The right to vote, and to have that vote counted, is the defining feature of our democratic system. As we all learned four years ago, that sacred right doesn’t mean much to Donald Trump, who made clear his willingness to casually throw out tens of millions of legally cast ballots if he doesn’t like the outcome.
Our congressman, Andy Harris, chairman of the comically misnamed Freedom Caucus, shares Donald Trump’s and J.D. Vance’s disdain for elections and voters. But Harris’ brand of authoritarianism actually goes a step further. He told a Republican Party dinner in Talbot County last Thursday that, given hurricane damage in western North Carolina, the legislature there should consider dispensing with voting altogether and simply assign the state’s 16 electoral votes to Donald Trump.
Congressman Harris has long been an admirer of Hungary’s authoritarian leader, Viktor Orban. But not even Orban (or for that matter, Russia’s Vladimir Putin or Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei) has gone quite so far as to name a winner before the election. Think about that: Many of the world’s worst leaders at least make a show of democracy. Our “Freedom Caucus” leader stands alone in his open disdain for democratic ideals.
Naturally, when word of what he said leaked out, Harris tried to walk it back. No one has ever accused the good doctor of being a profile in courage. Rather than owning up to his obvious anti-democratic impulses, he now twists himself into knots to claim that his statement was merely “hypothetical” and taken out of context.
Here’s some context for you. In the days before the January 6, 2021 insurrection, Andy Harris was part of a small group of Donald Trump’s cronies who met in the White House to devise a plot to block the peaceful transfer of power and keep Trump in office by overthrowing the results of a free and fair election.
Are Harris’ colleagues having misgivings about promoting him to a high-level position within their ranks? It sure sounds like it. GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina told Politico “it makes no sense whatsoever to prejudice the election outcome,” and that Harris was misinformed about conditions on the ground in North Carolina. “Bless his heart,” McHenry added, as if Harris were some kindly but feeble-minded cousin.
But Andy Harris is neither kindly nor feeble-minded. He is a smart man, a physician with a long history of success in politics. He knows exactly what he is doing when he allies himself with the likes of wannabe dictators like Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and Viktor Orban.
Fortunately, we on the Eastern Shore have a chance in this election to let Andy Harris know what we think of someone like him – one who calls himself a leader but would casually discard the rights of his fellow citizens.
After all, we still live in a democracy. For now.
By: Heather R. Mizeur, former Maryland State Legislator and 2022 Democratic Nominee for Congress in MD-01. Ms. Mizeur resides in Chestertown and can be reached at [email protected]
Richard Lynch says
Well written. How people keep electing Andy is beside me. He is mean spirited.
Beth Mufson says
Well said Heather! Andy Harris is a liar and a hypocrite who routinely votes against his constituents’ best interests. His collusion with Trump led him to decline to confirm President Biden’s victory on January 6th and Andy was carrying a gun in the US Capital on that day. (He knew what was planned). He is also a co-sponsor of the Life at Conception bill giving full rights to a zygote, which is a fertilized egg cell. Full rights by law! Think about what this means for IVF etc.
Michael Davis says
I have written many times about how Harris violated his oath of office. Having taken that same oath many times in my career, and never once breaking it because I think swearing an oath to defend America against enemies both foreign and domestic is an honor. People who serve are privileged to work in critical positions to serve everyone in this country.
Andy throws his oath away out for a fidelity to the man who gives sensitive security information to Russia. A man says he loves North Korea. A man who trusts Putin over our own defense department. A man who has said that he intends discard our Constitution. And has tried to do so.
I don’t know any definition of the word “traitor” that does not describe Andy Harris.
Francine DeSanctis says
Thank you for reminding us all in District 1 of what a plague we have in our midst. Outside of voting straight Party line, there seems to be no intelligent reason Harris is still holding a position of respect. That seat could be occupied with a person who gives a damn!
Bob Parker says
Andy Harris, an anesthesiologist who identifies his subspecialty as “obstetric anesthesia” allowed his GOP colleagues to falsely claim that doctors perform abortions up to the day of birth and if a baby is born alive they then kill the baby, a statement parroted by Mr. Trump.
This is false, and as an anesthesiologist specializing in obstetrics, he knows better, but refuses to contradit his colleagues or cult leader. If he has observed such acts,and did not report it, he is complicit in a crime, if he believes that it actually happens, he is stupid, if he knows that it doesn’t happen but remains silent, he has no character. Andy, you choose – stupid, no character or a criminal – which is it?
Eric Ploeg says
Just curious…….Ms. Mizeur claims this about Andy Harris – “In the days before the January 6, 2021 insurrection, Andy Harris was part of a small group of Donald Trump’s cronies who met in the White House to devise a plot to block the peaceful transfer of power and keep Trump in office by overthrowing the results of a free and fair election.” WOW!
Really? That’s a strong accusation so surely she has more than merely “reliable sources” to back up that claim. Hope she can share more about the plot……..
Barbara Perry says
Here is the link to the Committee’s report on the Jan. 6 riot: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/07/13/harris-white-house-trump-meeting/ My guess is that because it is reported in the Washington Post you won’t believe it. However if you Google such a meeting that Harris attended, you will find more reports on his attendance at the White House meeting that took place in December of 2020.
Michael Davis says
Thank you. While we can never changed the minds of true believers, there is still value in asserting what is true.
Carol Voyles says
Thank you, Heather. It is hard to understand how a political party could have gone so far off the rails. One can only imagine it may have something to do with those million dollar chump-change checks the nation’s wealthiest man is now tossing about?
It seems that 36% of our nation’s wealth is now in the possession of just 1% of us – but still hard to conceive of a reason for such dysfunction.
William Keppen says
Yesterday I sent a note to Harris’ office on another issue I had sought help with, which he was unable to help with, but I thanked him for the effort anyway. I closed out my email with this – I was truly appalled to hear and see the person that represents me in the Congress of the United States speak in support of an effort by a state legislature to name Trump the winner of their state’s electors, before their citizens’ votes are cast and counted. Please feel free to pass that on.