So, You Want to Overturn Democracy...

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by: Colorado Pols

Clockwise from top: Rep. Michael Waltz, Rep. Ken Buck, and Rep. Doug Lamborn kissing arse.

We wrote yesterday about the news that Rep. Ken Buck (R-Greeley) and Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs) had both added their names to an amicus brief related to that asinine Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election so that Donald Trump can remain in the White House.

It seems that we are not alone in our dismay over the actions of local Members of Congress. The editorial board of The Orlando Sentinel is pretty pissed off about the decision of Rep. Michael Waltz to join in this circus — so upset, in fact, that it published an editorial in which it apologized for endorsing Waltz in 2020:

We now know what we didn’t then — that Waltz, a U.S. Army Green Beret who served his country — is willing to undermine the nation to ensure his political party remains in control of the White House.

Every American should be appalled at the attempted usurpation taking place, and at the elected officials taking part in this terrifying fiasco and violating their oath to protect the country from enemies, foreign and domestic.

Everyone who supported Michael Waltz for Congress should feel a deep sense of remorse and regret.

We do.

Sadly, the list of Republican Members of Congress signing onto the Texas lawsuit continues to grow. The rationale, as the Sentinel explains, is distressingly simple:

They want to undo 231 years of election tradition and norms so their guy, Donald Trump, can have another four years in office. And so the president won’t send out a mean tweet that might torpedo their chances for reelection.

Back in March 2019, the editorial board of The Denver Post famously un-endorsed Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma) after finally growing tired of Gardner’s inability to honor his word and his general impotence in dealing with President Trump. The last straw for the Post was Gardner’s flip-flop in support of Trump’s “emergency declaration” so that he could raid military coffers to build his stupid wall along the Mexico border. As the Post wrote:

Gardner has been too busy walking a political tight rope to be a leader. He has become precisely what we said in our endorsement he would not be: “a political time-server interested only in professional security.”…

…We no longer know what principles guide the senator and regret giving him our support in a close race against Mark Udall.

Colorado’s newspaper of record, The Denver Post, can’t un-endorse Rep. Buck; they supported long shot Democrat Ike McCorkle in 2020 rather than give a thumbs up to more of Buck’s nonsense. For obvious reasons, the Post also did not endorse Rep. Lamborn in 2020.

Newspapers such as The Greeley Tribune could still follow the lead of The Orlando Sentinel in voicing displeasure with Buck’s blatant disregard for democracy. If The Colorado Springs Gazette were a real newspaper, they could similarly shame Lamborn (but they won’t).

Regardless, we are encouraged by the actions of The Orlando Sentinel’s editorial board. Speaking truth to power is one of the most important roles of a free press. Our democracy may very well depend on it.

Buck, Lamborn and 124 other House Republicans crossed a line this week that should never have even been approachable. As the Sentinel editorial board writes, “Our nation teeters on the edge of constitutional disaster” as a result of the actions of these Republican Members of Congress. Buck and Lamborn need to hear this message, repeatedly, so that this never happens again.

6 thoughts on “So, You Want to Overturn Democracy…”

Diogenesdemar says:

December 11, 2020 at 1:00 pm

Sorry libs,

There’s absolutely no proof that Biden won the election in either New California State or New Nevada State . . .

‘New California State’ files brain-rotting amicus brief in Texas election lawsuit

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/new-california-state-files-brain-rotting-amicus-brief-in-texas-election-lawsuit/ar-BB1bR9Ze

. . . next up: From the State of Dumphuckistan . . .

I can’t believe that Ttump isn’t demanding amici from Putin, the Ukraine, Norwegia, the country of Puerto Rico, etc.,

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harrydoby says:

December 11, 2020 at 1:14 pm

Greg Sargent in the WaPo writes:

President Trump has once again demanded that the Supreme Court invalidate millions of votes in four states, nullifying the election and keeping him in power illegitimately.

Indeed, Trump was unintentionally explicit on this point: He predicted that Joe Biden’s presidency will be corrupt, and commanded the court to overturn the election results on that basis, in the process making this command with no legitimate legal or constitutional basis at all.

As early as Friday, the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on this demand, which has taken the form of a lawsuit waged by the state of Texas, and backed by Trump and his propagandists, against four swing states that Biden won. The court will likely refuse to hear the case.

All of which is why the scorching reply brief that Pennsylvania has now filed is an extraordinarily important document. It frames the stakes with appropriate urgency, by essentially arguing that the Texas lawsuit and its supporters are, in effect, asking the court to arbitrarily and lawlessly impose the will of Trump supporters on that of the majority that rejected Trump — i.e., tyranny.

And this travesty goes on thanks to the cowards in the GOP.

We spend a great deal of time debating whether Republican elected officials endorsing this effort genuinely support its goals or instead are trying to realize other instrumental purposes, such as energizing the base or keeping Trump happy so he will endorse GOP candidates.

But even if those are also operative motivations, two core questions arise: Would these elected Republicans be fine with this effort actually succeeding? Would they not be supporting it if they thought it would succeed?

There is just no evident reason to give them the benefit of the doubt on either of those points.

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JohnInDenver says:

December 11, 2020 at 1:26 pm

I thought having 106 Republicans sign on was a mark of extremes in the Republican conference. Now, some of those slow off the mark have added in, taking the total over 120, apparently up to 126 as of about a half hour ago.

I've already written DeGette to suggest the House majority ought to insure the results of the elections before seating those who signed, as they apparently have doubts about the election that qualifies them for their seats.

Once the House and Senate accept the Electoral College certified votes from the states, then they can consider the petitions for being seated as members of the House. I also suggested a motion of disapproval OR censure motions for each individual signer.

Here's the list and their districts:

Georgia: Earl Carter, First; Drew Ferguson, Third; Austin Scott, Eighth; Doug Collins, Ninth; Rick W. Allen, 12th.

Michigan: Jack Bergman, First; Bill Huizenga, Second; John Moolenaar, Fourth; Tim Walberg, Seventh;

Pennsylvania: Dan Meuser, Ninth; Scott Perry, 10th; Fred Keller, 12th; John Joyce, 13th; Guy Reschenthaler, 14th; Glenn Thompson, 15th; Mike Kelly, 16th

Wisconsin: Tom Tiffany, Seventh

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1. harrydoby says:
  
  December 11, 2020 at 3:30 pm
  
  I've already written DeGette to suggest the House majority ought to insure the results of the elections before seating those who signed, as they apparently have doubts about the election that qualifies them for their seats.
  
  Excellent suggestion! If they can't show proof positive that their election was conducted without fraud, then they don't deserve to be seated under false pretenses.
  
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kwtree says:

December 11, 2020 at 3:59 pm

Rejected! Per Ari Melber on MSNBC tonight, SCOTUS won't even hear the bogus lawsuit. Yay…..democracy dodged another bullet.

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skeptical citizen says:

December 12, 2020 at 6:58 am

Fascists

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