AP: Liz Cheney Shifts Focus from Doomed Congressional Race to 2024 Presidential Stunt Run

More like presidential waddle, amirite

Three weeks before the most significant election of her political career, Liz Cheney was nowhere to be seen as thousands of voters gathered for a massive midsummer rodeo and cowboy festival in Wyoming's largest city.

Instead, the three-term Republican congresswoman was 1,600 miles away in Washington presiding over a U.S. House committee comprised largely of Democrats intent on exposing former President Donald Trump's attack on democracy during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. As the cowboy fest roared back home, Cheney railed against Trump's failures.

"Donald Trump made a purposeful choice to violate his oath of office," she said during Thursday's hearing.

Dean Finnerty, a rancher from Wheatland competing in the steer wrestling competition, was not moved.

"I tell you what: I voted for Cheney when she ran last time and I won't vote for her ever again," Finnerty said. "I don't know if she's representing the conservative Americans that voted her in."

Cheney's unrelenting criticism of Trump from a Capitol Hill committee room represents the centerpiece of an unconventional campaign strategy that may well lead to her political demise, at least in the short term. Many Cheney allies are prepared for -- if not resigned to -- a loss in Wyoming's Aug. 16 Republican primary against Trump-backed challenger Harriet Hageman.

But as primary day approaches, there is also a pervasive belief among Cheney's team that her unorthodox strategy in 2022 may put her in a stronger position for the 2024 presidential contest. Cheney's fierce anti-Trump message as vice chairman of the congressional committee investigating the insurrection has strengthened her national brand while expanding a national network of donors and Trump critics in both parties who could boost a prospective White House run.

Cheney has yet to finalize any decisions about 2024, but she has not ruled out a presidential run as a Republican or an independent.

"The single most important thing is protecting the nation from Donald Trump," Cheney said in interview with ABC News that aired Friday. She said she would make a decision about a potential White House bid "down the road."

...

Dean "Doc" Schroeder, a registered Democrat now planning to change his registration to vote for Cheney in the GOP primary, has been impressed by Cheney's leadership on the Jan. 6 commission. He said it may not matter whether the congresswoman spends more time in the state given Wyoming's overwhelming Republican majority.

...

Some Cheney allies are skeptical there are enough Democratic crossover votes to put her over the top next month.

Meanwhile, Cheney says: Of course we're not going to actually investigate anything Congress actually has any control over as regards Capitol security -- we're only going to continue conducting an illegal extraconstitutional prosecution of Donald Trump.

Chad Pergram @ChadPergram

Cheney on Fox to colleague Bret Baier: What we aren't going do, Bret, is blame the Capitol Police, blame those in law enforcement, for Donald Trump's armed mob that he sent to the Capitol

Julie Kelly @julie_kelly2

Very interesting confession--translation: we're not investigating those primarily responsible for Capitol security (including Pelosi and Bowser) bc it will bust the narrative and expose rampant police misconduct that day. Cool story.

I've pointed out before that Congress has no express constitutional power to investigate-- this is only an inferred power, and only exists to the extent it is necessary to carry out its actual constitutional powers of passing legislation or carrying out its legal powers of oversight of executive agencies.

Liz Cheney has repeatedly admitted that she has no legislative or oversight goal in mind, and that the January 6th committee is admittedly a straight-up illegal executive-branch-only prosecutorial effort directed at a single private citizen (he's a private citizen now).

As if to prove she's part of an illegal extraconstitutional Star Chamber, Liz Cheney also stated, bizarrely, she might subpoena Clarence Thomas' wife Ginny Thomas.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., suggested on Sunday that the Jan. 6 committee would subpoena Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, if she does not agree to testify willingly.

"Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, repeatedly corresponded with then White House chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Trump lawyer John Eastman, who was pushing this deranged theory," CNN host Jake Tapper said Sunday, as Cheney appeared on "State of the Union."

"She was writing to them about efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, not to mention her correspondence with Arizona lawmakers pushing fake electors," Tapper added. "Is your committee planning on talking to Ginni Thomas, even though her lawyer has expressed a reluctance to cooperate?"

"We are -- the committee is engaged with her counsel. We certainly hope that she will agree to come in voluntarily. But the committee is fully prepared to contemplate a subpoena if she does not," Cheney responded. "I hope it doesn't get to that. I hope she will come in voluntarily. We've certainly spoken with numbers of people who are similarly situated in terms of the discussions that she was having that you've mentioned. So, it's very important for us to speak with her. And as I said, I hope she will agree to do so voluntarily. But I'm sure we will contemplate a subpoena if she won't."

She is now coercing Americans to testify under oath about legal theories that the Acela Corridor Ruling Class sniffs at as "deranged."

You're not allowed to think thoughts or express ideas that Jake Tapper disapproves of, otherwise obese fascists like Liz Cheney will use the full power of government coercion against you.

posted by Ace at 01:22 PM

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