Donna Brazile: We should all be alarmed
Liz Cheney’s fate should alarm all of us
In an Opinion column, Brazile says the GOP punishing Cheney for telling truths is a frightening attack on democracy.
House Republicans, who love to complain about “cancel culture,” have canceled Rep. Liz Cheney for the “crime” of living in the real world rather than on the fantasy island where Donald Trump is the infallible king, cheated out of his throne. Bowing down to Dear Leader Trump’s wishes, they voted Wednesday to oust the Wyoming Republican from her thirdranked House GOP leadership spot.
This political hit job wasn’t just an attack on Cheney. It was a frightening attack on our democracy that should alarm every American.
Cheney is far apart from me politically, and we disagree on most issues. She’s a solid conservative and daughter of Dick Cheney, who served as vice president under President George W. Bush and earlier as Defense secretary under President George H.W. Bush.
I’ve spent most of my adult life working to help Democrats get elected, including serving twice as the interim chair of the Democratic National Committee and as campaign manager for Vice President Al Gore when he ran for president in 2000 against George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
When the Supreme Court ended a recount in Florida and handed the presidency to Bush, Gore graciously conceded defeat – just as every presidential candidate in U.S. history until Trump. He still claims with absolutely no evidence that he won the election, even though over 60 courts threw out his absurd election challenges.
‘Big Lie’ litmus test
Incredibly, a CNN poll last month found that 70% of Republicans believe Joe Biden “did not legitimately win enough votes to win the presidency.” This is consistent with other polls. And now Republican elected officials are making the belief in this Big Lie a litmus test for anyone aspiring to office.
Liz Cheney refuses to accept the Big Lie. “Trump is seeking to unravel critical elements of our constitutional structure that make democracy work – confidence in the result of elections and the rule of law,” she wrote May 5 in The Washington Post. “We must be brave enough to defend the basic principles that underpin and protect our freedom and our democratic process. I am committed to doing that, no matter what the short-term political consequences might be.”
Bravo!
Sadly, today’s once proud Republican Party has morphed into a cult of personality built around worship of Donald Trump. This is frighteningly reminiscent of the cult of personality built around foreign dictators like President Vladimir Putin of Russia and Kim Jong Un of North Korea – tyrants Trump was strangely fond of.
Any Republican who fails to worship the false prophet Trump now faces excommunication. The GOP might as well change its name to the Trumpist Party. Recall that in 2020, the party’s national convention didn’t even bother to adopt a platform. The platform was simple: Support Trump on everything.
This is not the way politics and government are supposed to work in our country. We are the United States of America – not the Divided States of America. We’re not supposed to demonize our opponents as enemies.
I’ve never believed that the job of opposition members of Congress was to obstruct and sabotage the president. Yet Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said May 5: “One hundred percent of my focus is on standing up to this administration.”
We are not mortal enemies
The only thing McConnell cares about is making President Biden fail, no matter how many millions suffer as a result. McConnell said much the same thing about President Barack Obama in 2010: “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” Thankfully, McConnell failed at that.
Our nation has plenty of problems. The ongoing pandemic and the refusal of many Republicans to get lifesaving vaccinations. The recession and job losses COVID-19 has caused. Continued systemic racism and other forms of prejudice against Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans, members of the LGBT community and others. The tragic killings of Black Americans by police.
All of us need to work together to solve these problems and more. We will have different solutions, but if we refuse to accept reality and if we treat each other as mortal enemies, we will never be true to the stirring words of the Pledge of Allegiance and create “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Donna Brazile is the endowed chair of the Gwendolyn and Colbert King public policy lecture series at Howard University, an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University, a member of USA TODAY’s Board of Contributors and a Fox News contributor.
WANT TO COMMENT? Have Your Say at letters@usatoday.com, @usatodayopinion on Twitter and facebook.com/usatodayopinion. Comments are edited for length and clarity. Content submitted to USA TODAY may appear in print, digital or other forms. For letters, include name, address and phone number. Letters may be mailed to 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA, 22108.