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President Ronald Reagan began his first inaugural address in 1981 by reminding us thatthe orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place, as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us stop to think how unique we really are.In the eyes of many in the world, this every four-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.

Obviously, the miracle was severely tested on Jan. 6-7, 2021.Joe Biden was only certified as the winner of the 2020 presidential election, you will recall, after a day and night of chaos and violence at the U.S. Capitol.Rioters erected makeshift gallows and chanted hang Mike Pence as others flooded the halls of Congress in search of the vice president, NPR reported, to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that has been a hallmark of modern American history.

That dark day, as Pence later called it, marked the second time in the 21st century that a vice president, while presiding over the tallying of electoral votes, had to quell efforts to overturn the results of a tumultuous presidential election.

In 2001, Vice President Al Gore oversaw the most humbling of certifications his own unsuccessful bid for the presidency in the closest election in American history.Words like fraud and disenfranchisement could be heard above the din of Republicans calling for regular order.Repeatedly, he was forced to gavel down members of the Congressional Black Caucus and others who tried to block the tallying of Floridas 25 highly contested and crucial electoral votes that made George W. Bush the nations 43rd president.

Despite the rancor in the cavernous House chamber, Gore carried out his constitutional duty with grace and humor.Three weeks earlier, a day after the Supreme Court, by a 5-4 vote in Bush v. Gore, stopped manual recounts in Florida that effectively delivered the election to Bush, Gore ended his quest for the presidency.In conceding, Gore said he strongly disagreed with the Supreme Court decision, but accepted the finality of this outcome and partisan rancor must now be put aside. This is America, and we put country before party.

Although a bare majority of Americans agreed with the Bush v. Gore decision, a Gallup Poll immediately afterwards found that 8 in 10 voters accepted Bush as the legitimate president.Clearly, how Gore handled himself following the determinative Supreme Court ruling and the electoral count had a significant effect.

How differently might history have played out on Jan. 6, 2021, if Donald Trump had not refused to concede?The Boston Globe suggested an unprecedented alternative, Mike Pence should concede the election. ... Doing so would help restore public trust in the electoral process and close the door on Trumps assault on American democracy.

While Pence did not concede, he resisted the pressure being exerted on him to try to single-handedly overturn the election.In their book Peril, Bob Woodward andRobert Costa write that Pence first reached out to former Vice President Dan Quayle, a fellow Indiana Republican, who told him not to even entertain the idea of blocking Bidens election when Congress certified the final electoral count.

Instead, Pence rewrote the vice presidential script for publicly counting electoral votes.Together with his top aides, he crafted 43 additional words that would clearly address the push by Trump allies for false slates of presidential electors.Even after the storming of the U.S. Capitol, Pence pursued his resolve to not be pressured into overturning the election.

Still for months Trump continued to claim Pence could have overturned the Election, Finally, in early February 2022, the former vice president publicly declared, President Trump is wrong, I had no right to overturn the election. The presidency belongs to the American people, and the American people alone. And frankly there is almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president.

Afterwards, The Wall Street Journal praised Pence for refusing to succumb to Mr. Trumps pressure. ...It was Mr. Pences finest hour.In subsequent days, most Americans also sided with Pence according to CBS News/YouGov and Quinnipiac University polls released after his speech in Orlando, Florida.

Irrespective of our party affiliation, we are all Americans.We must never forget what President Reagan said about the importance of our peaceful, orderly constitutional transfer of power.Al Gore and Mike Pence, in certainly one their most painful moments in public office, upheld their constitutional oath even when it is not politically expedient.

If we are not willing to accept election results, how is power to be passed from one leader to another in a law-abiding society in which the will of the voters governs?

Stephen W.Stathisfor nearly four decades was a specialist in American history with the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress.He is the author ofLandmark Debates in Congress from the Declaration of Independence to the War in IraqandLandmark Legislation: Major U.S. Acts and Treaties.

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Opinion: Mike Pence and the long road out of the 2020 election

Members of the Jan. 6 committee said recently they might subpoena former Vice President Mike Pence to testify about the pressure he faced from then-President Donald Trump to overturn President Biden's victory in the 2020 election. Witnesses have testified to the panel that Trump called Pence on the morning of Jan. 6 to urge him one last time to stop the certification of Trump's loss to Biden when Congress met to finalize the Electoral College results. "It started off [in a] calmer tone ... and then it became heated," former White House lawyer Eric Herschmann told the committee, according to Axios. Ivanka Trump's then-chief of staff, Julie Radford, said Trump called Pence the "p-word" for resisting.

The committee has received the accounts of several Trump and Pence aides about the call. Now it wants to hear directly from Pence about what Trump asked him to do, and why he refused to reject Biden electors to tip the election to Trump. Trump allies vilify Pence for turning down his boss in his time of need. Critics of Trump's baseless claim that he lost to Biden due to election fraud say Pence never pushed back hard enough against the Big Lie. Still others say he's a hero for braving the backlash from MAGA world and doing the right thing to ensure the peaceful transfer of power to the duly elected president. How will history remember Pence's role in the Jan. 6 saga?

Mike Pence put the nation's interests before his own on Jan. 6, says Isaac Schorr at National Review. He has his eye on the White House, so "his political interests may have been better served by lending more credence to 'stop the steal,'" to please the MAGA base. But Pence drew the line where it had to be drawn, and bravely resisted "Trump's call to try to reject the legitimate Electoral College results." His former chief of staff, Marc Short, and former chief counsel, Greg Jacob, told the Jan. 6 committee that Pence never wavered in carrying out his duties on Jan. 6, not even as Trump "egged on a mob chanting 'hang Mike Pence' by tweeting 'Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.'" Pence, it turns out, did "have the courage to do what should have been done," and he saved the day.

A lot of liberals who used to mock Pence as spineless saw him in a new light on Jan. 6, says Kathleen Parker in The Washington Post. Not only did he stand his ground when Trump called him a "coward and worse," but he stayed at the Capitol that day as rioters shouted "Hang Mike Pence!" to do his job. Granted, he wavered before Jan. 6, and looked into whether there was a legal way to delay certification of the vote. Of course, the vice president has no right to stand in the way when Congress certifies the results of a presidential election, and Pence knew that. What he did took guts, but, remember: "Only in a country where duty has lost its currency and honesty is rare does doing the right thing rise to the level of heroic."

"I'm having a hard time joining the 'Mike Pence the Hero' bandwagon," says Bret Stephens at The New York Times. Why didn't he speak up in November when "Trump started lying" about the fact that Biden beat him? Or when Team Trump hired dodgy lawyers to "peddle insane conspiracy theories about voting machines and preposterous interpretations of the Electoral Count Act?" Pence is no hero. He's "a worm who, for a few hours on Jan. 6, turned into a glowworm."

If Pence felt heroic on Jan. 6, he got over it, says Inae Oh at Mother Jones. This week, he told Fox News Digital Monday that the Jan. 6 committee's public hearings were part of a Democratic political plot to, and I quote, "use that tragic day to distract attention from their failed agenda or to demean the intentions of 74 million Americans who rallied behind our cause." The man is flirting with his former boss' "election lies," there. He also claimed to be concerned about "voting irregularities" in the 2020 election, and insisted that he and Trump had talked out their differences. In another Fox News interview, he said Biden lies more than any president in his lifetime, proving unequivocally that he's still a "mealymouthed Trump stooge."

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Is Mike Pence a hero? - The Week

The past couple of weeks have been filled with controversial and historic events, and were not even halfway through summer. Amid all this, it seems like some Republicans tread lightly on certain issues, while others do not.

In the aftermath of Roe v. Wades overturning, Republican candidates wonder how it will alter the 2024 election.

In the Republican Party, there is a debate underway about whether the ruling could come back to haunt candidates in future elections, the Washington Post writes.

A Republican strategist believes the GOP candidates that lean further to the Right on abortion could sabotage their chances in the general election.

The safest place for Republicans is to say, Send it to the states," the strategist said.

But downplaying the decision wont make you a more desirable candidate. Those that have a clear platform and stance on important issues will be able to distinguish who will and will not support them.

For example, former Vice President Mike Pence has been very vocal about his thoughts on the overturning of Roe.

We must not rest and must not relent until the sanctity of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the land, Pence tweeted.

Even as the former governor of Indiana, Pence made an effort to sign as many pro-life bills as he could. From the start, it has been clear where Pence stands on abortion. Other potential candidates? Not so much. Its not about if they support the court's decision but rather how far they will personally go to uproot abortion rights.

Pence has set the standard, calling for a nationwide ban, while other candidates avoid such language.

Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida will work to expand pro-life protections, and will stand for life.

While many Republican politicians support the Dobbs decision, calling for an increase in adoption, welfare, and aid for struggling families, others have a more moderate approach.

Most of the people I talk to believe there ought to be reasonable restrictions and reasonable exceptions, Florida Sen. Rick Scott said. But every candidates going to decide where they are.

Scott has endorsed banning abortion after 15 weeks. He has been more focused on enacting legislation that protects family welfare than furthering abortion bans.

Because that is the solution for most Republicans to combat the growing issue of abortion rights, the 2024 GOP field will be somewhat fragmented. For them, life either begins at conception, or it doesn't. They are either pro-life or not.

The last thing these candidates need to do is hide behind the promise of increased welfare and protection for struggling women yet fail to advance abortion bans.

Yes, increasing aid to those who need help is essential, but running a campaign that says just that and avoiding the actual debate on abortion laws will not make for an honest candidate. Voters need to know where these candidates clearly stand on issues that will contribute to the 2024 election results. They need to stop being wishy-washy and tell the people what they really think.

Esther Wickham is a summer 2022Washington Examinerfellow.

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This is not the time to be wishy-washy - Washington Examiner

Kathy King Johnson| Cheboygan Opera House

The last column about the Johnston Family in World War II requires a correction. I said that three Johnston brothers returned safely from WWII, but actually only two brothers, Howard and Bob, went to war.

The third sibling was Fayes sister, Lorraine Johnston Hamilton. Lorraine was an Army nurse and a lieutenant, while Howard and Bob were sergeants. Because she was an officer, Lorraine was not allowed to fraternize with her brothers while they were stationed in Europe.

Through a series of correspondences with their mother at home, the three somehow arranged to meet in England before coming home for good. Now living in Traverse City, Lorraine, 101 years old, is reading these articles and deserves great thanks for her service.

In 1944, most eligible men were in the Army, forcing many women to join the workforce. Even the children were asked to help. Faye and thousands of other students across America, were doing their part to help the war effort by collecting milk weed pods. The milk weed silk was extracted and used as flotation material for life jackets. As a class assignment, children were asked to fill mesh onion bags with milk weed pods. Two bags provided enough filling for one life jacket.

According to The Monarch Joint Venture,Over 12 MILLION pounds of milkweed pods were collected and sent by trainloads to Petosky, Michigan, for processing.

No one gave a thought to the Monarch butterfly, Johnston said.

Cheboygan volunteers also stood guard at the Opera House, one of the tallest buildings in town. Armed with binoculars they stood at the third-floor windows and watched for enemy planes. If any suspicious plane was sighted, they were to alert a liaison at the Airport.

Cheboygans first public hospital was built in 1942. When the war ended and the soldiers came home in 1945, the baby boom began all over America. As a junior in high school, Faye left her position as a housekeeper to Mrs. Duncan. She took a job as a candy striper at the hospital. Most of her work was in the maternity ward. We may not have known much about birthing babies, but we learned fast, Johnston said. It was really busy. That same year, Faye had a part in the junior class play. She saw the Opera House for the first time.

It was nothing like it is now, not as well kept, no pretty carpet or fancy seats. But I was just a girl and not paying much attention to the architecture or details. It was a very special place and it was really a great opportunity for the school classes to be in there. And so began Fayes lifelong love of the Cheboygan Opera House.

In 1946, Faye, a senior, met Sophia Fultz, Grandma Shy. Fultzs letters to her grandson spoke of her passion for the Cheboygan Opera House, where she first visited in 1900. Faye was 17 or 18 and Fultz was 53 years old.

Fultz decided that the girls in the senior class, many of whom were farm girls, needed more culture. She invited the senior girls to a tea party at her house. The girls were to dress up and were told to wear white gloves.

No one in the Johnston family had white gloves and it took awhile to find a pair that Faye could borrow. She arrived at the tea party in her nicest dress and white gloves with Delores Peasch Petersen and Anne Tromble. Fultz served tea in her finest china and nice linen. She entertained the girls, playing the piano for them. The Fultz home where Sophia gave piano recitals, hosted bridge club and held fancy teas still stands at the corner of Locust and Bailey.

Senior year, Faye had a larger part in the class play at the Opera House, Grandpa Hangs the Holly about a mean-spirited old grandfather who was not happy at Christmas. Vic Leonall played the grandfather. He was always class president, Faye said. Faye played the spirit of his departed wife who returned to change his mind. She wore a long white dress and got to kiss Vic Leonall, but only on the forehead, because of his makeup.

Faye made another appearance on the Opera House stage when she graduated in June 1946. In 1944, most of the 12th-graders joined the service and the class was very small. But by 1946, the graduating class was very large again. It was a hot and muggy day, made worse when the rains started. The Opera House did not have air conditioning.

Seated at the top of the balcony, 83 seniors baked, wearing wool caps and gowns. To cool down, high school students often went to Lakeland Ice Cream on Main Street, with its soda fountain and dairy bar, where The Hive now stands.

During the winter months, one of the biggest forms of entertainment for the young people was the ice rink. The city closed the entire city block where West Side Elementary stands now and turned it into a skating rink. There she met her husband Jim. Faye got busy having babies and running a business, later to become Johnstons Marina.

She still went to events in the Opera House and one that stood out in her mind was a cooking class given by the I.G.A grocery store in the summer of 1949. They learned to plan meals and shared recipes but this event was made memorable when one lucky participant won an electric range.

Over the years, Faye attended countless events at the Opera House. She watched her children and grandchildren perform on the stage. Some of her favorite shows are when the U.S. military bands come to town. For Faye, the Cheboygan Opera House will always be a very special place.

Kathy King Johnson is former executive director of the Cheboygan Opera House.

Link:
History of the Opera House: Post-war Cheboygan and the Opera House through the eyes of Faye Johnston - Cheboygan Daily Tribune

Will Weissert| Associated Press

Washington Ten years ago, the Texas Republican Party used its platform to oppose teaching critical thinking in schools. In 2014, it declared homosexuality a chosen behavior contrary to God and endorsed reparative therapy to reverse it. By 2020, the party was ready to remind the world that Texas retains the right to secede from the United States.

But now the GOP platform in the countrys largest red state long an ideological wish list that even the most conservative Texans knew was mostly filled with pipe dreams that would never become policy has broken new ground in its push to the far right.

Approved by 5,000-plus party delegates last weekend in Houston during the partys biennial convention, the new platform brands President Joe Biden an acting commander-in-chief who was never legitimately elected.

It may not matter who the president is, though, since the platform takes previous language about secession much farther urging the Republican-controlled legislature to put the question of leaving the United States to voters next year.

The platform also says homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice and rejects bipartisan legislation in Congress seeking to raise the minimum age to buy assault weapons from 18 to 21, saying Texans under 21 are most likely to be victims of violent crime and thus most likely to need to defend themselves.

Though non-binding, the platform illustrates just how far Texas Republicans have moved to the right in the past decade from championing tea party ideals in 2012 to endorsing former President Donald Trumps continued lies about nonexistent widespread fraud costing him an election he actually lost by more than 7 million votes.

The platform reflects the direction that party activists believe the party should take, said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist based in the Texas capital of Austin. He said that, rather than deciding elections or dictating legislative action, the platform is more relevant as a signal of where primary voters are and what they care about.

Mackowiak said items like considering succession wont be taken seriously, but Trumps policy agenda is here to stay. He said that, as the former president continues to question 2020 election results, he will continue to find a receptive audience in the Texas GOP.

Are people really in doubt that Republicans have concerns about how the election was conducted? Mackowiak asked.

Matt Rinaldi, a former state lawmaker who now chairs the Texas GOP, said state Republicans rightly have no faith in the 2020 election results and we dont care how many times the elites tell us we have to.

We refuse to let Democrats rig the elections in 2022 or 2024, Rinaldi said in a statement.

Democrats havent rigged anything. An Associated Press r eview of every potential case of voter fraud in the six battleground states disputed by Trump has found fewer than 475 a number that would have made no difference in the 2020 presidential election.

Meanwhile, Texas 2020 election was a romp even by the standards of Republicans who have dominated the state for decades. The partys candidates topped Democrats in key congressional and statehouse races as Trump easily carried its electoral votes.

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But that didnt stop the former president from praising the partys 2022 platform, posting Tuesday: Look at the Great State of Texas and their powerful Republican Party Platform on the 2020 Presidential Election Fraud.

Such courage, he wrote, but thats why Texas is Texas.

Trump was cheering language declaring, We reject the certified results of the 2020 presidential election, and we hold that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was not legitimately elected. That was a departure from as recently as 2014, when the Texas GOP platform questioned Barack Obamas commitment to citizens constitutional rights, but at least recognized him as president.

This years platform also says that Texas retains the right to secede from the United States, and the Texas Legislature should be called upon to pass a referendum consistent thereto.

Ed Espinoza, executive director of the advocacy organization Progress Texas, said some of the adherence to open discriminatory language might have receded if not for the rise of Trump who has demonstrated he could double down on the crazy and not suffer a consequence yet.

Normally what happens is, when theres crazy in a party, people try to soften it, said Espinoza, former Western States Director of the Democratic National Committee. In this case, they saw it worked for Trump so they think itll work for them.

Texas was an independent republic for nearly a decade until 1845. With the coronavirus pandemic raging, the 2020 Texas Republican Party convention was held virtually and degenerated into a leadership struggle. But it also featured platform language declaring, Texas retains the right to secede from the United States should a future president and congress change our political system from a constitutional republic to another system.

That caveat about governmental system was dropped in the 2022 edition, which seeks a referendum for voters to determine whether or not their state should reassert its status as an independent nation.

Texas rightward push was clear in ways beyond the party platform. Delegates booed Republican Sen. John Cornyn who has held his seat for 20 years and got more 2020 votes statewide than Trump did for working on bipartisan legislation seeking to impose modest limits on guns. Those efforts began following last months mass shooting in the Texas town of Uvalde, which killed 19 elementary students and two teachers.

Still, such state convention outbursts also arent new. Republican Gov. Rick Perry was booed in 2012 for praising fellow GOPer and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who was then locked in a primary battle for an open Senate seat with Ted Cruz. Some delegates also in the past walked out of a speech by then-Republican Texas House Speaker Joe Straus.

It shows you how much QAnon may not be an outlier in the Republican Party, Espinoza said. Some people are very susceptible to conspiracy theory, and that appears to be a higher percentage the deeper you go into the Republican Party of Texas.

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Texas GOP's swing to far right cemented with party platform - Detroit News