Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Elise Stefanik's defense of Trump around Jan. 6 clouds her pro-democracy work abroad
I thought this was an interesting story about Stefanik. How can someone pivot so abruptly and why? What a waste. They kept her on the board because they fear losing their funding.
In October 2021, New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik stepped onstage at an event in Washington, D.C. – a celebration of human rights activists from Central America.
...
The event was organized by the National Endowment for Democracy, a congressionally funded pro-democracy group where Stefanik serves on the board of directors.
In her speech, Stefanik talked about Nicaragua's "consolidation into dictatorship" and the importance of "promoting and strengthening democracy around the world."
But when it comes to domestic politics, the No. 3 House Republican strikes a different tone.
..
But after Stefanik was chosen for the board in early 2019, her politics changed. Now, some people who work at the Endowment say that she is undermining their mission and harming their work from the inside.
...
At the National Endowment for Democracy, a lot of people on staff were livid about Stefanik's Jan. 6 vote. One former staffer told NPR that the Endowment's values were "totally undermined and mocked" by its own board member.
More than 60 people signed an internal letter describing Stefanik's actions as "upsetting in the extreme."
The organization put out a statement about Jan. 6, saying that the Endowment is "appalled by the violent and seditious assault" on the Capitol. But they decided not to remove Stefanik.
A lot of the staffers were sympathetic to the leadership's point that the Endowment's funding has been at risk in the past and could easily be jeopardized again if the organization is perceived as choosing sides in political battles.
...
The event was organized by the National Endowment for Democracy, a congressionally funded pro-democracy group where Stefanik serves on the board of directors.
In her speech, Stefanik talked about Nicaragua's "consolidation into dictatorship" and the importance of "promoting and strengthening democracy around the world."
But when it comes to domestic politics, the No. 3 House Republican strikes a different tone.
..
But after Stefanik was chosen for the board in early 2019, her politics changed. Now, some people who work at the Endowment say that she is undermining their mission and harming their work from the inside.
...
At the National Endowment for Democracy, a lot of people on staff were livid about Stefanik's Jan. 6 vote. One former staffer told NPR that the Endowment's values were "totally undermined and mocked" by its own board member.
More than 60 people signed an internal letter describing Stefanik's actions as "upsetting in the extreme."
The organization put out a statement about Jan. 6, saying that the Endowment is "appalled by the violent and seditious assault" on the Capitol. But they decided not to remove Stefanik.
A lot of the staffers were sympathetic to the leadership's point that the Endowment's funding has been at risk in the past and could easily be jeopardized again if the organization is perceived as choosing sides in political battles.
More here:
https://www.npr.org/2022/06/20/1105966424/elise-stefaniks-defense-of-trump-around-jan-6-clouds-her-pro-democracy-work-abro
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
On edit. With Republicans, you've really got to look at their rhetoric, actions and particularly the names of their organizations with a good, strong pair of Orwellian glasses. In Republican world, up is down, right is left.