politics

Klar: Scott calls own party ‘racist’

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By John Klar

Governor Phil Scott recently attacked Vermont GOP leadership for “continu[ing] with what I perceive as white supremacy dominating, racial inequity, and so forth…”   That leadership’s sole offense? — refusing to endorse the governor’s call for the President’s resignation.  This impugns all Vermont Trump supporters as white supremacists. 

John Klar

Scott, a nominal conservative, habitually grandstands against Donald Trump.  He was the first GOP governor to support the Ukraine impeachment inquiry, endorsed Bill Weld, and voted for Biden.  He was “first” (ahead of Sanders and Leahy) in the current push to oust the President:

In a stunning statement issued shortly before 6 p.m. that day, Gov. Phil Scott called for his fellow Republican to leave the White House immediately — or be dragged out of it…. “Make no mistake, the president of the United States is responsible for this event,” Scott said. “The fabric of our democracy and the principles of our republic are under attack by the president. Enough is enough.”

Next day, “Flip-Flop Phil” gallingly proclaimed:

“The challenges we face demand the very best of all of us, that we rise above the partisanship and division, the pettiness and political games, to commit to the tough work ahead, to get through this crisis safer and stronger, and to do it together,” Scott said.

Vermont’s Legislators enthusiastically seized Scott’s cue, producing J.R.H.1 calling for the President to resign or to be removed from office.

Vermont GOP Party Chair Deb Billado condemned the D.C. violence as “wrong, immoral and against the fundamental principles that we hold dear.”  This wasn’t enough for Phil Scott.

On January 8, GOP senator Joe Benning published a scathing condemnation of Trump’s followers:

Today I saw a picture of a busload of Vermonters on their way to Washington, D.C. They were Donald Trump supporters who remain convinced his election was stolen. I want to believe that all of them on that bus were heading down for a peaceful protest… I have to wonder whether anyone in that group got duped into joining the assault of that beautiful and historic building…. These thugs were Republicans devoted completely to Donald Trump. They are not “Patriots.” They are not “real Americans.” They are anarchists who believe in mob rule, plain and simple.

Benning declared he “can no longer tolerate extremists posing as Republicans,” and joined with other Vermont GOP to demand that Deb Billado and the Party leadership must sign the Legislative Resolution or resign.

GOP representative Scott Beck complained that the GOP statement failed to accuse Trump of direct responsibility or call on him to resign.

These elected officials share a “guilt-by-association” methodology: Trump is presumed guilty; all his followers are dehumanized using the actions of the few; hesitation to affirm this barbaric indictment is vilified.  Where does this cannibalistic spiral lead?

Governor Scott called for President Trump to be “dragged out of the White House” on January 6th, declaimed the pettiness of political games on January 7th, called for the resignation of GOP leadership on January 8th, then charged that white supremacy dominates the Vermont GOP on January 15th.

Could this be the same governor who criticized Deb Billado for questioning Robert Mueller’s investigation?

“Activating the base with this type of rhetoric probably isn’t new, it’s being used by both parties in many respects, but I think it’s unfortunate,” Scott said. “We see this political divide, polarization going on throughout our country and all the rhetoric that goes along with it, I don’t think it’s healthy.”

To recklessly declare white supremacy dominates the Vermont GOP is the “type of [unhealthy] rhetoric” that gets innocent people killed.  

Categories: politics

11 replies »

  1. ‘Many of the greatest horrors in the history of humanity owe their occurrence solely to the establishment and social enforcement of a false reality.’

    In a ‘collective’ environment, it’s always the ‘collectives’ responsibility (the other guy’s fault). Wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear Scott, for once, say that he failed to lead his party to redemption and explain the details of that failure in order that we can all learn from his mistake?

    As are most people who want to be politicians in order to save us from ourselves, Scott exposes himself as a pretender when he too plays the ‘race card’. On this day, of all days, I strive to set the example to judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin.

    Apparently, given Scott’s ‘pseudo reality’, I too have failed and will, rightly, suffer the consequences, such as they are. Hopefully, there is a lesson in that for all of us.

  2. Thank you John Klar for speaking into what amounts to tyranny from Republicans who are really Democrats,that support big government to control what people think,the way they act,what they can do,and when and how they can do it!!Governor Scott has betrayed himself.the Republican Party,and the Nation!! We need to be on our guard,for what is right is now wrong,and wrong is right!! The socialist agenda that has developed in Vermont is the end of Life Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness;We are now under State control of I health care,food,fun,work,and expected to support big government that is bankrupting restaurants,farms,households,landowners,small businesses,and churches!! This must be peacefully be stoped now!! One sure way is to impeach Governor Scott for breaking every campaign promise he made and betraying we the people by ignoring and manipulating the Constitution!!

  4. Governor Scott, is a disgrace to the Republican party and a disgrace to the state.

    Vermont’s GOP better get a candidate ready to replace him, as I have cast my last
    vote for this non conservative turncoat.

    Maybe he’ll just switch parties as he’s really a Liberal DemocRAT !!!!

  5. Wow. As an ex-Democrat, I really expected the Dems to implode first, but who would have foreseen the old call-95%-of-your-own-base-white-supremacists gambit?

  6. You know a liberal / leftist has run out of points when they resort to calling their opponents “racists”. Why does Gov. Scott still have that ‘R’ after his name? He’s left of most Democrats these days. BTW, I wouldn’t call Governor Scott a nominal conservative. I don’t see any similarity between him and anything conservative. My guess is that shortly after he was elected governor for his first term, he realized he was badly outnumbered, and decided to go along to get along. His conversion seems fairly complete at this point.

  8. Two choices, start active recall of Gov Scott or wait for the US military to pick him up for treason. The VT GOP is complicit and they must be disbanded or all out overhaul of leadership.

  9. Completely irresponsible, By whom Phil? Are you going to go down there and “drag” Trump out? Such idiotic dribble. This rhetoric from this so-called Republican is so divisive and reckless. Let’s get a great candidate and vote him out. Also, when are these old white men (Phil, Bernie, Pat, Pete) going to stop USING people of a different race than theirs for their own perceived gain at the expense of a whole party? Painting an entire group of people with such a horrible label because they support someone you don’t like is so childish. And the hypocrisy of treating that horrible and wrong riot on the 6th like it was ten times worse than the approx. 25 dead, hundreds of buildings burned including police stations and churches and billions in damage by Antifa and BLM members that we’ve watched all summer is more than I can stomach. I’ve left a message and insisted on an apology. I will be calling again this week. I will not accept being labeled in this way and I think the GOP should sue for defamation. We need to peacefully but firmly and lawfully fight back. Please e-mail or call Phil and insist that he apologize – this race baiting has got to stop. It doesn’t help anyone. GOP members love all people of all races and we don’t appreciate the likes of Phil and his democrat friends trying to create racial division and dis-trust with the use of name calling. It looks like old Phil is going to leave the Republican party – as if anyone will notice. A hypocrite joins the hypocrites. Big deal.

  11. These Vermont politicians are not so great that they will never have to face the people of Vermont when their terms end.. and they will end.