“SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Republican National Committee censured two GOP lawmakers on Friday for participating on the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 insurrection and assailed the panel for leading a “persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse”…

“RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel denied that the “legitimate political discourse” wording in the censure was referring to the violent attack on the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump and said it had to do with other actions taken by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. But the resolution drew no such distinction.” (emphasis mine)

My jaw is still on the floor after reading the above last Friday. Just when I think nobody in the Republican Party can go any lower than has been gone, I am proven wrong yet again.

First of all, if you truly believe what happened on January 6, 2021 in our nation’s capital was “legitimate political discourse”, please raise your hand.

Come to think of it, make that a “Heil Hitler” salute. Same thing, in this instance.

The “two GOP lawmakers”, of course, are Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming, and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, the only Republicans who still remember what the United States Constitution means.

Now, for the benefit of you and the RNC, some definitions, courtesy of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

legitimate

 adjective

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a: lawfully begotten specifically : born in wedlock

b: having full filial rights and obligations by birth // a legitimate child

2a: being exactly as intended or presented : neither spurious nor false // a legitimate grievance // a legitimate claim // a legitimate practitioner” … we are pretty good at separating legitimate pain from drug-seeking behavior. … “— Kenneth W. Fogelberg also : being an actual example of something specified // a legitimate threat to national security

b: genuinely good, impressive, or capable of success // And if he can fix his start … he is a legitimate contender for gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.— Sean Ingle

3a: accordant with law or with established legal forms and requirements // a legitimate government

b: ruling by or based on the strict principle of hereditary right // a legitimate king

4: conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules and standards // a legitimate advertising expenditure // a legitimate inference also : fair or reasonable : VALID // She raised some legitimate concerns.

5: relating to plays acted by professional actors but not including revues, burlesque, or some forms of musical comedy // the legitimate theater

Now, if the RNC is trying to present the Jan 6 insurrection as “being exactly as intended or presented : neither spurious nor false”, “being an actual example of something specified”, “genuinely good”, “accordant with law or with established legal forms and requirement”, or “conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules and standards”…

Uh-uh. Wrong. Not even close.

I will allow that it was actually “impressive”, for the utter audacity of it. And frighteningly, it was more “capable of success” than I care to acknowledge.

political

adjective

1a: of or relating to government, a government, or the conduct of government // b: of, relating to, or concerned with the making as distinguished from the administration of governmental policy

2: of, relating to, involving, or involved in politics and especially party politics

3: organized in governmental terms // political units

4: involving or charged or concerned with acts against a government or a political system // political prisoners

Okay, I’ll give them this one. Kind of. Some people were actually there for political reasons, I’m sure, but I also believe a lot of them showed up because it was an excuse to raise hell. It was an opportunity for violence, and the MAGA mob was clearly up for it, as evidenced by all the weaponry brandished proudly by its members.

Which brings us to definition 4, above.

discourse

 noun

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1: verbal interchange of ideas especially : CONVERSATION

2a: formal and orderly and usually extended expression of thought on a subject

b: connected speech or writing

c: a linguistic unit (such as a conversation or a story) larger than a sentence

3: a mode of organizing knowledge, ideas, or experience that is rooted in language and its concrete contexts (such as history or institutions) // critical discourse

Anybody see any of that happen on Jan 6? I sure didn’t.

There was plenty of “verbal interchange”, but I’m pretty sure there weren’t many ideas. Mostly the vehement hostility from the insurrectionists, and the forceful, desperate orders to stand down from the authorities.

And obviously, “formal and orderly…expression of thought” was a concept nowhere within miles.

So, what the f*** was the RNC thinking, making such a ridiculous declaration?

I’ll tell you what they were thinking: We’d sure better not piss off all those rabid, unhinged MAGA voters out for blood. They’ll come for us next.

I’m convinced that fear is driving everything the Republicans in office are doing, and have done since the insurrection. Even if they think TFG and his voter base are wrong, no way they publicly acknowledge that.

I mostly keep my opinions to myself on matters of politics, but after seeing this farcical announcement from the RNC, I just have to call it out for the absurdity it is.

I would suggest one more word for these people to look up, assuming they ever go near a dictionary:

Reality.