Monthly Archives: March 2022

A senior Republican senator on Sunday said the Ukrainian people were urging the US and Nato to close the skies over Ukraine, hours after a logistics hub and training base for foreign fighters 11 miles from the Polish border was struck by Russian forces, killing 35.

People are just distraught and the message theyre giving us is loud and clear, as you can imagine, which is close the skies because the skies are where the bombs are coming, whether the missile attacks or airplane attacks or the artillery, Ohio senator Rob Portman told CNN during a visit to the Poland-Ukraine border.

The US intelligence community has said that any attempt to create a no-fly zone would risk escalation. The US has also turned down a Polish offer to supply jets to Ukraine via an American airbase in Germany.

Asked if supplying Ukraine with Russian-made MiG-29s could trigger a third world war, Portman told CNNs State of the Union he didnt know why that would be true.

The Russians have complained about everything, he said. Vladimir Putin has said that the sanctions are an act of war.

Russia, Portman said, complained when we provided Stingers directly from the US government, which can knock down an airplane and have been successful in doing that at lower altitudes. We have given [Ukraine] helicopters.

What we have heard directly from the Ukrainians is they want [the jets] badly. They want the ability to have better control over the skies in order to give them a fighting chance. So I dont understand why were not doing it.

Portman welcomed an indication from Jake Sullivan, Bidens national security adviser, that anti-aircraft systems could be provided.

Sullivan repeated Joe Bidens opposition to the transfer of offensive weapons while underlining commitment to supplying defensive arms, telling CBSs Face the Nation the US and allies believe in our capacity to continue to flow substantial amounts of military assistance, weapons and supplies to the front in Ukraine.

We have been successful in doing so thus far and we believe we have a system in place that will allow us to continue to do so, notwithstanding Russian threats.

Russia claimed the strike on the Yavoriv base was against foreign fighters and weapons. The Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby, told ABCs This Week no Americans were at the facility.

But Kirby reiterated that the US and allies would continue to flow and to move and to reposition forces and capabilities along Natos eastern flank to make sure that we can defend every inch of Nato territory if we need to.

Weve made it very clear to Russia that Nato territory will be defended not just by the United States, but by our allies.

Of calls to supply jets or announce a no-fly zone, Kirby said: We can all understand the kind of escalatory measure that might be perceived as.

The US deputy secretary of state, Wendy Sherman, said Russia showed signs of willingness to have real, serious negotiations, despite four sets of talks having failed.

Sherman told Fox News Sunday the US had been working to put enormous pressure on Vladimir Putin to try to change his calculus, to end this war, to get a ceasefire in the first instance, to get humanitarian corridors, and to end this invasion.

That pressure is beginning to have some effect, Sherman said, though she added: It appears that Vladimir Putin is intent on destroying Ukraine.

On Saturday, the White House approved an additional $200m of military assistance.

We are determined and the Ukrainians are determined to ensure that anti-tank, anti-armor, anti-air capabilities, ammunition and other forms of assistance actually do make it to the front to blunt the Russian advance, Sullivan told NBCs Meet the Press. Were coordinating the efforts of our allies and partners to do the same thing.

Last week, Biden warned of a severe price if Russia used chemical or biological weapons. Sullivan said Russian claims about supposed Ukrainian bio-weapons labs signaled that Moscow could be preparing to do so.

When Russia starts accusing other countries of potentially doing something, its a good tell that they may be on the cusp of doing it themselves, he said.

What were here to do is to deny them the capacity to have a false flag operation to blame this on the Ukrainians or on us, to take away their pretext and to make the world understand that if chemical weapons are used in Ukraine, it is the Russians who will have used them. And the response will, as the president said, be severe.

Sullivan met with Chinas top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, in Rome on Monday. Sullivan said the US would respond to any attempts to work around western sanctions on Russia.

We have made it clear to not just Beijing but every country in the world that if they think that they can basically bail Russia out, they can give Russia a workaround to the sanctions that weve imposed, they should have another think coming because we will ensure that neither China, nor anyone else, can compensate Russia for these losses, Sullivan told NBC.

He declined to lay out what steps the US might take, saying: We will communicate that privately to China, as we have already done and will continue to do.

Later, in response to reports Moscow had asked Beijing for military equipment, the Chinese embassy in the US said Chinas top priority was to prevent the situation in Ukraine from getting out of control.

The economic consequences of the war in Ukraine have yet to register heavily in US polls. On CNN, Portman deployed a Republican attack line, blaming Biden for not expanding domestic drilling for oil. Biden has countered that US oil companies have not exploited existing permits.

A CBS poll found that 77% of Americans across the political spectrum are willing to pay more for gas as a result of sanctions to punish Russia. According to the poll, 69% said economic pain now might be a wise hedge against bigger problems later.

Americans largely believe Russia has designs on invading other countries.

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Top Republican says Ukrainian people urging US and Nato to close the skies - The Guardian

A delegation of six Republican lieutenant governors will arrive in Israel on Friday for a weeklong trade mission sponsored by the State Government Leadership Foundation (SGLF), a GOP advocacy group.

The trip, which concludes on March 25, will provide the lieutenant governors with a greater understanding of the American-Israeli alliance and how their individual states can continue to benefit from the economic partnership the two nations share, said Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for the SGLF.

Participants will include Jeanette Nuez of Florida, Suzanne Crouch of Indiana, Mike Foley of Nebraska, Pamela Evette of South Carolina, Deidre Henderson of Utah and mission chair Adam Gregg of Iowa.

Jon Husted, the lieutenant governor of Ohio, had originally been scheduled to join the delegation but is no longer going because of a scheduling conflict, according to Romeo.

Israel is a global leader in innovation, a strategic ally for America and a critical trade partner for Florida, Nuez said in a statement to Jewish Insider. The trade mission will allow us to deepen our understanding between America and Israel as we continue to strengthen our long-standing partnership.

The delegation is scheduled to meet with a number of high-ranking Israeli government officials, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll and Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov, according to a tentative itinerary shared with JI.

The lieutenant governors will also hold discussions with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer, among other current and former Israeli and American diplomats.

Some meetings, including with Bennett, are subject to change, according to Romeo.

Israel not only shares our values, but they are also a strong economic partner, Gregg said in a statement to JI. Im confident this trip will be a great opportunity to expand our working relationship with Israel and will create long-term benefits for Iowa farmers and businesses.

During the trip, participants will also visit agricultural areas and defense facilities such as an Iron Dome battery site.

The SGLF the policy arm of the Republican State Leadership Committee, a national organization that supports down-ballot GOP candidates in state elections led a similar trade mission to Israel in 2016 with lieutenant governors from Wisconsin and Nevada, among other states.

The group announced plans for a second trip last August, framing the delegation as a demonstration of solidarity following the conflict between Israel and Hamas as well as an announcement from Ben & Jerrys that the ice cream company would stop selling its products in what it referred to as Occupied Palestinian Territory.

A number of Democratic and Republican congressional delegations made trips to Israel in February, and former Vice President Mike Pence visited last week.

The lieutenant governors trip to Israel, Crouch said in a statement to JI, will allow us to make clear that we will continue to stand with them as a political and economic ally.

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Republican LGs to arrive in Israel on Friday for weeklong trade mission - Jewish Insider

Its the MAGA battle cry heading into the primaries.

Hes a grandstanding RINO.-Donald Trump about retiring Ohio Republican congressman Anthony Gonzalez who voted to impeach him for Jan 6.

Mike DeWine is the biggest RINO in America today.-Jim Renacci, Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate about the Republican incumbent.

Ohio is not going to tolerate RINOs anymore.-Marjorie Taylor Green in endorsing Ohio Republican J.D. Vance for the U.S. Senate.

This guy [DeWine] is the epitome of a RINO; hes everything that is wrong with the Republican Party.-Josh Mandel, Ohio Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

Theyve got it all wrong. Those screaming the pejorative acronym RINO (Republican in Name Only) at Republicans they jeer as squishy conservatives, have it backwards. They, the norm-breaking, law-flouting, truth-denying, science-deriding extremists, are the real RINOs. Theyre the posers, as far from what used to pass for traditional conservatives as neofascists can get. Definitely not your fathers GOP.

One historian mused that the intellectual predecessors of todays Republicans wouldnt even recognize them as members of the same party. Gotta say, not even close to the Ohio Republicans Ive known, respected and even voted for in bygone years. Thats because the real RINOs dont give a damn about actual conservative values. They dismiss expertise, obstruct accountability, thwart progress, support regression. The real RINOs champion no policies. They offer no problem-solving, no persuasive arguments. Just clickbait attacking Democrats as the antichrists on social media.

They peddle fear and loathing for likes. The media is fake and hateful. Godless liberals are ruining everything pure and wholesome and white in America. The more apocalyptic the outrage, the better. Its a power trip. Light a match on Twitter and watch it all burn. So what if you shred the fabric of the nation in the process? Self-styled conservatives dont want to conserve the foundations of the American experiment. They want to dismantle them outright. They voted to overturn a free and fair democratic election after a terrorizing assault on the U.S. Capitol, for Petes sake.

The real RINOs are also zero-sum game combatants out to defeat Republicans who arent. These Party of Lincoln pretenders sidle up to white supremacists, lend legitimacy to bigots and lean into justifiable insurrection to become far-right celebs. They foment racial division, fuel anti-Semitism and lie through their teeth 24/7 about a stolen election that wasnt. They cheer the patriots who viciously beat police, trashed the Capitol and hunted down lawmakers in a violent siege to stop the peaceful transfer of power.

The real RINOs are shameless opportunists looking for nationwide fame and fundraising fortune. To that end, they are willing to fatally wound the last best hope for democracy in the world by pledging total allegiance to a traitorous ex-president who nearly destroyed it.

While the vindictive snake plots his comeback to the White House as a Putinesque thug, the Republicans in name only grovel for his endorsement as an Orwellian badge of honor. Up is down. Black is white. The sore loser of the 2020 presidential election is the legitimate winner. And radical rightists, lining up to return a man to power who nearly ended the republic, are Republicans with firm beliefs in conserving the Republic.

In that alternate universe, the characters masquerading as true conservatives are traipsing around the country getting rich on the gullible as ultra-right provocateurs. They are essentially grifters exploiting white grievance and preaching the false gospel of MAGA on a lucrative circuit selling extreme. They rake in mega bucks in donations. With the fervor of an old-fashioned tent revival, they spread hate and stoke anger, feed intolerance and cultivate mistrust, plant conspiracy and taunt militancy.

They rally to Take America Back. Back to where? To a place where the superiority of white men was unquestioned? To a place where liberty and justice are denied to all but a chosen few the authentic Americans that meet select litmus tests? Is unwavering loyalty to a corrupt authoritarian who incited an assault on Congress essential for Republicans who want to win primaries?

Will those who dare speak truth to voters about the legitimacy of Joe Bidens victory and reject the false, self-serving narrative constantly repeated by the vanquished be the target of RINO slurs by Trumpian agitators?

Yes, to all of the above. But as history professor Robert McElvaine wrote for NBC News, we need to stop providing the cover of Republican legitimacy to those who have, by their cravenness, given up any claim to the legacy of Lincolns party. We need to call them what they truly are, to make it easier for the public to see what theyre doing.

He has suggestions.

One accurate name for those who shroud their anti-republican actions in the false label Republican would be the Anti-Republican Party; other truthful designations could include the Authoritarian Party; the Autocracy Party, the Radical Rightwing Party or the Anti-American Party.

Any will do. They all aptly describe those trumpeting the RINO battle cry.

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The law-flouting, truth-denying, science-deriding Trumpian Republican extremists are the real RINOs - Ohio Capital Journal

Fox News anchor Bret Baier confronted Senator Jim Risch, an Idaho Republican, on Sunday over his vote against additional military aid to Ukraine, asking him to "defend that vote."

In total, 31 GOP senators voted against the aid, which was passed as part of an omnibus $1.5 trillion appropriations package. While many of the Republicans said they supported sending additional support, they criticized the lack of time they were given to review the massive bill that provided funding for a range of different government priorities, and would have supported a targeted Ukraine bill instead.

During an interview with Fox News Sunday, Risch contended that the U.S. should be sending surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine to help them set-up their own no-fly zone. Baier then pointed out that Risch had just voted against sending military aid to the Eastern European nation as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to press his internationally condemned invasion of the neighboring country.

"Senator, you voted against the omnibus and in there is aid for Ukraine. So you're talking about aid going into Ukraine, but you voted against that," the host said. "Defend that vote."

"If it was just that straight up vote this would have been absolute no-brainer for me," Risch responded. "I support that 100 percent," the Idaho Republican continued, noting that he was against the "other pork" included in the overall package.

"Whenever we have these doggone big bills you're damned if you do and damned if you don't when you vote yes or no," he said. "I hope that no one would take this as not being in support of the Ukrainian people."

In addition to Risch, some of the GOP senators who voted against the bill included: Ted Cruz of Texas, Steve Daines of Montana, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mitt Romney of Utah, Marco Rubio of Florida, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Rick Scott of Florida, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

"Forcing us to swallow the bad to get the good is concerning, unsustainable, and no way to govern over the long-term. While I strongly support providing Ukrainians desperately needed aid, I ultimately could not support the rest of this bloated spending bill for the aforementioned reasons," Romney said in a statement about his vote.

Rubio shared similar thoughts about his opposition to the omnibus package on Twitter.

"We should have passed funding for Ukraine two weeks ago," he tweeted. "But instead, Democrats held it hostage so it could ram through thousands of earmarks, green new deal programs, the hiring of 10,000 IRS agents & other woke priorities buried in thousands of pages. This is a ridiculous process."

Of the $13.6 billion ultimately approved for Ukraine, over $6.5 billion will go to the Pentagon to be dispersed. Another $3.9 billion will go to the State Department to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians, and a further $2.8 billion will go to the U.S. Agency for International Development as it provides support as well.

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Fox Host Confronts Republican for Voting Against Ukraine Aid: 'Defend That' - Newsweek

One of two Republicans on the House January 6 committee has said he regrets his vote against the first impeachment of Donald Trump, for withholding military aid to Ukraine in an attempt to obtain dirt on rivals including Joe Biden.

In tweets posted on Friday, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued, with cities besieged and bombarded, Adam Kinzinger said: I want to be honest, in Congress I have only a few votes that in hinds[igh]t, I regret. My biggest regret was voting against the first impeachment of Donald Trump.

Its important for political leaders to be transparent and admit regret when needed. The bottom line, Donald Trump withheld lethal aid to Ukraine so he could use it as leverage for his campaign. This is a shameful and illegal act, directly hurting the Ukraine defense today.

I wish I could go back in time and vote for it, but I cannot. What we can do now is to ensure that this never happens again, and that we all put the interests of our nation above our party. Alexander Vindman [a White House official who was fired for opposing Trumps Ukraine scheme] and others deserve our appreciation.

No House Republicans voted to impeach Trump over the Ukraine scandal, which saw only the Utah senator Mitt Romney vote to convict in the Senate. Kinzinger, from Illinois, was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him for inciting the deadly Capitol attack.

Kinzinger is also among such Republicans who have announced that they will retire at the next election, rather than face a Trump-anointed challenger.

Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the other Republican on the January 6 committee, faces such a primary challenge. She also voted not to impeach Trump over Ukraine but to impeach him over the Capitol riot.

Trump is in legal jeopardy over January 6, his attempts to overturn the election and his business affairs. But he still dominates the Republican party and polling of possible presidential nominees in 2024. He has hinted heavily and repeatedly that he will indeed run.

In response to Kinzingers tweets, Edward Luce of the Financial Times said he want[ed] to hear more as it cant be that you were ignorant of the facts or of the nature of Trump.

Luce added: Its always admirable to admit mistakes it would be an even greater service to hear about the psychology of such politics as most of his colleagues are still acting that way.

Kinzinger did not immediately elaborate.

His party remains home to politicians who have praised Vladimir Putin, not least Trump himself.

The former president has repeatedly praised the Russian president for being smart, though he has condemned the Ukraine war. On Thursday night, Trump repeatedly rebuffed attempts by the Fox News host Sean Hannity to get him to say Putin was evil or an enemy.

Another House Republican, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, a prominent Trump supporter, was reported this week to have called the president of Ukraine, Volodomyr Zelenskiy, a thug and his government incredibly evil.

On Twitter, Kinzinger said: This is the sad but successful impact of Russias cyber operation that weve seen pushed and promoted on conservative outlets. The threat is real and its dangerous. Case in point: a sitting US congressman is echoing Putin propaganda.

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Republican Kinzinger: I should have voted to impeach Trump over Ukraine - The Guardian

If she cannot secure all the Democratic votes, though, the issue is likely moot.

Now that its clear Sarah Bloom Raskin has no path to confirmation, its time for the Senate Banking Committee to proceed with the other four nominees, as committee Republicans have been pushing for weeks, Senator Thom Tillis, Republican from North Carolina, wrote Monday on Twitter.

Besides Mr. Powell, who goes by Jay, Mr. Biden has nominated Lael Brainard to be the Feds vice chair and two academic economists Philip Jefferson and Lisa Cook to be governors.

This effectively kills her nomination, Tobin Marcus at Evercore ISI wrote after the news, adding that it likely clears the way for Bidens other Fed nominees Jay Powell, Lael Brainard, Lisa Cook and Philip Jefferson to advance and be confirmed.

The Senate has only ever confirmed one vice chair for supervision at the Fed, Randal K. Quarles, whom President Donald J. Trump nominated. Before Mr. Quarles, Daniel Tarullo, a Fed governor, unofficially served in the role for years. The position was created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act.

The White House made it clear on Monday that it was still focused on finding Republican votes for Ms. Raskins nomination, and other prominent Democrats continued to hold out hope.

The way out is to get some Republicans to support her, said Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who sits on the Banking Committee and has been a proponent of Ms. Raskins. They all supported her the last two times she was nominated. Shes been at the Fed; shes been at the Treasury.

But the centrist Republican senators who might have been seen as likely sources of support for Ms. Raskin including Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine said on Monday that they would not support her. Ms. Murkowski called her candidacy flawed. While Ms. Collins said she spoke to Ms. Raskin on Monday, she said I think it is evident from Joe Manchins statement this morning that there is not a path forward for her.

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Manchin Wont Support Raskin for the Federal Reserve - The New York Times

A Metro Council member, a former federal prosecutor and an ex-LSU baseball player are vying to replace retired 19th Judicial District Judge William Morvant on the Baton Rouge-based state court.

The Republican lawyers Councilwoman Jen Racca; Kean Miller senior counsel Brad Myers; and Taylor, Wellons, Politz & Duhe attorney Jordan Faircloth are touting their experience and the traits they believe will serve them well if elected to the bench.

Early voting for the March 26 special election runs through Saturday. Any runoff election would be held April 30.

Racca, 41, a former East Baton Rouge Parish public defender and an ex-assistant parish attorney, has been practicing law locally since 2010 and currently works as a compliance attorney for U.S.-based insurance and consulting company Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

She has served on the Metro Council since January 2020.

"What sets me apart is my experience on the council and the coalitions I've built" to get things done, the District 12 councilwoman said in a recent interview.

Myers, 65, has been practicing law since 1982 and served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Baton Rouge from 1983-87 before joining Kean Miller in 1987. He was a partner in the firm for 31 years before transitioning to a senior counsel position to run for judge.

He continues to serve as general counsel for the Louisiana Municipal Association.

"The quality of what I've done and what I'm doing now far outweighs what the other candidates have done," Myers said in an interview. "I've got more experience than both of the other candidates combined. You can't replace over 30 years of trying cases. You just can't."

Before becoming a lawyer, Faircloth, 40, pitched on the LSU baseball team that won the SEC regular season title in 2003 and made it to the College World Series that same year and in 2004.

He has practiced law in town since 2008, and his litigation practice at Taylor, Wellons, Politz & Duhe includes premises liability claims, insurance and contractual disputes, personal injury defense, collection matters and construction disputes.

Faircloth described himself as a conservative Republican and said he understands the importance of a "competent judiciary"

"I won't play favorites. The law is the law. The facts are the facts," he said in an interview.

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Racca said her passion has always been criminal law, and she believes her "relevant experience" in that arena is critical as courts face rising crime rates.

"My experience with the Parish Attorney's office and the public defender's office has given me the needed criminal court experience our next judge must have," she said. "With crime continuing to rise in our parish, there won't be any time for on-the-job training."

Racca pointed to a domestic violence court at Baton Rouge City Court and said if such a program was instituted in the 19th Judicial District Court it could have a "huge impact" on crime in the parish because 20% of the homicides in East Baton Rouge are domestic violence-related.

Myers said the retirement of Morvant and several other 19th JDC judges since 2019 has cost the court more than 125 years of combined judicial experience, something that concerns him.

"We need more lawyers who have the experience and a little bit of gray hair, maybe a lot of gray hair," he said with a smile.

Myers said he considers experience to be "probably the most important factor" in the judicial election.

"I'm not a politician," he added. "I'm not jumping from one position to another."

Faircloth said the skyrocketing violent crime in the parish concerns him and motivated him to run for the Division E seat on the 19th JDC.

"I'm concerned and I care about Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish and the direction its going to want to do something about it," he said. "Running for judge is that avenue."

This is Faircloth's first run for public office.

"I want to do something about the issues we have in East Baton Rouge. I'm not trying to check a box," he said.

Morvant, 65, also a Republican, had served on the 19th JDC since 1997. He was elected without opposition to another six-year term in the fall of 2020, then retired at the end of 2021.

The special election is to fill the unexpired portion of his term, which doesn't end until the close of 2026. Division E includes south Baton Rouge and southeast East Baton Rouge Parish.

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In 19th JDC race, 3 Republican lawyers tout experience in bids to replace retired judge - The Advocate

Blaming wickedness within our organization, Dallas Heard of Roseburg abruptly stepped down as chairman of the Oregon Republican Party.

Heards last day is Friday, he said in a letter sent to party members that was shared online. He wrote that unnamed members of the state party were using communist psychological warfare tactics to derail his leadership.

They have broken my spirit, Heard wrote. I can face the Democrats with courage and conviction, but I cant fight my own people.

Heard, who is also a state senator, didnt respond Wednesday to a voicemail left at the landscaping business he lists as his campaign number or an email sent to his legislative account.

His resignation from the party position comes as Republicans strive to improve their numbers in the Legislature and try to capture another Congressional seat.

Messages to Vice Chairman Herman Baertschiger and the state party office in Salem werent returned Wednesday. The Oregon Republican Party central committee is scheduled to meet in Salem March 25 and 26.

Heard told his hometown newspaper, the Roseburg News-Review, that he blamed Solomon Yue, who has been Oregons Republican National committeeman for the past 22 years. His complaints echoed a letter then-Oregon GOP Chairman Bob Tiernan, who is now running for governor, sent to the Republican National Committee in 2010.

At the time, Tiernan accused Yue of spreading hate and discontent within Republican politics for some time both in Oregon and inside the RNC. He said Yue frequently referred to lessons he learned from the Chinese Communist Party about using lies and smear tactics to distort reality and achieve political aims.

Tiernan didnt respond to a voicemail Wednesday. A publicly available phone number and email address for Yue had both been disconnected.

In his letter to party leaders, Heard wrote that Republicans must focus on winning elections and beating the godless left, but that they cant ignore the wickedness in their own organization.

I hope you find a way to purge this darkness from the ORP and I will be praying for your success and protection, he wrote. He didnt elaborate.

Carla KC Hanson, chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon, called Heards decision to step down just two months before the May primary stunning. She takes it as a sign that the Republican Party isnt on track in Oregon.

Its just indicative of how far away so many of the Republican leaders are from their Republican base, she said. Theres a ton of good, hard-working Republican voters out there, and theyve been fed this line by their party forever of how evil the Democrats are, and how Republicans are going to save the day for them, and that just aint the case.

Oregons House and Senate Republican caucuses run their own political action committees and recruit and fundraise for Republican legislative candidates separately from the state party. House Republicans last year unanimously condemned a statement from the state party that called the violent protest at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a false flag.

Heard was not chairman at the time. He spent Jan. 6 leading a related protest outside the Oregon Capitol.

He skipped every vote in the Senate this year, though he still participated in virtual committee meetings. Over the past two years, Heard staged four separate protests over the Senates mask policy: dramatically ripping his mask from his face in 2020, walking onto the floor without one in 2021 until Senate President Peter Courtney asked him to leave, doing the same in early February while gesturing to an enlarged photo of a maskless Courtney he propped on an easel behind his desk and removing his mask again in late February.

The last time, senators voted along party lines to remove Heard from the chamber and bar him from returning to the Capitol until he dons a mask or the rules change. He did not return, and the Capitol mask rules will expire along with the statewide mask mandate for most indoor public places next week.

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Oregon Republican Party chair quits, blaming 'wickedness' in the state GOP Oregon Capital Chronicle - Oregon Capital Chronicle

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Cal Thomas has a short memory concerning Republican presidents - The Albany Herald

Where do young, smart Republicans want to live more than anywhere else? One of the most Democratic towns in America, naturally.

A new poll of recent college grads from Axios has some interesting results. Seattle is the most-desired destination city for young people looking to get started somewhere new. That's no surprise, as it's a tech hub in a tech-oriented economy. It's when the results are broken down by party affiliation that things become intriguing: New York is the top option for Democrats and Austin, Texas, is the favored target of Republicans.

Travis County Austin is the county seat went 72 percent for Joe Biden in 2020. It's a famously liberal town, birthplace of the "Keep Austin Weird" slogan that other similarly hippie-dippie enclaves have stolen.

And Austin isn't the only Dem-leaning town on the list. Chicago is also a top destination for young GOP grads. So is Nashville like Austin, a very blue city in a big red state.

So what's going on here?

It's tempting to think that for all their party's culture war talk, what many young smart Republicans really want is to live in places that liberals have made: cool cities with brewpubs, art museums, and gay people walking hand-in-hand down the street. And maybe there's something to that.

But the real answer is probably more mundane. Big cities tend to be liberal. But those cities are also where most of the jobs are, especially for college grads. Austin is certainly a boomtown. And for young Republicans, the tension between their personal ideology and the politics of their chosen home might not be that great in a place like Austin or Nashville they can rely on the Republican legislatures of those states to keep local politicians from getting out of hand.

Still, Axios' findings seem to fly in the face of other trends. Americans are increasingly sorting themselves, geographically, by political preference Democrats with Democrats, Republicans with Republicans. But it is also the case that one of the biggest divides in American life right now is the education gap: College grads tend to vote liberal, while those with less education tend to vote Republican.

So you have to wonder what's going to happen to all those newly minted Republican college grads who are choosing to surround themselves with a lot of college-educated liberals in places like Austin. Can they maintain their ideological loyalties? Or will they gradually slip to one degree or another to the other side? It's a conservative truism that "politics is downstream of culture." Maybe all these young GOPers flocking to Austin will change the culture. Maybe they'll be changed.

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'Keep Austin Weird' and Republican? - The Week