Rep. Liz Cheney Under Attack Again, and Again…
[guest post by Dana]
Of course, if you don’t pose a threat to anyone, you won’t be attacked…
Embattled Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney is taking her ousting by her state’s Republican Party in stride. The independent-minded Cheney simply continues to fail the loyalty-to-Trump litmus test. Therefore, she must go:
In its second formal rebuke of Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney, the state party passed a resolution this week to no longer recognize her as a member — but Cheney, up for reelection in 2022, appears unconcerned.
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The resolution, which is symbolic and doesn’t strip Cheney from any tangible power, cleared the Wyoming GOP Central Committee on Saturday by a narrow vote of 31-29.
The Cheney camp set the record straight:
“It’s laughable to suggest Liz is anything but a committed conservative Republican,” said Jeremy Adler, a Cheney spokesperson. “She is bound by her oath to the Constitution. Sadly, a portion of the Wyoming GOP leadership has abandoned that fundamental principle, and instead allowed themselves to be held hostage to the lies of a dangerous and irrational man.”
But of course, the issue isn’t about Cheney’s conservative bona fides, but rather it’s about Trump and her sharp rebuke of him after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, his post-election claims about a rigged election, and her vote to impeach the former president. In other words, a demonstrated loyalty to the U.S. Constitution by a sitting congresswoman is simply unacceptable to the Wyoming GOP. Sad!
From the central committee of the state’s GOP:
“Previously mentioned in the resolution of censure, Representative Liz Cheney ‘cast her vote in favor of impeachment without any quantifiable evidence of High Crimes or Misdemeanors,” the resolution stated. “As to date, no quantifiable and or undisputed evidence has been offered Representative Liz Cheney to defend her questionable decision.”
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The end of the resolution made an appeal to congressional Republicans by asking that the “House Republican Conference Leadership immediately remove Representative Liz Cheney from all committee assignments and the House Republican conference itself, to assist and expedite her seamless exodus from the Republican Party.”
Meanwhile, Cheney faces re-election in 2022. Determined to make Cheney pay for her vote to impeach him, her main challenger is Trump-endorsed lawyer, Harriet Hageman. Cheney is likely to have a tough battle ahead given that 70% of the state voted for Trump in 2020. However, no matter much her opponent might try to make hay of Cheney’s conservative creds and loyalty to the Constitution, it will be a losing battle. And speaking of losing battles, Sen. Ted Cruz attacked Cheney this week by telling Sean Hannity that Trump broke the congresswoman:
“I’ve always liked her, I haven’t agreed with her on everything, I think she’s a bit too eager to send in the Marines and to invade countries all over the planet, but I’ve always liked her and I think she falls into the category of people who Donald Trump just broke, just shattered,” he said.
“She hates Donald Trump so much that it just has overridden everything in her system. She’s lashing out at Trump and Republicans and everything, and she’s become a Democrat and it’s sad to watch what has happened. It is Trump Derangement Syndrome,” he added.
Cheney remained unfazed by the ridiculous attack, and deftly hit Cruz where it counts:
“Trump broke Ted Cruz,” Cheney told the network. “A real man would be defending his wife, and his father, and the Constitution.”
There was yet another verbal interaction between the congress members when Cruz was asked whether there was a lane for Cheney to run for the presidency in 2024:
Yes. It’s called the Democratic primary. https://t.co/q31fFvQZOp
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 13, 2021
Cheney didn’t hesitate to blast Cruz, who has recently been flirting with Texas seceding if “things become hopeless in the U.S.”:
I know you’re posturing for the secessionist vote, Ted. But my party, the Republican party, saved the Union. You swore an oath to the Constitution. Act like it.
The most recent polling I could find in the Wyoming House race took place before Hageman entered the race. However, it looks like Cheney will have her work cut out for her:
(*Note: Darrin Smith dropped out of the race after Trump endorsed Hageman. Smith went on to back Hageman.)
Persuing the Wyoming GOP platform, I came across this:
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land. Under the Tenth Amendment, powers not enumerated in it are reserved to the States and the People. The most effective, responsible, and responsive government is the government that is closest to the People. Government that governs least governs best.
–Dana