Senator Margaret Chase Smith meets Representative Elizabeth Cheney

[Joinfortmill]

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-1-2022?s=r

Two Republican Women Who Took A Stand Against Fascism (my words)

When she was elected to Congress... Smith’s party was divided between those who thought the new system was a proper adjustment to the modern world and those determined to destroy that new government...

On February 9, 1950, during a speech...Joe McCarthy claimed that he had a list of 205 communists working for the State Department and that the Democrats refused to investigate these “traitors in the government.” The anti–New Deal faction of the party jumped on board. Sympathetic newspapers trumpeted McCarthy’s charges — and his colleagues cheered him on while congress members from the Republican faction that had signed onto the liberal consensus kept their heads down to avoid becoming the target of his attacks...

All but one of them did, that is. Senator Smith recognized the damage McCarthy and his ilk were doing to the nation. Smith stood up in the Senate to make a short speech. She began: “I would like to speak briefly and simply about a serious national condition. It is a national feeling of fear and frustration that could result in national suicide and the end of everything that we Americans hold dear…. I speak as a Republican, I speak as a woman. I speak as a United States Senator. I speak as an American.”

Referring to Senator McCarthy, who was sitting two rows behind her, Senator Smith condemned the leaders in her party who were destroying lives with wild accusations. “Those of us who shout the loudest about Americanism in making character assassinations are all too frequently those who, by our own words and acts, ignore some of the basic principles of Americanism,”

“I do not want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny—Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry and Smear.”

“I doubt if the Republican Party could do so,” she added, “simply because I do not believe the American people will uphold any political party that puts political exploitation above national interest. Surely we Republicans are not that desperate for victory.”

“It is high time that we all stopped being tools and victims of totalitarian techniques—techniques that, if continued here unchecked, will surely end what we have come to cherish as the American way of life.”

[Botany]

1. "I do not want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, ..

... and Smear.” And now those 4 things are the cornerstones of Fox News, hate talk radio,
disinformation web sites, and the GOP.

She was one of "the good ones" and would have no home in the Republican Party today.

[llmart]

2. +1

I saw her speak at my oldest sister's college graduation. I have never forgotten that. Though I don't remember a thing she said, seeing a woman as Senator made a big impression on me as a teenager. This was at a liberal arts all female college where I went on to get my own degree.

[jpak]

3. MJS was my grandmother's basketball coach

Long time family friend

[crickets]

4. K&R for visibility.

[msfiddlestix]

5. k&r

[WarGamer]

6. "meets"????

In a poltergeist sorta' way??

(she died 27 years ago)

And Liz Cheney standing up to Trump is NOT standing up to fascism.

She has devoted her entire career to the promotion of fascism, simply not the Trump flavor.

She's a poster-girl for neo-conservatism and a pom pom waver for endless wars... big supporter of Shrub and his illegal war.

[Joinfortmill]

7. You are, of course, free to disagree.

These two women stood up for their country, no matter what we may think of each of their politics in general. When I say, 'meets' I mean it philosophically, not literally. I'm sure you realize that. Your statement reflects on you, as mine reflects on me. I will let my statement stand.