Last week, Christine told you about a Democratic State Senator in Missouri who wrote on Facebook that she hopes President Trump gets assassinated. She did so in response to a post written by the family member of a Secret Service agent, then deleted the comment amid a gathering public firestorm. Her appalling statement was captured for posterity, however, and shared widely on social media:
A Missouri State Senator from St. Louis has now called for the assassination of @realDonaldTrump. Keep it classy @MariaChappelleN. pic.twitter.com/JTrkxk4Pkz
— Mark Reardon (@MarkReardonKMOX) August 17, 2017
As Christine noted, Sen. Chapelle-Nadal is defiantly resisting calls for her resignation, explaining that her "mistake" to which she's "owning up" isn't as bad as the conduct of fellow legislators who've cheated on their spouses or smoked inside the state capitol. "What I wrote down on my private Facebook page, was it wrong? Absolutely," she said of her publicly-stated presidential assassination fantasy. Then, of course, came the inevitable but: "But I am going to continue to talk about the anger and the frustration that led to that." She continued, "I refuse to resign for exercising my First Amendment rights, even though what I said was wrong." Good luck with that. The resignation drumbeat is growing louder, and her party is turning on her. Here's embattled US Senator Claire McCaskill -- posturing as a "centrist" as she stares down a tough 2018 re-election battle in a state that voted lopsidedly for Trump -- blasting Chapelle-Nadal and demanding that she step down:
The post drew a swift rebuke, including calls from top Democrats for her resignation. Among them were Missouri Senate Democratic Leader Gina Walsh, who condemned Chappelle-Nadal's post as "horrible." ... "I condemn it. It's outrageous," added Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, the state's senior senator. "And she should resign."
And here's Missouri's Republican Governor joining the chorus, backed up by the state's Democratic chair:
If she will not resign, the Senate can vote to remove her. I believe they should.
— Eric Greitens (@EricGreitens) August 18, 2017
.@MoDemParty chair @s_webber calls for State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal should resign after her comments on hoping for Trump's assassination
— KRCG 13 (@KRCG13) August 17, 2017
The state's Lieutenant Governor -- who also serves as president of the body in which she serves (for now) -- has laid down an ultimatum:
The Senator needs to resign, or we will make the decision for her. pic.twitter.com/IEjyawwxwe
— Mike Parson (@MikeParsonforMO) August 18, 2017
Chapelle-Nadal is reacting to all of this in a calm, measured manner, naturally. Check out this classy retweet. Yikes:
State senator who called for POTUS assassination now suggesting that Missouri's first Jewish governor is headed to Nazi concentration camps. pic.twitter.com/xPRIglk07c
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) August 18, 2017
As many of you may know, I'm a fairly strident critic of angry pile-ons by preening mobs, fueled by faux outrage. Partisan scalp collection is an unseemly and destructive impulse in which both sides engage, too gleefully, and too often. We become furious -- or pretend to become furious -- about far too many things, exhibiting little grace for the targets of our ire when there's a political skirmish to be won. But pushing back against 'end of discussion' culture does not require the abandonment of all standards of decency and decorum (yes, this goes both ways). Openly rooting for the murder of a political opponent is an obvious, bright, clear line that one ought not cross, especially as an elected lawmaker. That is the basis of an entirely appropriate and nonpartisan consensus, the violation of which will lead to repercussions. Which Ms. Chapelle-Nadal is now discovering. Since we're on the subject of Missouri politics, remember this insane "safe space" debacle at Mizzou last year? Potential attendees and their parents are voting with their feet and dollars:
Mizzou freshman enrollment down 35% since 2015 protests, smallest incoming class since '99 https://t.co/AZB9lV8T7F
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) August 21, 2017
Do take note, college administrators who may be inclined to cave to SJW insanity.
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