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Anti-choicer gives surprising warning about 'devastating' impact Roe v Wade decision will have on conservatives
June 19, 2021
In a column for the Daily Beast, conservative Matt Lewis -- who admits he opposes abortion -- warned fellow conservatives and Republicans alike that, should the Supreme Court strike down the landmark Roe v Wade ruling, it could have a long-range and devastating impact on the GOP's political future.
Lewis, who had previously applauded the appointment of conservative justices to the Supreme Court, claims it is likely some or part of Roe could be dismantled and warned conservatives to prepare for the blowback.
"It's been a month since we learned that the Supreme Court will take up a case that could result in weakening—or even reversing—Roe v. Wade, the 1973 precedent that legalized abortion; it's clear that the general public has not fully comprehended (a) the likelihood this will happen, (b) the timeframe, or (c) the political ramifications. I know this is true because I was shocked recently to discover that some of my smarter and better-connected conservative friends are increasingly hopeful Roe will be reversed. This simultaneously pleased and, I must confess, frightened me," he wrote before cautioning, "That's because the media outrage and potential political backlash could be explosive, and this could turn out to be not exactly a pyrrhic victory for opponents of abortion but certainly one that inflicts more damage than they currently seem to be anticipating."
As Lewis explains, he believes Roe was decided on "shaky grounds" which makes it a ripe target for being taken apart by the current conservative court -- but he also fears what will happen after.
"Short of completely overturning Roe, I think the most likely decision would allow states to ban abortions after 15 weeks. (This may surprise readers, but this law would still be more liberal than cosmopolitan France!),": he explained. "Regardless, this would still create a firestorm of backlash. To fully appreciate this, it's important to understand how important this hot-button issue has been for nearly 50 years, with public opinion remaining divided even as it's shifted dramatically on things like gay rights and interracial marriage."
"The long-term implications of all of this could involve white college-educated suburbanites fleeing the GOP in even larger numbers than we have seen, as well as ironically removing what is one of the few remaining reasons NeverTrump conservatives might have had for staying in the party. (To be sure, those who believe that this is a life-or-death moral issue should be willing to suffer political consequences, but suffer, they may)," he predicted. "It's also important to note that overturning Roe would not ban abortion, but rather, send the decision back to the states. Interestingly, though, this, too, could pose a political problem for Republicans. Gaming out what might happen there, it's possible that conservative voters (who wrongly assumed all this would actually ban all abortion) will be disenchanted and feel misled by a corrupt system and its establishment elites."
With that he warned a ruling against Roe could lead to a wave of furious voters turning out for the 2022 midterms.
"Right now, history suggests that Republicans will reclaim the House and Senate, but all bets are off if this political atomic bomb hits… and if it does hit, it will likely be just months before the voting. What if Joe Biden actually gains seats in the midterms?" he asked before adding, "Now, I'm not suggesting that the short-term political fallout means that people who oppose abortion on principle should abandon the fight. It's just that they should gird their loins. People have no idea how likely this variable is to occur. If you think 2020 and 2021 were interesting, you ain't seen nothing yet."
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Republican lawmaker rips GOP while challenging Kevin McCarthy to 'assert some influence'
June 19, 2021
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) is tired of all the "batsh**tery" Republican lawmakers are supporting and he is calling for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to push back against it.
On Friday, June 18, Kinzinger, who does not mince words when it comes to offering his take on former President Donald Trump and his allies, posted a series of tweets firing back at his Republican colleagues as he expressed disdain for their actions over the course of this week.
Kinzinger recalled the many controversial decisions pro-Trump Republican lawmakers have made this week. From conspiracy theories about the FBI being responsible for the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol to their opposition toward the acknowledgment of Juneteenth, Republicans have made it clear where they stand on hard-line issues.
Also this week, newly-elected Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) appeared on Newsmax where he offered a bizarre defense of gun rights by "citing communist Vietcong fighters' efforts against U.S. Marines in the Vietnam War." According to Kinzinger, it all equates to craziness.
"Some GOP are: 1) pushing FBI conspiracies on Jan 6, 2) comparing the 2nd amendment to Vietnam and the VC, 3) scared of shaking the hands of police defending them, 4) opposing Juneteenth, 5) so much more batsh**tery. Would be a great time for @GOPLeader to assert some influence," Kinzinger tweeted on Friday.
Some GOP are: 1) pushing FBI conspiracies on Jan 6, 2) comparing the 2nd amendment to Vietnam and the VC, 3) scared… https://t.co/kPumJmVoCJ— Adam Kinzinger (@Adam Kinzinger) 1624025276.0
Highlighting the fact that a total of 14 Republican lawmakers voted against Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday, Kinzinger offered his assessment of the message their actions suggest.
"Watching some on the right oppose this is mind-numbingly ignorant. It's a celebration of freedom," Kinzinger tweeted this week following some Republican lawmakers' opposition to Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday.
His tweets come just one day after he sounded off about the 21 Republican lawmakers who refused to properly identify the insurrection for what it was.
"It's amazing to me, when you are a coward taking cowardice votes — voting against a gold medal for the cops," Kinzinger said, according to MSNBC. That was a cowardice vote for these 21 Republicans because they didn't want to have to face their base and admit it was an insurrection."
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When a grifter gets swindled: Former GOP chairman accused of stealing from Paul Manafort's PAC
June 19, 2021
Former Colorado Republican Party chairman Ryan Call allegedly stole nearly $280,000 from a pro-Trump super PAC over the course of three years while he was the committee's treasurer, according to a newly filed complaint.
This article first appeared in Salon.
"The allegations against Ryan Call, who served two terms as state chair of the Colorado GOP between 2011 and 2015, were disclosed in a complaint filed against him this month by the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, a division of the Colorado Supreme Court that handles attorney disciplinary matters," Colorado Newsline first reported on Wednesday. The complaint, filed on June 2 by the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, details that the former treasurer took cash from the Rebuilding America Now PAC through the course of 37 self-dealing transactions from 2016 to 2019.
"Respondent knowingly misappropriated $278,169.45 from (Rebuilding America Now)," the filing further stated. "Specifically, he transferred $278,169.45 of RAN funds to himself, knowing that the funds belonged to RAN, and knowing that he was not entitled to the funds and that RAN had not authorized him to take the funds for his own purposes."
The filed complaint alleged that Call "knowingly misappropriated" funds intended to go to the pro-Trump PAC founded by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was also hit over failing to report a hefty contribution of $1 million during his tenure. That million-dollar contribution would later be reported by Call to the FEC in November of 2018. Over the course of June 2016 and November 2016, the pro-Trump super PAC raised north of $23 million, according to FEC records reviewed by Newsline.
The now public complaint against Call was filed by the Denver-based law firm Hale Westfall, according to Colorado Newsline, after Call "entered into a contract with Rebuilding America Now 'in his personal capacity,' and 'signed for both parties.' The contract awarded him a fee of $5,000 per month for "political strategy and fundraising support and assistance.'"
It will be up to Presiding Disciplinary Judge William Lucero to decide on Call's fate. An email associated with Call's name out of Colorado didn't return a Salon request for comment.
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