One of the single biggest things that I have a hard time understanding is the ongoing Republican defense of Matt Gaetz. In an attempt to somehow try to be entirely objective in analysis (And not belief or philosophy, in both of which I am a clear progressive) it is still almost impossible to figure out why the Right continues to cover and apologize for Gaetz instead of just burying him and moving on. Do they believe that the only measure of anyone is unquestioned Trump support such that there is nothing – even paid sex with teens – so far below the horizon that the person can’t be dumped to the side of the road? Do they believe that they simply cannot afford to lose even one true believer? It is critical to figure out why it is the Republicans feel the need to protect Gaetz because they absolutely do. (I have a theory below, ht’s an example) Despite withdrawing his name from the attorney general position, the House Ethics Committee decided to table the report – the one that the House voted to send back to the committee in the first place. And “X” is outraged.

According to NBC News reports:

Lawmakers voted shortly after the bipartisan Ethics Committee met privately — for a second time in as many months — about whether to make public the report on allegations that Gaetz engaged in illicit drug use and sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl and obstructed the House probe, among other claims.

If the report cleared Gaetz or even raised some significant doubts, it would be out there with room to press the “benefit of the doubt” thing. It almost surely nails Gaetz and, again – if we cannot be bipartisan in condemnation of sex and drugs with a 17 year old then I am not sure what the point might be. To the extent the fact that the House didn’t release the report before the election is simply a political problem that the committee needs to eat. Just imagine the implications of burying it further after the details come out, as they will eventually.

But after 2½ hours, the committee panel did not release the report, saying in a statement that it is “continuing to discuss the matter.” Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., told reporters the committee would meet again before the end of the year.

“I’m not going to speculate on future action that the committee may take,” Guest said when he was asked whether it might still vote to release the report.

Given that they decided not to release the report it is unlikely they will ever do so unless it is amidst a Friday news dump on July 3rd or something equally random and banal. I have a 17 year old daughter – half of you likely have had 17 year old daughters. Half of them likely have 17 year old daughters And yet some believe they need to cover Gaetz?

Well – “X” had some stuff to say on the matter:

Yes, atrocious. And below is the threat to release the report if given a job in and around Trump. Help me to define what that might be? It doesn’t have to be official. What about a prominent position in the party of leading a PAC?

Below. Take this guy up on the deal. What could possibly be in other videos from January 6th? The videos of police getting beaten are plenty enough.

Below, let’s address this. If the Gaetz report was actually a blank, the Democrats could – in a bizarro world, want to suppress their inaccurate predictions, but absolutely nothing would stop Gaetz from obtaining a copy of the report and putting it out himself. Moreover, technically – and factually, the GOP is in charge and thus you would think that they’d want Gaetz cleared. Alas, this is MAGologic:

I don’t think so.

Yes, above, even with respect to “DOGE” (Which isn’t a department and thus not very efficient at anything except cutting money going out to people with few resources) – the House cannot get away with covering up for Gaetz.

And I continue to ask why. If we cannot come together on the basic premise that someone who abuses a kid – someone’s daughter who simply didn’t know better, probably felt empowered, with little regard for possible consequences, including danger as a possible witness in the future, no ability to analyze the long-term consequences… so used – Sad, this is why we protect kids and that’s why adults that tear through those protections go to prison. Somehow not only did Gaetz manage to squeak by criminal prosecution, but even scrutiny from the public. At least so far.

Shameless. And to what end? I have one idea. A message: “Loyalty above all else. If you remain loyal, always – you will be protected, even if a child predator. Break loyalty and be destroyed, even if an angel. Is that it? I think so.

God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and X.com @JasonMiciak and on Bluesky

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4 COMMENTS

  1. I’d like an accounting of those TWENTY-NINE members who did not vote. Were they all absent and UNABLE to cast a vote? By my math, the total number of members there was only 433 which is TWO short of the full membership.

    I’m really more incensed at the SIXTEEN Democrats who abstained from the vote (a Newsweek article used the word “abstained” to refer to the Republicans who didn’t vote although that article also says that 14 GOPers abstained while the vote shown in the Twitter screencaps says only 13 were in the “NV” column so the Newsweek writer may have just miswritten or shorthanded the GOPers who didn’t vote to free-pass Gaetz). Why didn’t they vote either way? What were they afraid of?

    • Everyone is afraid of being primaried or being added to the “enemies list” of the 8 year old who is going into the White House in January, or both. That also applies to the media. They are afraid of being added to the “enemies list” or losing access to the clown show or losing their broadcasting licenses. Shameful. We haven’t had truth from the MSM for years and now we never will again. Shut them off. Get your news from sources that tell the truth, even when it isn’t what we may want to hear. But at least it is the TRUTH!

  2. “Do they believe that the only measure of anyone is unquestioned Trump support such that there is nothing – even paid sex with teens – so far below the horizon that the person can’t be dumped to the side of the road? Do they believe that they simply cannot afford to lose even one true believer?”

    The answer is YES But we all know that

  3. Being a sex offender, liar, conspiracy theorist, grifter, greedy billionaire, anarchist and hater of democracy is all you need to be a GOP politician. Look at the orange pus bucket’s picks for his administration! Hegseth, Patel, Gabbard, Musk, Ramaswami, et al, have one or more of those traits and some have multiple. The GOP – party of family values, law and order and fiscal responsibility – has become a joke and sadly, the joke is on us.

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