Courtesy of Bastrop Advertiser
Feb. 10, 2022
By Bill McCann
Last week nervous Republican politicos censured two of their own for taking part in a U.S. House committee investigating an attempted overthrow of our government by a mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Sadly, the Republican National Committee condemned Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., for doing their patriotic duty.
In part, the RNC resolution accused the two lawmakers of participating in a “Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens who engaged in legitimate political discourse.” The resolution defies logic for anyone who has seen the photos and videos of the Capitol insurrection and followed national news coverage of the attack’s aftermath.
What we are learning from the House committee investigation is that the insurrection and related plotting to overturn the election were hatched by allies of former President Donald Trump, encouraged by rhetoric from Trump and others, and carried out by Trump supporters who swallowed the lies that he was the victim of a stolen election. No doubt we will learn much more in coming weeks and months about who was involved and the nature of their involvement. No wonder the RNC is nervous.
The insurrection itself was anything but legitimate political discourse. Rioters caused millions of dollars in damage to the Capitol and injured 140 law enforcement officers. At least five people died in connection with the attack. Authorities have charged more than 760 persons with crimes to date. More than 170 already have pleaded guilty. Many of them said they stormed the Capitol at the behest of Trump because they believed his false allegations about election fraud.
Mounting evidence shows the insurrection was an insidious attack by a mob largely comprised of longtime Trump backers, including far-right militants, white supremacists, and conspiracy peddlers. No amount of truth twisting by right-wing misinformation mongers like Fox News will change those facts.
Early on, Trump and his supporters, including the far-right media, blamed anti-fascists, called antifa, for the riot. Then they found new targets in the FBI and the “deep state” of federal bureaucrats. They kept throwing lies against the wall of public opinion to see if any would stick. They used the lies to confuse and distract the public. Unfortunately, millions of people have fallen for those lies rather than accept the overwhelming evidence – and video footage – right before their eyes.
Attention-seeking Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is not new to conspiracy theories, recently raised the half-baked theory about FBI involvement in the riot at a recent Senate hearing. He also used it in a fundraising email in which he suggested FBI wrongdoing by asking questions rather than offering facts. Media fact-checkers, including PolitiFact, have repeatedly debunked false allegations about antifa and the FBI.
Last month Trump muddied the waters again by suggesting he would pardon persons jailed in the Jan. 6 attack if elected president in 2024. Meanwhile, Politico and other news outlets recently reported that Trump seriously considered a blanket pardon of riot participants even before leaving office.
These rioters are the same people who Trump at different times called “patriots” and antifa. Now we have the RNC calling the whole debacle legitimate political discourse. Get your stories straight, folks. Would Trump really want to pardon rioters if they were antifa or rogue FBI agents? Also, remember that a pardon is an admission of guilt. Were they innocent patriots doing God’s work for Trump? Or did they commit crimes at the Capitol?
At a minimum, those participating in the Capitol riot are guilty of ignorance. They are guilty of believing and carrying out the wishes of a proven liar, bully and conman, who cares only about his own self-interest, his own bottom line, and his own skin.
McCann is a contributing columnist for the Advertiser. He is a retired journalist and may be reached at [email protected].
