James Hirsen started his Nov. 10 Newsmax column by repeating the ConWeb lament that the right-wing extremism of newly selected House speaker Mike Johnson was being reported:
Mike Johnson is under attack for the religious and cultural beliefs that he holds.
In an appearance on a recent weekend news program, the newly-elected Speaker of the House made the following comments regarding the barrage of negativity that he is having to endure:
“There are entire industries built on taking down, tearing down people like me. I understand that comes with the territory and we’re not fazed by it,” he said.
From the moment he took possession of the Speaker’s gavel, enemies within the media have joined forces with partisan operatives in an attempt to pigeonhole him as an extremist.
Appearing to take things in stride, he stated, “I’ve been labeled all kinds of stuff, but these people don’t know me.”
One does not need to know another person to report accurately on them, and neither Johnson nor Hirsen have denied the specifics of what has been reported. Hirsen followed that by lazily reciting his resume and anonymous boilerplate praise:
Arriving at his new post with almost 20 years of constitutional law experience under his belt, in his practice he routinely safeguarded the fundamental rights of individuals and businesses.
He characterized his legal career as one that placed him in the position of “defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and biblical values…”
Highly respected by his colleagues, a deeply divided Republican caucus actually came together and succeeded in electing him as new House Speaker.
Even prior to his Speaker post he was held in high esteem by his colleagues. He was one of the most well-liked members of the GOP leadership.
Back in 2022, he had been unanimously elected vice chair of the House Republican Conference for a second time.
The favorable reputation was due in large part to the way in which he comported himself, humble in his demeanor yet true to his principles.
Hirsen then lamented that the creepiness of Johnson including his teenage son in his porn “accountability” software was being noted (while ignoring the creepiness aspect):
During a 2022 technology panel, which took place at his church in Louisiana, Johnson spoke about a subscription-based computer program that he and his teenage son were using at the time to monitor questionable content.
Media outlets, including Rolling Stone and The New Republic, apparently unearthed the remarks. Attacks were then leveled at the Speaker for his commitment against pornography.
While talking to reporters at the Capitol, he described the negative media blitz as “just the latest attack in a campaign by D.C. insiders on my faith.”
Of course, Hirsen chose to misleadingly frame the discussion about Johnson having a “commitment against pornography” and not, you know, that he brought his teenage son into it. He went on to insist that Johnson was just like the Founding Fathers and all about “principled governance”:
Those who are going after Johnson are perhaps unintentionally, or perhaps intentionally, forgetting that the beliefs he espouses are the same Judeo-Christian principles that served as foundational pillars during the initial formation of our country.
The Founders were heavily influenced by biblical teachings contained in the Old and New Testaments.
Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence the profound “self-evident” truth that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
These words spring from the Judeo-Christian credo that all people are created in the image of God.
The Founders recognized Scripture as a prime source of moral and ethical wisdom and incorporated many of its precepts into the U.S. Constitution. The three branches of government, checks and balances on power, the freedom to worship, and equal treatment under the law are but a few.
It is through the application of these inherent values that Johnson desires to implement what he terms “principled governance.”
Never mind that Johnson’s Republican Party is also the party of George Santos. Principled governance, anyone? And if Hirsen really had any principles, he would apologize for all the election fraud lies and conspiracy theories he spread after the 2020 election.
Hirsen concluded by declaring: “Praying for Speaker Johnson’s success. And a miracle for America.” It would be a miracle if Hirsen ever repented for the lies he spread.