Oh: Expelled Tennessee Democrat Was Previously Banned From Capitol For Assaulting GOP Speaker
Guy Benson
My general position on last week's Tennessee flap was that the expulsions may have been a bit heavy-handed, despite clear cause for disciplinary action. Ejecting elected representatives from a legislative body is a very serious step, and should generally be avoided to the greatest extent possible. Instead, perhaps some combination of formal censures, stripping of committee assignments, and an official final warnings against future misconduct (more instances of which would result in a zero tolerance response) may have been the better path. Plus, it would've denied these loud showboats the tribal martyrdom and accompanying prominence they clearly crave and relish. If there's one thing America's journo class absolutely loves, it's lefty protests. It makes them feel vicariously alive, imbued with excitement and solidarity. Right-wing equivalents are, of course, seen as unsettlingly strange at best, and "threats to democracy" at worst. And thus, utterly predictably, the Tennessee Three have been made into newly-minted stars by the news media and the broader Left. Big congrats on the fame, guys -- you followed the incentives, and now you've made it:
Ms. Johnson even got to keep her job because just enough Republicans voted against her removal, due to the fact that she was verifiably less directly disruptive during the rules-breaking melee. She thanked them for their thoughtful nuance and forbearance by calling them racists. One of the ousted members is claiming he didn't know that taking over the floor with a bullhorn and leading chanting to drown out governmental proceedings was against the rules. Given some of the comments I've seen from him elsewhere, I actually wouldn't be surprised if he really is that obtuse. The apparent ringleader, however, seems to have known exactly what he was doing. Ex-Rep. Justin Jones has experience in this realm, after all. Strangely, this relevant little nugget was omitted from nearly all of the hero worship "news" coverage of the expulsions. I can't imagine why:
A protester behind a series of recent demonstrations at the Tennessee state Capitol has been banned from the building and ordered to have no contact with House Speaker Glen Casada after being charged Thursday with assault. Justin Jones, 23, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of disorderly conduct after authorities say he threw a cup of coffee into an elevator, striking Casada and Rep. Debra Moody, R-Covington...According to arrest documents, Jones "attempted to push his way past uniformed state troopers" as he approached the elevator while yelling "Casada is a racist." Jones then is accused of throwing a paper to-go cup "filled with an unknown liquid believed to be hot coffee" into the elevator. The liquid splashed onto Casada and Moody...
more
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2023/04/11/kamala-priorities-n2621766
