Pressure builds for NY gov to resign

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If people claim to back the blue or believe in our democracy, then it is imperative they watch the testimony and bodycam footage of the Capitol and Washington Metropolitan Police officers who testified before the bipartisan House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol. It is also imperative that Americans learn the truth about what happened before, during, and after that attack. Hypocrisy is blatantly on display among congressional Republicans regarding the tragedy of Jan. 6 and subsequent attempts to minimize it or cover it up—even as they wave the rhetorical pro-police, back-the-blue banner. True supporters of the police and American democracy owe it to themselves to read and listen to the words of the heroes in blue who protected the seat of our democracy. Then demand that members of Congress support the House select committee in getting to the truth. —Lynn Schmidt
([link removed]) , Missouri State Leader, Stand Up Republic

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** Not budging
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After the release of a scathing investigatory report from New York Attorney General Letitia James yesterday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo appears to be one of the only people in America who thinks he should keep his job. The 165-page report, based on thousands of pages of documents and interviews with 179 witnesses, found that Cuomo groped, kissed, and otherwise sexually harassed multiple women, including several who worked for him. In a defiant and defensive taped statement in response to the report, Cuomo denied some of the allegations, said other behavior or statements were misinterpreted, and hinted at political motives by would-be rivals. —U.S. News & World Report ([link removed])
* — "He should resign." President Biden called on Cuomo, a longtime friend, to resign yesterday, while speaking with reporters at the White House. The president joined nearly every other major Democratic lawmaker in both Albany and Washington, but from atop party leadership, Biden's demand naturally carries more weight than the others. Whether it influences Cuomo remains to be seen. —CNBC ([link removed])
*
* — Neighboring governors agree. Not long after Biden weighed in, the Democratic governors of Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island issued their own joint statement saying they were "appalled" by the report's findings and that "Cuomo should resign from office." It's a remarkable statement, according to political strategist Stuart Stevens, who says, "Governors, particularly of same party, tend to be chummy and hesitant to criticize another governor." —The Week ([link removed])
*
* — Holding their own accountable. Imagine that. The Democratic majority in the New York Assembly is preparing to impeach Cuomo if he does not resign. That outcome became clear after an emergency meeting of legislators yesterday afternoon, hours after James issued her damning report. The state Assembly's Judiciary Committee has been looking into impeachment since March, when the allegations of misconduct first came to light. The committee will meet on Monday to discuss next steps. —Politico ([link removed])

MORE: Chris Cuomo condemned for advising brother on sexual harassment scandal —The Guardian ([link removed])


** NYT Ed Board: Cuomo must resign
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"What this report lays out...are credible accusations that can't be looked past. As [New York Attorney General Letitia] James said on Tuesday, Mr. Cuomo's alleged conduct 'corrodes the very fabric and character of our state government and shines light on injustice that can be present at the highest levels of government.' If Mr. Cuomo cares for the well-being of the state and its citizens as much as he has said he does over the years, he needs to do the right thing and step down." — ([link removed]) The New York Times ([link removed])

MORE: Cuomo investigation: What we know and what's next —ABC News ([link removed])


** Whose side are they on?
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The Chicago chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police is going to bat for one of its members, who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and might lose his job with the Chicago Police Department. Ofc. Karol Chwiesiuk was charged with two misdemeanors after breaching the Capitol and the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley, and was ordered to give up his firearm owner ID card. Now, he is asking the court, with the support of the FOP, for permission to retake possession of the card in order to keep his job. Last week, police officers who responded to the insurrection blasted the unions for not sufficiently supporting members who protected the Capitol. Perhaps the unions are too busy protecting those who attacked it instead. —CNN ([link removed])

MORE: Capitol Police, MPD to get Congressional Gold Medals —Roll Call ([link removed])


** Bump: Tucker Carlson's bid to make America Hungary again
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"Millions of Fox News viewers this week are likely to be presented with a vision of Hungary that not only deprioritizes its political shift but champions [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orbán's ostensible focus on preserving national character. Orbánism will almost certainly be cast not as a danger to American traditions but the salvation of it. Orbán is almost certainly about to get a week-long infomercial on the United States' most-watched cable network for nationalist authoritarianism, just as he wanted." —Philip Bump in ([link removed]) The Washington Post ([link removed])

Philip Bump is a national correspondent for
The Washington Post.

MORE: Why is Tucker Carlson in Budapest? Fox host meets Hungary's far-right leader Viktor Orbán —Newsweek ([link removed])
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** 'Peril to our democracy'
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The attorneys general of 22 states issued a letter to House and Senate leaders this week, imploring them to take action to block state-level efforts to suppress votes and subvert elections under the auspices of election security. The two-page letter opens by stating, "Following the 2020 presidential election, we witnessed something many of us considered unthinkable: An attempt by the then-sitting President of the United States, assisted by certain state elected officials, to steal a presidential election." It describes this attempt as "inept," but dangerous nevertheless. It continues, "Without new federal legislation strengthening protections for voting rights and preventing election subversion, we cannot confidently rely on these factors to protect the will of the voters in future elections, especially since the legal environment is growing more hostile to free and fair elections." —The Journal Times
([link removed])

MORE: Voting rights groups press Biden on response to GOP laws —The New York Times ([link removed])


** Focus on elections
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The battle over the once-a-decade realignment of congressional districts is underway. At stake is how voters will be divided into individual districts for the next decade. Lawsuits have been filed in nearly a dozen states, mainly by Democratic-leaning groups hoping to prevent a repeat of 2011, when Republicans who had won control of a majority of state legislatures used that power to pack Democratic voters into fewer districts—a practice known as gerrymandering. This time around, Republicans once again have legislative majorities in 20 of the 37 states where elected officials will draw the new congressional maps. Stay tuned. —The Washington Post ([link removed])
* — Georgia. Top members of the Trump Justice Department rebuffed another DOJ official last December when he asked them to pressure officials in Georgia to investigate and perhaps overturn President Biden's election victory in the state. In emails dated Dec. 28, 2020, the former acting head of the DOJ's civil division, Jeffrey Clark, wanted then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and his deputy to sign off on a letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, urging him to convene the state legislature into a special session so lawmakers could investigate claims of voter fraud. —ABC News ([link removed])
*
* — Pennsylvania. Republican State Sen. Doug Mastriano, who wants to force Philadelphia, Tioga, and York counties to turn over their election machines, ballots, and related material, said yesterday that subpoenas will likely be issued in the next two weeks. The deadline for voluntary compliance has expired, with officials in Philadelphia and Tioga denying the request, and York officials raising concerns. Mastriano is a leading proponent of Trump's attempt to reverse his election loss in Pennsylvania and was outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. —WTAE ([link removed])
*
* — Wisconsin. Michael Gableman, the retired Wisconsin Supreme Court justice leading the state's Republican-led review of the 2020 presidential election, claims a thorough examination of the election is warranted, not to overturn the results, but to give people confidence that their votes count. Last week, GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos expanded the probe, which is backed by Trump supporters, at Gableman’s behest. Wisconsin Democrats say the review is a "sham investigation," as two recounts and several court rulings have upheld the election results. —Wisconsin State Journal ([link removed])

MORE: Five takeaways from the Ohio special primaries —The Hill ([link removed])


** Mulroy: A voting fix that gives everyone a chance
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"By eliminating the 'don't throw away your vote on an unknown' dynamic, ranked-choice voting tends to assist outsider, non-establishment candidates—not always enough for them to win, but enough to get them in the game. In New York, it did that and more." —Steven Mulroy on ([link removed]) RealClearPolitics ([link removed])

Steven Mulroy is a University of Memphis law professor, a former Voting Section lawyer for the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and the author of "Rethinking U.S. Election Law: Unskewing the System."

MORE: Will D.C. deploy ranked-choice voting next year in the mayoral race? —Washingtonian ([link removed])

From CNN: "The Biden Administration is expected to announce a new eviction moratorium for 60 days in areas of the country with high or substantial transmission of COVID-19 after letting a previous moratorium expire over the weekend."

Is this rewarding those who refuse to get vaccinated? Perhaps proof of vaccination should be required for anyone claiming a need for such a moratorium. —Read G., Utah
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** The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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