News Roundup: A Republican war on books; GOP silence on Gosar's disgusting 'attack' video
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In the news today: Book burning and celebrations of violence against political enemies, both brought into the news by a Republican Party that is ticking down the checklist of fascism’s defining markers without bothering to put up much of a smokescreen while doing it. In Virginia, conservative school board members call explicitly for “burning” books they intend to confiscate from school libraries. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott continues his insufferably clumsy moves to latch on to every last far-right bugaboo of the moment, but only after others in the party have tested them out to see how they’ll sell.
The Kyle Rittenhouse trial continues, and the far-right continues to prop the young killer up as the sort of initiative-taking vigilante that will mete out the violence necessary to keep conservatism’s enemies in their place. And House Republicans remain silent, still, even as a member approvingly publicizes a “humorous” video premised on him hunting and killing Democratic officials.
Nobody’s trying to hide it anymore or soften it. The new Republican stance is that elections are optional, books are for burning, and violence can be both useful and worth celebrating if the targets are movement enemies. Here’s some of what you may have missed:
• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is all in on the Republican push to ban huge numbers of books
• Virginia school board members call for book-burning amid planned purge of ‘sexually explicit’ books
• Republican leaders’ silence on Gosar’s violent video shows where the party is headed
• In a sea of hostile witnesses, Mike Pence’s staff may give House committee an island of information
• Live updates: Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial continues
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