After searing police testimony, Cline’s silence resounds

Let’s review Congressman Cline’s response to what Washington, DC, police officer Daniel Hodges correctly called the January 6 assault on the US Capitol by pro-Trump terrorists.

As the terrorists were brutally attacking police and minutes before they entered the Capitol, Cline (or someone on his staff) posted on Facebook trying to draw a direct parallel between the objections of a few House Democrats to the result of the 2000 presidential election (for which there were reasons to object) and the objections of Cline and 146 other members of Congress to the clear and convincing election of Joe Biden in 2020.

After the terrorists had broken in and rampaged through the Capitol, Cline condemned the violence and called for those who participated to be prosecuted. But unlike some other Republicans, he did not place the blame where it ultimately belonged: on then-president Donald Trump. He then voted against certifying the election of Joe Biden as president; that is, he did what the terrorists wanted.

Cline, of course, opposed impeaching Trump for his role in inciting the January 6 insurrection, denying the evidence of Trump’s culpability.

He has never acknowledged on whose behalf the terrorists were acting. As recently as this month he attended a CPAC conference in Dallas, featuring revisionist lies about January 6, where he shamelessly referred to “our great president Donald J. Trump.”

In May Cline voted against a bipartisan commission to investigate January 6. When asked about his vote by a reporter, Cline claimed it was “not a non-partisan proposal,” even though it was the product of an agreement between Republican Congressman John Katko and Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson.

So I suppose we should not be surprised at Cline’s utter silence on the harrowing testimony of the four heroic police offers who were brutalized by the pro-Trump mob at the Capitol on January 6– especially since they were willing to call out the people who deserved to be called out.

He has posted several times on his Congressional Facebook page since Tuesday’s hearing without mentioning it. Judging from the comments posted in response, I am not the only one who noticed this.

If he is asked (and I hope someone will ask him), he will probably say what other Congressional Republicans have said: that he was too busy to watch the hearing.

Someone also needs to ask Cline if he agrees with the chair of the House Freedom Caucus (of which he is a proud member) that two of the most conservative members of Congress– Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger– deserve to be kicked out of the House Republican caucus for daring to participate in Tuesday’s hearing.

Until we do hear from Cline, we have every reason to ask him: Whose side are you on?

Please don’t try to tell us you are on the side of the brave officers who testified– who put their lives on the line to protect you– or on the side of any other law enforcement officers. Because we won’t believe you.

For you, it’s party over country (and decency) every time.