Give ‘em Hell, Harry!
Sometimes telling the truth feels like hell but it doesn’t mean we shouldn't tell it
The sin of criticism
It appears I committed a cardinal sin last week when in a fit of frustration, I criticized the Biden Administration after two of the so called ‘Tennessee Three’ were expelled from the state legislature. I asked where was the President?
The replies are full of furious liberals angered by audacity for “blaming” Biden for the outrageous actions of the GOP. A large swath of the replies were from people deeply offended that I would attack the Democrats for the awful actions of the Republicans instead of blaming the GOP and demanding that “reasonable Republicans step up!”
I am still stuck on that concept of “blame.” Demanding our leaders fight back against increasing authoritarianism of the right isn’t blaming them for that horrifying movement. It’s holding them accountable to mount a serious and effective counter offensive. I can blame Republicans for their outrages while simultaneously demanding my side do their part to resist it.
My outburst wasn’t just about the Tennessee Three. It’s all of the insane battles being waged in red states by Republicans sitting with majorities and supermajorities. They’re pushing everywhere from ending abortion access to cutting off transgender student athletes; from attacks on curriculum to destroying diversity programs; and from ending gender affirming care to passing even looser gun laws. These so called ‘culture war’ issues feel very real to those of us under fire.
What does history tell us about these battles?
The Senator from Pendergrast
I live and grew up in one of those red states, Missouri, so I’m a fan of Harry Truman having learned about our state’s president at a young age. My appreciation for him only grew as I got older and learned about his humble roots and service in the Army in World War I.
It all began during his re-election campaign for his second term as the nation was building up its military and industrial power in 1940 as it was increasingly clear that we would be drawn into the war overseas. He heard rumors of outrageous failures by the convoluted bureaucracy that had sprung up to manage production and construction amid greedy contractors looking for profits after the Great Depression. He drove in his personal car all over the Midwest and South visiting installations and factories under construction, usually not even telling them he was a Senator.
What he found stunned him and led him to deliver a speech to the Senate after his re-election on February 10, 1941. He outlined what he had found raising serious questions about waste, fraud, and abuse in the government’s dealings with private manufacturers and calling for an investigatory committee to be established: “I am merely stating what I believe to be conditions that deserve investigation. If nothing is wrong, there will be no harm done. If something is wrong, it ought to be brought to light.”
Truman was a patriot. He was a Captain in the artillery on the front lines in World War I and remained in the Reserves after. When war looked like it would come, he went to General Marshall’s office and volunteered to return to the Army as he was a Colonel at the time. Marshall turned him down saying he needed him in the Senate more than an old soldier on the battlefield. It’s hard to believe how prescient that would be.
Once the United States formally entered the war, the Truman Committee deftly navigated the line between ensuring the public interest was served without harming military efforts. The effort was not without its challenges such as when bringing forward whistleblowers who showed the shoddy construction of weapons that hurt our service members. The results spoke for themselves. The committee is credited with saving countless U.S. and allied lives and possibly as much as $15 billion in 1940’s dollars. That would be a savings of over $322 billion today.
His work would lead to him to be recruited to run as Vice President in 1944 and eventually succeeding FDR. Today we remember Harry Truman as a straight shooter who never forgot that in the end the buck stopped with him.
Where does the buck stop now?
Which brings us to today and how I find myself frustrated with how we approach our fight for the soul of our nation. The MAGA Republican Party and their vast swath of supporters, propagandists, funders, and foot soldiers are aggressively targeting every aspect of the rights we hold dear. In state houses across the country real Americans are losing their free speech, education, healthcare choices, freedom to be themselves, and so many more fundamental pieces of our national identity.
They are chipping away piece by piece to divide us. In Missouri the Republican supermajority House just stripped away funding for public libraries because two librarians sued the state over a book ban law from last year.
It appears by all accounts President Biden sees these as “culture war” issues and the Administration takes the view they are distractions from their most important efforts like improving the economy. Many of the political pundit and “Democratic Strategist” class agree. While there is much truth to that it’s also short sighted. Frankly, if I hear from one more expert tell me about how “it’s still the economy, stupid” will outright scream at them.
People are dying. Kids are being murdered in schools. Women are losing access to safe pregnancy care. The attacks on transgender youth alone are devastating. The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth. When Republican legislatures in places like Missouri ban gender affirming care for kids under 18, they are committing murder.
They are only getting started. Transgender Americans and drag shows are easy targets. They won’t be the last.
These aren’t “culture wars” to them. These aren’t distractions. These aren’t messaging problems. They are real assaults on Americans and our future. We need to fight. The idea that the solution is to blame Republicans and demand that “reasonable” members of the GOP step up is ludicrous in every way. We didn’t say, “wow…Putin invaded Ukraine…well…reasonable Russians need to step and stop this!” No, we built a coalition, and we supported Ukraine in their fight. Let’s do it here.
There are a host of things that the national leadership can do starting with the simplest of them all. The President has the greatest bully pulpit in the world. He must use it. He must come to these states. He must show the lonely voices that they are not alone. He must expose these heinous actions for what they are and use the power of his Administration to roll them back.
I was thrilled to see Vice President Harris hop a plane to Nashville the very day after the expulsion of Representatives Pearson and Jones. Shining the bright light on these actions is a key pillar in stopping this march to authoritarianism. They want to operate in the shadows. We can’t let them.
Those of us who support this President can’t be shy in demanding we do better. Just as Harry Truman demanded better from FDR and his Administration to prepare and fight World War II. It’s not disloyal to push our side to do more. It’s not disloyal to demand accountability. It’s not disloyal to offer solutions.
It’s our duty.
After Roosevelt died Truman assumed the Presidency, he was running for re-election in 1948 and during a campaign stop in Bremerton, Washington, he delivered a fiery speech attacking the Republicans. A supporter called out, “give ‘em hell Harry!”
Truman replied, “I don’t give them hell. I just tell the truth about them, and they think it’s hell.” We know how that campaign ended up.
We need to keep on telling the truth on them. If it feels like hell that’s because sometimes the truth hurts. But we are going to have to go through hell to get to the other side. I’m glad to be on the right side of this fight but I want my side to fight.
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Scouts out!
Fred
Give em hell Fred.
Ok I started to get nervous because I respect Biden so much but you sold me. “The President ... must show the lonely voices that they are not alone.” And we must do our best to make sure he does that.