Saturday, January 23, 2021

A New McCarthyism: Absolve Trump By Blaming All Americans for Insurrection

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has engaged in a new kind of McCarthyism. After initially taking former President Trump to task by stating on the House floor that bore responsibility for the attack, McCarthy now says "everybody across the country" bears responsibility for the events of January 6th. 

McCarthy told Greta Van Sustren in an interview which will air tomorrow"I also think everybody across this country has some responsibility, Think about four years ago after President Trump was sworn in. What happened the very next day? The title was resist with people walking in the streets."

I doubt McCarthy actually believes any of this rubbish, but it doesn't stop him from saying it. If the I'm sure McCarthy got heat from Trump supporters. So now by blaming everyone in the country he effectively absolves Trump of any responsibility for what happened 17 days ago. Whether he believes what he says or not, if the House Minority leader wishes to engage in McCarthyism then we are obliged to ask him if he has no shame. McCarthy putting the Women's March on par with the siege of the Capitol is completely specious. Indeed, I attended the Women's March in Boston. Consider what I wrote a little over four years ago:

Say what you will about the people who attended the Boston Women's March and their views. They came to protest peaceably. There were no roads blocked, no property damaged and no police officers injured. Their reasons for coming might have different than mine. But that's alright. We don't have to agree on everything and maybe even most things. What we share is a mutual distaste for a man whose character and temperament is unfit for the office to which he has been elected. The best we can hope for is that the people who supported Donald Trump in November will eventually come around to that view.

There is a world of difference between expressing displeasure with a new President of the United States and preventing him from taking office. 

The only people who bear responsibility for what happened on January 6th are President Trump for instigating an insurrection, those who heeded President Trump's call to march down to the Capitol with murder in their hearts and any Republican legislators or staff members who may have aided and abetted this mayhem as well as any law enforcement or military agency who were unwilling to stop the violence. That's it. 

Those of who respected the results of the election, Democrat, Republican or otherwise, bear no responsibility for what happened on January 6, 2021.

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