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Editor’s note: Former attorney Dean Obeidaler is the host of SiriusXM Radio’s daily program, The Dean Obeidaler Show.follow him @DeanObeidallah@masto.aiThe opinions expressed in this commentary are his own.opinion more opinions on CNN.
CNN
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Republican congressman-elected George Santos has been making headlines since December 19 — when the New York Times accused him of false claims about his work experience, education, and just about everything in between. That’s when I published an amazing article documenting the barrage. (Though Santos later described these falsehoods as “resume embellishments,” he admitted to misrepresenting his employment and educational background.)
Santos also claimed that his grandparents escaped the horrors of the Holocaust as Ukrainian Jewish refugees from Belgium, but a review of genealogical records only contradicts this version of his family background. (Santos’ campaign did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.)
In addition to the firestorm, there are recent developments in which federal and state officials have opened criminal investigations into Santos’ finances and fabrications. When he first ran for Congress in 2020, Santos reported he had no assets, but he could lend $700,000 to the 2022 campaign.
Amid all these twists and turns, one thing remained constant. That is, Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy does not criticize Santos. There are no falsehoods he admitted, no blatant misrepresentations about family members who fled the Holocaust, no questions about campaign finances, or even reports of spending campaign funds on trips to places like Miami. (McCarthy did not respond to his CNN request for comment on Santos.)
This silence is not surprising. It perfectly sums up McCarthy and many in the Republican Party today, who seek power at all costs.
Even fellow Republican Rep. Matt Gates, who opposes McCarthy’s bid for Speaker of the House, recently accused Republican leaders of not having core values, writing in an op-ed: I’m here. He has no ideology. ”
McCarthy has refused to denounce Santos because California legislators are desperate to secure the 218 votes he needs to be elected when the new Congress is sworn in on Tuesday. Before the scandal erupted, Santos took to Twitter to promise his support for McCarthy’s speaker candidacy, but has since apparently deleted the tweet.
McCarthy Since the New York Times article spotlighted Santos, he has been outspoken on many other political issues. Condemn the January 6 Commission“Pelosi’s selection committee has focused on political theater and stance.”Waste and arousal can be eliminated” When they took control of Congress.
McCarthy also criticized The Biden Administration’s Border Policy played an accusation with FBI Fox Business Worked to suppress news stories that hurt Democrats.
But there were no peeves about Santos’ story — causing an uproar on Fox News on Dec. 27 when former Congressman Tulsi Gabbard confronted Santos about his hoax as a guest host:
But it’s not just McCarthy. The GOP leadership has largely remained silent about Santos. One of the few senior Republicans to speak out was Kentucky Rep. James Comer, the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee. In a statement Thursday on Fox News, Comer called Santos’ actions “disgraceful and he lied to voters.” However, Mr. Comer did not call for Mr. Santos to resign, only saying that he was “pretty confident” that the House Ethics Committee would investigate Mr. Santos.
This is not the first time McCarthy has shown his willingness to abandon principles in pursuit of power. The most obvious example was his flip-flops about Trump’s responsibility for the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol. McCarthy initially declared Trump in the House: McCarthy added, “When he saw what was happening, he should have condemned the mob immediately.”
It wasn’t long before McCarthy traveled to Mar-a-Lago to make up with Trump. By April 2021, McCarthy was rewriting history to defend Trump’s actions over his January 6th. Why? Apparently, McCarthy understood that he would never be a speaker without Trump’s endorsement. And he said the deal seems to have paid dividends. A few weeks ago, Trump publicly backed McCarthy’s bid for chairman, urging his allies in the House Republican Caucus to vote for him.
Just imagine for a moment if incoming Democrats were embroiled in such a scandal. McCarthy could be yelling about how this Congressman shouldn’t be in Congress and that Democratic leaders need to blame this politician.
Barring any surprises, Santos is likely to take office as a House member on Tuesday without a word of criticism from McCarthy. It’s a party that stands for nothing but gaining power at any cost – even if it’s very bad for our republic.
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