The extremist Georgia congresswoman has no place in a major party, and even in a toxic political environment in which Republicans feel demonized, their reluctance to act is still indefensible.
Two years ago, House Republican Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) had no trouble in doing the right thing when it came to policing extremism in his caucus. But as calls grow for him to do something about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), McCarthy is failing to respond. That the QAnon supporter with a history of backing a wide variety of lunatic conspiracy theories, including believing that the 9/11 attacks were faked and those with clear anti-Semitic themes like her claim that California wildfires were caused by space lasers linked to the Rothschild bank, stands unrebuked by her party is not only a disgrace. It’s also a gift that will keep on giving to their Democratic foes until McCarthy acts.
His hesitancy to do so isn’t just a profound and indefensible mistake; it’s also a product of a changed political landscape in which both major parties seem neither able nor willing to deal with extremists within their rank. In a tribal culture war in which the goal is to brand all opponents as beyond the pale, the two sides have come to believe that punishing one of their own is giving their opponents an undeserved victory.
In early 2019, things were very different. After tolerating Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) for years, his defense of “white nationalism” and “white supremacy” was finally a bridge too far for the GOP. With the strong support of other Republicans – though not then President Donald Trump – McCarthy removed King from all committee assignments. The following year, the party establishment went all out to support a primary challenge to King that resulted in his defeat, ending the problem that his continued presence in the House posed for Republicans.
At the time, McCarthy’s exemplary discipline of King stood in stark contrast to the way House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was handling the Democrats’ extremism problem.
When freshman House member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was exposed for having tweeted anti-Semitic memes about friends of Israel buying the support of Congress (“It’s all about the Benjamins”) and accusing Jewish legislators of dual loyalty, there were calls for Democrats to mete out the same discipline to her. But after criticizing Omar, Pelosi punted on any effort to rein her in. Not only did Omar escape censure for her calumnies, but she was rewarded with a coveted spot on the Foreign Relations Committee. She and the other radical Democratic BDS movement supporter Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) became, along with fellow “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), the rock stars of their party, feted by late-night TV comedians and given spots on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine along with their enabler Pelosi.
In the ensuing two years, the ranks of the “Squad” have expanded with their members no less extreme. Tlaib and new addition Jamal Bowman (D-NY) both spread the blood libel about Israel cruelly denying the COVID-19 vaccine to Palestinians, despite the obvious falsity of the charge. But thanks to the U.S. Capitol riot and the way it has helped focus public attention on right-wing extremists, nobody is paying attention to AOC and her friends.
Why then isn’t the GOP House leadership acting quickly to make clear that Taylor Greene does not speak for Republicans and they want nothing to do with her?
Blame it in part on the way the election and its aftermath further polarized American politics. In the wake of the events on Jan. 6, Democrats have seemed intent not just on impeaching Trump for his role in setting the riot in motion. They have also inflated a violent mob egged on by those who told them an election was being stolen into an “insurrection” they now wish to link to everyone who raised questions about the election results. Rather than focus on the actual extremists who took part in the violence or even just on Trump’s dubious efforts to overturn the results even after his legal options for challenging them had been exhausted, the left’s goals have become far more ambitious. They clearly want to make the Capitol violence the seminal event of recent history and to leverage it as a club with which they can beat anyone who dissents from their agenda for the foreseeable future.
With a partisan mainstream media behind them and Big Tech oligarchs also assisting in this effort, Republicans feel besieged and delegitimized. The GOP base is angry about the way Trump and conservatives are being censored by the left’s media allies. Moreover, they point to the Democrats’ hypocrisy with respect to condoning violent extremists, such as those who took part in hundreds of “mostly peaceful” Black Lives Matter demonstrations last year that turned into violent riots in cities throughout America.
Many on the right, even those who are opponents of white supremacists and anti-Semitism, are in no mood to sacrifice one of their own in order to placate opponents who will give them no credit for doing so – just as they got none for what they did to King.
That explains why Taylor Greene is getting support from rank-and-file Republicans that King, who was arguably not nearly as out-of-control or threatening, never received. And with her declaration that Trump, who still retains the sympathy of many of the 74 million people who voted for him three months ago, is backing her, McCarthy seems to be reasoning that getting rid of her will anger Republicans more than it will appease the rest of the country.
With Democrats now threatening to vote to expel Taylor Greene from her two committee assignments if the Republicans don’t do it first, the GOP leadership is being put in a position where it will be damned by some of their supporters for meekly acquiescing to Democrat demands if they act against her and damned by everybody else if they don’t. Like the constitutionally questionable effort to impeach Trump, the Democrats’ goal is not so much to punish Taylor Greene as to embarrass and divide the Republican Party.
But to understand the source of Republican reluctance is not to condone it. As a growing number of prominent members of the party, as well as the Republican Jewish Coalition, have said, denouncing Taylor Greene and her wildly extremist stands is an imperative.
Even if Republicans have good reason to feel aggrieved about the way they’ve been treated, all of the efforts to change the subject from Taylor Greene to Omar or the BLM rioters amounts to nothing more than whataboutism. As David Harris, head of the liberal-leaning American Jewish Committee aptly pointed out, anti-Semitic extremism exists on both the left and the right, but the lack of action against the former can never excuse a failure on the part of the GOP to deal with its Marjorie Taylor Greene problem.
The dilemma here is, after all, not merely political. We have already seen what happens when anti-Semitism is normalized with respect to BDS supporters and others on the left. If Republicans were to act in a manner as to allow Taylor Greene to pretend that she has a place in the mainstream of her party, it would send an unmistakable signal that those who peddle similar anti-Semitic, violent and dangerous conspiracy theories that half the country backs them even if it isn’t true.
Trump’s petulant unwillingness to plainly condemn extremists at every opportunity enabled his opponents to portray him as an anti-Semite, even if that was palpably false. But House Republicans are in no position to send equivocal messages when the extremist in question is a member of their own caucus. They must unambiguously ostracize Taylor Greene – and soon. If they don’t, they will be in no position to complain if Democrats and the liberal media make her the face of the GOP in coming years.
@ orangeladytrumpkin:
ADMONISHING…??? Was I admonishing….tut tut…You misunderstood. I just switched on my normal dictatorial manner .( I chose the Peron, rather than the Alvarado) especially for the Sth. American context. I can be “sweet and kindly”, when discussing family and new-born babies, like say, my own tiny grandchildren. Other peoples’…Ech..not so much.
If you’d just responded “typo”:, all this subsequent “ink” would not have been wasted.
@ orangeladytrumpkin:
Sorry’perhaps I misunderstood. You didn’t mention Rothschilds in your Peru quote. but the Rockfellers, whom I KNOW are not Jews.. Of course you did include Soros amongst the three, but he is…. “Hardly a Jew”.
Rothschilds are regarded as Jews mainly by Anti-Semites. They are many today, and much assimilated. This had been recorded often by dedicated researchers.
It’s a nuisance even writing about them, I often forget the “h” after the first “t”.
Let’s just forget about it.
@ Edgar G.:
I merely printed a clip of how even Peru finds particular Jews guilty of world crimes, though not all Jews, and as far as I know, is not condemned for ‘antisemitism’. Additionally, as I said, I hadn’t checked out the Rothschild’s in depth, therefore unable to lodge accusation one way or the other, and you admonish me for not knowing they have supposedly have left Judaism? What point are you trying to make exactly. please?
@ orangeladytrumpkin:
orangeladytrumpkin Said:
You mention Gates. Soros and the Rockafeller Family, as a group, alone, but then segue into the Rothschilds-seemingly whilst comparing the 3 above people.. Is this a slip of the pen, substituting Rothschilds for Rockafellers.. caused by your intention to mention the Rothshilds later….? Just an idle queston.
You briefly later compare Soros and Rorschilds in a comment on Antisemitisnm
I believe that for at least 2 generations, the majrity of the Rothschids have not been Jewish and you, seemingly also not Jewish , but married to one, would be some indications of this..
@ Tanna:
I would certainly agree. Seems funny that there are also more than a few black ‘white supremacists’, while others are mere mutts in our soup pot, with many nationalities in their background. If we believe our Bibles or Torah, we are all a little Jewish, which would therefore, by reason, reflect antisemitism in criticizing anyone.
@ milhouse:
‘Peruvian Court Rules Bill Gates, George Soros and Rockefeller Family “CREATED” Coronavirus’: this article found I believe originally over at operation free assange but I found it at welovetrump dot com. I make it a policy not to judge Jews whenever possible; they have a special deal with the Lord and that’s between He and them. However, Soros is in your face despicable and that having nothing to do with his Jewishness. As for the rest, I find Gates absolutely questionable and haven’t bothered, honestly, to check out the Rothschilds, though married to one that was disgusting for a brief time. I learned enough to lose heart in looking, I guess. Antisemitism does not equate to seeing one’s personal dirty deeds, I don’t believe.
In general, I agree with all of the aforestated comments to the Tobin piece, except for ngottlieb (certainly don’t want more of Liz and Romney). I also read the Greene piece and believe it has morphed from a series of questions to now a biblical undertaking (probably by some who have not even read her fb posting). What she wrote pales in comparison to the disgusting writings and words of omar, tlaib, pressley, bush, etc. (the squatting squad). Get a life, folks. Read with greater clarity the words actually presented, and not your perception of them.
peloni1986 Said:
milhouse Said:
Orange lady, Me thinks, Antisemitism is an over used word. Kind of like the word “Hero”. Today everyone is called a hero just for doing their jobs. Which in turn lowers the bar for a real hero and diminishes the whole idea. So if you disagree with something a person says about a Jewish person ….. they must be an Anti-Semite. Just like a white person who suggest a brown person get a job and a little self respect is a …… wait for it………. white supremist. Good thing there are no Biblical Prophets today, they would all be called ANTI_SEMITES.
@ orangeladytrumpkin:
Not so ridiculous. Unlike Soros, the Rotchschilds have been the innocent targets of antisemites for 200 years, and unlike Soros there is no substance to the attacks on them. So doing so can be an indicator of antisemitism, but it doesn’t prove it, just as holocaust denial is a very good indicator of antisemitism but doesn’t prove it. There are holocaust deniers who are not antisemites, and there are people who subscribe to the ridiculous conspiracy theories about the Rothschilds who are also not antisemites. Greene may be one of these.
Soros really is a menace to the free world, and most of those who attack him have no idea he’s even Jewish, so that’s not even an indicator.
This is ridiculous. Why should the Republicans do anything about Greene when the Democrats do nothing about their nuts? There’s no clear evidence of antisemitism, just of being not the most rational or best informed person in the world. And compared to at least two dozen Democrat representatives Greene seems perfectly rational and reasonable. Throwing Steve King under the bus was a big mistake, and it should not be repeated.
John Hinderaker wrote a very good piece about it, and I support everything he wrote. Toobin would do well to read and think about it.
@ jobardu:
Hi jobardu,
No offense intended, but have you read the posting for which Ms. Greene has become the poster-child of anti-semitic slurs? The collective horror about an her silly not hateful statements lay out a low bar to compare to the likes of BLM, BDS, Omar etc. I have read the headlines of “jewish lasers” and “rothschild lasers” over the past few days and every time I open an article on this matter it never once escapes my attention that these authors never quote her terrible, troubling, hate-filled statement. So it would not surprise me if many have not read her statement.
She is being likened to Tlaib, Omar, BDS, etc. These people are vile and their statements were not questioning or probing but actually reprehensible, not just to Israelis, nor just to Jews, but to the entire US(actually they were part of the successful endeavor by the Demonrats to pull the party further to the position it sits in today). Here is a screengrab of the posting
I just don’t see that this statement can be related in any way or degree to the repeated vile hatred that is emitted by the likes of Omar and company. It was made two years before being a Congresswoman(but, hey, she did post it). One might say that she is alluding to antisemetic slurs in her posting, but her statements are base on the fact of the relationship between the Rothschild bank and the PG&E company. And her questions do show an concern that taxpayer would be shouldering the cost for which PG&E and their backers were responsible should things go the way they were at that time(I think eventually everything hit the political fan and things change subsequently, not to digress). In any case, her questions were questions and they may have been based on nonsense she read on the internet about the ridiculous forest fires in California that conveniently stop at the Canadian border being caused by some space energy program. Her statements may have been (or not – today anything is possible) perhaps uneducated and unpolitic, but Greene is no antisemite. She has often spoken out against the likes of Omar and BLM. Furthermore, she is a strong backer of Israel and of Trump and Trump is a strong supporter of hers. She should and will face the judgement of her constituency just as all members of congress do and should. But the idea that this is grounds for her removal is absurd. Additionally, the idea that you would leverage her removal against some Demonrat, all I would ask is how did that work out with Steve King.
(I really hope this does not set off another row over the Rothchilds. Sorry in advance if it does.)
Tobin has a very definite “anti-Trump” slant to his article and even animus. Therefore much of what he writes must be viewed with the suspicion as the article itself, apart from refraining from more than lightly slapping Omar, Tlaib and Co on the wrist, zooms in on Greene.
Perhaps Greene needs to be taken into a quiet room, and quitetly shown detailed facts,negatingf the fallacies of her beliefs. nd that those who STILL retain those fixations, often end up, perhaps years on, in fringe obscurity, maybe a mental home. (Or down a 100 ft. hideout with 10 years supply of toilet paper waiting fo’ De Lawd)
If THAT doesn’t ameliorate the situation, then a primary at the next election ….
Free Speech is to be supported. That does NOT mean one has to agree to support or approve of:
It is actually perfectly acceptable to condemn such lunacy. Just as the Squad should be condemned for their anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism.
Why does Ms. Greene deserve different treatment than the Squad. They make many anti-Israel and anti-Semitic slurs. Many Democrats have made horrible comments about Trump and his family, and about white people. Why is there a double standard?
Why can’t the Republicans act like normal people and bargain with the Democrats so that some concessions are made by both sides. Now it appears that the Democrats are right and the Republicans wrong, so the Democrats can say or do whatever they want and the Republicans admit, in advance, that they deserve to be cancelled.
That isn’t the way I think or feel, and I suspect that this selling out of their constituency by our representatives is getting old with a number of other people too.
As a “Libertarian” I absolutely support “Free Speech” even if I do not personally subscribe to its content!
Remember “I May Hate What You Say But Will Defend Your Right To Say It” or suchlike theme.
One cannot have “Free Speech” if certain Segments of Society want to define what “They” do not like as “Hate Speech”!
If you do not like what people say then produce a reasoned argument proving it’s falsehood.
Suppressing THEIR right only makes other people think their is a “grain of truth” in what they say, which is contrary to the outcome you really want!!
Remember the old saying “Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, But Words Will Never Hurt Me “!
Hitler and Stalin both a “Type” of Socialist tried this, and yet “Truth Will Out” as History proves consistently.
Ridiculous to equate anti-Rothschild-ism and anti-Soros-ism with antisemitism. Just absolutely ridiculous!
yes indeed!!? GOP needs people like Liz and Romney…