Gallagher supported Trump in 2020, even after mocking the late Arizona Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who clearly thought highly of Trump. He voted against both Trump’s impeachment and an independent commission investigating the January 6, 2021, riot (although he said he would not support Trump in 2024). Mr. Gallagher was not one to criticize Mr. Trump’s virulent racism, association with anti-Semites, or condemnation of the justice system.
To make matters worse, he joined Trump’s attack on the FBI. He refused to vote to hold Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon in contempt of Congress. He fanned the flames of baseless attacks on critical race theory. His weak-minded approach earned him a C his negative rating from the Republican Responsibility Project.
that this This man’s courageous profile should be celebrated because it speaks volumes about the current state of the MAGA-intoxicated Republican Party. Gallagher, as I explained, was one of those people who chose to adapt to evil rather than resist it.
After a brief demonstration of independence on the Mayorkas vote, he joined a core group that included Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Washington State), Michael C. Burgess (Texas) and Larry Bouchon (Indiana). He joined a swarm of House Republicans outside the MAGA group in leaving the party. ), Jeff Duncan (South Carolina), John Curtis (Utah), Greg Pence (Indiana), Patrick T. McHenry (North Carolina), Kay Granger (Texas), Kelly Arm Strong (North Dakota).
Now, most Republicans don’t have to fear a primary challenge, so why not stand tall? For example, they could join Mr. Gallagher in refusing to support Mr. Trump. We also voted to reject the Ukraine aid bill, protect judges and law enforcement from baseless MAGA attacks, and call out President Trump’s betrayal of NATO and unconstitutional promise to use the military to suppress dissent. There is a possibility of a vote to reject it. Freed from the bounds of party loyalty where former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney never stopped putting country before party, they belatedly rebelled against Cheney to protect America from the fascist onslaught. I was able to participate in the Trump movement.
That may not erase their original sin of refusing to impeach Trump and ignoring his anti-democratic conduct as president, but it will be a step in the right direction. But I feel that’s a bridge too far for most people. I hope I’m wrong. I look forward to seeing whether Mr. Gallagher and others decide that their common sense and promotion of democracy is genuine. It’s never too late to do the right thing.
This week’s celebrities
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Virginia), a former CIA employee who was first elected in 2018, is not running for re-election this year. Instead, she plans to run for Virginia governor in 2025. Congress and the nation will miss her deep knowledge of foreign policy and her commitment to national security.
After a recent visit to Ukraine and meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Spanberger said in a lengthy phone interview that the “clear-eyed, clear-voiced” Ukrainian leader believes that now is the “make or break” moment for Ukraine. He said he emphasized that it was a moment in time. Although Ukraine has regained about half of the territory occupied by Russia in 2022, it is far from victory.
Spanberger spoke candidly about how the Biden administration rejected Ukraine’s initial request for critical equipment, waited for European countries to act, and ultimately agreed. “Initially, I was going to give them credit for being cautious,” she said. There is a non-zero risk that the war will escalate into a war between major powers. But, she insisted, “we have proven that Ukraine complies with the standards we have set.” As a result of this misconduct, Ukraine’s emergency requests have consistently been delayed by at least “months.”
As for her Republican colleagues, she said key Republicans, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), “committed” to Zelensky during the visit that they would “make the aid bill happen.” told me. Mr. Spanberger emphasized that: Involved To get it done. ” However, the mechanisms for achieving this remain uncertain.
MAGA Republicans’ indifference toward Ukraine, evidenced by their recent shrugging off of President Trump’s recent invitation to Russia to invade Europe, infuriated Spanberger. “What are they missing? we Saved the world from fascism. we ended the holocaust. we liberated Europe.That is we” she exclaimed with emotion. Now, she says, Republicans “want to take America out of the world.” Russian President Vladimir Putin “is on the brink of destroying the world order,” she continued. we It was introduced by the deaths of thousands of Americans. But still, she asserted, they don’t seem willing to “explain this to voters or fend off key challenges” to protect our vital interests. Instead, they meekly follow isolationist cult leaders.
She recalled that the day after 9/11, NATO allies invoked Article 5 for the first time. “They fought a war for 20 years. we. for our wIn short, she said, it’s “shameful” that Republicans are ignoring America’s vital interests.
Her passion, clarity, and knowledge of national security and democracy made Ms. Spanberger a standout member of the 2018 House of Representatives. Congress desperately needs members with these qualities. But Spanberger, still only 44, will continue her rise within the Democratic Party. Please value my words. She will be back on her national stage.
I can’t believe I love watching golf now. Yes, golf. I don’t play. I used to think that any activity that didn’t require running in casual clothes wasn’t a sport.Then I saw “Full swing,” Netflix’s reality show follows the lives of professional golfers on the PGA Tour and LIV Tour. The characters are engaging, and so are the interactions between players and between players and their families. Some grew up in country clubs, others practiced in their family’s garage (!). The PGA-LIV battle provides insight into the sportswash problem seen in many professional sports leagues.
But what’s interesting about this show, and this sport, is how incredibly difficult golf is. (If the Martians landed, they might shout:Do you have to use a thin stick to put a small ball into a small hole in a large park?) These athletes are not physical freaks. they look like normal people. However, his technique (to generate speed and power), his stamina, and above all, his mental strength to compete in a four-day, 72-hole (plus playoff hole) tournament are extraordinary. Runners at the front can lose concentration in an instant and fall. Someone returning to the group could start a fire and fire a series of near-impossible shots. And aside from the caddy, a genius golfer and strategist in his own right, the players’ struggle is a lonely one. The winner must defeat not his single opponent, but everyone else playing that week. (There is no such thing as an “easy draw” like in tennis.)
So I got hooked on the different shots, the puzzles (calculating when to take a penalty, whether the wind will blow the ball into the water, etc.), the unique personalities, the announcer’s patterns, and sometimes watching. A hilariously terrifying ensemble and dignified camaraderie. Other times, you can simply gaze at a gorgeous setting (like the cliffs of Monterey, California or the spring flowers of Augusta, Georgia) and feel a Zen-like calm. A spectacular game that drives ordinary people crazy may give soccer a reputation as a “beautiful game.”
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