Rep. Ken Buck Quitting Like Big Quitter Because Of GOP’s Big Lie Obsession
Now cracks a not-so noble heart.
History is filled with inspiring leaders who confronted an ever-growing evil and boldly declared, “It’s not worth putting on pants to deal with this mess.”
Rep. Ken Buck is an otherwise typical awful Republican, but he’s often lauded because he accepts the reality that President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. That opinion is no longer within the mainstream of the House Republican caucus, so Buck has decided the best option as his party descends into outright fascism is to just quit.
Wednesday, Buck told Andrea Mitchell that he’s not seeking re-election to his Colorado congressional seat. He later posted a video on his YouTube lamenting that Republicans aren’t in good shape to address the many imaginary evils Biden has inflicted on us.
“I’m joining [also retiring Rep. Kay Granger] and probably some others in the near future,” Buck told Mitchell, “but I’ve decided that it is time for me to do some other things.” Democracy is hard, and pickleball is far more rewarding. Buck will now walk away from Congress like David Banner leaving another town on “The Incredible Hulk,” but without doing anything actually heroic.
“I always have been disappointed with our inability in Congress to deal with major issues.” Yes, but that’s because Buck’s party is a pack of hyena bigots who aren’t interested in constructive solutions to any real problem. He went on: “I’m also disappointed that the Republican Party continues to, you know, rely on this lie that the 2020 election was stolen, and rely on the January 6th narrative, and the political prisoners from January 6th, and other things. If we’re going to solve difficult problems, we’ve got to deal with some very unpleasant truths, or lies, and make sure we project to the public what the truth is.”
Mitchell reminded Buck of a more recent truth: He voted to elect Christian fascist, studious porn avoiding, election denier Mike Johnson speaker of the House. Don’t worry, Buck can explain. Behold the bullshit!
“Mike went to the Supreme Court with a challenge to the election,” Buck said. “I think going to the courts is one thing. Trying to move the mob from the Mall up to the House floor and, you know, interrupting the congressional proceeding — whole different issue.”
No, it’s all part of the same coup! Those court challenges were baseless, and Johnson was a major played behind the anti-democratic efforts to disenfranchise millions of voters in key states. Michael Waldman at the Brennan Center wrote:
Johnson was the legal mastermind behind the doomed push to decertify the election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. He pressured colleagues to sign on to his effort, warning them ominously that Trump would be “anxiously” awaiting the final list to review.
Johnson advanced an “ahistorical, dangerous, and completely bonkers reading of the Constitution” that argued the expanded ballot access during a pandemic was somehow illegal. Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz made similar arguments when attempting to overturn the election results.
Donald Trump might’ve raved about ballot stuffing and Dominion AI vote switching, Johnson simply tried to overturn the election through twisted legalese. Note also that even if states had unlawfully changed their election rules, citizens still voted in good faith. Johnson would’ve silenced millions of voters and given the election to the clear loser.
The mob that attacked Congress was a last-ditch effort to delay certification, but it was not the sole coup. However, Buck is probably technically correct that Johnson isn’t an election denier. He knew full well who actually won the 2020 election, and he worked fanatically to alter those results. He’s worse and far more dangerous than any of the thugs who stormed the Capitol. However, this is on brand for so-called “good” Republicans who prefer less violent, slightly less radical means of imposing their will upon us.
Buck’s Colorado district is solidly Republican with a double-digit partisan advantage. We can expect a full-on MAGA replacement. As some of you have noted in the comments, Lauren Boebert might find Buck’s district easier to win than her own. God help us, everyone.
[NBC News]
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Admit it--if someone told you in 2014 that we'd be looking at Liz Cheney, Ken Buck and Mitt Romney and saying "well, at least they are willing to accept the results of democratic elections, unlike the majority of their colleagues" you'd have decided to drink yourself into a 20 year blackout.
Shorter Buck - “Screw you guys, I’m going home.”