Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2022/03/17/russian-state-tv-is-running-this-clip-of-madison-cawthorn-calling-zelensky-a-thug.html
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It’s not so much the Congressional fascists who show themselves for what they are that worry me. Cawthorn and EmptyG and Gosar are what they are. It’s the one like Hawley and Cotton who say the right things about Ukraine but who also support an ati-democratic domestic agenda that I’m keeping an eye on.
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Ugh - NC just finished trying to bar him from running for election after participating in an insurrection. He got off the hook due to a confederate amnesty law that’s still on the books.
This feels like giving aid to the enemy - but given the last case I’m sure it won’t hurt his chances of running either.
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WTF? Got a link to what that law says?
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I do worry that the open fascism of various congress critters, will aid in making Hawley and Cotton seem far more reasonable in comparison and the Overton window will continue moving even further to the right.
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Really can’t imagine these guys are getting paid by the Russians. It’s entirely possible, but I’ve stopped thinking the Russians have enough money to pay off a bunch of people, or enough smarts to sneak that much cash into a Congressman’s bank account.
I do think there are certain people – Cawthorn, MTG, Greenwald, Taibbi, and others – who’ve just decided if Trump loved the Russians, well, they’ll love 'em, too. That’ll show those smartass college kids!
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I can see the Putin regime funneling campaign donations and perhaps personal loans to the Congresspeople through American cut-outs. Politicians are notorious for being bought off cheaply.
Taibbi has apologised for his previous dismissal of the danger posed by Putin and his coterie. Greenwald is the current textbook illustration for “Useful Idiot”.
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There is a lot of Russian money supporting right-wing political causes, including the Republican party and candidates, but yeah it’s unlike that (for most of them), there’s direct payments. (Unlike with, say, British conservatives.) They’re doing it not so much for money, but for love (of fascism).
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Yeah, I’m inclined to believe “useful idiot”. This may be the only honest thing a trump has ever said:
Of course, when it comes to the first impeachment, people get their wires crossed and totally forget that it had nothing to do with collusion, it was about extortion.
But yeah… these people are just morons with too little comprehension of history or global affairs to do anything but embarrass themselves and become future cautionary tales.
ETA: “We didn’t know what a delegate was.” Morons. All the way down.
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Little more color here: Confederate Amnesty Act must not insulate the Jan. 6 insurrectionists - The Boston Globe
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Suffice to say that the judge’s interpretation of that law was different from that of North Carolina’s Attorney General. It will surprise no one that Judge Richard E. Myers II was a Trump appointee.
One of the wildest things about this defense is the tacit admission that yes, Cawthorn DID participate in an insurrection against the United States.
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Don’t forget he claimed his best buddy (who actually saved his life) left him to die in the car crash where he was injured.
Oh and he likes calling Hitler - ‘The Fuhrer’.
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I have to imagine that if the same people that owe their fortunes to Putin in the post USSR de-nationalization and privatization of certain businesses can buy (and afford to operate) those crazy mega yachts, there may just be some disposable rubles to feed through various third parties to PACs totally not running re-election campaigns for republican proto-fascists.
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His appeal used that argument in his appeal, that’s all. It wasn’t relevant or probative.
He got off the hook because the district he was running for was redistricted. The plaintiffs were all from his old district, and by law the plantiffs had to be from his current district. Basically, it will be refiled as soon as they find new plaintiffs with which to sue him.
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They aren’t very bright. But they also think that publicly announcing their fraud somehow makes it legal. And use that to great effect. Trump ran in 2000. He talked about running again in 2011 and did speeches in early primary states - they were very aware of what a delegate was and what a caucus was. They had high priced political consultants spoon feeding them.
Bullshit on your story, Eric.
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Especially if somebody calls them up from Putin’s office and tells them doing so is a condition for them to continue the gravy train and stay out of a gulag.
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I think it is both. I see people justify all kinds of terrible behavior and beliefs when they are protecting their income and way of life. And that’s where fascism enters stage left to manufacture, amplify, and exploit fears.
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This is the chief concern. A few years back, my husband thought Tom Cotton “seemed kind of reasonable”.
I said “oh no, you need to watch that MF very, very carefully”.
Husband began to watch a variety of MFers very, very carefully.
Result: husband left the GOP for good and is now enraged that he ever fell for the double-speak. He despairs of persuading others. They think I’ve brainwashed him.
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Sadly, the music that they cut to wasn’t Swan Lake.
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