Like a lot of Wyoming folks, I am upset with recent non-actions by our U.S. Sen. John Barrasso and U. S. Rep. Liz Cheney when it comes to maintaining a blind eye to the obvious fraud that occurred in the Nov. 3 presidential election.
At least incoming U. S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis has seen the light and has signed on with Sen. Ted Cruz and a dozen other senators to protest the election of Joe Biden.
In my recent Cowboy State Daily column, I didn’t mention another privilege which is the most consequential of all: Rep Cheney holds the third most powerful position in the House minority. Sen Barrasso holds the third most powerful majority position in the Senate. This is real power. As Wyoming voters who put them in office, how does their power translate into our lives in the home state? As I think about the question, I don’t like what I see.
Let’s consider their actions in the present crisis: allegations of widespread fraud (on a breathtaking national scale) which snatched away in dark night the huge vote margins in favor of Trump we all saw late evening November 3 in the “swing states.”
For me, the allegations are no longer allegations, but proven fact. From my own research, I knew within ten days that stunning fraud had been committed in Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Thousands of our Wyoming neighbors figured it out too. Nationally, millions of others were equally convinced, some sooner and some later. These numbers grow by the day. We are not foolish dupes. We are witness to the naked theft of our republic!
So why can’t Sen Barrasso and Rep Cheney see what is so obvious to us? Why did they declare a legitimate dispute over this election to be moot, to be a Biden win. This was weeks ago. Usually, generals don’t wave the white flag until there’s been fighting. But not with these two.
Sure, they are busy people – demands on their time accompany the burdens of their power. Grant them tiny leave for their tight schedules. I still say: so what? I’m busy too, you’re busy too. We don’t have staffs to assign to ask questions and do our work when we are short of time. None of us have access to the information about this election they could have had at their fingertips with one phone call to President Trump’s legal team. Yet they came to their conclusions without investigating the other side. There was no fight in them. Not for President Trump, and not for their constituents.
They blared their opinions as though what they say would bring a public and congressional close to the matter, as though the weight of their words would convince us we are all wrong, or nuts. The mighty have spoken. We’re all supposed to shut up.
It doesn’t work that way. Not this time.
During this period, they made time to vote for a “COVID relief” bill they couldn’t possibly have read, which just happens to award millions to idiocies like Pakistani “gender studies” and floods of money for Nepal, Egypt, Venezuela, Jordan. What about helping our own citizens and our own country? We should call the bill the “Foreign Countries’ Relief Act”. Why not? Rep. Cheney made time as usual for her digs at President Trump. Sen Barrasso, ever in fealty to Sen McConnell, jumped when McConnell said “frog”.
These are our representatives?
Leadership requires judgment. It requires honest assessments which must be divorced from self-interest and political positioning. It requires sanguine recognition of what’s best for one’s country, and in the case of a representative in Congress, what’s best for one’s state.
Is it really in the best interest of Wyoming to help sweep President Trump from office, ignoring a disputed election as though his claims are merely self-centered rhetoric? Why not ask for the evidence? Listen. And then, what about our views about his claims? Do those matter to our representatives? We have a bigger stake in this outcome than they do – we depend on private sector prosperity, we have no government salaries, benefits or fat staffs.
It is utter foolishness to welcome a Biden administration which openly plans to destroy the fossil fuel energy business on which so many jobs in Wyoming depend. Yet these two officials would hasten to turn out the one President in my lifetime who has defended Wyoming values, my values and American values every minute in office. Betrayal, in favor of a man and administration who will implement the Chuck Schumer plan, “now we change America forever”.
I credit Sen.-elect Lummis for signing on with colleagues objecting to recognizing electors seated by fraudulent elections in these swing states. Sen. Barrasso had his chance earlier, but instead was in favor of fraud, against the will of his own constituents. Rep. Cheney did the same.
Let’s hope for their belated enlightenment. Sen Barrasso in particular might want to take a look at the online petition demanding he join Lummis and object. As I write, I see 1,400 signatures in support. The PR “rule of thumb” is one signer represents about one hundred unexpressed views in agreement. So, 140,000 of his constituents think what I think.
Maybe one of them will see the light today, or by Wednesday. For my part, it’s too late. Their leadership has collapsed. They will never again have my vote.
