Here are some tweets I’ve seen by Virginia politicians, from smart to utterly ridiculous, on the Lying-liar-Sarah-Huckabee-Sanders-gets-asked-to-leave-the-Red-Hen-restaurant dustup. I’ll add more as I see them, or as they’re brought to my attention. But first and foremost see the brilliant, spot-on “tweetstorm” by David Roberts of Vox, which rips the “onanism” of The Washington Post editorial board for arguing “Let the Trump team eat in peace,” and elaborates (bolding added by me for emphasis):
“The salient fact about US politics is that the right has been going steadily more crazy for decades — breaking the law, disregarding norms, sinking into a hermetically sealed media bubble filled with paranoid conspiracy theories, seeking to disenfranchise opponents, etc…
At every stage, it gets worse. Norms & values we thought inviolate are crapped on, lawlessness becomes more brazen, ugly prejudices we thought buried, or at least suppressed, roar back to the surface.
And with every increment, the question re-presents itself…What should the rest of us do? The ~25% of Americans who believe & want horrible, illiberal shit (“deplorables,” you might call them) have taken over the GOP. They are driving it toward fascism as fast as the system will allow them.
What’s the right response?…The question has always been, where do you draw the line? At what point in the GOP’s devolution do we say: OK, that’s too far. We’re no longer in Normal Politics.
We’re in a crisis situation, on the verge of losing our democracy.
Where is the line?…
As this slide into illiberalism has continued, the mainstream DC establishment, including the sorts of Very Serious People that write major newspaper editorials, have *helped prevent that moment*.
They have normalized, normalized, normalized, greasing the skids…
By jailing toddlers, Trump has potentially made a mistake. Instead of incremental illiberalism, this seems like a jump, something to shock the conscience. It is yet another opportunity for a Moment, a time for the rest of us to say: no.
This is not normal. It’s not ok…
That’s what the owner of the Red Hen was doing by refusing to serve Sanders: saying, No. This is not just a normal political dispute that can remain confined to the political sphere. You cannot support this & still expect to be treated like a normal, decent person…
And so, right on cue, the Very Serious People ride to the rescue of the aspiring tyrants, saying, yet again: Calm Down.
Let’s not get crazy here. Let’s not be RUDE. Heavens no. We must retain our decorum at all costs…
The WaPo editorial board, like the MSM establishment more generally, has been utterly fucking useless in slowing our slide to illiberalism. They’ve done nothing but obscure what’s happening behind a veneer of Normal. They have failed.”
Also, great tweet by top Obama White House official Ben Rhodes:
The President of the United States is threatening to do away with the rule of law. His press secretary didn’t get served at a Red Hen. One of these things matters and the other doesn’t.
Now, a comment by Virginia Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) that nails it:
Trump administration: “Of course private businesses should be allowed to deny service to LGBTQ people because of who they are!”
Also Trump administration: “How dare you deny service to straight people because of where they work!” https://t.co/gZljVIeqYA— Danica Roem (@pwcdanica) June 23, 2018
Spot-on tweets by Tom Perriello, as one would expect.
Those comparing RedHen’s “Principles & patriotism over profit” stance to the bakery case miss that the Constitution’s equal protection jurisprudence applies to groups facing discrimination. White House Press Secretaries are not an historically or structurally disempowered group.
— Tom Perriello (@tomperriello) June 23, 2018
Friends in DC/NOVA looking for a beautiful weekend? Come to see the beautiful Blue Ridge and have a meal (with generous tip) at Red Hen restaurant in Lexington VA. #TastefulResistance https://t.co/JN3UVpMeqJ
— Tom Perriello (@tomperriello) June 23, 2018
(Note the response by Virginia House Majority Leader Todd Gilbert, who has never once condemned any of the Trump administration’s corruption, bigotry, etc., and who presides over a caucus which frequently demonizes Democrats, progressives and liberals – “Stay classy.” Hahaha, whatever dude.)
Excellent, pithy tweet by VA-06 Democratic nominee Jennifer Lewis:
“When so many families can barely afford to put food on the table – and Republicans in Congress are prepared to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid – I find it a distraction to focus on an official’s experience dining out.”
Now here’s Rep. Bob BADlatte, who has never once condemned the Trump administration’s xenophobia, immigrant-bashing, corruption, etc., and has never once condemned Sarah Huckster Sanders’ incessant lying, now gets his undies in a bunch over Red Hen asking Sanders to kindly not dine at their establishment. What a (bad) joke.
“What @PressSec experienced in Lexington last night is very unfortunate and doesn’t reflect accurately upon the kind and caring people of Lexington that I know. There are many great and innovative businesses in #VA06 that I hope you’ll come back to visit.”
Here’s a nasty, idiotic tweet by VA06 GOP nominee Del. Ben Cline, somehow referencing New York (a code word among right wingers for a bunch of crazy, bigoted shit) and also Meryl Streep (code for liberalism? culture? actors? Hollywood? New York again?).
On behalf of my hometown of Lexington, I want to apologize for the rudeness of one liberal New York transplant (who also happens to be Meryl Streep’s cousin). We hope you will come back and enjoy our area’s true southern hospitality. https://t.co/CZ5Coc6Uuq
— Ben Cline (@Cline4Virginia) June 23, 2018
Kellen Squire’s response to Cline, by the way, is:
“Hometown, huh, Ben? And here I thought you were from where the wind GOES SWEEPING DOWN THE PLAAAIINNNSS- but maybe I’m wrong and Stillwater is in Rockbridge County.”
VA GOP U.S. Senate nominee Corey Stewart (that Minnesota transplants who keeps wrapping himself in Confederate flag heritage) gets it all wrong, of course, adding in his usual xenophobic ravings, tweeting:
“Leftists are OK kicking public servants out of restaurants but won’t remove illegal aliens from the U.S.” and “The same folks demanding bakers violate their deeply held religious beliefs are cheering #RedHen’s refusal to serve #SarahHuckabeeSanders.”
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