Lots of political observers, including me, have been openly critical of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus’s secrecy and skullduggery.
The chairman of the caucus, Rep. Rachel Rodriguez Williams, in a column sent to the Cowboy State Daily, attempted to respond to those open criticisms.
A closer analysis of that column tells a story.
Reportedly (And I say reportedly because the caucus keeps their internal communications hidden from you and me) the caucus members receive text messages every morning telling members how to vote on every bill every day from an undisclosed power broker.
The caucus will not share who is pulling the strings or what the string-puller’s interests are.
We do know a statistically significant number of caucus members vote the same way on every bill every day.
Rep. Rodriguez Williams response is classic distraction and subterfuge.
Importantly, her column does not deny the existence of daily text messages coming from a puppet master. Her column does not tell who the puppet master is. She does not offer to disclose those text messages.
Instead, like a whiny teenager caught in the act of smoking behind the garage, she tries to divert attention by saying everyone else is doing it. The caucus whimpered, “It’s not f-a-a-a-i-i-i-r-r-r.”
Her argument is that lobbyists suggest to legislators every day how to vote on bills. Since those people get to do it, the Freedom Caucus gets to do it as well.
Rep. Rodriguez Williams’ argument is a false equivalency. Interest groups do make recommendations to legislator on topics of interest them. The hospital association makes recommendations on heath care issues.
The association of municipalities makes recommendations on issues affecting cities, towns and counties. Wyoming Right to Life makes recommendations on abortion bills.
What the Freedom Caucus is doing is different. The caucus is comprised of Wyoming elected representatives. They are not some outside special interest group. They are comprised of public officials, responsible to all the citizens of the State of Wyoming – not just their puppet masters.
No other Wyoming group makes secret recommendations on how to vote on every bill, every day, and then “reportedly” they provide campaign support for those same elected officials who vote as instructed “reportedly” eighty percent of the time.
Their secrecy hides them from our scrutiny.
The next thing Rep. Rodriguez Williams does in her column is play the victim card. She uses another false equivalency. She says that commentators like me are angry “conservatives are gaining traction in Wyoming, exposing government overreach, and pushing back on policies that tax too much, spend too freely and trample on citizens rights.”
One thing you can say about me, after over a year working as a columnist for the Cowboy State Daily, is I’m pretty capable of expressing what I think. And, my criticisms, and those of others, are not based on any of the perceived victim-hood of the Freedom Caucus.
The criticisms of the caucus are very clear. They hide in the shadows. They are instructed how to vote by secret people for secret reasons, and they refuse to come out into the light of day.
I have been critical of the language of their legislation. I suspect, since the caucus members do not have to think about the language of the bills they pass because they vote as instructed, they pass poorly worded legislation that gets them in court battles.
Rather than face their incompetence in drafting legislation that can stand the light of day, they complain about the court system and seek to undermine it.
Then, like the popular kids in high school, they resort to name-calling. I predicted the caucus would call their critics RINOs.
I was wrong. The caucus did not use the word RINO. They said “the left and Republicans who collaborate them.”
Then, like the popular cool kids, she demonized her critics by saying critics of the caucus are hiding deep and unpopular distain for their flag enveloped patriotism. Let’s be clear, it is secrecy and undisclosed agendas for which I’m critical. What is it they need to hide?
Do you want a state controlled by a secret caucus that acts like the mean popular kids in high school, name calling, demonizing critics or whining with false comparisons? Or do you want courageous political leaders who think and vote on their own?
Tom Lubnau served in the Wyoming Legislature from 2004 - 2015 and is a former Speaker of the House. He can be reached at: YourInputAppreciated@gmail.com
