Schwab: Believe them the first time when they say who they are

By Sid Schwab / Herald columnist

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Applied to today’s Republican Party, this insight from Maya Angelou is especially pertinent.

At the beginning of its abandonment of good governance, the party’s fall from rationality was cloaked in the “Aw, shucks,” play-acting congeniality of Ronald Reagan. Now, having latched, like suckling pigs, onto a known associate of mobsters and a lying, scamming defendant in hundreds of lawsuits before being “elected,” they’re broadcasting who they are, megaphonically, unabashed; as if given permission by Donald Trump (Politico: tinyurl.com/themob4u).

Take Wisconsin, where, in the election of 2018, Democrats received 53 percent of the vote but got only 36 seats in the state legislature. Compare to Republicans, who got 44 percent of the votes but won 63 seats. That’s the power of gerrymandering on the grandest of scales; upheld, of course, by Wisconsin’s then-right-wing majority Supreme Court. But now, in a special election, a liberal lady whose name is hard to spell was elected to the court by a resounding margin, switching the majority to liberals. Has the Republican legislature, modeling Democrats Jimmy Carter, Al Gore and Hillary Clinton, accepted the will of the people? Of course not.

Aping their counterparts in Congress, they’re threatening to impeach Justice Janet Protasiewicz, whose high crime is defeating their candidate. She had campaigned, among other things, on reconsidering gerrymandering. “Foul,” cry Republicans. “She can’t pre-judge an issue!” Well, isn’t stating a position a corollary of electing judges? She advocated for majority rule, and the majority elected her. Like the majority rejecting Trump, only opposite.

Who else shows us who they are? Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. Last week, alongside Trump, MAGAlly rejecting democracy, he proclaimed, “[O]nly through force can we make any change in a corrupt town like Washington, D.C.” Confirming the hypocrisy that’s become central to Republican leadership, he also hinted that “when” Trump is elected, he’ll become his attorney general. As they “investigate” President Biden’s imaginary “weaponization of government,” they’re all in on protecting and excusing Trump, who is campaigning explicitly on weaponizing all aspects of the Executive Branch against his perceived enemies. To cheers from crowds and complicity from Congress.

Who else? Proctocranial Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who described the indictments of Trump as “an abuse of power by angry Democrats who’ve decided the rule of law doesn’t matter anymore.” Which begs a paraphrase of Ms. Angelou’s’ warning: “When Republicans accuse Democrats of something, believe it’s projection.” Because, dismissing the indictments, with their detailed explanations of how Don Trumpleone and his fellow racketeers broke the law, it’s Cruz and his companion facilitators of Trump’s lawlessness — like trying to subvert a lawful election — who manifestly reject the rule of law.

And here’s proofless profiler Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio: “Today’s indictment is just the latest political attack in the Democrats’ WITCH HUNT against President Trump. He did nothing wrong!” Ninety-some counts of criminality suggest otherwise. Trials and juries of citizens agreed to by both sides will decide. It’s the rule of law, which Democrats, alone, are pursuing. Truth. Justice. The American way (Instagram: tinyurl.com/justice2all).

There’s plenty more “believe-who-they-are” actors. Like 36 other Republican congressional denizens, Wisconsin’s Sen. Ron Johnson previously signed a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding special counsel status for David Weiss, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney who’s been investigating Hunter Biden, interference-free, for five years. That status gives Weiss more latitude and a wider investigatory playing field. But when Garland did so, Johnson blasted right through the hypocrisy roof, saying, “Weiss is probably the least independent person that Merrick Garland could have appointed.” So said they all (Daily Beast: tinyurl.com/hypocrites4u).

Johnson reveals who they are in other ways, too. To a right-wing TV host, he once said, about the pandemic, “This is all pre-planned by an elite group of people … [who want] to take control of our lives.” Fits right in. As does Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., about whom a wag once said, “Lauren Boebert calling for the abolishment of the Dept of Education is like chlamydia speaking out against amoxicillin.” Not really relevant to the current discussion, but a welcome mood-lightener. Who they are, plainly, is lunacy personified. And they’re reelected for it.

Kangaroo Courtesan James Comer, a Republican represenative from Tennessee, had more to say: Just when they were readying their proof of President Biden’s impeachable crimes, he whined about Garland’s special counsel announcement, derailing their plans. In ways dastardly but unspecified. Golly. Does that mean we’ll never hear their evidence?

Nor should we ignore servile Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C,, once a clear-eyed, factual critic of Trump, who just said of the Georgia indictments that Trump’s fate “should be decided at the ballot box.” Isn’t that what happened in 2020, Lindsey? Cruzing for another insurrection? Should all criminality be subject to public vote? Rob a bank, run for office. Lunacy.

Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis’ indictment of Trump and 18 others is devastating. It’s also moot. On Monday, Trump promises to produce “CONCLUSIVE” proof of his innocence, it all goes away (Daily Beast: tinyurl.com/innocent4u). Hidden under Mike Lindell’s pillow all this time.

Email Sid Schwab at columnsid@gmail.com.