Committee shakeup

The U.S. has made tremendous strides on civil rights and race relations since its founding. But just in the past few weeks, there were conspicuous reminders that there is still work to be done. The brutal death of Tyre Nichols, a Black motorist, at the hands of Memphis police officers, and the battle in Florida over the content of an African-American history course show that we still contend with the often heinous effects of our complex racial history. As we celebrate the culture and contributions of Black Americans this month, we’re spotlighting those who are working to bridge racial divides and honor the experience of being Black in America. Today we highlight Rev. Wendy Hamilton, an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in Washington, D.C. Rev. Hamilton, a resident of the District for more than 30 years, calls herself a "Hope Dealer,” an alternative to the dead end of drugs and crime. Having worked in D.C. Public Schools, on Capitol Hill, and as a community leader, pastor, and mentor, she has used her professional background in education, communications, and ministry to ensure every resident of the city she loves has a voice at the table. We salute Rev. Wendy Hamilton for her tireless work for her community! —Melissa Amour, Managing Editor

• Blinken postpones China trip following balloon discovery —Associated Press

• Employers added 517,000 jobs in January, surprisingly strong growth in the labor market —The Washington Post

• 'Need action': Biden meets with Congressional Black Caucus on policing after Tyre Nichols' death —ABC News

• Illegal border crossings fell sharply in January, U.S. figures show —The Washington Post

• U.S. reunites nearly 700 kids taken from parents under Trump —Associated Press

• European leaders meet in Kyiv to discuss Ukraine's path towards joining the EU —NPR

• New Jersey councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour shot and killed, authorities say —CNN

• Sorry, not sorry: Some Jan. 6 rioters change tune after apology —Associated Press

• Trump, Haley, who else? The Republicans who could run for president in 2024 —Yahoo! News

• Kari Lake meets with NRSC officials —Politico

For principle or spite?

House Republicans ousted Democrat Ilhan Omar from the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday, two years after Democrats removed two Republicans from their committee assignments. Republicans cited 2019 remarks Omar made (and later apologized for) that were widely condemned as antisemitic. Omar, a former refugee from Somalia who is the only African-born member of Congress and one of the only Muslim women in the House, has been critical of U.S. foreign policy, particularly with regard to Israel. The ouster, led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, was viewed by Democrats as revenge for their voting in 2021 to remove Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar from their committee assignments following incendiary remarks. —Reuters

• “I am an American.” Omar delivered a fiery response to the dismissal. “Is anyone surprised that I am somehow deemed unworthy to speak about American foreign policy? Or that they see me as a powerful voice that needs to be silenced?" she said on the House floor moments before the 218-211 vote. "Frankly, It is expected. Because when you push power, power pushes back." She added, "I will continue to speak up, because representation matters.” —USA Today

• “It’s a double, triple, quadruple-and-beyond standard.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lashed out at GOP leaders over the decision, accusing the Republicans of adopting a double standard by ignoring antisemitism in their own ranks. He pointed to comments from several House Republicans who compared President Biden to Hitler, questioned the loyalty of an American-based Israeli lobbying group, and joked about the recent attack on the husband of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. —The Hill

• “The stupidest vote in the world.” Apparently some Republicans weren’t happy with the decision either. GOP Rep. Ken Buck, a Foreign Affairs Committee member, was overheard disparaging the vote. He was speaking in a Capitol Hill elevator to fellow Republican Mike Simpson, who reportedly agreed with Buck’s assessment and said it would only serve to make Omar a “martyr.” —The Guardian

MORE: Schiff, Omar, Swalwell: Democrats targeted by McCarthy defend their committee assignments —CNN

‘The extreme rhetoric is not stopping’

Election experts, pro-democracy advocates, and secretaries of state who defeated election deniers last November say that while democracy defenders won a key battle in the midterms, the existential threat to American democracy remains. “In some ways, it was just a dress rehearsal for the 2024 presidential election," Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said. In November, he defeated Republican Kim Crockett, a candidate endorsed by Donald Trump who, like the ex-president, says the 2020 election was rigged. Officials expect next year’s election to draw more interest and higher stakes, particularly with Trump running again. Trump hit the trail last week, repeating the same fabrications about his 2020 loss. Election administrators say his presence alone will make 2024 a bigger challenge than 2022. —NBC News

MORE: Trump campaign staff on 2020 election lies: ‘fan the flame’ —Associated Press

Vance: Breaking through the partisan duopoly

“Our current two-party system has given us gridlock, extremism, polarization, and non-competitive one-party rule in my state and in much of America. [A] party system based on tribal identity is inherently unstable and dangerous. The base voters of the two major parties continue to offer the rest of us a choice between the lesser of two evils. Having seen our current system up close I can assure you we can’t count on the Republicans or Democrats to save us. It is time to disrupt this duopoly. Our antiquated two-party system is the problem. The path forward is obvious, but will enough people choose to take it?” —Chris Vance from Niskanen Center

Chris Vance is a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center. He has been a Washington State leader in politics and public policy for over 25 years, including two terms in the Washington State House of Representatives and the chairmanship of the Washington State Republican Party. He left the GOP in 2017.

MORE: The two-party duopoly —Second Rate Democracy

Coping with a post-shame world 

By Lynn Schmidt

Reprinted from and with the permission of St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Growing up I remember hearing the phrase “Have you no shame?” That question must have held some power back in the day. But if you asked that now, some shapers of our current political culture would respond with a resounding “No.” Hyper-partisanship has moved us into a post-shame world.

Shame is the internal, uncomfortable sense arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable or improper, whether that has been done by oneself or another. While shame is a negative emotion, it plays an important part in the development of civilizations. Without shame, there is no longer a need to adhere to cultural norms, follow laws or behave in a way that allows us to exist as social beings. The diminishing influence of shame is exactly what we have been witnessing. And until we can reduce polarization and bring back healthy shame, we will continue to see politicians like Republican Rep. George Santos not only rise to power but remain in office.

Santos may just be the quintessential example of what a post-shame world looks like. The new representative from New York’s list of lies is long. Here are just a few listed in no particular order of shamefulness:

Santos said he earned degrees from New York University and Baruch College. He claimed that while at Baruch College, he was a star volleyball player who required two knee replacements from playing. He later admitted that he didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning. Santos’ campaign website claimed his mother was in the World Trade Center on 9/11 and that she died as a result of the attacks. According to NBC News reporting, Fatima Caruso Devolder was living in Brazil in 2001 and died of cancer in 2016. Santos described himself as a “proud American Jew” and falsely claimed his grandparents escaped the Holocaust and who had been to Israel numerous times. He later backtracked and said he was “Jew-ish.” Finally, he alleged that four of his employees were killed in the Pulse shooting. According to a New York Times investigation, none of the 49 victims of the mass shooting appear to have had any connection to Santos.

Perhaps Santos himself is not able to experience the personal sensation of shame as he has yet to express any sincere remorse for his lies. In the past, the institutions of political parties and party elites would have stepped in and put pressure on him to behave appropriately or step down. Unfortunately for the electorate, specifically New York’s 3rd Congressional District, the Republican Party has also moved past shame and will no longer apply pressure because retaining power is more important.

This sickness of audaciousness has infected the country widely. Multiple Republican elected officials have condemned Santos’ lies and requested his resignation, but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Santos “will continue to serve.” Santos has since been assigned to two House committees, though he reportedly is stepping aside while investigations are underway.

This shamelessness is a byproduct of the nation’s extreme polarization. We are willing to excuse immoral behavior and lies because the other side is worse. These negative views of the opposing party and contempt for the other continue to rise.

In 1994, a Pew Research poll found that a majority of Republicans had unfavorable impressions of the Democratic Party, but just 17% had very unfavorable opinions. Similarly, while most Democrats viewed the GOP unfavorably, just 16% had very unfavorable views. Since then, highly negative views have more than doubled: 43% of Republicans and 38% of Democrats now view the opposite party in strongly negative terms. More than half of all Republicans and nearly half of all Democrats now believe their political opponents to be “immoral.” A recent YouGov survey showed that 60% of Democrats regard the opposing party as “a serious threat to the United States.” For Republicans, that figure approaches 70%.

A 2020 study out of Brown University showed that Americans’ feelings toward members of the other political party have worsened over time faster than those of residents of European and other prominent democracies.

Each side fears the country would be destroyed if the other side achieves power. Gaining influence and securing elective seats has become more important than maintaining a healthy moral compass. Tribalism removes the need to think for ourselves and judge conduct. It asks that we only consider what the other party’s members are doing as justification for what happens on our team.

I’m afraid we are sliding uncontrollably down a very slippery ethical slope. The way back up is to reduce our polarization, call out our own and give candidates’ personal conduct a high priority when we enter the voting booth.

I long for the day when in the political arena we can ask that original question again, “Have you no shame?” and finally the answer given is: Yes, I do.

Lynn Schmidt is a columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and a former fellow at the Renew America Movement.

MORE: Inside George Santos’ transformation from Anthony Devolder into a political figure —CNN

Where were the Democrats who were supposed to be doing opposition research on George Santos? That seat was in play, and it was totally mishandled by both sides. Someone too dumb to lie would’ve been a better choice for a guaranteed Republican vote. It works for MTG and Lauren Boebert. But any Democrat too inept to spot this charlatan doesn’t deserve to have a vote on anything. —Jim S., Texas

I'd love to join the Forward Party. We need aggressive ideas for the people. Here's a few: 1. No more pensions and benefits for life for Congress; only Social Security and Medicare. 2. No more raises for Congress; only in years the budget is balanced. 3. A flat tax. 20% after your first $20,000. No more loopholes. This can be tweaked. 4. A Federal Reserve tax of 5%. Time to wean U.S. off the Fed. 5. Protect Social Security and Medicare. Any cuts come from defense. —Joe L.

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 Renew America Foundation.