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The Congress of the United States is not Arkham Asylum, the psychiatric hospital and prison in Batmans Gotham City.

Though if you watched the mad ranting of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who spoke on the House floor for eight and a half hours from Thursday night until early Friday morning, you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. For most of his speech there was almost no audience. For all of his speech he made no sense. His marathon babblefest achieved nothing whatsoever. But he blatherbustered on and on, full of, as Shakespeare would say, sound and fury, signifying nothing.

For a few hours during the address, McCarthy was surrounded by some other notable characters who seemed to wander in from a summer stock production of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. There was Louie Gohmert, who once suggested we consider moving the moon as a way of controlling rising sea levels. Also there for a bit was North Carolina nitwit and serial liar Madison Cawthorn, the man who once said James Madison signed the Declaration of Independence and who urged conservative mothers to raise their boys to be monsters, spitting his chaw juice into a paper cup. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, who once compared the Jan. 6 riot to a normal tourist visit, sat next to Greg Pence, the MAGA-loving brother of the vice president Trumps mob of normal tourists sought to hang.

Days earlier, McCarthy had been talkifying from that same lectern in an effort to protect Paul Gosar from consequences for posting an anime video depicting him killing congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden. Gosar is also noted for his ties to extreme right-wing groups, his support of insane conspiracy theories, and the fact that his siblings banded together to campaign against him because they felt he was unfit for office. Gosar is also a dentist, which makes things clearer. And worse.

Gosar, despite McCarthy chin-wagging, was ultimately censured by the members of the House who are actually willing to take a stand against murdering each other. Notably, that included only two Republicans. Similarly, hours after McCarthys nocturnal emissions came to an end, the bill he stood in opposition toBidens Build Back Better initiativewas approved by the House of Representatives. (Yes, thats right, McCarthy made the calculation that he should break the House record for the longest speech ever delivered from its floor by standing in opposition to providing hearing aids for the elderly, pre-K for children, home care for those who needed it, help for the environment, and more jobs for Americans.)

These House shenanigans will come as no surprise to those who have watched the body over the past several years. We have seen one congressman sue a fictional cow that was making fun of him. We saw another, cuckoo-for-Cocoa Puffs congresswoman kicked off committees for endorsing political violence. McCarthy says both Marjorie Taylor Greene and Gosar will be put back on committees should Republicans retake the house, where they would work alongside the likes of Lauren Boebert, an extremist-supporting high school drop-out whose restaurant once managed to poison 80 people at a local fair, even as all three are being investigated by the House Select Committee to determine whether or not they provided aid and comfort to the insurrectionists who invaded the Capitol on Jan. 6.

There is no question that Gosar and Greene and Boebert cheered on the mob that interfered with the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in U.S. history. And these three are far from the only Republican lawmakers who are actively anti-democratic, have supported the Big Lie about the last election, and are continuing to try to put an end to the principles on which the institution in which they serve was founded.

Do not for a minute assume the insanity is limited to the House. Pro-coup senators like Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley not only have paid no price for their active support of an assault on the Capitol, they now have, thanks to Senate rules, the power to undermine U.S. national security purely on the basis of their own individual, demonstrably bad, judgement.

You see Senate rules permit any U.S. senator to block the confirmation of presidential nominees for top jobs. They dont have to have a reason. They dont have to defend their decision. They can simply phone in a nope to the Senate cloakroom and the nominee will not come up for a vote until they relent. Using this technique, these two guys have blocked scores of nominees for critical national security positions from ambassadors to senior departmental officials, put the U.S. at risk by doing so, and theres nothing any of us can do about it. Cruz alone blocked over 50 such nominees.

Again, theyre not alone. Just this week, Marco Rubio blocked the nomination of Ambassador Nicholas Burns as envoy to China. Rubio argued he was worried Burns would be too soft on China. There is no evidence to support this argument. In fact, Burns, one of the most distinguished professional diplomats in the modern history of the U.S. State Department, once served in the No. 3 job in the George W. Bush State Department working with noted pro-communists like Condoleezza Rice, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Bush himself. Even Cruz, who seemed intent to indiscriminately block Biden State Department nominees, had expressed his satisfaction with Burns. But given Senate rules, Rubio can do whatever he wants for as long as he wants whether his action is based on facts or wholesale ignorance or pure pettiness.

Not only is the Congress full of loons now, many of whom are grossly unfit for office, but even those who are qualified on paper are now behaving in grossly irrational or unethical ways. And all this is compounded by the fact that the rules of this particular nuthouse are broken. You know, like the filibuster rule that allows a minority of senators elected by an even small minority of Americans to block progress including essential steps that may provide the only path we have to preserving our democracy.

For now, at least, the inmates arent running the asylum, just gumming up the works while delivering long speeches. But if Republicans retake the House and the Senate next year, things can get much, much worse.

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The Republicans Have Turned Congress Into Arkham Asylum - The Daily Beast

Chris Christie has been cosplaying the respectable Republican for a while now, but we here in his home state of New Jersey remember. We remember the screaming at teachers, we remember the government shutdowns, we remember the beach vacation he took during that shutdown and we remember his shameless groveling over the four years of the Trump administration during which he gladly humiliated himself and enabled a man who actively tried to overthrow Democracy. He just wrote a book about how to save the Republican party, which is the moral equivalent of breaking someones legs and standing outside the emergency room to sell them crutches.

Christie was a loyal member of team Trump until it became convenient for him not to be. If Trump rang he came running. COVID-laden Supreme court nominee reception? Thank you, Sir, may I have another. Debate prep? My pleasure Mr. President. Now, he happily tells anyone with a camera that the GOP must move on from Trump, and wouldnt you know it, hes available for the job.

I have no doubt in my mind that if it becomes advantageous for Christie to rejoin team Trump a year or six months from now he would disavow everything he wrote or said that cast aspersions on the fearless leader and fall in line. Maybe this time Trump will actually make Christie Attorney General instead of stringing him along for four years. Or maybe the former president will just drag him on stage at a rally to mock him again. I remember that. I wonder if he does.

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Chris Christie is here to rescue the Republican Party | Sheneman - nj.com

When a much-feared mad moms revolt against Gov. Gavin Newsom failed to materialize during the recall campaign this summer, that might have given backers of proposed initiatives to underwrite private and religious school tuition in California second thoughts as to their prospects for success. Thats because deep discontent among parents over the state of public schools, especially among Democrats and independents, will be essential if these initiatives are to have any chance of getting voter approval.

But supporters of the Republican-led initiatives apparently believe there is enough unhappiness in California with public schools, exacerbated by a brew of pandemic-related issues, to press ahead.

In recent weeks, two competing groups have received the go-ahead from California Attorney General Rob Bonta to collect signatures to put their initiatives on the November 2022 ballot. Both initiatives would divert billions that would normally go to public schools into private education savings accounts for parents. These savings accounts are a variation on taxpayer-funded school voucher plans in place in several other states.

At first glance, it seems far-fetched that either initiative could pass. But the recent election results on the East Coast suggest that there can be no room for complacency about the outcome of what will inevitably be a fierce and expensive campaign. In Virginia, in particular, unhappiness with schools during the pandemic was a significant factor in the upset victory of the Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin over Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

While there are some minor differences between the initiatives, both represent a full-scale attack on Californias public school system. Were either one to get on the ballot and get voter approval, it would give California the most comprehensive and arguably the most radical program of its kind anywhere in the country.

One proposed initiative, called the Education Savings Account Act, comes from a group called Fix California. It is led by Ric Grenell, who was acting director of national intelligence in the Trump administration and ambassador to Germany, where he served a tumultuous term. He was a featured speaker at the Republican National Convention that renominated Trump last year.

The other initiative, titled the Educational Freedom Act, is promoted by an organization called Californians for School Choice. Its president is Mike Alexander, a Republican who runs a private trust management company in Southern California.

If approved, the state would be required to divvy up the approximately $80 billion in funds now designated for public schools under Proposition 98 and deposit $13,000 or $14,000 each year (depending on the initiative) in a savings account that parents could spend on tuition for private or parochial schools.

It could cost California an extra $4 billion to $6 billion annually just to provide funds to parents whose children are already in private or parochial schools. Depending on the initiative, some funds could also go to students who are currently being homeschooled.

And, to a greater extent than any other state, funds that California parents didnt use for kindergarten through 12th-grade education could be saved to pay for college or vocational training in any private or public college university, in or outside California until a student turned 30. (The Fix California initiative would limit the amount to $60,000.)

Every student, regardless of income, would qualify for the funds (although the Fix California initiative would limit eligibility based on family income for the first four years it would be in effect). That contrasts with most other states where school choice plans have been restricted to certain children, based on family income, special education status and other factors.

It is an audacious attempt, considering Californias status as one of the bluest states in the nation, and that two previous, and far more modest, school choice initiatives failed to get close to the majority of voters support.

But the last time the issue was presented to voters was over two decades ago. This time, backers of the initiatives are counting on Democratic voters, and especially parents, to respond differently.

They are hoping that many parents who couldnt bring themselves to vote to replace Newsom with a right-wing radio talk show host will be more likely to support their initiative out of pure self-interest compounded by frustration about the pace of school reopening during the pandemic and other school-related grievances.

On top of that, Democrats cant be counted on to vote in predictable ways. That was powerfully demonstrated last November when California rejected initiatives to drastically reform Proposition 13 by increasing commercial property taxes and to overturn the decades-long ban on affirmative action in the state.

And getting the approval of California on a school choice initiative may not be not far-fetched at all, especially in the current climate. The last time the Public Policy Institute of California surveyed Californians on the issue was in 2017, when two-thirds of public school parents backed the idea of tax payer funded vouchers. And that was long before the pandemic upended education.

Whats impossible to anticipate just how unhappy parents, especially those registered as Democrats and independents, will be with their schools next November.

Also unknown is the extent to which brewing controversies around race and ethnicity, including critiques of critical race theory, will affect the outcome. Its possible, for example, that Californias recently adopted law mandating high school students take an ethnic studies class could become a flash point during the campaign, especially among suburban and rural voters.

Proponents of the initiatives are aware that they are throwing down the gauntlet before California voters.

Is this a radical proposal, in the sense that it will shake up the system? asked Lance Christensen, the chief strategist for the Fix California campaign.

I hope so, he said. Otherwise, what is the point of having a school choice initiative in the first place?

Leaders of the initiatives say they have bipartisan support, and this is a continuation of the civil rights struggle for a quality education for all children or a needed effort to inject more competition into public schooling.

But so far most of the energy and leadership has come from more extreme forces.

Almost all the money raised by Californians for School Choice, for example, is a $400,000 contribution from Dale Broome, a physician and prominent member of the Redlands Tea Party Patriots in San Bernardino County. As a reason to vote for the initiative, Broome earlier this year railed against what he called the morally objectionable and un-American curriculum being foisted on public school children. That, according to Broome, includes comprehensive sex education, global warming, social justice, anti-Americanism, atheism, critical race theory, socialism, communism, gender fluidity, globalism, religious pluralism and evolution.

Whats clear that if either initiative were to make it on to next years ballot, it would place schools at the center of an electoral storm not seen in a half century. So brace yourself for another education battle that could reshape California schools far into the future. At this point, it would be foolish to predict which side will prevail.

Louis Freedberg, formerly executive director of EdSource, is a veteran analyst and reporter on California education.

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Republicans are coming for California's public schools. And they could actually win - San Francisco Chronicle

America is exceptional, but we need fresh leadership, innovative ideas, and a different direction for the Fifth District of Tennessee.

Manny Sethi| Guest Columnist

Tennessee Voices: A conversation with Manny Sethi

Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas spoke with U.S. Senate candidate and trauma surgeon Manny Sethi.

David Plazas, USA TODAY NETWORK Tennessee

America is the greatest country in the world. My family and millions of others are proof. My parents were legal immigrants and came to America with nothing, but by the grace of God, hard work, and rural community values, my brother and I lived the American Dream in Tennessee.

I vividly remember as a young boy my father taking me to India to show me the slums where he grew up. He always said, Be very grateful you were born in America.

My dads words ring as true today as they did when I was a young man.

As we return to some sense of normalcy, we face incredible hurdles both at home and abroad. These obstacles are a direct result of the Biden Administration, who is clearly out of touch with the American people. In short, this administration is off the rails with endless mandates, international gaffes, and overall incompetence.

RELATED: Manny Sethi, former Republican U.S. Senate candidate, will not run for Congress

Internationally we face serious threatsthe greatest comes from China. Economically, China is unquestionably our greatest rival, and yet we continue to allow them to dominate American supply chains, manipulate the value of their currency, and steal intellectual property.

As China grows its military with a navy fleet that rivals our own and a new hypersonic missile, it is critical that we reinforce our commitments to freedom in places like Taiwan, Hong Kong, across the Pacific, and beyond. China is filling the vacuum in Afghanistan forging new relations with the Taliban in the wake of our chaotic exit. We needed to end the war in Afghanistan, but the disorganized evacuation did not honor the American patriots who served and sacrificed for our country over two decades.

Hear more Tennessee Voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns.

At home, we also face very serious uncertainty. America went from having the strongest economy in our nations history under President Trump, to inflation rates not seen since the 1970s.

Instead of harnessing the power of the private sector, we find ourselves doubling down on big government through uncontrolled federal spending, higher proposed taxes, and new vaccine mandates.

Americans are also starting to encounter unthinkable challenges as prices of gas and groceries soar.

America is exceptional, but we need fresh leadership, innovative ideas, and a different direction. A new congressional Fifth District in Tennessee that is currently under discussion is important to our nations future. I believe that we must elect a conservative Republican who will fight for America first, politicians last, and policies that will once again bring respect back to our country.

Sign up for Latino Tennessee Voices newsletter:Read compelling stories for and with the Latino community in Tennessee.

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I am grateful to the hundreds of supporters who have encouraged me to pursue this new congressional seat, but after faithful deliberation, my path leads me to family and patients who need care, especially those impacted by the unprecedented pandemic.

One day my journey may take me back to the political arena, but only the good Lord knows that.

But during this season of Thanksgiving, one thing is clear to me I remain hopeful and optimistic about our countrys future. I am so grateful to those who protect our freedoms, defend our Republic, and always keep America first.

Manny Sethi is an orthopedic trauma surgeon in Nashville and president of Healthy Tennessee. He was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in the 2020 Republican Primary.

Excerpt from:
Nashville needs a conservative Republican to fight for citizens in Congress | Opinion - The Tennessean

At a conservative rally in western Idaho last month, a young man stepped up to a microphone to ask when he could start killing Democrats.

When do we get to use the guns? he said as the audience applauded. How many elections are they going to steal before we kill these people? The local state representative, a Republican, later called it a fair question.

In Ohio, the leading candidate in the Republican primary for Senate blasted out a video urging Republicans to resist the tyranny of a federal government that pushed them to wear masks and take F.D.A.-authorized vaccines.

When the Gestapo show up at your front door, the candidate, Josh Mandel, a grandson of Holocaust survivors, said in the video in September, you know what to do.

And in Congress, violent threats against lawmakers are on track to double this year. Republicans who break party ranks and defy former President Donald J. Trump have come to expect insults, invective and death threats often stoked by their own colleagues and conservative activists, who have denounced them as traitors.

From congressional offices to community meeting rooms, threats of violence are becoming commonplace among a significant segment of the Republican Party. Ten months after rioters attacked the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, and after four years of a president who often spoke in violent terms about his adversaries, right-wing Republicans are talking more openly and frequently about the use of force as justifiable in opposition to those who dislodged him from power.

In Washington, where decorum and civility are still given lip service, violent or threatening language still remains uncommon, if not unheard-of, among lawmakers who spend a great deal of time in the same building. But among the most fervent conservatives, who play an outsize role in primary contests and provide the party with its activist energy, the belief that the country is at a crossroads that could require armed confrontation is no longer limited to the fringe.

Political violence has been part of the American story since the founding of the country, often entwined with racial politics and erupting in periods of great change: More than 70 brawls, duels and other violent incidents embroiled members of Congress from 1830 to 1860 alone. And elements of the left have contributed to the confrontational tenor of the countrys current politics, though Democratic leaders routinely condemn violence and violent imagery.

But historians and those who study democracy say what has changed has been the embrace of violent speech by a sizable portion of one party, including some of its loudest voices inside government and most influential voices outside.

In effect, they warn, the Republican Party is mainstreaming menace as a political tool.

Omar Wasow, a political scientist at Pomona College who studies protests and race, drew a contrast between the current climate and earlier periods of turbulence and strife, like the 1960s or the run-up to the Civil War.

Whats different about almost all those other events is that now, theres a partisan divide around the legitimacy of our political system, he said. The elite endorsement of political violence from factions of the Republican Party is distinct for me from what we saw in the 1960s. Then, you didnt have from a president on down politicians calling citizens to engage in violent resistance.

From his earliest campaigning to the final moments of his presidency, Mr. Trumps political image has incorporated the possibility of violence. He encouraged attendees at his rallies to knock the hell out of protesters, praised a lawmaker who body-slammed a reporter, and in a recent interview defended rioters who clamored to hang Mike Pence.

Yet even with the former president largely out of the public eye and after a deadly attack on the Capitol where rioters tried to overturn the presidential election, the Republican acceptance of violence has only spread. Polling indicates that 30 percent of Republicans, and 40 percent of people who most trust far-right news sources, believe that true patriots may have to resort to violence to save the country a statement that gets far less support among Democrats and independents.

Such views, routinely expressed in warlike or revolutionary terms, are often intertwined with white racial resentments and evangelical Christian religious fervor two potent sources of fuel for the G.O.P. during the Trump era as the most animated Republican voters increasingly see themselves as participants in a struggle, if not a kind of holy war, to preserve their idea of American culture and their place in society.

Notably few Republican leaders have spoken out against violent language or behavior since Jan. 6, suggesting with their silent acquiescence that doing so would put them at odds with a significant share of their partys voters. When the Idaho man asked about killing political opponents at an event hosted by the conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Mr. Kirk said he must denounce the question but went on to discuss at what point political violence could be justified.

In that vacuum, the coarsening of Republican messaging has continued: Representative Paul Gosar, Republican of Arizona, this week tweeted an anime video altered to show him killing Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and swinging two swords at Mr. Biden.

Lee Drutman, a senior fellow at the left-leaning group New America who has studied political violence, said there was a connection between such actions and the growing view among Americans that politics is a struggle between enemies.

When you start dehumanizing political opponents, or really anybody, it becomes a lot easier to inflict violence on them, Dr. Drutman said.

I have a hard time seeing how we have a peaceful 2024 election after everything thats happened now, he added. I dont see the rhetoric turning down, I dont see the conflicts going away. I really do think its hard to see how it gets better before it gets worse.

Democrats are seeking Mr. Gosars censure, arguing that depictions of violence can foment actual violence and jeopardize the safety of elected officials.

The ranking G.O.P. lawmakers, Senator Mitch McConnell and Representative Kevin McCarthy, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Mr. McCarthy, who initially condemned the Jan. 6 attack and said violence is never a legitimate form of protest, more recently has joked about hitting Nancy Pelosi in the head with a gavel if he were to replace her as speaker. Like nearly all of the members of his caucus, Mr. McCarthy has said nothing about Mr. Gosars video.

For his part, Mr. Gosar suggested that critics were overly thin-skinned, insisting that the video was an allegory for a debate over immigration policy. He was slaying the policy monster of open borders, not Ms. Ocasio-Cortez or Mr. Biden, his office said. It is a symbolic cartoon. It is not real life.

Carlos Curbelo, a Republican former congressman from Florida who is a critic of Mr. Trump, said Republicans needed to take a stronger approach against violent language and intimidation tactics.

I do think the problem is more acute among Republicans because there are a handful of Republican officials who have no limits, he said. Your country and your integrity should be more important to you than your re-election.

The increasing violence of Republican speech has been accompanied by a willingness of G.O.P. leaders to follow Mr. Trumps lead and shrug off allegations of domestic violence that once would have been considered disqualifying for political candidates in either party.

Herschel Walker, the former professional football player running for Senate in Georgia, is accused of repeatedly threatening his ex-wifes life, but won Mr. Trumps endorsement and appears to be consolidating party support behind his candidacy. Mr. Trump also backed the Ohio congressional campaign of Max Miller, who faces allegations of violence from his ex-girlfriend, the former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham. Mr. Miller has sued Ms. Grisham for defamation.

And Sean Parnell, a Senate candidate in Pennsylvania who was endorsed by Mr. Trump, appeared in court this week in a custody fight in which his estranged wife accuses him of choking her and physically harming their children. He denies it.

A key issue yet untested. Donald Trumps power as former president to keep information from his White House secret has become a central issue in the Houses investigation of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Amid an attempt byMr. Trumpto keep personal records secret and the indictment of Stephen K. Bannon for contempt of Congress, heres a breakdown of executive privilege:

What is executive privilege? It is a power claimed by presidents under the Constitution to prevent the other two branches of government from gaining access to certain internal executive branch information, especially confidential communications involving the president or among his top aides.

What is Trumps claim? Former President Trump has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the disclosure of White House files related to his actions and communications surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. He argues that these matters must remain a secret as a matter of executive privilege.

Is Trumps privilege claim valid? The constitutional line between a presidents secrecy powers and Congresss investigative authority is hazy. Though a judge rejected Mr. Trumps bid to keep his papers secret, it is likely that the case will ultimately be resolved by the Supreme Court.

Is executive privilege an absolute power? No. Even a legitimate claim of executive privilege may not always prevail in court. During the Watergate scandal in 1974, the Supreme Court upheld an orderrequiring President Richard M. Nixon to turn over his Oval Office tapes.

May ex-presidents invoke executive privilege? Yes, but courts may view their claims with less deference than those of current presidents. In 1977, the Supreme Court said Nixon could make a claim of executive privilege even though he was out of office, though the court ultimately ruled against him in the case.

Is Steve Bannon covered by executive privilege? This is unclear. Mr. Bannons case could raise the novel legal question of whether or how far a claim of executive privilege may extend to communications between a president and an informal adviser outside of the government.

What is contempt of Congress? It is a sanction imposed on people who defy congressional subpoenas. Congress can refer contempt citations to the Justice Department and ask for criminal charges. Mr. Bannon has been indicted on contempt chargesfor refusing to comply with a subpoena that seeks documents and testimony.

Senator Rick Scott of Florida, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, declined to repudiate Mr. Parnell. Asked on CNN whether Mr. Parnell was the right candidate for the job, he said, Well see who comes out of the primary.

There is little indication that the party has paid a political price for its increasingly violent tone.

Even after corporations and donors vowed to withhold donations to the G.O.P. in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack, Republicans out-raised Democrats this year. And they outperformed expectations in the elections this month, capturing the Virginia governorship, winning a host of upset victories in suburban contests and making a surprisingly strong showing in New Jersey.

Yet violent talk has tipped over into actual violence in ways big and small. School board members and public health officials have faced a wave of threats, prompting hundreds to leave their posts. A recent investigation by Reuters documented nearly 800 intimidating messages to election officials in 12 states.

And threats against members of Congress have jumped by 107 percent compared with the same period in 2020, according to the Capitol Police. Lawmakers have been harassed at airports, targeted at their homes and had family members threatened. Some have spent tens of thousands on personal security.

You dont understand how awful it is and how scary it is until youre in it, said Representative Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who praised a Republican colleague, Representative Fred Upton, for publicly sharing some of the threats he received after voting to approve the infrastructure bill. (Mr. Uptons office did not respond to requests for comment.) But not telling people that this violence isnt OK makes people think it is OK.

Ms. Dingell, who said she was threatened by men with assault weapons outside her home last year after she was denounced by Tucker Carlson on his Fox News show, shared a small sample of what she said were hundreds of profanity-laden threats she has received.

They ought to try you for treason, one caller screamed in a lengthy, graphic voice mail message. I hope your family dies in front of you. I pray to God that if youve got any children, they die in your face.

Bradford Fitch, president of the Congressional Management Foundation, which advises lawmakers on issues like running their offices and communicating with constituents, said he now urged members not to hold open public meetings, an American tradition dating back to the colonies, because of security concerns. Politics, he said, had become too raw and radioactive.

I dont think its a good idea right now, Mr. Fitch said. I hope we can get to a point where we can advise members of Congress that its safe to have a town-hall meeting.

But even at right-wing gatherings of the like-minded, there is a shared assumption that political confrontation could escalate into violence.

At a Virginia rally last month for conservative supporters of Glenn Youngkin, the Republican candidate for governor, the urgency of a call to arms was conveyed right from the opening prayer. The speaker warned of the looming threat of communist atheists.

Heavenly Father, we come before you tonight, said Joshua Pratt, a conservative activist. Your children are in a battle, and we need your help.

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Menace Enters the Republican Mainstream - The New York Times