On Wednesday night the House Republican Conference voted on whether to strip Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, number three in the caucus, of her tertiary position. Well, despite the efforts of demagogues like Matt Gaetz, Cheney won and won big time. So much for the Pitchfork Brigade.
It must be rather disappointing to be in that lot. They’ve had consistent bad news since November. I even saw, on social media, many Trumpsters confidently predicting Cheney’s loss on this vote just like they are predicting her primary loss next year. Their analytical genius will no doubt be the same next year as this year. Courtesy of FNC, let’s see how it played out Wednesday night.
“In a secret ballot vote by the entire House Republican Conference, only 61 members voted to strip Cheney of her leaderhip role, with 145 supporting her.” A two to one victory, a landslide by any measure. Ha! Though most of those votes were for party unity and of the “There but for the Grace of God go I” variety, it was a mangling of the Trumpsters just the same. Will this slake their heretic hounding thirst? No. But it will make it much less likely they’ll get anywhere in any more House witch hunts. Good.
“On the eve of the impeachment vote, the three-term congresswoman from Wyoming said that Trump ‘summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack.” She stressed that ‘there has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.’ ” Is she right? Well, the Trump people put the event together. So, summoned and assembled, check. Lit the flame? I covered that event and any fair assessment says he did. He had a volatile crowd on his hand and he knew it. He’s no fool and when he told them to take a walk to the capitol I think he knew exactly what the outcome could be. However, since I can’t see into the man’s intentions my analysis is by definition speculative. So here, meh. Greater betrayals? She’s off the mark there. The entire Obama administration was a greater betrayal.
“Heading into the gathering, the anti-Cheney ringleaders said that more than half of all House Republicans would back a potential resolution to stripping her of her position.” Par for the course for these guys. If they back it, it comes a cropper. Presidential election response? They bungled it. Election fraud claims? Again, shot themselves in the foot. Georgia runoffs? Made a dog’s breakfast out of that one. And now this. They’re like those Arab dictators who always say they will drive the Israelis into the Mediterranean, only to soon see Israeli armor camped a stone’s throw outside the gates of their capitol city.
Thus, all’s well that ends well Wednesday night. As for next week, it’ll be the Trumpsters turn to claim victory in the Senate.