March 15, 2023

by Jeanine Molloff

Marjorie Taylor Greene is many things — brash, ignorant, loud, and one of Donald Trump’s biggest fans. She’s a top fundraiser for the GOP and is convinced Jewish space lasers caused the California wildfires. Little Margie, as I like to call her, dismisses cold hard facts in favor of her preferred bigotries. She hates drag queens and cradles an AR-15 like a baby. 

She is also a secessionist. 

Recently, on none other than Presidents’ Day (which ironically includes the birthday of the ‘Great Emancipator’ himself, Abraham Lincoln), Little Margie pushed for a “national divorce” — a euphemism for illegal and unconstitutional secession. She had no problems shrieking “SECESSION” at the top of her media-hungry lungs, basically spitting in Lincoln’s face.

She’s appeared on multiple talk shows explaining how we would become a cluster of nation-states, where those who “vote Democrat” should lose their voting rights for five years if they happen to have the misfortune to live in a ‘red’ state. LIttle Margie is pushing the stated goals of many neo-Confederate groups.

Now Greene pushing racist and antisemitic tropes wouldn’t warrant her removal from office. Pushing homophobic and transphobic lies wouldn’t, either. All of that is protected speech under the 1st Amendment. 

The ‘secession thing’ does.  

And Greene’s ‘national divorce’ is secession from the Union in favor of the new Confederacy. This new Confederacy has been operating in the shadows for decades now but has come out of the closet with the help of Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene, among other Republican extremists. 

Southern Poverty Law Center documents neo-Confederate groups...aka Greene’s friends...

The Southern Poverty Law Center documented the activities of these same neo-Confederate groups favored by Greene, which includes white supremacist groups. The groups listed are the following:

American Renaissance, the Confederate Society of America, the Confederate States of America, Council of Concerned Citizens, the Edgefield Journal, Heritage Preservation Association, Ludwig von Mises Institute, Rockford Institute, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Southern Legal Resource Center, Southern Military Institute, the Southern Party, United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the League of the South.

The goals of these neo-Confederate organizations range from reinstituting racial segregation to revoking citizenship and voting rights. For example, the Confederate States of America has called for the repeal of all constitutional amendments beyond the initial ten, which would revoke citizenship and voting rights for black people and women.

One of the most notorious neo-Confederate groups is the League of the South. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the League of the South is...” essentially theocratic, calling for the imposition of Christian doctrine on the apparatus of the state. It is also clearly racist in its attitude toward black people, a group that Hill once termed “a deadly and compliant underclass.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene aligns with secessionists and neo-Confederates, which is grounds for removal from office and future disqualification. 

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, otherwise known as the ‘disqualification clause’ clearly states that:  

…"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and VicePresident, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.”

It is painfully clear that the openly stated goals of Greene’s neo-Confederate friends constitutes “insurrection or rebellion.” There’s no guesswork here.  

Now, if the majority party in the House were populated by honest participants, their duty would be clear. Pushing for secession is a form of insurrection. We fought a Civil War on this principle.

Unfortunately, the present GOP will not remove Little Margie. Instead, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy permitted her to be placed on none other than the House Oversight and Homeland Security committees. So, what are the alternatives? How do we remove this blatant secessionist traitor? 

Antonin Scalia—an unlikely defender of the Union...

The late conservative SCOTUS justice, Antonin Scalia, had something to say about the issue of secession, and in true Scalia style, minced no words. 

To quote: “I cannot imagine that such a question could ever reach the Supreme Court,” …"To begin with, the answer is clear. If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede.”

So, is advocating for secession as Greene is openly doing, treasonous? Treason, according to the Legal Information Institute of the Cornell Law School, is defined in accordance with Article III, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution. To quote: “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.”

How does advocating for secession not constitute a treasonous act? While there are legal scholars who have argued on both sides, thus aiding and abetting a neo-Confederate cause; this is not the meaning behind equal justice. ‘Rule of Law’ should not merely represent a grocery list of exemptions for the ruling class. It is supposed to represent equal rights for all and privilege for none. Unfortunately, the GOP regards such a promise as a quaint joke. 

Twitter-verse of GOP members denouncing MTG....

Even other Republicans call out MTG’s “National Divorce” as treasonous, so why hasn’t Speaker McCarthy benched her? Among these Republican voices was former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, who plainly stated in a tweet that: “Our country is governed by the Constitution. Secession is unconstitutional. No member of Congress should advocate secession, Marjorie.”

Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti made the case for MTG’s treasonous intent in plain terms.

Mariotti explained in a tweet that: “The last time some states decided to ‘separate’ from the Union, the Civil War made clear for all time that we are indivisible. We’re all in this together. Advocating for the dissolution of the United States is treasonous and un-American.”

Former Republican Congressman Denver Riggleman served as an investigator on the January 6th committee. Again, on Twitter, he voiced his objections to her being seated as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, stating that: “I would think that this alone would disqualify a sitting member of Congress from serving on the Committee for Homeland Security.”

Conservative commentator Erick Erickson tweeted; “The confederates already lost once, Marjorie.”

Conservative writer David French also called out MTG but warned that her beliefs are widespread on the far right, and they should be taken seriously: “The dangerous thing about this tweet is not that an individual member of Congress is this radical (there are always a few crank radicals of Congress), it’s that she speaks for a very real part of the right. I hear that same sentiment all the time.”

National security attorney Bradley Moss tweeted: “You can leave, Queen Qanon. Your state is staying. Oh, in case you forgot, the Supreme Court ruled on your idea more than 150 years ago. Hint: they didn’t rule in your favor.” For the record, Moss is an expert in national security law and currently serves on the National Military Intelligence Association’s Board of Directors. He’s also a notable author on Just Security.

To their collective and cowardly disgrace, only a few Democrats denounced MJG’s call for secession - one of which was Rep. Robert Garcia, D-California. Garcia tweeted: “You are a danger to the country and you only want to divide us. You are literally calling for secession, which is pretty on brand for traitors like you.”

Democrat Jamal Bowman did issue a strong response back in December of 2021, when Greene began pushing for a new Civil War, barely a few months after first entering office. Under Speaker Pelosi, Greene was stripped of her committee assignments, but Speaker McCarthy has no similar problems with Greene’s treasonous rhetoric.

In a Twitter post, Jamaal Bowman forcibly made the case Democratic leadership was too cowardly to state: “The fact that a sitting member of Congress is toying with the idea of a civil war 8 days before January 6 should alarm everyone. We expelled 14 members in 1861 for supporting the confederacy. Why does Marjorie Taylor Greene still have her seat? She must be expelled.”

Bowman’s response still resonates over 2 years later. Why does Green still have her seat? Why was she assigned to the Homeland Security Committee? Greene’s flirtation with secession is nothing new, so why hasn’t she been expelled from office under the disqualification clause of the US Constitution?  Speaker McCarthy’s silent complicity -- followed up by rewarding MTG....

So, with allegations of treason against MTG coming from both sides of the political aisle, why is she permitted to sit on the Homeland Security Committee? I placed multiple calls to Speaker McCarthy and Homeland Security Chair Rep. Mark Green for some clarity. I asked both leaders the following two questions:

1.)  Do you support Marjorie Tayor Greene’s advocacy for secession?  

2.)  Why is Marjorie Taylor Greene on the Homeland Security Committee when she appears to pose an obvious national security risk with questionable loyalties as she continues to openly advocate for secession, which does constitute criminal sedition, if not outright treason?

To date, neither office has responded. 

Calls were also made to Marjorie Taylor Greene’s DC office, but no response has been given to date. Just to be fair, I made calls to minority leader Hakeem Jeffries regarding the relative silence coming from the democrats. Again, no response has been received. 

Despite this mountain of evidence, Greene has become untouchable. The Department of Justice is AWOL, failing to prosecute her for secession. Make no mistake, secession is a crime against the Constitution and the oath Greene swore upon taking office. 

Speaker McCarthy rewarded Greene, making her Speaker pro tempore...

To add further insult to injury, Speaker McCarthy has rewarded Marjorie Taylor Greene by declaring her the new Speaker pro tempore as of March 8, 2023. House Reading Clerk, Susan Cole, made the announcement from a prepared statement. It read as follows:

The Speaker’s Rooms, Washington, DC, March 8th, 2023.

I hereby appoint the Honorable Marjorie Taylor Greene to act as Speaker pro tempore on this day.

Signed, 

Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House of Representatives

Reaction to this event was immediate. Jen Psaki’s head tilt said it best: “Kevin McCarthy continues to insult Congress and the American people by anointing an insurrectionist to act as Speaker. This is vile.”

There can be no further doubt regarding McCarthy’s loyalties. He has sided with a neo-Confederate neo-Nazi. Marjorie Taylor Greene has been pushing for secession from her first days in Congress. 

 

Conclusion

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s calls for secession aren’t about liberty or freedom. They’re about hate. Like her neanderthal ancestors, she dreams of a dystopian future controlled by white Christian fundamentalists sanctioned to openly abuse communities of color, religious minorities, women, the LGBTQ community and any allies, with legal impunity. Illegal secession is her weapon of choice to attain this newly formed, neo-Confederate, slave state—and nothing more. 

The damage to our economy and national security which would result from the creation of a neo-Confederate state carved out using illegal secession is incalculable. GOP refusal to denounce and unseat Greene in the face of this possible attack on the Union represents a collective criminal abdication of duty. 

While whistleblowers such as Julian Assange, Bradley (Chelsea) Manning, and Edward Snowden all faced criminal charges of treason for alerting the public to political crimes, Marjorie Taylor Greene has openly advocated for secession without any negative consequences. In fact, her Republican colleague, Speaker Kevin McCarthy rewarded Greene by elevating her to Speaker pro tempore. The existential crisis in the GOP illustrates its collective hypocrisy. 

The GOP loves to brag that Lincoln was one of theirs — yet the same GOP of Trump is pushing secession using Marjorie Taylor Greene as their clueless mouthpiece. So, what did President Abraham Lincoln have to say about the subject of secession? Here it is:

Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address March 4, 1861  

“Physically speaking, we cannot separate. We cannot remove our respective sections from each other nor build an impassable wall between them. A husband and wife may be divorced and go out of the presence and beyond the reach of each other; but the different parts of our country cannot do this.”

In that same address, Lincoln outlined his argument against secession, which consisted of the following major points:

1)      Physically we cannot separate. 

2)      Secession is unlawful.

3)      Secession equals anarchy.

4)      We are friends.

5)      Secession will destroy democracy. 

It’s the final point that cuts to the core of Rep. Greene’s goals — namely, to destroy democracy and the promise of equal rights under the law to all persons regardless of race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability or immigration status.

Lincoln explained further in his ‘Message to Congress in Special Session July 4, 1861. To quote Lincoln:

The distinct issue, “immediate dissolution or blood” ...embraces more than the fate of these United States. It presents to the whole family of man the question of whether a constitutional republic or democracy – a government of the people, by the same people – can or cannot maintain its territorial integrity against its own domestic foes. It presents the question whether the discontented individuals – too few in numbers to control the administration, according to organic law, in any case – can always, upon the pretenses made in this case or on any other pretenses, or arbitrarily without any pretense, break up the government and thus practically put an end to free government upon the earth. It forces us to ask:

“Is there, in all republics, this inherent and fatal weakness? Must a government, of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its own people, or too weak to maintain its own existence?”

Lincoln’s warning remains prescient today, as secessionists push to not only tear apart the Union but seek to end democratic rule itself. 

Lincoln added a caveat on the very nature of democracy — namely, that it must be built on a legal foundation of equal rights before the law, with no exceptions. His “Annual Message to Congress December 1, 1862” proves prophetic:

Fellow-citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation. We say we are for the Union. The world will not forget that we say this. We know how to save the Union. The world knows we do know how to save it. We—even we here—hold the power, and bear the responsibility. In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free – honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.

For too long, the GOP has pursued a path to oligarchy, with the corporate Democrats enabling this sneak attack on democracy, beginning with the infamous Powell Memo and the Southern Strategy. Both items provided a map for ending equal rights before the law. While it’s a bit reassuring that a handful of Republicans have denounced Greene and her neo-Confederate plan; it is, at the very least, disingenuous for the GOP of Nixon, Reagan, George W. Bush, and finally Trump, to suddenly morally hand-wring when they were creeping towards this end result all along. It is equally disingenuous for the GOP to cast aspersions on Greene, while treating Supreme Court conservatives as honored and honest jurists. They are neither. 

For too long, the corporate handmaidens of politics have elevated the monied 1% above the people. This economic inequality served as fertile soil for the brand of fascism we see on display emanating from the GOP and the associated gaggle of corporate ‘centrist’ Democrats. No one should be shocked by this growing neo-Confederate/neo-Nazism on parade in the GOP, with Marjorie Taylor Greene serving as the lead clown. 

In short, the 1% fed the white supremacists and other bigots in our midst a solid diet of hatred, with a side dish of ignorance in order to distract them from the real crime—the theft of our democracy. The oligarchs view democracy as pesky at best, pushing for ‘deregulation,’ except that they omitted the plain fact that ‘regulation’ is another word for the LAW. So, while the GOP pursued ‘deregulation’ of every industry, they also had Fox and others supply the necessary propaganda needed to distract the public while providing them with a series of scapegoats.

It was Lyndon Johnson who explained this psychology the best when he said: 

“If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”

Put bluntly, Marjorie Taylor Greene is merely the latest obscene incarnation of that strategy. She is — as Shakespeare once said — a device used to tell a "tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

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