Todd Dorman
Dec. 22, 2022 6:00 am
On Monday, the Jan. 6 committee made criminal referrals to the Justice Department recommending charges against former president Donald Trump and others who played key roles in inciting an attack on the U.S. Capitol with hopes of overturning a free and fair American presidential election.
Our Capitol was invaded by a violent mob. Police were bludgeoned. The lives of lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence were threatened. Trump did nothing to halt the violence, despite pleas from top administration officials. It was among the darkest days in our history.
The reaction from top Iowa Republicans? Shrugs. Yawns.
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“While the media remains obsessed with the Jan. 6 Committee, Rep. Hinson will continue to be laser focused on the issues that Iowans are talking about around their kitchen tables every night: how they’re going to pay the bills in the Biden economy, securing the border, and restoring American energy independence,” a spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said, according to The Gazette’s Erin Murphy.
When the “recovering journalist” has no real answer, media bashing comes in handy.
“The Justice Department frequently ignores criminal referrals, whether they come from Congress or the Inspector General. So, we’ll see how the Biden Justice Department treats these referrals,” said a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.
Nothing to see here. Happens all the time.
Grassley did see what happened on Jan. 6 as he was being whisked away from the Senate before the mob breached the chamber, hoping to stop the certification of electoral votes.
“Today’s violent attack on the U.S. Capitol was an attack on democracy itself … Those who plowed over police barricades, ignored law enforcement or desecrated our monument to representative democracy flouted the rule of law and disgraced our nation,” Grassley tweeted on Jan. 6.
“I condemn today’s violence in the strongest terms and perpetrators deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law … This is a sad day for America. As a nation we must be better than this,” Grassley said in a second tweet that day.
Prosecution for the rioters, but not the reckless leaders who stirred their outrage by lying about a stolen election.
Hinson seemed to be on the same page. “No matter the circumstance, this kind of violence & behavior is unacceptable. I don’t believe this is who we are as a nation & I hope we can come together to heal the divisions gripping our country right now. Thank you to the law enforcement officers keeping us safe.”
In the aftermath, Hinson touted a bill she co-sponsored calling for a congressional investigation. In May 2021, she voted against creating a bipartisan committee to probe the attack. But somehow she still claimed she “might” support an inquiry.
"It's horrible, and I do believe we need to get to the bottom of the attack," Hinson told reporters. But in June 2021 she voted no, claiming such an investigative committee was unnecessary.
Both were endorsed by Trump for their 2022 re-election runs and eagerly accepted his backing. They both won, so all’s well that ends well. After all, their political careers and the support of MAGA voters was all they really cared about.
Worst of all, Murphy reported that none of the Iowa Republicans who commented ruled out Trump as a GOP presidential option in 2024. As a nation, I pray we are better than that.
www.thegazette.com
Dec. 22, 2022 6:00 am
On Monday, the Jan. 6 committee made criminal referrals to the Justice Department recommending charges against former president Donald Trump and others who played key roles in inciting an attack on the U.S. Capitol with hopes of overturning a free and fair American presidential election.
Our Capitol was invaded by a violent mob. Police were bludgeoned. The lives of lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence were threatened. Trump did nothing to halt the violence, despite pleas from top administration officials. It was among the darkest days in our history.
The reaction from top Iowa Republicans? Shrugs. Yawns.
Advertisement
“While the media remains obsessed with the Jan. 6 Committee, Rep. Hinson will continue to be laser focused on the issues that Iowans are talking about around their kitchen tables every night: how they’re going to pay the bills in the Biden economy, securing the border, and restoring American energy independence,” a spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said, according to The Gazette’s Erin Murphy.
When the “recovering journalist” has no real answer, media bashing comes in handy.
“The Justice Department frequently ignores criminal referrals, whether they come from Congress or the Inspector General. So, we’ll see how the Biden Justice Department treats these referrals,” said a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.
Nothing to see here. Happens all the time.
Grassley did see what happened on Jan. 6 as he was being whisked away from the Senate before the mob breached the chamber, hoping to stop the certification of electoral votes.
“Today’s violent attack on the U.S. Capitol was an attack on democracy itself … Those who plowed over police barricades, ignored law enforcement or desecrated our monument to representative democracy flouted the rule of law and disgraced our nation,” Grassley tweeted on Jan. 6.
“I condemn today’s violence in the strongest terms and perpetrators deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law … This is a sad day for America. As a nation we must be better than this,” Grassley said in a second tweet that day.
Prosecution for the rioters, but not the reckless leaders who stirred their outrage by lying about a stolen election.
Hinson seemed to be on the same page. “No matter the circumstance, this kind of violence & behavior is unacceptable. I don’t believe this is who we are as a nation & I hope we can come together to heal the divisions gripping our country right now. Thank you to the law enforcement officers keeping us safe.”
In the aftermath, Hinson touted a bill she co-sponsored calling for a congressional investigation. In May 2021, she voted against creating a bipartisan committee to probe the attack. But somehow she still claimed she “might” support an inquiry.
"It's horrible, and I do believe we need to get to the bottom of the attack," Hinson told reporters. But in June 2021 she voted no, claiming such an investigative committee was unnecessary.
Both were endorsed by Trump for their 2022 re-election runs and eagerly accepted his backing. They both won, so all’s well that ends well. After all, their political careers and the support of MAGA voters was all they really cared about.
Worst of all, Murphy reported that none of the Iowa Republicans who commented ruled out Trump as a GOP presidential option in 2024. As a nation, I pray we are better than that.
Iowa GOP profiles in courage
Former President Donald Trump greets Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, during a rally, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, in Sioux City, Iowa. …
www.thegazette.com
