Jen Psaki comes out swinging
President Biden’s suggestion on Tuesday that local community volunteers offer the coronavirus vaccine door-to-door is an example of an administration proactively trying to fulfill a core function of government, keeping its citizens safe. As the Delta variant of the coronavirus quickly spreads across the United States, devising new ways to increase the vaccination rate has become even more essential.
Unfortunately, too many elected Republicans can’t acknowledge a good idea—even one that could save their constituents’ lives — as long as that idea is proposed by a Democrat. They often avoid attacking the idea’s merits or efficacy because there’s honestly nothing to criticize. Instead, they insinuate that the idea may seem good but is fueled by sinister and corrupt motives, and so we should all be suspicious and scared.
The latest example of this lunacy comes courtesy of an unhinged trio who have been violating their congressional oath of office to defend the Constitution since January 3. Speaking separately, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Madison Cawthorn have together crafted a conspiratorial narrative that is not only hyper-partisan and unfounded but guaranteed to interfere with life-saving efforts.
Despite recently apologizing for comparing government efforts against the coronavirus with Nazi atrocities during the Holocaust, Greene rushed out a reference to Hitler’s paramilitary unit. Tweeting on Tuesday that vaccinators are “medical brown shirts,” Greene claimed they would arrive at your home “ordering vaccinations” and therefore “force people to be part of the human experiment.” On Thursday, Boebert similarly tweeted calling door-to-door vaccinators “Needle Nazis.”
Cawthorn then added his support to the nonsense in an interview with Right Side Broadcasting Network at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas on Friday. Cawthorn first suggested that the door-to-door vaccination plan would require “massive” mechanisms. Cawthorn then explained why the Biden administration’s suggestion should frighten us. “Think about what those mechanisms could be used for. They could then go door-to-door to take your guns. They could then go door-to-door to take your bibles.”
Fortunately, a voice of reason swiftly pushed back against the conspiratorial madness. Speaking at Friday afternoon’s press briefing, Press Secretary Jen Psaki perfectly focused attention on why such statements from depraved elected leaders are so dangerous. “The failure to provide accurate public health information, including the efficacy of vaccines and the accessibility of them to people across the country… is literally killing people,” Psaki pointed out. “So maybe they should consider that.”
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month