Editorial: Short takes on abortion firsts and endangered Russian species | Editorial

Rep. Ann Wagner refuses to shy away from her position opposing abotion even though some of her Republican colleagues, fearful of a midterm voter backlash, have moderated their stands. The concern among some is that voters could realiate after the Supreme Court ruling overturning abortion rights. Some GOP members of Congress reportedly also are softening their support for ex-President Donald Trump.

Wagner expressed outrage at the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, labeling it “truly shocking” and saying it “furthers our nation’s mistrust of government at all levels” while conveniently omitting the fact that Trump unlawfully possessed highly classified government documents.

But doubling down on super-boldness is what Wagner is all about. She declared in a tweet this week that she will “never waver” in opposition to abortion and will stand against Democrats who “champion abortion even after a baby is born.”

A New Mexico judge has removed a county commissioner from his post for his conviction in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. It’s the first time in more than 100 years that a public official has been barred from serving by the 14th Amendment’s prohibition on insurrectionists in office. The shoe fits.

The 14th Amendment, passed in 1868 during post-Civil War Reconstruction, states that no one may hold government office if that person had previously held office while engaging in “insurrection or rebellion” against the U.S. The ban can be lifted by a two-thirds vote of Congress, but otherwise it is for life.

Couy Griffin, an Otero County, New Mexico, commissioner and founder of a group called Cowboys for Trump, was convicted this year of trespassing for breaching barricades near the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot.

New Mexico District Court Judge Francis Mathew wrote that in addition to the trespassing, Griffin’s role in “planning, mobilization and incitement” of the riot means he is “constitutionally disqualified from serving.” It’s a standard that perhaps should apply to a certain former president.

One of the most dangerous occupations in Russia these days is serving in senior management positions in that nation’s oil industry. People who take those jobs keep winding up dead in freak accidents that very often occur after they say things that displease Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin.

The board chairman of Lukoil, Russia’s largest private oil producer, died last week from either a “serious illness” or from falling out a hospital window, depending on who’s doing the narrative. Lukoil said board chairman Ravil Maganov had “passed away following a severe illness” that was not specified.

But the Interfax news agency reported that Maganov “fell from a window at Central clinical hospital” and “died from injuries sustained.” One Russian news agency suggested he slipped while smoking on a balcony. Perhaps it was a balcony with no rails.

According to the Guardian newspaper, half a dozen businesspeople linked to the Russian energy industry have died under mysterious circumstances since Russia invaded Ukraine. Lukoil had criticized the invasion and called for “the soonest termination of the armed conflict.”

A Missouri man, Lloyd Casimiro Cruz Jr., made a novel plea in his own defense during a court trial for invading the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. After lying about having participated in the Capitol insurrection, Cruz needed reminding that he had used a Go Pro-type device to video-record his own participation in the rampage. That was a big-oops moment. His memory refreshed, he amended his statement to admit openly that he was there — exercising his First Amendment rights. He asserted that the prosecution’s case against him is “undeniably unconstitutional.”

Invading the Capitol wasn’t just a matter of free expression, Cruz insists that it was his “civic duty” to join the rioters. In a motion filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, his motion states: “Cruz’s indictment is aimed at chilling Cruz’s (and millions of others’) right to petition and speak against perceived government abuses at the Capitol.” The petitioning included beating police officers, dousing them with chemical irritants, and rampaging through the Capitol shouting threats to hang Vice President Mike Pence and hunt down House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Cruz’s lawyer also claimed to have come across “evidence” that the Capitol was open to visitors at the time. So Cruz did nothing wrong. Case closed.

Megyn Kelly, the once-relevant Fox News host who has slipped into obscurity since leaving the network, managed to grab a few headlines recently by dropping an F-bomb on Dr. Anthony Fauci during her show on a podcast. What got Kelly’s ire up was a comment from Fauci in response to an interviewer’s hypothetical question about whether he would agree to appear before Congress for hearings if a future Republican majority investigated and subpoenaed him (as some congressional Republicans have vowed to do).

Fauci answered that he “certainly would consider” it. That was a gracious response compared to those of former President Donald Trump’s minions, who have routinely thumbed their noses at congressional subpoenas, generally with Trump’s backing.

But it set Kelly off. “F*** you, Dr. Fauci,” she barked.

It was part of a broader rant in which Kelly essentially blamed Fauci for the economic shutdown, the slide in test scores for kids and other casualties of the coronavirus. Never mind that the body count would likely have been even higher without Fauci’s calm, science-based guidance.