The Capitol is Special to These Two

A deep love for my country was infused into my mind by my parents stories. I was overwhelmed by the majesty of our national ideals during our family trip to the nation's capital in my childhood. I read dozens of those brown back and blue back children's biographies of our national heroes during my elementary years. I majored in history when I got to college. I glory in our nation's ideals and weep for the times we have fallen short of them. I feel the same sort of reverence for American ideals in the two American patriots. They have vastly different ideas of how best to meet those great purposes of the Preamble, but they love the ideals and their country. 

I would be shocked if the twice-impeached former president could name half, and certainly not all six of the Preamble's goals. And he loves only himself. I truly pity that little man.

(Click the picture to read this article.)

 

Donald John Trump is a Criminal Thug

I have known that Donald John Trump is a thug and con-man for decades and I have believed him to be a criminal for several years. It is hard for me to understand how any reasonably knowledgeable and intelligent person could not think that. Still it was very good to see the bipartisan Select Committee today present such an overwhelming, carefully researched and documented report today establishing that fact for history and referring Trump to the Justice Department for prosecution on at least four felony counts:

• obstruction of an official proceeding of the United States government, 
• conspiring to defraud the United States, 
• making false statements to the federal government,
• inciting or engaging in an insurrection

Of the nine patriots on the committee four will not be part of Congress next January. Democratic Congresswoman Elaine Luria of a swing district in Virginia was defeated for re-election. Arch-conservative Republican Congressman Adam Kinsinger and Democratic Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy of Florida chose not to seek re-election. And Vice Chair and another arch-conservative Republican Liz Cheney was defeated for reelection as the sole Congressperson from our smallest state. These four stood for the right regardless of how their political careers might suffer. The two Republicans are far to my right politically but they, and all the committee members, are heroes in my book.

Profile in Courage: Liz Cheney

There is little that Liz Cheney and I agree on in terms of political policies. 

Who would have thought even two years ago that I would ever write a post praising Dick Cheney's daughter?

I believe to my core that maximum liberty resides near the middle of the capitalism/socialism scale. I believe strongly in using government to level the playing field so that capitalism can work for society at large. I am convinced that an unfettered, unregulated capitalism is inherently tyrannical as surely as socialism and communism are tyrannical. 

Rep. Cheney would probably label me a "socialist" (I am not.) In her book capitalism should be, from my point of view, hardly regulated at all. I have voted opposite to her in every presidential election since she reached 18 years of age.

But we both believe in republicanism. We believe in the peaceful transfer of power when the people so vote.

She knew the stakes when she voted with the bi-partisan majority of the House to impeach Donald John Trump for his treachery. She did the right thing even though it meant she would lose her leadership position in the (so-called) Republican Party. She did the right thing even though as the lone Wyoming representative she knew her chances for re-election would fall drastically from the 70%+ that she won by in 2020. Actually her margin of loss in 2022 nearly matched her margin of victory in 2020! She knew that, by far, most of her friends in Wyoming were Trumpists -- she herself had supported his legislative policies by over 90%. It must have been a painful decision for her.

I, in my way, have had to stand against folks that are important to me, too. A majority of people in my community, my family, and my church vote differently from me. My beliefs cause friction sometimes. That friction strains relationships that I treasure. But I cannot be quiet when it comes to beliefs so basic as my belief in the principles stated so eloquently in the opening words of the Declaration and in the Preamble to the Constitution.

So I feel I understand Liz Cheney. And, however much I disagree with her about policy, I respect and admire her courage in putting country above party, above her own electoral viability. If I lived in Wyoming, I believe I would have changed my registration and voted for her despite our differences. The republic is on the line in America. We must have a coalition of small-r republicans. 

I will keep speaking out about the environment, about universal healthcare, about "well-regulated" firearms, about drastic wealth concentration, and more. But when push comes to shove; when we are down to a binary choice, I will join forces with anyone and everyone who supports our republican form of government over authoritarianism. 

Liz Cheney is an unapologetic Republican. I am proudly a supporter of the Democratic Party. 

But Liz Cheney and I are both, first, Americans.