Profiles in Cowardice
We all remember John F Kennedy’s seminal book “Profiles in Courage”, which exhibited the bravery of those rare individuals in Congress who voted their conscience instead of following party lines, thus dying noble political deaths. But this article is not about that, but instead those that did the opposite, which was putting party and personal expedience before Country, truly profound and memorable displays of sedition and cowardice.
The following is a list of those profiled in JFK’s famous book about political courage:
· John Quincy Adams, for breaking away from the Federalist Party.
· Daniel Webster, for speaking in favor of the Compromise of 1850.
· Thomas Hart Benton, for staying in the Democratic Party despite his opposition to the extension of slavery in the territories.
· Sam Houston, for speaking against the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854, which would have allowed those two states to decide on the slavery question (eventually upholding the Missouri Compromise). When Texas joined the Confederacy, Houston refused to be inaugurated as governor, holding true to his ideal of preserving the Union.
· Edmund G. Ross, for voting for acquittal in the Andrew Johnson Impeachment Trial. As a result of Ross’s vote, along with those of six other Republicans, Democrat Johnson’s presidency was saved, and the stature of the office was preserved.
· Lucius Lamar, for efforts to mend ties between the North and South during Reconstruction, and for his principled opposition to the Bland-Allison Act to permit free coinage of silver.
· George Norris, for opposing Joseph Gurney Cannon’s autocratic power as Speaker of the House, for speaking out against arming U.S. merchant ships during the United States’ neutral period in World War I, and for supporting the presidential campaign of Democrat Al Smith, the first Catholic to be a Presidential nominee.
· Robert A. Taft, for criticizing the Nuremburg Trials for trying Nazi War Criminals under ex post facto laws. Counter-criticism against Taft’s statements was vital to his failure to secure the Republican Nomination in 1948. (Harris, Walls, Farhi, Myers, Leamer, Nichols, et al, n.d.)
Now, let’s examine the list of current politicians with the least political courage, instead favoring the seditious lies, conspiracy theories, intimidations, false-equivalencies, and hooliganism of the Donald Trump makeover, listed in relative degrees of spinelessness (most to least):
· Donald Trump, for lowering the bar of American politics to levels previously thought not possible. Where do we begin? His presidency (and life) is a litany of cheating, lying, conspiracy theories, womanizing, stiffing creditors, firing loyal staff, and now sedition and alleged treason. His real danger is that he has created a political cult that is loyal to his immoral credos that threaten to turn the U.S. into Nazi Germany. Most disturbing was his complicity in the Capitol riots and his failure to stop them as they were happening, saying “we love you” to the rioters. In typical fashion, he fails to take any responsibility for the riots, instead blaming the media or “false flags”.
· Senator Lindsay Graham, for saying that Trump was a “kook”, “crazy”, and “unfit for office” during the 2016 campaign, yet later betraying his friend John McCain to become a Trump lap-dog while saying during the first Impeachment trial “it all seems like a political setup, it’s all hearsay”. But then a few weeks ago, he repudiated Trump’s claims of electoral fraud by saying “enough is enough”, and then did an another about-face during impeachment proceedings when he said “supporting the impeachment of Donald Trump will do great damage to our institutions of government and could invite further violence” Huh? It seems NOT impeaching the former President might incite further violence, and be inconsistent with your statements on Jan. 7th. A true Chameleon!
· Senator Ted Cruz, for supporting the unfounded “stolen election” theory of Trump, of which he said “the man is a pathological liar, he doesn’t know the difference between truth and lies” in 2016. Cruz had the credentials of a snake going into the 2016 primaries, being behind the attempted government shutdown in 2013 while conducting a 21-hour filibuster to defund Obamacare. Cruz was complicit in the 2021 Capitol Riots, and offered only a mild rebuke to the rioters.
· Senator Josh Hawley, who like Cruz, supported the “stop the steal” movement prior to the Capitol riots, did not change his stance after, while mildly rebuking the rioters. This is a man who George Will recently said “never has there been a greater ratio of ambition to experience”. Former Missouri Senator John Danforth said that supporting Hawley was the “worst mistake I ever made in my life”
· Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, for supporting sites calling for political assassinations, calling the Parkland shootings a “false flag operation”, wanting to bring guns to the House floor, supporting QAnon and the Capitol riots. Like her colleague Rep. Lauren Boebert, unabashed “open carry” weapon supporters and possibly involved in the planning of the Capitol riots.
· Rep. Matt Gaetz for going after Liz Cheney, one of the few House Republicans with the ethics and courage to hold Trump responsible. Rep. Jim Jordan for helping found the ultra-conservative “Freedom Caucus” and being an annoying Trump apologist and obstructionist. Rep. Devin Nunes for being an even more annoying Trump apologist and obstructionist, apparently to con the government into piping ag water to his district’s parched desert lands.
· Senator Mo Brooks, for whipping up the Capitol riot mob, saying “today is the day American Patriots start kicking ass”, helping Ali Alexander organize the protest, then blaming the protest on Antifa (without merit).
· Reps Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs, for supporting “Stop the Steal”, possibly helping organize the rioters along with Ali Alexander, and then trying to blame the riots on Antifa. Both later sought pardons from Trump, and didn’t get them. Gosar has also doctored photos of Pres. Obama showing him falsely shaking hands with Iran President Hassan Rhouhani.
Possible Republican members to be added to a “Profiles in Courage” addendum?
· Sen. Mitch McConnell-for making a speech denouncing the “Stop the Steal” movement, and admonishing the Capitol rioters while making Trump accountable. Will he vote to impeach and remove Trump from any future office, while bringing 16 other Senators with him?
· Sen. Mitt Romney-for being the only Republican to vote to impeach and remove Trump during the first impeachment trial, regarding Trump’s coercive actions with the Ukraine. Will Romney convince other Senators to join him this time? He has already done a good job of holding Trump responsible for the riots, and is out to “save the soul” of the Republican Party.
· Rep Liz Cheney-for being the leader of the ten Republicans that voted to impeach Trump in the House. Like Romney, Cheney is fighting for the soul of the party, against Trump-sycophant nuts like Gaetz and QAnon idiots like Greene/Boebert. Will she succeed, while killing her political future?
· Senator John McCain-for standing up to Trump, and casting the vote that killed Trump’s bid to torpedo “Obamacare”. His family still fights to protect his legacy against Trump, who avoided his funeral and challenged McCain’s political and military legacy.
