The star of the Show Trial has been Republican Liz Cheney, whom the Democrats have used to make their principal case against Donald Trump. Media have praised her for this act of self-sacrifice, noting that she is likely to lose her seat in Congress for her trouble.
So, too, is fellow committee Republican Adam Kinzinger. But he's not being ousted by the voters. Rather, Illinois Democrats rewarded him for his service by drawing him out of his own district.
There are occasionally politicians who do the right thing at the cost of their own careers. That is not the case with Cheney. She has done the wrong thing, not by opposing Trump but by participating in a sham process, a kangaroo court.
And she is going to lose her seat because she is doing nothing about what voters actually care about. She is not holding the Biden administration accountable for its failures. She is basically using her seat to carry out a family political crusade.
She will find herself a cushy job as a lobbyist, pundit, or professor. She knows she is feathering her nest every time she attacks Trump. She is no martyr. She is the archetype of the unprincipled politician with too much power.
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
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This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
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