Many are rejoicing that Republicans finally got around to
electing a speaker, thus breaking the logjam
that began when Trump acolyte, Matt Gaetz
(R-FL), introduced legislation to eliminate
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as Speaker. In selecting
Louisiana’s Mike Johnson, Republicans chose a
self-avowed “evangelical Southern Christian”
(read racist segregationist) who is
anti-choice, anti-gay rights (and marriage),
and anti-education. Johnson is an affable
segregationist who has made few enemies in his
scant four terms in Congress.
The media keeps describing him as “unknown.” Still, while
he is a Congressman who does not stand out in
a crowd, he is hardly unknown to the
Republican inner circle who followed his lead
when he opposed counting the electoral votes
that chose President Joe Biden. House
Republicans didn’t just vote for an affable
unknown; they voted for a segregationist
election denier who is in close touch with the
former President. So, those who say they want
a post-Trump Republican Party are not telling
the truth. These Republicans want a House
speaker who is Trump without the vitriol but a
segregationist nonetheless. They are so eager
to have this election denier at their helm
because many of them are closet election
deniers. And in embracing this election
denier, they are rejecting the Constitution
and the role of law in our politics.
They want to win at any cost, even if it means that they
embrace segregation. I’m not surprised! These
are the people who want to go back to the
“good old days” when Black people stayed in
our place, women remained in the kitchen, gay
folks were invisible, and abortion was unheard
of. Are there any moderate Republicans? Are
there any unafraid of the despotic former
President?S
Congressman Johnson’s career has been marked by his
assertive willingness to take away the rights
of others, all done with the smile that
contributes to his reputation for
friendliness. So, he would impose a national
ban on abortion. He would disallow gay people
from having sex in their own homes. He
describes gay marriage as “deviant,” but he
does it with a smile. He doesn’t raise his
voice or shake his fist. He simply works to
take away other people’s rights.S
Johnson’s views on women and abortion are especially
troubling. He says women need to have more
children, and outlawing abortion will make
that happen. For him, I suppose, women are
nothing more than breed cows designed to
populate the labor force whether we want to or
not. He adheres to the “great replacement
theory” that Democrats are encouraging
immigration to replace “American” voters with
immigrants. He has referred to nonexistent
“open borders” in his speeches, following the
Trump playbook of inciting resistance against
immigrant people.
Johnson has never been a fiery rhetorician. For the most
part, he stays behind the scenes. And he knows
that, as a speaker, he can’t spout off
extremist positions. So, when asked about
marriage equality, Mike Johnson says it is the
law of the land, and he will do nothing to
attempt to reverse it. Roe v. Wade was also
the law of the land. Then came Dobbs, with the
three most recent Supreme Court Justices –
Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett all
swore under oath that they would “uphold the
law of the land” and would not nullify Roe.
But they did it in the Dobbs case when they
got an opening. I will not be surprised if,
given new Congressional conservative
leadership, they support the same thing in
this Supreme Court.
There are many regressive legislative possibilities on the
table for a segregationist like Mike Johnson.
He has already indicated that he will proceed
with a Biden impeachment inquiry. He is likely
to support anything that undermines
affirmative action both in higher education
and in the workplace, with the encouragement
of deep pocket racists. Alarmingly, Johnson
has been described by Alex Lawson, Executive
Director of Social Security Works, as “an
enemy of Social Security.” If the House
Speaker had his way, he would raise the
retirement age, lower the cost of living
increases, and privatize Social Security. And
Republican legislators would likely go along
with it, even though they represent Social
Security recipients, to embrace a Trump-driven
segregationist agenda.
Some describe Mike Johnson’s rise to the speakership as
the accidental elevation of a relative
unknown. I say it was planned. Look at his
record. Look at his statements. And understand
that the fight for economic and social justice
is “on” with the segregationist leader in the
House.
