Click here to watch Ms. Borelli in action.
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Dear Group, The choice of featured speakers at the June 2nd Spokane County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner & Fundraiser reveals something I find very disquieting about the local Spokane GOP. When the GOP picks two talking heads from one pervasive “news” network, it might say something about where the Party faithful get their “news” and what “news” the Party is comfortable with. In this case both talking heads, Jason Chaffetz and Deneen Borelli, are “contributors” to Fox News. I discussed Jason Chaffetz, former Republican Representative to Congress from Utah, in an earlier post. For me, he will forever be linked to his asinine comment about personal responsibility, forgoing the “latest version of the iPhone,” and being able to buy health insurance. Today I want to encourage you to spend a few moments watching Deneen Borelli as an example of the sort of thing she preaches and what the local Spokane GOP seems inclined to listen to and, apparently, to accept as truth. If you have not done so already, click here to watch her diatribe on the “Deep State.” This was posted by the Spokane County GOP as an example of Borelli “getting it right” as an ad for their Lincoln Day Dinner on their Facebook page on May 24th at 12:11AM. (Once you’re at the page, scroll down to that date.) It turns out that Ms. Borelli is a “network contributor” for Fox while her main presence is on “Conservative Review” TV (CRTV) in her own program entitled “Here’s the Deal.” A short listen suggests to me that Ms. Borelli’s polemic lies somewhere to the right of Rush Limbaugh’s. I imagine the faithful might bathe in this swamp for hours having their worst biases echoed and amplified. If you, like I, have been tempted to wonder if the most rabid of people you used to think of as your Republican friends inhabit an entirely different planet, listening to Ms. Borelli for a while will help you understand why you feel that way. That Chaffetz and Borelli were chosen by the leadership of the Spokane GOP to speak as representative of the current Republican Party leaves me feeling sad, angry, and frightened for the future of our country. That the woman who poses as representing Eastern Washington in Congress, McMorris Rodgers, could listen to this and then step up to the same podium with her signature smile makes me queasy. I dread to think the average Eastern Washington voter could listen to, follow, and accept as truth what was uttered in the not-so-smoke-filled room at the Lincoln Day Dinner. In fact, I have Republican friends who, when I mention the assault rifle auction at the dinner, are appalled. My hope is they would also be appalled by the propaganda served there. If not, this country is in for a wild ride. To end I offer a glimmer of hope. Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, a retired military and a traditional conservative, left Fox News in fear and disgust. I quote from last Monday’s The Weekly Sift: “Here’s an unforgettable exchange from Wednesday’s Anderson Cooper 360: Former Fox News military analyst Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters (retired): As a former military officer of the United States, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. And I saw, in my view, Fox — particularly their prime time hosts — attacking our constitutional order, the rule of law, the Justice Department, the FBI, Robert Mueller, and (oh, by the way) the intelligence agencies. And they’re doing it for ratings and profit, and they’re doing it knowingly — in my view, doing a grave, grave disservice to our country. Anderson Cooper: Do you think, some of the hosts in prime time, do they believe the stuff they’re saying about the Deep State, what they’re saying about the Department of Justice, about the FBI? Lt. Colonel Peters: I suspect Sean Hannity really believes it. The others are smarter. They know what they’re doing.” Keep to the high ground, Jerry
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