By Guy Page

A Feb. 13 news story in VT Digger about Lt. Gov. candidate Greg Thayer’s presence in Washington D.C. on January 6 appears to goof at least one key fact about the aftermath of that tumultuous day. 

Near the bottom of the story, the Digger story by Sarah Mearhoff states: “Last week, the Republican National Committee made headlines when it voted during its winter meeting in Salt Lake City on a measure that, among other things, dubbed the Jan. 6 attack and related events as ‘legitimate political discourse.’”

Digger was not alone in saying the Feb. 4 resolution by the Republican National Committee as legitimizing the invasion of the U.S. Capitol building. The New York Times and lesser lights in the mainstream media universe – even the local Salt Lake Tribune  – reported virtually the same storyline: Republican Party condones Capitol attack.

Only one problem. 

That’s not what the committee said.

It didn’t “dub” the attack as anything. It didn’t mention it at all.

Which few readers of Digger, New York Times et. al. could know, because  the reporters and editors didn’t print the offending phrase verbatim and in context. Instead they paraphrased it. Here’s what the resolution said: “Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger are participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.”

See any mention of an “attack” there? Isn’t it more likely that the GOP is defending peaceable protesters against the oft-repeated charge that everyone at the rally that day was somehow a suspected of treason?

Below is the transcript of the GOP resolution. The phrase in question is in the second-to-last paragraph. Decide for yourself whether the committee “dubbed the Jan. 6 attack and related events as ‘legitimate political discourse.’”

Resolution to formally censure Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and to no longer support them as members of the Republican Party

WHEREAS, The primary mission of the Republican Party is to elect Republicans who support the United States Constitution and share our values;

WHEREAS, The Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress have embarked on a systematic effort to replace liberty with socialism; eliminate border security in favor of lawless, open borders; create record inflation designed to steal the American dream from our children and grandchildren; neuter our national defense and a peace through strength foreign policy; replace President Trump’s “Operation Warp Speed” with incompetence and illegal mandates; and destroy America’s economy with the Green New Deal; 

WHEREAS, Winning back the majority in Congress, including the United States House of Representatives, in 2022 must be the primary goal of the House Republican Conference (“Conference”) and requires all Republicans working together to accomplish the same;

WHEREAS, The Conference must design the strategy to stop the radical Biden agenda and retire Nancy Pelosi, tasks which require that all Republicans pull in the same direction;

WHEREAS, The Conference must not be sabotaged by Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger who have demonstrated, with actions and words, that they support Democrat efforts to destroy President Trump more than they support winning back a Republican majority in 2022;

WHEREAS, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger have engaged in actions in their positions as members of the January 6th Select Committee not befitting Republican members of Congress, which include the Committee’s disregard for minority rights, traditional checks and balances, due process, and adherence to other precedent and rules of the U.S. House and which seem intent on advancing a political agenda to buoy the Democrat Party’s bleak prospects in the upcoming midterm elections;

WHEREAS, Congressional Republicans bear ultimate responsibility for their own success or failure and the RNC supports their efforts by denouncing those who deliberately jeopardize victory in November on which the future of our constitutional republic depends at this critical moment in history;

WHEREAS, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger purport to be members of the Republican Party; and

WHEREAS, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger are participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse [Italics added], and they are both utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes, therefore, be it

As Adopted by the Resolutions Committee  RESOLVED, That the Republican National Committee hereby formally censures Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and shall immediately cease any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party for their behavior which has been destructive to the institution of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republican Party and our republic, and is inconsistent with the position of the Conference.

Vermont Daily Chronicle yesterday asked VT Digger senior editors to explain this seeming inaccuracy. Their reply will be published as soon as it is received.