There’s a story in the Bible about a tax collector and a religious and political official, praying in public where many gathered. The tax collector, hated then as now, quietly asked for forgiveness of sins, but the official loudly proclaimed his superiority to those around him: “I thank God I am not like other people.” Replace people with “Republicans” and it’s easy to see that the Joe Scarborough brand of reluctant partisanship has been around for a while.
But a new cast of GOP characters is now vying for the top spot on a list of President Biden’s favorite Republicans, auditioning with their public denunciation of GOP positions. At the top of the list of those wrapping themselves in their anti-party pride is Rep. Nancy Mace, who has publicly pushed to eject the human rights issue of our day from her party’s agenda, to the delight of those who hope the GOP fails. Who needs Nancy Pelosi when Nancy Mace is around?
Consider her reaction to Nikki Haley’s GOP debate performance on the issue of abortion. Haley argued that Republicans should say and do almost nothing to protect life as they will not have veto-proof majorities (something Democrats don’t have either, but that doesn’t stop them.) In praising Haley’s remarks, Mace indicated that any statement opposing abortion is an “attack” on women, saying, “You cannot go after women and attack them because they make a choice that you don’t like or do not agree with because it’s a very sensitive subject right now.”
But isn’t talking about sensitive topics in
