By Carol Lucas
Remember the old Life cereal commercial where three kids are sitting around the table, discussing what foods are good for you? The punchline is “give it to Mikey, he’ll eat anything.”
Well, it seems that Mikey of House Speaker fame will eat any order 47 feeds him. He ingests, chews it up and spits it out with rhythmic regularity, all the while with that simpering, little boy look on his face.
I am so tired of Mike Johnson’s fast and loose play with the law, accompanied each time with an overdose of hypocrisy. His lies are outrageous, and his lack of integrity abysmal.
I was recently clearing my desk of what seemed like a ton of rubble. If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then is an empty desk a sign? So, yes, I digress early in the game.
What I came upon was something I had copied quite a while ago, The Seven Core Principles of Conservatism. I have never denied my interest in exactly what these folks stand for, nor do I deny that I find some of it valid. I will not deny, however, that I found myself doing a double-take seeing the author … Congressman Mike Johnson.
“Well, now,” I said. “This should be an interesting read.”
What follows is an encapsulation of Johnson’s treatise. I would like nothing more than to present his notions in their entirety, but again word constraints apply.
1. Individual Freedom: Johnson opens with “The birth of our great nation was inspired by the bold declaration that our individual God-given liberties should be preserved against governmental intrusion. Really, Mikey? Have you considered making this clear to ICE or the puppy killer who sends forth the troops? Or perhaps those in the WH who see it otherwise?
2. Limited Government: Johnson states that “for individual liberty to be championed, government must be reduced. When applied as written, our incomparable constitution provides important safeguards against government encroachment, a vital separation of powers, and a necessary system of checks and balances.”
So tell me, Mikey, did you ever take Donnie, wannabe dictator and your hero, aside and explain separation of powers to him? I will say you are taking the government reduction part to the extreme. Yet, even you aren’t exactly sure of your actions as we have seen the old ‘dismissal, followed by a retraction of that dismissal” so many times, it becomes apparent no one knows what he/ she is doing.
3. The Rule of Law: “Ours is ‘a government of laws and not of men,’ and the rule of law is our foundation. To maintain ordered liberty and a civilized society, public and private virtue should be encouraged and justice must be administered equally and impartially to all. Each branch of government must adhere to the Constitution, and the judicial branch must not be allowed to assume or exercise legislative or executive powers. Transparency and accountability are keys to good government, and Congress must faithfully perform its constitutional responsibility of oversight.”
Mikey, you wrote it, and yet you refuse to act upon your own words!
4. Peace through Strength: “The first obligation of the federal government is to provide for the “common defense” of the United States by securing our borders and protecting our homeland and our strategic interests abroad. We are not “the world’s police force,” but because America serves in a natural role of moral leadership in an increasingly dangerous world, and weakness invites aggression, we must remain the strongest military power on earth.”
I was with you, Mikey, till I reached the part about moral leadership. Furthermore, remaining the strongest military power on earth becomes a bit tricky when your boss decides that Pete Hegseth is the answer for his Department of Defense. Try to remember “Signal-gate,” as well as the dismissal of well-trained, seasoned generals when you are talking about morals and strength.
5. Fiscal Responsibility: Because the government has refused to live within its means, America is facing an unprecedented debt and spending crisis. This, congressman, is where we agree. Where we part company, however, is where we draw the line. You and your people insist upon giving the wealthiest 1% of our population further tax cuts under the guise that it will “trickle down.” “Congress has a moral and constitutional duty to resolve the crisis, bring spending under control, balance the federal budget, reform and modernize entitlement programs, eliminate fraud, waste and abuse.” Sir, where is that moral/constitutional duty right now? Need I say Epstein files or Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona elected representative? Not fiscal but still applicable.
6. Free Markets: Government often stands as the greatest obstacle to the progress and prosperity of free people. Free markets and free trade agreements allow for innovation, improvement and economic expansion as risk-takers, entrepreneurs and business owners are given the liberty to pursue the American Dream and create more jobs and upward mobility. While I beg to differ with you on this, I recognize that it has been the Republican mantra for as long as I have ever watched the political stage. You conveniently forget that while all are supposed to be created equal, all are not treated as such. Black- and brown-skinned, LGBTQ, women, the list is endless.
7. Human Dignity: “Because all men are created equal and in the image of God, every human life has inestimable dignity and value, and every person should be measured only by the content of their character.” Ah, Mikey, “the content of their character.” And yet your adherence to those totally devoid of character belies this statement, making you one of them. Public policy should always encourage education and emphasize the virtue of hard work as a pathway out of-poverty, while public assistance programs should be reserved only for those who are truly in need. And who determines that need? Furthermore, what about the “assistance” for billionaires that we are seeing? And for foreign countries like Argentina’s dictatorship?
And so, my mental exchange with Mike Johnson ends with this admonition: Practice what you preach, Mikey!
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
