It's been over a month since a few House Democrats were booted from their committee assignments – Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) – and the republic has remained intact. The Chinese spy balloon fiasco and the following UFO saga overshadowed the epic liberal tantrum when Omar was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Did the Squad think this would be an actionable event for their legions of social justice warriors? It was a very inside-the-beltway drama that lent a rigid shelf life in voters' minds; no one cared. Things could have been different if Speaker Kevin McCarthy had screwed up the vote count again. There were a handful of Republicans who were reluctant to back this ploy over partisan concerns. That mindset has me a bit worried.
Democrats know that they can play off the GOP's adherence to service and honor, which is why they can easily pull fast ones on their opponents. Some members of Congress, like Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), were unwilling to back a removal from a committee that was soaked with partisan intentions. Remember, McCarthy can afford to lose no more than three to four votes, lest this becomes another legislative circus. The GOP has the slimmest of majorities after a lackluster 2022 midterm season. Regardless, the GOP is in command of the lower chamber, and the time to avenge the equally partisan removals of Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) from their committee assignments last session was now.
Greene was booted for saying nasty things about Nancy Pelosi, which most of the GOP base would agree were legitimate exercises of free speech and were made years before she was elected to Congress. Gosar was removed for photoshopping Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-NY) face on a character from the anime "Attack on Titan," which was slayed in the clip. This editing exercise was considered a threat of committing violence against a member of Congress.
At its core, Democrats didn't like these bombastic and tenacious conservatives, so they punished them for peddling differing views. There were warnings that Democrats were setting a dangerous precedent. And like most in DC, they felt they would hold onto the majority in the House in perpetuity. With a Republican majority, this is the time to settle scores. The left set the standard: boot anyone we don't like. McCarthy cloaked Omar's removal stemming from her past anti-Semitic posts, which have drawn controversy, but a reason doesn't need to be given. The fact that some Republicans can't get with the program on this front is troubling and a reason to be wary regarding closing the gap between the two parties regarding channeling the ruthlessness needed to clinch significant wins.
We should thank the Democrats for making it easier to play to our baser instincts on the Hill without going through the nonsensical public relations speak to justify a grossly partisan act. Now, we can plainly say we hate the left, and when we're in charge, the looney tunes of your party no longer have committee assignments. I'd go further to say the Squad and any Democrat we don't like should be stripped of their duties. Why not? The Democrats have made it easier, but some would take the high road when there is none. Until the GOP realizes that the Jeffersonian days of service are over and that it's warfare in the gutter coupled with partisan games, we'll get owned on the significant battles that lie ahead.
