These Kansas leaders say they care about democracy. Their votes say otherwise
They saw what happened in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
They grabbed gas masks and sheltered in offices while a pro-Trump mob clashed with police, broke through barricades and stormed the building.
They witnessed a violent insurgency against our government and our democracy.
And then four Kansas congressmen — Sen. Roger Marshall, Rep. Ron Estes, Rep. Tracey Mann and Rep. Jake LaTurner — voted on the side of sedition.
The Kansas Republicans, who pledged last week to try to overturn a certified presidential election, made good on that promise Wednesday and supported challenges to President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral votes.
In the wake of a riot incited by baseless claims of a stolen election, they continued to support the lies and conspiracy theories. They encouraged it. They gave it a voice and a vote.
Marshall, who was sworn into the Senate on Sunday after two terms in the U.S. House, was one of only a handful of senators who objected to electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Similarly, Estes and Mann voted to throw away the votes of millions of Americans in two states. LaTurner opposed Arizona’s electoral votes but missed the vote on Pennsylvania’s after testing positive for COVID-19.
They may think this vote was a harmless protest gesture — political theater aimed at demonstrating loyalty to Trump and scoring points, votes or campaign money down the road. They knew that a majority of their colleagues, including staunch conservatives like Sen. Mitch McConnell and Sen. Lindsey Graham, would do the right thing.
“I will vote to respect the people’s decision,” McConnell said, “and defend our system of government as we know it.”
“Enough is enough. We gotta end it,” Graham said. “To the conservatives who believe in the Constitution, now’s your chance to stand up and be counted.”
Marshall, Estes, Mann and LaTurner were counted, all right.
In the wrong column.
On Thursday, both Marshall and Estes released statements decrying Wednesday’s violence, acknowledging Biden as the President-elect and urging a peaceful transition.
“I am sickened and angered by the violence that unfolded at our nation’s Capitol yesterday,” Marshall said in a Facebook post. “Your actions were despicable and each of you — the rioters, vandals, and trespassers — should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
Know what else is sickening and despicable? Elected officials who undermine the democracy they claim to care so much about.
Marshall, Estes, Mann and LaTurner should be ashamed. If it’s political theater they’re after, the show needs to stop.
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 2:54 PM.