Ousted Republican reflects on Trump, democracy and America: 'The place has lost its mind'

[Jilly_in_VA]

Rusty Bowers is headed for the exit. After 18 years as an Arizona lawmaker, the past four as speaker of the state’s house of representatives, he has been unceremoniously shown the door by his own Republican party.

Last month he lost his bid to stay in the Arizona legislature in a primary contest in which his opponent was endorsed by Donald Trump. The rival, David Farnsworth, made an unusual pitch to voters: the 2020 presidential election had not only been stolen from Trump, he said, it was satanically snatched by the “devil himself”.

Bowers was ousted as punishment. The Trump acolytes who over the past two years have gained control of the state’s Republican party wanted revenge for the powerful testimony he gave in June to the January 6 hearings in which he revealed the pressure he was put under to overturn Arizona’s election result.

This is a very Arizonan story. But it is also an American story that carries an ominous warning for the entire nation.

Six hours after the Guardian interviewed Bowers, Liz Cheney was similarly ousted in a primary for her congressional seat in Wyoming. The formerly third most powerful Republican leader in the US Congress had been punished too.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/20/rusty-bowers-interview-trump-arizona-republicans

Rusty Bowers may be a Republican, but he is a man of integrity. What was done to him and other people of integrity is untenable and inforgivable.

[SoCalDavidS]

1. All I Know Is That He Said He Would Vote For TFG Again If Given The Chance

I guess, because the worst repub is still better than Any Democrat.

[Marcus IM]

3. And Dick Cheney's daughter still refers to Dems as baby killers.

Freaking warped. Nothing new, just stepped up a notch.

[2naSalit]

4. He recanted after a couple more hearings.

He, changed his tune and said, publicly, that he couldn't in good conscience.

[yankee87]

2. No sympathy

Am I supposed to feel sorry for these people? They supported Putin’s puppet until the end. So they had one moment of conscience, am I supposed to thank them for that?
Heh, everyone, I didn’t rob any banks today, congrats to me.
This is the thinking here.

[JHB]

5. The Rockefeller Republicans would like to give you a golf clap for finally noticing...

...the dynamics that have been present in your party for your entire career, but they can't. They're all gone.

People like you drove them to extinction, largely by fostering the sort of rabid conformity to an ever-more extreme agenda that has, years later, ousted you.

[Cosmocat]

7. Well said

Nm

[superpatriotman]

6. Leopards ate his face

in other words.

[PortTack]

8. Ya well mr bowers also said when asked that yes he would vote for tfg again

He’s havin a sad cause he got booted from his seat. He could care less about the country or it’s ppl.

[Jilly_in_VA]

9. I guess you didn't listen to his testimony

before the Jan 6 committee. Or read the whole article.

[PortTack]

10. No.. i didn't, it doesn't change my mind about him. He openly said he would vote for tfg again

[Jilly_in_VA]

11. Then what you say

has little meaning.

[PortTack]

12. He said what he said! He's a republican

Rusty Bowers says he would vote for Trump again despite enduring a 'disturbing' months-long harassment campaign at his home incited by the former president

https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-house-speaker-rusty-bowers-vote-trump-again-pressure-campaign-2022-6?op=1

He may have changed his mind…no doubt he wouldn’t have had his primary election outcome been different.