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Democrats are grappling with a very 2021 problemhaving to play whack-a-mole with unhinged Republicans. Strip Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments, up pops Paul Gosar with a murder fantasy about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Discipline him, here comes Lauren Boebert with an unhealthy and profoundly bigoted fixation on Ilhan Omar. Because House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has long ago made clear that there is no limit to the abhorrent conduct hell tolerate, it has become incumbent on Democrats to hold GOP lawmakers accountable for their bad behavior. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Republicans behaving badly.

Indeed, acting so recklessly and outlandishly that the Democratic majority is compelled to do something is becoming something of a badge of honor in the GOPa way of distinguishing between those in the party loyal to Donald Trump and those who are really, really loyal to Donald Trump. That presents a vexing issue for the Democrats: How do you reprimand someone who actually likes the punishment? This is hard because these people are doing it for the publicity, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this week. Theres a judgment that has to be made about how we contribute to their fundraising and their publicity on how obnoxious and disgusting they can be.

When taking questions Friday from reporters, McCarthy acknowledged controversies involving Gosar, Boebert, and Taylor Greene are things that Republicans would not want to deal with ahead of the midterms, but pivoted back to talking about inflation and gas prices.

A growing chorus of Democrats are demanding Boebert be relieved of her committee assignments over relentless attacks on Omar, a House progressive that Trump and other right-wingers have frequently targeted with conspiracy theories and anti-Muslim bile. The most recent episode began last month, as the House voted to remove Gosar from his committees for having posted an anime video of him killing Ocasio-Cortez. Speaking in defense of her fellow wingnut, Boebert called Omar a member of the Jihad Squad and suggested the Minnesota congresswoman had married her brother. A few days later, at a Colorado event, Boebert said her xenophobic dig at Omar on the House floor was not my first Jihad Squad moment, and launched into a story implying that the Democrat is a terrorist. I was getting into an elevator with one of my staffers and he and I were leaving the Capitol...and I see a Capitol Police officer running hurriedly to the elevator. I see fret all over his face, Boebert said. I look to my left and there she is, Ilhan Omar, and I said, Well, she doesnt have a backpack we should be fine.

Omar said the anecdote was made up and condemned Boebert for her bigoted remarks. Boebert on Twitter apologized, calling the controversy her comments triggered a distraction, and said she had reached out to Omars office. But the remarks were part of a pattern; soon after video of the November 20 event, another video emerged of Boebert making the same Islamophobic backpack joke to a crowd in September. Boebert called Omar on Monday; according to Omar, Boebert refused to apologize and instead doubled down on her rhetoric. The Minnesota representative has since received anti-Muslim death threats, one of which she played during a press conference Tuesday calling for Boebert to be punished.

McCarthy, of course, has been utterly useless on thisappearing far more concerned with appeasing the MAGA rightand the few Republicans who have spoken out against Boebert have faced nasty attacks from her allies. When asked Friday about Boeberts Islamophobic comments and why he has such a hard time condemning something that is so clearly wrong, McCarthy suggested the Republican Party is for anyone and everyone who craves freedom and supports religious liberty; later indicated he wouldnt remove Boebert from her committee assignments, citing her apology to Omar.

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Kevin McCarthy Is Leaving It to Democrats to Keep Lauren Boebert In Line - Vanity Fair