#gopgrifts — Public Fediverse posts

The GOP only cares about winning and serving their masters, the obscenely wealthy. They embrace lying, cheating, voter suppression, corruption, and grift. Anything is OK if it gives them the power to take care of their wealthy benefactors or maintain the unholy alliance of fundamentalists, racists and criminals that gives them the votes needed to serve their benefactors. They couldn't care less about democracy or the American people.

Santos, McCarthy and the Shameless Republican Party https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/santos-mccarthy-and-the-shameless-republican-party/

#GOPLies
#GOPHatesDemocracy
#GOPCorrupt
#GOPGrifts

"The hallmark of the modern Republican Party is its shamelessness. You can be many things and still be a Republican — in favor of free trade or opposed; pro-Ukraine or pro-Putin; even in favor of climate change legislation or against. However, you must not feel shame. You cannot admit mistakes. Hypocrisy is a virtue, not a vice. Most of all, never admit defeat.
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The Republican Party today embraces crooks. It revels in cheating. It celebrates fraudsters.

In former President Donald Trump’s GOP, being a crook is the way to prove loyalty. It shows you belong to the in-crowd. Being convicted of a felony is a badge of honor similar to becoming a “made man” in the mob.

This explains the GOP’s continued embrace of Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.). He is not a party outcast; he is its perfect embodiment. He lies with ease and adds a splash of not-so-subtle racism for the party faithful. Santos did not just lie about a few big things to get elected. He lied about inconsequential things, like being a star collegiate volleyball player at a college he did not attend. But, most importantly he did it all without shame.

When Republican operatives learned about Santos’ lies before the election, they were not aghast. They found it funny and looked the other way. They weren’t laughing at Santos for telling lies; they were laughing at the voters for believing them. Like the worthless trinkets Trump peddles to his gullible supporters, Santos was selling voters a garbage can full of lies and the GOP admired his ability to con voters into believing it. They knew he was a crook and they loved every minute of it.

Two years ago, when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) trafficked in racism, antisemitism and conspiracy theories, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was willing to condemn her comments, even if he didn’t take action to punish her
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With Santos, McCarthy dares not even hint at disapproval. Trump’s “Kevin” has become Santos’ lapdog. Even after McCarthy learned that Santos’ staff impersonated McCarthy’s chief of staff to fundraise and rip people off, he did not complain. The most impotent speaker in modern history has embraced Santos and his lies, big and small.

McCarthy ...Without any sense of irony, he appointed the fraudster to the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Science, Space and Technology. McCarthy did it because he has no shame.
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Democracy only works if we share certain core values in common — Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, young and old.

Politicians must feel shame to have a functioning democracy. I am not talking about civic virtue or political courage. I am talking about something more basic: common decency. Shared decency is what holds our democratic system together. It helps citizens of differing views to trust each other. It allows political leaders to act in good faith based on a common understanding that some behavior is simply out of bounds.

A party that mocks acts of common decency cannot be trusted to campaign fairly within the rules. When one party targets minority voters with gross acts of suppression and intimidation, we cannot celebrate the democratic process regardless of who wins. If election workers are subjected to partisan harassment and vilification, we cannot have a democracy that accurately counts votes or certifies results.

There is no easy solution for our current situation because the government can’t mandate decency. We also must realize that Democrats are helpless to make this better. Only Republicans can change their culture and restore decency to their party. For now, at least, there is no sign that Republicans want to restore honor and dignity to the Grand Old Party.
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I have no illusions about our generation’s McCarthy. But I promise that if I ever run into him, I will stand up and shout: “You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency?” I doubt he will feel shame."