Dems Beat Up One of Their Own After She Points Out Dubious Timing of Congressman's Retirement

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The Democrats in Congress: Release the Epstein files! We need to investigate corruption!

Also, the Democrats in Congress: Don’t look into our own corrupt behavior! How dare you?

Yes, apparently, it’s too much to ask that — now that Congress has busied itself focusing on blatantly chimerical links between the president and a sex pervert — they’ll take a moment out of their time to condemn actual unbecoming behavior in the person of Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García.

Rep. García, an Illinois Democrat, has been representing Illinois’ 4th Congressional District since 2019. He filed to run for another term on Oct. 28, only to withdraw on Nov. 3.

The reason, Rep. García said, was that he needed to take care of his grandchildren and wife, who has multiple sclerosis.

García’s spokeswoman, Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli, said on Nov. 12 that García “made a deeply personal decision based on his health, his wife’s worsening condition and his responsibility to the grandchildren he is raising after the death of his daughter.”

“He followed every rule and every filing requirement laid out by the State of Illinois,” Rodriguez-Ciampoli said. “At a moment like this, he hopes his colleagues, especially those who speak about family values, can show the same compassion and respect that any family would want during a health crisis.”

He endorsed his chief of staff, Patty García — no relation — for the position, according to The Hill.

Chuy said she “knows the issues, knows the players in Washington, and has the talent and heart to deliver real results for working families.”

The problem? Well, it’s not as if voters have any choice in the matter. Chuy García’s decision not to run came just hours before the filing deadline for the 2026 primary, leaving Patty García the only candidate on the ballot. She just happened to have a candidacy ready to go and the papers ready to submit when her boss just happened to make a decision hours before the deadline for other candidates to enter.

If you believe this I have several bridges and stock in FTX to sell you.

Anyhow, Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington realized what Basil Fawlty might have called “the bleeding obvious” and introduced a resolution to condemn Rep. García for effectively rigging the search for his replacement, which led to the Democrats speaking with one voice and condemning … uh, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

First, when the resolution was introduced last week, Rep. Delia Ramirez, also an Illinois Democrat, played the identity card, saying that Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez was “[g]oing after a strong progressive Latino leader.”

Stuff like that was pretty common up until Monday, when we got this unhinged floor speech from another Illinois Democrat — Rep. Jan Schakowsky — effectively pulling a Grandma Karen act by wagging a trembling finger at Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez and others who wanted to hold a Democrat to account, yelling “shame!”

This was hardly the only finger-wagging going on Monday, since — as The Hill noted — the resolution condemning Rep. García has become “a headache for House Democratic leadership.”

Are the Democrats corrupt?

Yes: 100% (53 Votes)

No: 0% (0 Votes)

“I do not support this so-called resolution of disapproval. And I strongly support Congressman Chuy García,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

“He’s been a progressive champion in disenfranchised communities for decades — including during his time in Congress — and he’s made life better for the American people.”

This didn’t work, and the House voted not to table the motion by a 211-206 vote. Only two of those votes against tabling it were from Democrats — Perez and Jared Golden, a retiring moderate-ish Maine representative.

Appearing on CNN Sunday, Gluesenkamp Perez said “it’s not fun to call out a member of your own party.”

“But I think it’s important that we’re consistent and … we’re loyal to the soil, we’re loyal to our constituents, and say, like, election subversion is always wrong. That’s not how we run things in this country, and that’s not the party that I want to be a part of,” she told Jake Tapper.

Democrats would not-so-humbly disagree. And why wouldn’t they? This isn’t about principle for them. Sure, it’s election-rigging, especially since the district Rep. García represents is overwhelmingly Democratic. But why focus on that when there’s a non-existent Jeffrey Epstein scandal to exploit and another shutdown to be had?

In other words, the only person who’ll face substantive punishment for this whole sad affair is Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. In protecting their own, the Democrats have shown what kind of consistent values they espouse: None.

Contributor, Commentary

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C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.

C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties).

Birthplace

Morristown, New Jersey

Education

Catholic University of America

Languages Spoken

English, Spanish

Topics of Expertise

American Politics, World Politics, Culture

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