In what should have been about the easiest vote any member of Congress ever makes, somehow a group of intransigent Republicans instead voted against a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred on Thursday, a comedic spectacle to be sure, but also telling of just far down the rabbit hole we've gone. Steve King's vote of "present" just adding to the absurdity of it all.
Source: MSN.com
Twenty-three Republican lawmakers voted against a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred on Thursday, arguing the measure was “watered down” and failed to properly condemn Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) recent controversial remarks on U.S.-Israel relations.
The 23 Republicans included: Reps. Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Mo Brooks (Ala.), Ken Buck (Colo.), Ted Budd (N.C.), Michael Burgess (Texas), Liz Cheney (Wyo.), Chris Collins (N.Y.), Mike Conaway (Texas), Rick Crawford (Ark.) and Jeff Duncan (S.C.).
The list was completed by Reps. Louie Gohmert (Texas), Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Tom Graves (Ga.), Pete King (N.Y.), Doug LaMalfa (Calif.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Steven Palazzo (Miss.), Mike Rogers (Ala.), Chip Roy (Texas), Greg Steube (Fla.), Mark Walker (N.C.), Ted Yoho (Fla.) and Lee Zeldin (N.Y.).
Meanwhile, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who was stripped off his committee assignments for remarks he made regarding white supremacy earlier this year, voted present.
Republican leadership, or what passes for it, is said to be extremely pissed-off about this, with Liz Cheney in particular, who occupies a leadership position. Via Politico's Playbook:
“There is serious, serious anger — seething, it’s fair to say — at the top levels of the House GOP that Republicans muddled their message with a split on this vote. All week, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s leadership team managed to keep his troops in line, allowing Democrats to spend days upon days tripping all over themselves. Now, they have taken a bit of the spotlight off Democrats for reasons that are clear to no one.”
...
We spent last night checking up with our Republican sources who were quite peeved at Cheney -- to say the least. The thinking among most top Republicans is this: When you’re part of a leadership team, you stick together. Period. (Cheney’s allies will tell you this is not a big deal, but they are alone in that thinking.)
And of course this has to be said as well.
