Liz Cheney’s Agony By Richard McDonough
EXCERPT
Had Cheney been interested in the truth, she might have insisted that the committee seat the appropriate number and type of Republicans to cross-examine the prosecutorial witnesses. She did not do so. At every turn she interpreted any testimony in the worst way possible for Trump, e.g., she has recently stated that Trump “commanded” a “heavily armed mob” to try to stop the counting of electoral votes. She and her Jan. 6th Committee have, however, given no evidence whatsoever that Trump “commanded” an armed mob to use violence to stop the counting of electoral votes. Her very strong statement requires that she prove both causality and intent. However, the committee has only demonstrated a degree (even that not clear) of correlation between Trump’s remarks and the riot, namely, that Trump made some remarks and some people went to the Capitol and rioted. The committee has not proved that Trump’s remarks caused the mob to riot at the Capitol or that Trump intended that his remarks cause the mob to riot at the Capitol. Demonstrating causality or intent is never easy in social situations: “Since intent is a mental state. it is one of the most difficult things to prove.” It is certainly not easy given the very murky events surrounding Jan. 6th, events that the committee in their “Star Chamber” has conspired to keep murky. For Liz Cheney, however, everything about Jan. 6th is as clear to her as her seething hatred of Donald Trump.
Such intransigence is neither normal nor healthy. Bill O’Reilly thinks that her hatred of Trump stems from the fact that Trump savaged her father’s performance as vice-president. This does seem the most likely explanation. Many of us, no matter how many philosophical texts we have studied, would quickly lose our tempers when someone comes after our fathers, especially when they are as abrasive as Trump can be. It is precisely for that reason however that Liz Cheney is not suited to sit in judgment of Donald Trump. The American people will be the losers when such a committee becomes the instrument of someone’s personal revenge.
If Liz Cheney had stated her criticisms of Trump in more measured terms, that he had made some inflammatory statements, that he was unwise to claim the election was stolen, that he took too long to do anything to stop the mob violence, etc., many of us would have at least listened to her case. Unfortunately, she has instead made grossly exaggerated accusations that she represents as established fact but which have simply not been demonstrated. In brief, Liz Cheney appears to be unhinged. Instead of demonstrating that there is something wrong with Donald Trump she has unwittingly demonstrated that there is something wrong with Liz Cheney.
Comments are closed.
