This week Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) ignored Donald Trump’s endorsement of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) as Home speaker and introduced plans to attempt to power him out. One can solely assume she is making that try for consideration, as a result of it appears doomed to fail on the Home flooring. Democrats have already pledged to assist Johnson, and he has backing from a lot of the Republican caucus.
It’s possible you’ll recall, Greene and the remainder of the Freedom Caucus had been the rationale it took 15 rounds for former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) to get sufficient votes to win the speakership. The caucus can also be why he got fired last October, after lower than a yr. He resigned from the Home on the finish of final yr.
And now Greene — who infamously blamed secret Jewish area lasers for wildfires and compared mask mandates to the Holocaust — is making one other play for the highlight. This time it occurred to be the identical week that the House passed its Antisemitism Awareness Act, an pointless invoice that at finest seems to be doing one thing. At a second when pro-Palestinian and humanitarian assist demonstrations are spreading throughout faculty campuses, the regulation would goal harmful speech in opposition to Jews … however the nation already has related legal guidelines in opposition to hate crimes and sure forms of speech.
The juxtaposition of Greene’s stunt appears wealthy, doesn’t it? Does the ruling get together within the Home condemn anti-Jewish hate speech or amplify it? Do Republicans stand for order or chaos?
The laws handed 320-91. There have been 70 Democrats who voted in opposition to it. Greene was among the many 21 Republicans who opposed it. A lot of the priority from the nays was on defining antisemitism. Some critics feared the measure would infringe on freedom of speech.
What does Greene hope to realize along with her nay vote? Or along with her marketing campaign to oust Johnson? It’s anybody’s guess. Two years in the past, she spoke at a white nationalist conference, and nonetheless she was reelected. Possibly she is precisely what her constituents need. She may be very a lot not what Republican leaders within the Home need proper now.
For these Home Republicans who don’t hang around with white nationalists or say antisemitic issues, however who’ve coddled Greene and the Freedom Caucus, the brewing storm seems to be loads like karma. You’ll be able to’t embrace a platform primarily based on anti-intellectualism and half-truths after which get mad when somebody does one thing silly.
Trumpeting her intention to power Johnson out of the speakership as a result of he labored with Democrats to cross Ukraine assist, Greene mentioned she “can’t wait to see my Republican convention present their playing cards and present who we’re.” Giving us her finest Joan of Arc, she added: “Are they prepared to really struggle? Or are they going to simply maintain going alongside to get alongside?”
The problem Greene represents isn’t about variations in coverage. That is about what’s required in a democracy. We’re a flawed nation working towards a extra excellent union. However we’re by no means going to get there by persevering with to permit probably the most immature amongst us to get their manner. And forcing the Home to search for a 3rd Home speaker in a single time period could be extremely immature.
And right here’s the factor: The rot throughout the Republican Get together does injury far past Congress. Members of the Freedom Caucus have behaved like spiteful toddlers since 2015 by obstructing authorities and in consequence have normalized tantrums. Now, because the nation is debating what to do about humanitarian assist in Gaza and the protests on our faculty campuses, the intense conversations that we have to have are always being hijacked by political theater — together with the Home’s antisemitism invoice and the latest parade of hearings to grill faculty officers.
Home politics mustn’t distract us from why so many are protesting. Final month the United Nations Human Rights Council handed a decision asking for Israel to be investigated and held accountable for attainable battle crimes. Lots of the weapons being utilized in its battle in opposition to Hamas are American. Everybody within the U.S. needs to be involved about Israel’s battle and the security of individuals in each Gaza and Israel.
Many college students I’ve spoken with are targeted on the hostages and civilian casualties. In the meantime some leaders in Washington are fixated on political theater or attempting to micromanage campuses or on toppling the newest speaker of the Home. There’s chaos on each fronts and regrettably immaturity as effectively.