Last Friday, the Supreme Court of the United States rightly dismissed the frivolous lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general against four swing states whose electoral votes have gone to President-elect Joe Biden. The lawsuit, which made unfounded and false allegations of mass voter fraud only in states Biden won, was joined by 17 states’ attorneys general and 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives — including our own attorney general, Patrick Morrisey, and two of our three representatives, Alex Mooney and Carol Miller.
The only thing that could be more mortifying is if all three of our representatives had signed the brief supporting the lawsuit. So we tip our hat to Rep. David McKinley for having the good sense not to run roughshod over democracy.
We truly are dumbfounded by House Republicans’ actions. This was a flagrant PR stunt with no hope of succeeding. Obviously, they were pandering to the base and trying to win the favor of an ex-president. But we can’t believe these people would so carelessly risk dismantling our democracy just so they could play at politics. We elect our representatives to work for us — to serve our interests. But they have shown us they are looking out for themselves first and foremost.
It’s doubtful any of the House members who signed onto the brief believe the election was rigged. As The New York Times points out: “The vast majority of the signatories won reelection last month in the same balloting that they now allege was illegitimate.” If any of those representatives actually believe the election is fraudulent, then they should decline to be seated in the next Congress.
Because here’s the kicker: Most states made changes to voting procedures because of the pandemic — including West Virginia. And if Pennsylvania’s, Michigan’s, Wisconsin’s and Georgia’s changes were illegal and allowed for mass voter fraud, then West Virginia’s changes were illegal and allowed for mass fraud. But no one is leveling such accusations at Secretary of State Mac Warner. Why? Because Trump handedly won West Virginia.
To Reps. Mooney and Miller and all other signatories: We’re calling your bluff. If you truly think the national election was rigged, then declare your own victories are ill-gotten gains and relinquish your seats in the House.
Regardless of your political leanings, the fact that 17 states’ attorneys general and 126 elected members of Congress sued to invalidate a legitimate election should terrify you. One hundred and twenty-six representatives in the United States government are not only willing, but eager to cast doubt on our election systems — to overturn our democracy — in order to serve their own political interests. Right now, if you voted for Trump, this may seem perfectly fine because their interests align with your own. But what happens when the representatives’ self-interests run counter to what is best for you, for us, for America? If you cheer those people now, you give them implicit permission to continue putting themselves first and Americans last.
