There is a thread that ran through today's program from the interviews with Dr. Michael Osterholm to White House Chief Economic Advisor Brian Deese to Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) to the panel that is with one party being dysfunctional, divided and not interested in legislating, progress on combating the virus and an economic recovery is going to be extraordinarily difficult.
Washington Bureau Chief for The Washington Post Ashley Parker said that in the last four years, Republicans have been more focused on appearing on conservative media outlets to defend the former president and attacking Democrats than they are in legislating. Princeton professor Eddie Glaude, Jr. also pointed out that it is going to be hard for Democrats to work across the aisle when some Republican lawmakers, namely Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green (R-GA) and Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) don't believe in the background agreement of a fairly, democratically elected president - in the very act of American democracy that just occurred.
Mr. Kinzinger has launched a 'country first' website as a counter argument in defense of his stance and to fight against the conspiracy theories that have taken over the party thanks to the former president. Mr. Kinzinger specifically explained how the Republican party has lost its way with its condoning of the Capitol attack and the deaths of five people. He along with other current and former Republican office holders are being censured by their respective state party officials for voting for the impeachment of Donald Trump.
God forbid that Republicans should exercise their own version of 'cancel culture' but that's how Mr. Kinzinger labeled it. Call it a purity test or cancel culture or whatever you want, but the Republican party is expelling anyone who isn't buying into the 'Big Lie,' conspiracy theories and white grievance.
Ten Republican Representatives in the House voted for impeachment and only ten Senators put together a plan to work with President Biden on Covid relief. Republican strategist Al Cardenas lamented that he wished he would see more courage from Republicans to stand up for what's right. We would add that we wish more Republicans would come to their senses and actually lead, as Adam Kinzinger described.
Mr. Cardenas also said that it is going to very difficult for bipartisanship when Democrats have already stated that if necessary they have the votes to go it alone on a Covid-relief bill if Republicans don't come along on something. However, the larger question remains... How can one party compromise in good faith with the other when a large swathe Republicans aren't acknowledging the legitimacy of the election. He explained that Mr. Trump's continued influence on the party is going to manifest itself in the Republican primaries, but won't be beneficial in a general. Republican office holders are presented with the choice between fealty to Trump for the sake of reelection and grasping to power or to take a principled stand for American democracy and lead. Unfortunately for all of us, cynical politics wins over principle.
Cited by the panel, in accordance with the Biden Administration's timeline, by the summer we'll know the effectiveness (success) of the administration's plan. If there are positive results, it won't matter that Democrats acted along party lines. What it will do is further illustrate how the Republican party is unable to lead America, just as Rep. Kinzinger talked about. If there were 100 Republicans in office that had his common sense, democracy wouldn't be in such a precarious state and we could move forward.
However, it's clear that's not the case and this growing extremism in the Republican party comes into starker relief as the days pass. Anyone heard the song "Bad Moon Rising?"
Panel: Amy Walter, Cook Political Report; Ashley Parker, The Washington Post; Eddie Glaude, Jr., Princeton University; Al Cardenas, Republican strategist
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