Tag: house republicans
Latest GOP Conspiracy: President's Doctor Is In 'Biden Crime Family'

Latest GOP Conspiracy: President's Doctor Is In 'Biden Crime Family'

The House Republicans’ most reliable conspiracy theorist is trying to make political hay out of President Joe Biden’s bad debate night and the ensuing media feeding frenzy and Democratic bed-wetting. Oversight Committee Chair James Comer is demanding an interview with Biden’s doctor, suggesting in his letter that White House physician Kevin O’Connor is part of the Biden “crime family” and is covering up Biden’s health.

No, seriously. Comer writes that the committee is “concerned your medical assessments have been influenced by your private business endeavors with the Biden family,” and that “evidence obtained by the committee shows your [O’Connor’s] and James Biden’s involvement with Americore Health, LLC. James Biden, the President’s brother, used funds from Americore to pay Joe Biden $200,000 as the company was facing financial distress.” Americore Health operates a number of rural hospitals.

He continues, writing that on the “same day James Biden received the $200,000 wire transfer from Americore into his bank account, James Biden wrote a check to his brother, Joe Biden, for $200,000 for a ‘loan repayment.’” Yes, the scare quotes are in the original.

“Given your connections with the Biden family, the Committee also seeks to understand if you are in a position to provide accurate and independent reviews of the President’s fitness to serve,” Comer wrote.

In February, O’Connor examined Biden, finding he is a “healthy, vigorous, 80-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.” O’Connor wrote that Biden underwent “an extremely detailed neurologic exam” and that there were “no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder.” O’Connor has been Biden’s personal doctor since 2009.

Not good enough for Comer, who is now intent on “investigating circumstances surrounding [that] assessment.”

White House spokesperson Ian Sams slammed Comer and the supposed investigation. “Here they go again, pushing their crazy, discredited conspiracy theories in order to score another hit on [Maria] Bartiromo.”

He also suggested that “if extreme House Republicans want to take a look at a White House physician” they’ve got a former one on hand—GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson (or Ronny Johnson, as Trump calls him). Sams helpfully linked a recent Washington Post story about Jackson’s pill-pushing to all and sundry White House staff.

Yes, this latest from Comer is whack and ridiculous, but it’s also an entirely predictable GOP response to Democrats publicly shitting the bed over Biden’s health, and as Markos wrote, their “inability to keep their eye on the ball.”

The longer Democrats feed the traditional media beast with their angst, the more you will see moves like this from the GOP.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Neil  Friske

Guns And Testosterone Are Not A Good Mix

An arch-conservative Republican state representative in Michigan was arrested early Friday morning on charges of sexual assault, criminal possession of a firearm, and simple assault. Police responded to a call of a man with a gun and shots fired on the 2000 block of Windbreak Lane in Lansing, a street where the head of the Michigan Freedom Caucus owns a condominium. Kornelius Wolfram Friske Sr. was said to be “chasing an adult dancer after a disagreement,” according to a Friday tweet by MIRS.news, the website for Michigan Information and Research Service Inc.

“He also had a gun in his possession at the time,” the tweet continued. The adult dancer was said to work for Déjà vu Services, a website that features “1000’s of Beautiful Girls & 3 Ugly ones!” The site provides “Dream Girls” in Detroit, “Fantasy’s (sic)” in Traverse City, “Little Darlings” in Kalamazoo, and “Déjà vu Showgirls” in Lansing.

Friske was held in jail and released on Friday afternoon. He is expected to be arraigned either today or Monday. Police have requested that Friske be charged with one count of felony sexual assault, one count of felony assault “excluding sexual,” and one count of felony weapons offense.

Friske’s reelection campaign issued a statement calling the timing of the `arrest “highly suspect.” “As many of us know, Rep Friske is always exercising his 2nd Amendment right,” the campaign statement continued. Friske is known as one of the most conservative lawmakers in the state of Michigan. He has introduced a bill to repeal a recently passed amendment to the state constitution giving women reproductive freedom. He has also championed efforts to ban books with sexual content from library shelves.

So, let’s sum up. A 62-year-old male Republican lawmaker carrying a gun is found in the street where he lives chasing an adult dancer after allegedly sexually assaulting her. But not to worry: he’s against porn and abortion and affirmative action and all that stuff, so his reelection to the Michigan state house is doubtlessly assured. After all, in the Republican Party, it is the Year of the Felon. Getting charged with waving a gun around while chasing a “Dream Girl” down your own block at 3 a.m. is probably a badge of honor.

Lucian K. Truscott IV, a graduate of West Point, has had a 50-year career as a journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. He has covered Watergate, the Stonewall riots, and wars in Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He is also the author of five bestselling novels. You can subscribe to his daily columns at luciantruscott.substack.com and follow him on Twitter @LucianKTruscott and on Facebook at Lucian K. Truscott IV.

South Carolina GOP House Nominee Closely Tied To Neo-Nazi Stew Peters

South Carolina GOP House Nominee Closely Tied To Neo-Nazi Stew Peters

Right-wing commentator Mark Burns yesterday advanced to a runoff for the Republican nomination for a U.S. House seat in South Carolina. Burns is a repeat guest on the show of virulent antisemite Stew Peters, whom he has called a “friend.” He also recently told Peters, “We got to be doing something right if we're being called dangerous ... I'm proud they call you dangerous.”

Peters has pushed Holocaust denial, portrayed Hitler as “a hero,” and claimed that “straight-faced lying about easily provable facts comes second-nature to the Jew,” among many other antisemitic remarks.

Burns is a Christian nationalist pastor and commentator who has a history of making toxic remarks, including about LGBTQ people. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Burns.

Burns has said he is friends with Peters. He wrote in August 2023: “It was so great to see my friend Stew Peters today here in Las Vegas.”

Peters is the host of The Stew Peters Show, which streams online. Peters is a conspiracy theorist and far-right extremist who has called for violence against his perceived enemies. He recently has taken part in a militia dedicated to “mobiliz[ing] to DEFEND this Republic from any enemy.”

Peters is also a virulent antisemite who openly praises Hitler. For example:

  • Peters praised the Nazis for burning books, stating: “When it comes down to the old Nazi book burnings, as they call them, it was justified. … It was awesome.” He said of Hitler’s role in book burning: “But for this, wasn’t he a hero?”
  • Peters has also released a promotional video claiming that Jewish “perversion” spurred the Nazis, who were “pushed to their breaking point."
  • Peters claimed: “Adolf Hitler and the rise of the National Socialists may be the most lied about people in world history.”
  • Peters has promoted the pro-Nazi film Europa: The Last Battle, calling it “one of the most important films you can watch.” That film defends Hitler as a hero and pushes doubt about the Holocaust.
  • Peters has promoted Holocaust denial on his show.
  • Peters wrote in response to a headline stating that the Nazis took “over Rothschild bank”: “Hiltler and the Nazis are the worst people in history! How could they possibly do something so positive for humanity?!??”
  • Peters wrote: “Straight-faced lying about easily provable facts comes second-nature to the Jew. Is this a cultural or genetic phenomenon?”
  • Peters wrote: “The dollar is purposely being tanked by Jewish-banksters within our own government” and “The US has merely served as a host nation for Jewish financial interests since the end of WWII.”
  • Peters has claimed that Judaism is a “death cult built on the blood of murdered babies.”
  • Peters said: “We don't have any representation in Washington. We have a bunch of people that are sold out to Jews.”

Burns has repeatedly gone on Peters’ program, including most recently on May 7. During that appearance, he repeatedly promoted extremist rhetoric including claiming that being transgender is “an evil from the gates of Hell.”

During that episode, he also praised and defended Peters. At the start of their conversation, he said: “Happy to be here, Stew. Always happy to be on your show.” And toward the end, in response to media criticism, Burns said:

MARK BURNS: Well, Stew, we got to be doing something right if we're being called dangerous people by liberal left media that's bought out by and sold out by a evil, demonic spirit, then I think we are in good company. And I'm proud that they’re calling me [inaudible] -- I'm proud they call you dangerous.

Burns used that recent appearance to promote his campaign.

In 2022, Burns caused significant controversy during an appearance on Peters’ show in which, as Right Wing Watch documented, he said “that the LGBTQ agenda represents ‘a national security threat’ and therefore anyone promoting it is guilty of treason and should be executed.” That episode was guest-hosted by far-right extremist Lauren Witzke. (Burns has attempted to distance himself from his remarks, having “said the clip was taken out of context” and his “stance on the LGBTQ community is not one of hate.”)

Peters is so extreme that Republican Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern lost his permission to use the chamber’s broadcasting equipment after he used the Senate’s broadcast studio to appear on the show on May 1.

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Mike Johnson

House Republicans Hesitate Over Johnson's Weird 'Trump Immunity' Bill

In the wake of former President Donald Trump's guilty verdict on 34 felony counts in New York, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is now trying to make it virtually impossible for any local or state prosecutor to bring charges against him ever again. But trying to get enough support from within his conference for the concept is another challenge altogether.

Axios reported Friday that Johnson is trying to enlist members of the House Republican Conference to support the No More Political Prosecutions Act. That bill would make it so a current or former president could have any case brought by a local or state-level prosecutor moved to federal court. This would then put those local and state cases under a president's jurisdiction to either have his appointed attorney general dismiss or allow a president to pardon himself if convicted.

However, one major roadblock Johnson has run into is the more moderate faction of his caucus, as Republicans from swing districts have expressed reticence to fully support that legislation.

"I'm debating it," an unnamed centrist House Republican anonymously told Axios.

The bill to undermine local prosecutions against Trump is coupled with other efforts by the House's GOP majority to punish the DOJ over its own prosecution of the former president. Other legislation aimed at federal law enforcement includes budget cuts, and additional levels of congressional oversight. None of those measures are expected to pass the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate, however.

Johnson could have trouble in particular from recently elected GOP members of the House, particularly from House districts President Joe Biden won comfortably in 2020. Reps. Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Nick LaLota (R-NY) and Marc Molinaro (R-NY) were all elected less than four years ago, and showing staunch support for Trump after he was convicted by a New York jury could be a tough sell.

The speaker's majority has become increasingly tenuous since he took the gavel, and saw a wave of early retirements and resignations among his fellow Republicans over the past seven months. Johnson can't afford more than two defections from his conference in order to pass legislation, assuming full attendance from both Democrats and Republicans. This has gotten Johnson in trouble in the recent past, as a failure to whip enough votes resulted in him failing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on his first attempt (the second attempt was successful).

Among this year's most notable House Republican exits include former Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO), Mike Gallagher (R-WI and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) — who chaired the powerful and influential House Energy and Commerce Committee — among others. Buck's old district is now experiencing a crowded primary that includes Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), who changed districts in hopes of having less competitive reelection battles in the extremely rural congressional district.

And of course, former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was expelled from Congress in the wake of an Ethics Committee investigation highlighting his corrupt behavior both during his campaign and while he was in office. Santos was replaced by Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) in a February special election.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

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