Cheney, the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House, refused to apologize for voting to impeach former President Donald Trump.
[...]
hree sources said the vote among Republican House members was 145-61.
[...]
Cheney, a frequent critic of Trump and his rhetoric, said at the time: "There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution. I will vote to impeach the president."
Cheney spoke briefly to reporters after she held on to her title.
"We really did have a terrific vote tonight, a terrific time this evening, laying out what we are going to do going forward, as well as making clear that we're not going to be divided and that we're not going to be in a situation where people can pick off any member of leadership," she said.
"It was a very resounding acknowledgment that we need to go forward together and that we need to go forward in a way that helps us beat back the really dangerous and negative Democrat policies," Cheney said."
***
With this vote, the Democrat party finally uses high energy rhetoric, 5 years too late:
"McCarthy (Q-CA) Fails to Lead, Hands Keys to Party to Greenehttps://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/2321-0
February 3, 2021 Press Release
Sen. John Thune: House Republicans Must Decide if They Want to Be the Party of QAnon
After several conversations and literally running away from reporters, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Q-CA) made clear that he is refusing to take action against conspiracy theorist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. As a result, the House will continue with a vote to strip Greene of her seat on the esteemed House Committee on Education & Labor and House Committee on Budget. McCarthy’s failure to lead his party effectively hands the keys over to Greene – an anti-Semite, QAnon adherent and 9/11 Truther.
[...]
As No 2. Senate Republican John Thune warned Tuesday, McCarthy has chosen to make House Republicans “the party of conspiracy theories and QAnon” and Rep. Greene is in the driver’s seat."
Stunningly, a few days ago McConnell had called Greene a "cancer" on the Republican party. However, it's too late for "serious" Republicans like McConnell--they have already lost control of their party after allowing it to grow into a lawless monster.
"Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday blasted Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s embrace of “loony lies and conspiracy theories” as a “cancer for the Republican Party.”https://thehill.com/homenews/house/536850-mcconnell-says-taylor-greene-a-cancer-to-gop-country
“Somebody who’s suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged, and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr.’s airplane is not living in reality,” McConnell said in a statement first shared with The Hill. “This has nothing to do with the challenges facing American families or the robust debates on substance that can strengthen our party.”
McConnell didn't mention Greene by name in his three-sentence statement, but his rare, scathing remarks about a freshman GOP lawmaker from the other chamber suggests he recognizes the potential damage her violent rhetoric and bizarre conspiracy theories could inflict on congressional Republicans as they try to take back both the House and Senate in next year’s midterms.
Greene responded on Twitter, writing that "the real cancer for the Republican Party is weak Republicans who only know how to lose gracefully.""
***
In summary, the Republican party will continue to operate outside of the law, will attempt future coups, and will concoct future assassination plots against opposing politicians.
Already Republicans in the House overwhelmingly voted to reject impeachment and accept bloody coup attempts as part of their official strategy:
https://authenticamericandream.blogspot.com/2021/01/trumps-second-impeachment-vote.html
If the Biden administration doesn't place every single last one of these treasonous criminals in prison, the Democrat party will be aiding and abetting their crimes and responsible for their future coup attempts. Republicans have already announced their intention to continue on their lawless and anti-American path. If the Democrat party continues to not take Republicans seriously after they planned an insurrection and were within minutes of being murdered, there is not much hope for this country.
They didn't take Trump seriously in 2016, allowing him to get elected. They didn't take President Trump seriously, allowing him and his party to plan a coup in public view for months, culminating in a bloody insurrection where politicians were within minutes of being murdered.
Democrats won't get a third chance and need to take action against these criminals. The fate of our nation is in their hands and if they fail to do their duty to hold them accountable with a Crimes Commission, they will have betrayed us just as severely as the Republican party.
Pelosi's press release above calling McCarthy part of the QAnon party and declaring Republicans have given leadership of their party to people like Greene shows Democrat leadership understands the full gravity of the situation. If Democrats do not act against all the criminals in the new Republican party, they have zero excuses. They will be complicit and actively helping them with their goals. There will be no other explanation for their refusal to act.
Update:
Greene has now been removed from her committee positions. Which is good news, but it is very important to note that not a single politician has been punished for their role in the incitement of the insurrection, for their role in giving aid and comfort to terrorists and enemies of the United States, or for their act of sedition by voting to throw out the results of the election. Greene was punished for her deranged conspiracy theories and calls to murder Democrat politicians back in 2018-2019, not for her role in giving aid and comfort to insurrectionists or her act of sedition by voting to throw out the results of the election.
Moreover, Greene is still in Congress and still has the power to make laws for our nation. Removing her from her committee positions isn't even a "baby step" forward, it's like tilting ourselves in the correct position before taking an actual step. She, along with all the politicians who are Constitutionally ineligible to be in Congress due to their role in supporting an insurrection, must be removed from Congress immediately, arrested, and put on a real criminal trial (not a pointless impeachment trial), and locked up in federal prison for the committing the highest crimes possible against the nation.
In retaliation for removing Greene, Republicans will remove every Democrat they possibly can from their committees if Republicans ever regain a majority in the House. So why should the Democrat party go easy on their colleagues who just staged a bloody coup attempt where they were almost murdered?
The vote was 230-199 to remove Greene from her committee assignments. 1 Democrat and 1 Republican didn't vote. Other than that, every single Democrat voted to remove her from her committees. Only 11 Republicans voted to remove her:
Adam Kinzinger (Ill.)
Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.)
Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.)
John Katko (N.Y.)
Chris Jacobs (N.Y)
Carlos Gimenez (Fla.)
Young Kim (Calif.)
Maria Elvira Salazar (Fla.)
Chris Smith (N.J.)
Fred Upton (Mich.)
Mario Díaz-Balart (Fla.)
https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202125
Recall that a total of 61 Republicans had just voted to remove Liz Cheney from her leadership positions for voting for Trump's second impeachment.
Let me spell it out to make it absolutely clear.
200 Republicans think that Greene advocating for Democrat politicians to be murdered is ok. Only 11 think it is wrong and worthy of being removed from leadership positions. 61 thought Cheney supporting impeachment was wrong and worthy of being removed from leadership positions.
95% of Republicans in the House of Representatives think calling for Democrat politicians to be murdered is admirable rhetoric. A month after there was a bloody insurrection where Democrat politicians came within literal minutes of being murdered. Republicans can't make excuses to say "it's just hyperbole and nothing actually serious." The exact things Greene advocated for--insurrection and murdering Democrat politicians--nearly happened for real.
And the party stands by her and her rhetoric.
***
Removing unhinged politicians from committee positions has been done before--with overwhelming support of the Republican party! So the fact that they are now defending Greene like this is a very deliberate move showing us what their party has become.
In January 2019, Republicans in the House removed Steve King for his comments supporting White Supremacy. Representative McCarthy was even supportive of removing King! Now, McCarthy and the Republican party do not view any of their members' conduct beyond the pale.
When Republicans decided to remove King from his positions, it was shortly after Democrats had just taken back control of Congress, so Republicans were probably fearing Democrats would use the full force of their power against them to put a halt to their corruption. But, then, Democrat leadership in the House decided to just give Republicans a pass for some reason.
January 14, 2019:
"These are not the first time we have heard these comments," McCarthy said. "That is not the party of Lincoln and it is definitely not America. All people are created equal in America and we want to take a very strong stance about that."https://www.cbsnews.com/news/steve-king-stripped-of-house-committee-assignments-over-white-supremacy-comments/
[...]
The move came after days of bipartisan criticism of King for suggesting in an interview with the New York Times on Thursday that white nationalism and white supremacism were not offensive terms.
"White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?" King asked. "Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?"
Former Representative Justin Amash, the only (former) Republican to have enough principle to resign his party rather than remain complicit, expressed his disbelief at Republicans' response to Greene:
"I was once stripped of a committee assignment for voting differently from Paul Ryan on a budget resolution."https://twitter.com/justinamash/status/1354945529092988932
For years Greene had been supporting insurrection and assassination. Yet in 2021 that is not reason enough for Republicans to remove her from her committee positions.
The Republican party has fundamentally changed. It is no hyperbole--the party has accepted violent coups as part of their political strategy and fully embraces calls for murdering their opponents as part of their party rhetoric. They gave Greene a literal standing ovation in support of her and her rhetoric.
Our "leaders" need to stop underestimating them and stop giving a terrorist party a pass. These people need to be held accountable for their crimes. If a regular person did what Greene did, they would be in prison.
***
Future coup attempts aside, since Republicans do not hold punches and leverage every opportunity they have to wield power, it is likely they will remove every Democrat they possibly can from their committees if Republicans ever regain a majority in the House. Democrats and Republicans alike already wanted to do this to Ilhan Omar a few years ago, when she was the only member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who dared state the obvious fact that members of Congress should not have divided loyalties to apartheid nations. There can be little doubt Republicans will at least attempt to remove AOC, Pelosi, and everyone else who catches their ire, in retaliation for removing Greene.
They've already established that this is how they operate. In February 2020, after Trump's first impeachment had ended, Republicans suggested impeaching Biden to take revenge if he were elected. On January 13, 2021, the day of Trump's second impeachment, Greene announced she would file retaliatory articles of impeachment against Biden on January 21st, immediately after he became President. (Yep, the same Greene.)
We've already seen how Mitch McConnell was willing to thrust our nation into a Constitutional Crisis for 11 months in order to prevent Obama from appointing federal judges. We've already seen how when Republicans are in power, they will literally carry out a self-coup in order to disregard the Constitution to hold on to power at all costs (e.g. see the results of Trump's first impeachment trial where they announced under no circumstances would they uphold their oath to be impartial jurors and would acquit Trump no matter the evidence).
Biden and the Democrat party need to clean up all the Republican corruption in our government now that they have this chance. Republicans are going to be even more ruthless if they ever take back power. If Democrats allow these criminals to remain in Congress and make no attempts to put them in prison for their crimes, the Democrat party is just asking for America to be destroyed in the near future.
In shithole nations like Russia, opposition politicians and supporters are frequently murdered. That very thing almost happened in the United States a month ago. The QAnon cult that Representative Greene and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of right-wingers support literally prophesized about an imminent Soviet-style mass purge of all left-leaning politicians, journalists, and activists. They thought the insurrection would be the beginning of this.
The Democrat party needs to start taking things more seriously. Rightists are treating the "culture wars" as a genuine war and actual matter of life and death. For the first time since the Civil War we just had an attempt to overthrow the government with nearly the full support of one of the major political parties.
With the Republican party's stance to support Greene at all costs, they have demonstrated they are still the party of Trumpism and insurrection, and are not going to hide it.
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