Sunday School 7/3/22: Extra Credit

CNN won the draw for your Sunday School lesson this week, so let's continue with Dana Bash and her guests in the State of the Union classroom.

 Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R- You Kidding Me? You People *Still* Support Him? -IL), the other Republican on the January 6th Committee, had the (ahem) privilege of following Gov. Kristi Noem in the classroom. Here's a recap.

When Bash asked for his reaction to the governor's comments on January 6th, he didn't mince words. She was in the House with him, and he said he was 'blown away' by her interview, in which she questioned the truthfulness of Cassidy Hutchinson.

...it's like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." This is not the Kristi Noem I served with. The Kristi Noem I served with was conservative, dedicated to truth, and I, at the time, would have thought (she) would have put her country above her political career at any moment.

He said "it is clear she is running for president or vice president. She's scared to death of the base." He referred to Hutchinson as a "26-year-old patriot" and said that Noem calling her into question, but then avoiding

...saying that Donald Trump bore even an ounce of responsibility for January 6th, I get amazed still every day by what some of my colleagues do. This is one of the biggest ones. She used to be something very different.

After playing a clip from Rep. Liz Cheney's primary debate, and noting that Kinzinger called her opponents "a bunch of armpit farters," she suggested that one of them could "very well win."

So, Liz Cheney, you can disagree with her position on whatever, but she stood in front of her constituents and she said, 'look, here's where I'm at on these issues, these core democracy issues. Now you can make a decision whether or not to vote for me.' Frankly, that's what politics should be. That's what every election should be.

And, he said, "(h)er main opponent was a big supporter of Liz Cheney until she found out that maybe she could run against Liz Cheney." He said they're lying to voters, spreading conspiracies, and playing games, and "Americans have got to wake up and demand far better" because

...we have a primary system where somebody like Liz Cheney, a very professional, focused person, regardless of what you think of her politics... can be up against just lies and conspiracy, and 5 to 10 percent of... Wyoming, will actually show up and vote in a primary and make a decision...Look, Liz, God bless her. She is making a stand. I think she can win. But I hope this serves as a lesson to every American. Like, let's fix this system, because the primary system is failing.

He also talked about "typical for Trump world" behavior - the process of distracting people from what's important. He's talking about all the attacks against Hutchinson (like Noem's, really) for testifying to what Tony Ornato told her about Trump's actions in the SUV on January 6th. What no one's refuting, Kinzinger said, is that Trump knew his supporters were armed, and that he really wanted to be at the Capitol with them. 

He said Ornato's welcome to testify under oath, and that the Committee hears from people regularly.

Every day, we get new people that come forward and say, hey, I didn't think maybe this piece of the story that I knew was important, but now that you guys are talking -- like, I do see this plays in here.

And, he said, although it's not what she wants, Hutchinson will be remembered long after the names of Committee members have been forgotten.

She doesn't want to be out in the public spotlight. But she has a commitment to truth that somebody like Kristi Noem, for instance, and most people in our party, would actually benefit to take just a 10 percent ounce of.

Finally, we heard this from Kinzinger: the Committee's not done yet.

There will be way more information. And stay tuned.

 One last note, from Bash:

I want to show our viewers what 'The Washington Examiner' said in an editorial. 'The Washington Examiner' editorial board is conservative:

Trump is unfit to be anywhere near power ever again. Republicans have far better options to lead the party in 2024. No one should think otherwise, much less support him ever again.

And yet he is, according to our sources, likely to announce he is going to run in 2024 as soon as this month.

If you want some extra Extra Credit points, see how many "if he runs, I'll support him" comments you can find from prominent members of the GOP.

See you around campus.