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WASHINGTON, D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today warned that Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has become at least the second House Republican this year to say that, if Republicans are in the majority next year, they should repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which gave D.C. an elected chief executive (mayor) and legislature (Council). In February, Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA) also said that a Republican House should repeal the Home Rule Act, and he said he was working on a bill to do so, which he has yet to introduce. Several other House Republicans, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA) and Representative James Comer (KY), the ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, which has jurisdiction over D.C., have told the press this year that they plan to limit D.C.s authority to govern its own affairs next Congress.

The last time we heard such threats to D.C. self-government from Republicans was in the early and mid-1990s, Norton said. Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde literally want the federal government to resume running D.C. as a colony. Republicans are scared that D.C. has gotten closer to statehood than ever, and their response is, predictably, to try to take away what democracy the nearly 700,000 D.C. residents, a plurality of whom are African American, have. I will defeat their efforts, and their efforts will only strengthen our case for statehood.

In his signing statement on the Home Rule Act in 1973, President Nixon wrote, One of the major goals of this Administration is to place responsibility for local functions under local control and to provide local governments with the authority and resources they need to serve their communities effectively. The measure I sign today represents a significant step in achieving this goal in the city of Washington. It will give the people of the District of Columbia the right to elect their own city officials and to govern themselves in local affairs. As the Nation approaches the 200th anniversary of its founding, it is particularly appropriate to assure those persons who live in our Capital City rights and privileges which have long been enjoyed by most of their countrymen.

But the measure I sign today does more than create machinery for the election of local officials. It also broadens and strengthens the structure of the city government to enable it to deal more effectively with its responsibilities.

D.C. is denied voting representation in Congress and full self-government, which is undemocratic. Statehood is the remedy. Congress has the constitutional authority to grant D.C. statehood. D.C. has a larger population than two states, pays more federal taxes than 23 states, pays more federal taxes per capita than any state, has a larger budget than 12 states, has a larger gross domestic product than 17 states, has a triple-A bond rating, and federal funds constitute a smaller percentage of its budget than the percentage of total state revenue.

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Norton Says Greene, Latest Republican to Call for Repealing D.C. Home Rule Act, Will Not Succeed - House.gov

The Ohio Federation of Republican Women recently held a regional meeting in Washington C.H.

Courtesy photo

The Ohio Federation of Republican Women held a regional meeting on Saturday, May 14 in Washington Court House.

Members from six counties gathered for a day of speakers, networking, and fun. Keynote speaker, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon Kennedy, gave a powerful message on the happenings of the court. Lyn Bliss, parliamentarian for the OFRW and VC of the Bylaws Committee of the National Federation of Republican Women, gave an informative presentation on Parliamentarian Procedure and Roberts Rules.

Ricki Pepin, former FBI employee, published author, columnist and international lecturer, spoke on Preserving Our Heritage. Brance Johnson, special agent supervisor, who worked in the Ohio Attorney Generals Office and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation for 37 years, spoke on the issue of self-awareness to crimes and scams.

The Fayette County Republican Womens Club hosted the event at The Gathering Place. Being a member of a local club gives you membership in the OFRW and the National Federation of Republican Women. Currently, there are 41 federated clubs in Ohio. The OFRW was founded in 1929. It is one of the oldest and largest grass roots organization in the country. It provides the avenue for women to influence policy, develop candidates and elect leaders.

The OFRW is a multi-generational, multi- cultured organization that provides structure and support for political activities to learn, engage and flourish. Mary King is the current president of the Fayette County Republican Women. Jane Lynch is District #8 vice president of the Ohio Federation, which encompasses seven counties, including Fayette.

The Ohio Federation of Republican Women recently held a regional meeting in Washington C.H.

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Ohio Federation of Republican Women's Club visits WCH - Record Herald

I dont think America has anything against Ukraine, Mr. Hagerty said on Fox News. We dont want to see them fail, but we have problems right here at home that we need to be paying attention to.

Senator Roger Marshall, Republican of Kansas, said in a brief interview that he had voted against the aid package because $40 billion on top of the $13 billion we already spent is just too much right now, too much all at one time.

What people in his state are really concerned about, he said, is the southern border.

Both privately and publicly, Mr. McConnell has made the case that failing to stop President Vladimir V. Putins campaign in Ukraine would upend the international security order and pose a grave threat to the United States security. He made a similar argument in 2014, when he pressed for the United States to send aid to Kyiv as Mr. Putin invaded Crimea.

This is not charity were involved in here, he said on Sunday. This is our interest to help Ukrainians. Just like it is in the interest of NATO countries. This is not some handout. This is to prevent this ruthless thug from beginning a march through Europe.

Behind closed doors, Mr. McConnell sought to bolster the Ukrainian government early in Russias invasion, his allies said, making the case himself and inviting top Ukrainian officials, including the ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, to speak to his conference.

His message very early was, We need to get the Ukrainians anything they need, as quick as we can get it to them, said Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri. I think generally, the Congress is very receptive to helping people fight for freedom, and I think Senator McConnell got there very early.

But whether Mr. McConnell will be able to maintain the support among Republicans remains to be seen.

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McConnell Takes On Isolationist Wing of G.O.P. in Fight for Ukraine Aid - The New York Times

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