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Among the enablers of the mentally deranged killer who slaughtered ten Blacks at a Buffalo grocery store last week are those who refuse to condemn the Great Replacement Theory and the Jan. 6 mob assault on the Capitol.

These are two centerpieces of the sprawling, hate-filled cadre of white nationalists with whom the Buffalo assailant trafficked on social media.

Katheen Belew, a University of Chicago professor and my go-to expert on white racism (if you want to be informed on this threat read her 2021 Field Guide to White Supremacy), cites the centrality of the Jan. 6 attack to the mish mash of hate groups, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and militiamen who inhabit the alt-right internet landscape.

The white nationalists on Jan. 6,she reminds me, had an outsized impact because they were highly organized, showed up with tactical gear, and breached the building. A purpose, she says, was to radicalize others, and in Buffalo whether he spoke of that day or not the gunman was propelled by that wave of radicalization.

Yet the vast majority of Republicans are unwilling to forcefully condemn the Jan. 6 riot, with many even defending it.

Examples abound.

The Republican National Committee declared it legitimate political discourse and censured two Republican lawmakers who have forcefully condemned the riot. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) still claims it was by and large a peaceful protest with a few bad apples. Johnsons a kook, but there isnt exactly a lot of daylight between him and Republican House leadership. In the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), while criticizing what happened, blocked a bipartisan independent investigation for fear it might hurt Republicans politically.

There were seven deaths associated with the Jan. 6 assault; approximately 150 police officers were injured, and it cost millions in damage. Those who contend it was a peaceful protest or legitimate political discourse should be required to watch HBOs Four Hours at the Capitol, which captures the criminal violence of the mob attacking the outnumbered police.

But this is old news.

Whats new, however, is growing evidence that the silence or acquiescence of Republican leaders has, in the words of Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, enabled white nationalism, white supremacy and antisemitism.

The Republicans dodge is dangerous.

Anything short of direct condemnation will come across to white power activists as a green light for future violence, plain and simple, Belew says. Weve seen this over and over again, in recent years and across time.

Its clearly linked to the even more destructive Great Replacement Theory, which posits that a Jewish conspiracy is afoot to culturally and demographically replace whites by non-whites in America.

The high priest of this trope is Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

And on Carlsons show, the two threads come neatly together: When Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) seemed to rather mildly criticize the Jan. 6 insurrection a year after the fact, he was brought to his knees by Carlson to whom he groveled and begged forgiveness.

Among the House Republican leadership, the lawmaker who replaced Cheney dumped because she was speaking out against Trumps incitement and subsequent inaction is Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), a former moderate turned Trump worshiper. Stefanik pushed all the buttons in a Facebook ad charging that a plan by radical Democrats to grant amnesty to 11 million illegal immigrants will overthrow our current electorate and create a permanent liberal majority.

I wonder if Ms. Stefanik thinks President George H.W. Bush, the late Sen. John McCain or the pre-Trump Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) all supporters of comprehensive immigration reform wanted to dilute the power of white people?

There are scores maybe hundreds of Republican officials who are stirring the same racial fears.

There is, as Liz Cheney said, an antisemitic element to this. Financier George Soros is a favorite target of Republicans, and when the Anti-Defamation League decried the replacement theory, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) accused the ADL of being a racist organization.

It defies credulity to think all this doesnt embolden give a little more license to the white nationalists, neo-Nazis and other peddlers of hate like the Buffalo assailant.

These elements are larger and more connected than most want to acknowledge, Belew has repeatedly written. Its not just a lone wolf or some crazy hiding away in a remote shack. More than three quarters of domestic terrorism acts are committed by right-wing extremists; FBI director Christopher Wray has labeled them a priority for the bureau.

A perverse irony is that more than a few conservatives are focusing on race this election year: assailing or banning the teaching of the critical race theory which holds that systemic racism is deeply embedded in the legal, social, economic and political structures in America. The theory is taught almost exclusively in leading law schools, but also is in a handful of training manuals and is accepted wisdom in a few elite media and private organizations.

Politically, its primarily a scare tactic.

By contrast, promulgating the great replacement theory, vindicating the Jan. 6 assault, or perpetuating the lie that the last presidential election was stolen, is treacherous, giving aid and comfort to evil people prone to violence.

The standard Republican response when called on their dangerous rhetoric and quisling silence is to cite the First Amendment, claiming liberal elites want to muzzle them. I dont want to censor these politicians or pundits. I do want to hold them accountable.

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Republican officials keep stoking white supremacist tropes and were reaping the result - The Hill

Ginni Thomas, the wife of the US supreme court justice Clarence Thomas, pressed Republicans in Arizona to overturn Joe Bidens victory there in 2020, the Washington Post reported.

Repeating Donald Trumps lie that the vote had been marred by fraud, Thomas wrote: Please stand strong in the face of political and media pressure. Please reflect on the awesome authority granted to you by our constitution. And then please take action to ensure that a clean slate of electors is chosen for our state.

Thomas did not mention Biden or Trump. But, the Post said, the context was clear.

Biden won Arizona, a swing state vital to the contest, by about 10,000 votes. The call was first made by Fox News, enraging Trump.

Ginni Thomas is an activist with deep ties on the Republican far right. Reports of her involvement in Trumps attempt to hold on to power have led to calls for her husbands impeachment and removal, or at least recusal from election-related cases.

In January, Thomas was the only justice to say Trump should be able to withhold from the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack documents which turned out to include texts sent by his wife to Trumps chief of staff.

On Friday, the Post said Ginni Thomas emailed two Arizona Republicans on 9 November, six days after election day and two days after Bidens win was called.

She also requested a live or online meeting so I can learn more about what you are doing to ensure our states vote is audited and our certification is clean.

One of the lawmakers, Shawnna Bolick, replied, saying, I hope you and Clarence are doing great! but deflecting the demand for a meeting.

The Post said Thomas replied: Fun that this came to you! Just part of our campaign to help states feel Americas eyes!!!

The Post also reported that Thomas emailed the same Republicans on 13 December, a day before the electoral college met to confirm Bidens victory.

That email said: Before you choose your states electors consider what will happen to the nation we all love if you dont stand up and lead.

The Post said the email contained a link to a video of a man who appeared to be Geoffrey Botkin, an activist, delivering a message meant for swing-state lawmakers, urging them to put things right and not give in to cowardice [and saying] You have only hours to act.

The video is no longer available. Botkin did not comment to the newspaper. Nor did Ginni Thomas. The Post said a supreme court spokesperson did not respond.

On 14 December, the day the electoral college confirmed Bidens win, Bolick signed a letter calling for Arizonas electoral votes to go to Trump or be nullified completely until a full forensic audit can be conducted.

In 2021, Arizona Republicans conducted a controversial vote audit. It did not reveal substantial electoral fraud. It did increase Bidens margin of victory.

Also in 2021, the New Yorker reported that Bolick had introduced a bill that would enable a majority of the legislature to override the popular vote and dictate the states electoral college votes itself.

Like Trump loyalists elsewhere, Bolick is now running for secretary of state, the office which runs elections.

On Friday, the New Yorker reporter Jane Meyer tweeted one additional detail, linking Ginni Thomass moves in Arizona back to her husband.

Clarence Thomas, Meyer said, is godfather to Clint Bolicks child, and Bolicks wife is the Arizona lawmaker who Ginni Thomas pressured to overturn the 2020 election.

No conflicts of interest?

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Ginni Thomas urged Arizona Republicans to overturn 2020 result report - The Guardian US

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has pledged to veto a so-called Parental Bill of Rights that would force school personnel to out LGBTQ+ students to their parents.

This bill as written creates numerous challenges for kids, Sununu said in a Thursday statement, according to several New Hampshire media outlets. I share the concerns of the Attorney General and as such, will veto the bill if it reaches my desk. Attorney General John M. Formella had expressed opposition to the bill.

House Bill 1431 appeared to be dead earlier in the week, as House and Senate negotiators failed to agree on the makeup of the legislation. But a new team of negotiators agreed Thursday on a version of the bill and will now send it to a vote in both chambers, set for next Thursday, the New Hampshire Bulletin reports.

The bill would require teachers and other staffers to notify parents of any action taken regarding a variety of issues with a student, including gender expression or identity. It would also make schools establish procedures for a parent to learn about the nature and purpose of clubs and activities offered at his or her minor childs school, including those that are extracurricular or part of the school curriculum, as the bills text states. It would further bar school employees from encouraging students to withhold information from their parents.

Sen. Becky Whitley, the only Democrat on the negotiating committee, warned that the bill could have harmful effects on children whose parents are less accepting, the Bulletin reports. I think that this bill is antithetical to all the work we have done in the state to ensure that individuals in this community, in the LGBT community, can live a life free from discrimination and be safe in all communities, she said in the committee meeting.

Some Republicans raised concerns about the bill as well. One of them, Rep. Debra DeSimone had objections similar to Whitleys, but she agreed Thursday to accept the latest version of the legislation, although she said she did so begrudgingly. After the vote, she told the Bulletin, I think there needs to be more work done to protect the kids who do not have what every kid deserves in a parent.

GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders had voiced opposition to the bill as well. Its totally inappropriate for school officials to take on the role of outing students to their families, and coming out should always be an intimate moment within a family, not a clumsy event, staff attorney Chris Erchull said, according to TV station WMUR.

Sununu, although a Republican, has been supportive of LGBTQ+ rights. In 2018, he signed bills into law banning discrimination based on gender identity (sexual orientation was already covered) and the use of conversion therapy on minors. He is from a prominent Republican family; his father, John H. Sununu, was New Hampshires governor in the 1980s and then chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush, and a brother, John E. Sununu, was a one-term U.S. senator from the state.

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Republican Gov. Vows to Veto Bill That Would Force Outing of Students - Advocate.com

This weeks House Judiciary Committee hearing on abortion access featured, shall we say, some interesting moments. Such as Catherine Glenn Foster, president of Americans United for Life, testifying that aborted fetuses help power streetlights in Washington, and Republican Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina trying to create a gotcha moment by asking women to define the word woman.

Now, throughout history, both Republicans and Democrats have used hearings of this nature to score political points, so the partisan grandstanding wasnt unexpected. Still, given whats at stake, I was hoping for more substance and fewer theatrics. In retrospect I was hoping for the impossible, especially given that the hearing was held just four days after the mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y.

By now we all know the details: the racist nature of the attack and the 180-page manifesto attributed to the accused. It seems clear his motives were shaped by some of the same rhetoric repeated by far-right figureheads and politicians. The great replacement theory the fear that white Christian Americans are systematically being replaced by immigrants, people of color and non-Christians for political purposes is something that has been echoed by Republican politicians and Fox News personalities like Tucker Carlson for years.

So yeah, I guess I should have expected Bishop, who authored North Carolinas infamous bathroom bill, to try to change the national conversation by using a hearing about abortion to express his dislike of transgender people. Thats certainly easier than trying to condemn white supremacy in a way that doesnt offend the white supremacists in ones voter base.

Not that it matters. Conservative elected officials can condemn white supremacy and the great replacement theory on social media until their fingers cramp. We all know how they feel about matters of race. Its apparent through the books the party seeks to ban, the history it wants to remain hidden and the legislation it turns into law. With the hope to take over Congress in the midterm elections this fall, there is little chance Republican leaders will say anything that could alienate constituents who consider what happened in Buffalo to be a step in the right direction.

White supremacists vote too, you know.

Racism of any sort is abhorrent in America and ought to be stood up to by everybody, both Republicans, Democrats, all Americans, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, said on Tuesday, as if we hadnt all seen him avoid criticizing President Trumps racist language and policies for four years.

During the judiciary hearing, Rep. Chip Roy, Republican of Texas, seemed irritated that one of the witnesses characterized his state as an inhospitable place because of its draconian abortion laws and asked the witness if she knew how many people had moved to Texas in the last decade.

Do you know what that number is? he asked.

I dont know, she said.

Four million people have moved to Texas in the last decade, he said. Thats the entire population of Alabama.

Now, lets look at what he didnt say: The Department of Justice is suing Texas because, while 95% of that population growth is attributable to people of color, the redistricting map his party created and signed into law increased the number of majority-white districts. State Republicans intentionally diminished the power of Latino and Black voters by attaching their communities to heavily white districts.

The Voting Rights Act was a safeguard against that long-documented racist practice until the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 to essentially gut it. The 5-4 decision ran along presumed political ideologies. After that ruling, Texas closed 750 polling places through 2020, mostly in counties with large communities of color.

The next time you see Roy or any Texas elected official talk about the states population growth, please keep that in mind. And the next time you hear rumbles about replacement, remember who is actually being replaced silenced by racist redistricting.

This kind of gerrymandering is just one example of how white supremacy is kept alive. Bans on wearing a hijab or natural Black hairstyle would be another. Doesnt matter what they call it: We all can see what it really is. Racism doesnt always come with the violence we saw in Buffalo. But when it does, I find politicians and talking heads to be the unrepentant ghost writers of racist shooters manifestos.

@LZGranderson

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Granderson: Don't let 2022 midterms be a repeat of the tea party - Los Angeles Times

So it looks like they finally found their red line.

Meaning the Republican Party. Tuesday, the GOP seems to have finally identified the barrier no Republican may be allowed to cross. Many of us had wondered where it was or even if it was. We were genuinely, if morbidly, curious about what it would take to get the party to rebuke one of its own.

Now, thanks to the election and, specifically, to the defeat of Madison Cawthorn, the soon-to-be former representative from North Carolina, we have our answer.

The red line is this: Dont embarrass the GOP.

Its OK if you embrace a white-supremacist theory like Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Its no problem if you are an anti-Semite like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Its fine if you support insurrection like Sen. Josh Hawley.

Just dont embarrass the party.

One might argue that any or all of the above ought to embarrass the party plenty. But that argument misreads the Zeitgeist.

Consider Cawthorns catalog of impolitic behavior: He twice brought loaded guns to the airport; he was shown on one video thrusting his naked genitals in another mans face and on another partying in lingerie; he was accused of sexual harassment; he issued an apparent call for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government.

His controversies ranged from kink to outright sedition, touching several bases in between, yet none of it raised more than mild intraparty reproof. Not so a March podcast wherein he inexplicably claimed to have been invited to cocaine-fueled orgies by his colleagues.

That, said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, was when Cawthorn lost my trust. It was also when Thom Tillis, a senator from his state, endorsed his primary challenger. It was when one member of the House Freedom Caucus told Politico anonymously about reactions across the political spectrum saying What the hell ?

Even at that, Tuesdays rejection by voters was narrow; he lost by just 1,300 votes out of 88,000 cast.

Not to minimize how stupid it was for Cawthorn to make such an incendiary claim with zero evidence to back it up, but it says something about GOP priorities that this is what it took to get them to make a stand, as opposed to, you know, issues with actual impact on peoples lives. After all, no one will die because of Cawthorns accusation. But apparently, it threatened the brand, so something had to be done.

That this turned out to be the red line tells us all we need to know about GOP values. The Republican Party stands for the Republican Party.

In ridding itself of Cawthorn, however, that party provides itself, at best, temporary relief. He is hardly the only loose cannon in their arsenal. To the contrary, the GOP has pioneered a dangerous conceit: that high office, once held to be the proper province of the serious, the learned and the prepared, has now been democratized till it can be fulfilled by any unremarkable twit with the gumption to seek it and the ability to convince the average Joe or Jane that ignorance, immaturity, hostility toward liberal values and lack of impulse control constitute authenticity.

No experience required. Apply within.

Hence, Cawthorn. Hence, Boebert. Hence, Greene. Hence, Trump.

And hence, existential threat. How much of this can a democracy absorb and continue to function? We careen toward a moment of truth.

And America better have a red line of its own.

Leonard Pitts Jr. is a columnist for the Miami Herald. Readers may email him at [emailprotected].

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Leonard Pitts Jr.: The Republican Party stands for the Republican Party - Lewiston Sun Journal