The Republican of Iowa, who repeatedly expressed his xenophobic sentiment and was sympathetic to politicians affiliated with white nationalist sentiments and movements, presented this lavish quote in an interview with New York Times earlier in the week.
"White nationalist, white supremacism, Western civilization – how has this language become shocking, why am I sitting in class to learn the merits of our history and our civilization?"
When White supremacy, an "ideology" behind the centuries of hatred, oppression and murder, in the United States and abroad, have they become a bad word? Somehow always. (King then clarified that he was "simply a nationalist." Uh, agree.)
This king even thought that this – let alone decided to say it in an interview with New York Times – was not surprising at all and deeply troubling.
It is not surprising that King has repeatedly and severely handled deeply anti-immigrant rhetoric and white nationalist rhetoric over the years. In recent years, King has:
approved a white nationalist candidate for mayor of Toronto (he said that he did not know his point of view)
met with an Austrian party of 39; extreme right and said: "What does diversity bring what we do not have already?"
Retweeted a white supremacist and neo-nazi British sympathizer [19659007] Tweety: We can not restore our civilization with the babies of somebody else
You see the idea.If you do not understand this idea, you have to make sure that you are still, you know, alive.)
In a statement to the House on Friday, King stated that the Times' article "sparked unnecessary controversy." [19659004] He added: "Nothing in my family, my story or my neighborhood does not suggest that these false allegations can be supported by any activity. I reject this story. I reject this ideology. I defend American civilization, which is an essential element of Western civilization. "
In recent years, King has been subjected to extensive scrutiny – and criticism." – Chairman of the National Republican Congress Committee Steve Stivers of Ohio had sentenced King for his comments. He would no longer support the Republican of Iowa.
The money was poured into the campaign of Democrat JD Scholten, despite the clear Republican predominance of the Western District of Iowa that the King has detained since 2002. Finally, King has won the victory, but narrowly.
Which brings us now and to the harsh reality facing Republicans: King will not go anywhere before at least the end of 2020.
"I think that any claim of white supremacy is false and I hate it," Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told CNN's Manu Raju but Grassley added about King: "The inhabitants of the 39, Iowa elected and you know that they made a choice, yes. "19659017] And that's the problem: impossible to After the review, King's comments on his race of 2018 indicate that the inhabitants of his 4th district did not know absolutely what they were voting for when they sent him back to Congress. For 50% of them, they a) simply voted for King because he was Republican b) ignored his comments while condemning them or c) were totally in agreement – even supported – King's views on immigration and race. [19659018] GOP legislator faces bipartisan condemnation after deploring white nationalist language deemed "offensive" "data-src-mini =" // cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181106155256-01- steve-king-110618-small-169.jpg "data-src-xsmall =" // cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181106155256-01-steve-king-110618-medium-plus-169.jpg "data-src-medium =" http://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181106155256-01-steve-king-110618-large-169.jpg "data-src-medium =" // cdn .cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181106155256-01-steve-king-110618-exlarge-169.jpg "data-src-large =" // cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181106155256- 01-steve-king-110618-super-169.jpg "data-src-full16x9 =" // cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181106155256-01-steve-king-110618-full-169.jpg "data-src-mini1x1 =" // cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181106155256-01-steve-king-110618-small-11.jpg "data-demand-load =" not-loaded "data -eq-pts = "mini: 0, xsmall: 221, small: 308, medium: 461, large: 781" src = "data: image / gif; base64, R0LGODlhEAAJAJEA AAAAAP /////// wAAACH5BAEAAAIALAAAAAAQAAkAAAIKlI + py + 0Po5yUFQA7 "/>
it is difficult to see two-thirds of the House support an effort to expel King from the House. Only two members of Congress have been expelled from modern political history; James Traficant (D-Ohio) in 2002 and Michael Myers (D-Pennsylvania) in 1980. Both were fired after being convicted of federal crimes, including corruption.
King did not break any law of this type. To have abominable views is not against the law. And, as Grassley rightly notes, it is hard to say that the people who sent King to Washington to represent them did not know at least some of his controversial views on immigration and race.
This means that Republicans will have to wait. until at least summer, when King would face a major challenge from Senator Randy Feenstra. "Today, the 4th district of Iowa has no voice in Washington because the caustic nature of our current representative has left us without a seat," said Feenstra in a statement announcing his application this week.
This is not safe. that Feenstra will be the only GOP candidate to face King in a primary. Or that Feenstra or anyone else beats King in a primary. (King remains quite popular among Trump's conservatives.)
What is certain – or almost – is that Steve King will continue to marry harmful views by November 2020. And that the Republicans will be able to barely anything to do about it.
