Page 17 - HOH

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 7 august 2019

Some GOP lawmakers face backlash for bucking the party

By GRANT SCHULTE state GOP convention.
Associated Press Brad Ashford abandoned
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Ne- the GOP in 2011 to become
braska state Sen. John Mc- an independent, then re-
Collister was disappointed registered as a Democrat
but not terribly surprised during his 2014 campaign
when he read a press state- for Omaha’s 2nd Congres-
ment that the state Repub- sional District.
lican Party wanted him out. He won, but lost the seat
McCollister, a Republican two years later.
for five decades, gained Ebke said she left be-
national attention Monday cause Republican officials
when he blasted party of- weren’t open to her liber-
ficials for “enabling white tarian beliefs, even though
supremacy “ following this she voted as a conserva-
weekend’s mass shootings tive on most issues and oc-
in Texas and Ohio, and al- casionally sided with Dem-
lowing President Donald ocrats. She also grew un-
Trump to “hijack” the GOP comfortable with Trump’s
platform. hostile rhetoric.
He joins a group of elected Nebraska Republican Party
officials who have either Executive Director Ryan
left the GOP or been os- Hamilton said he wasn’t
tracized by party leaders In this April 11, 2017, file photo, Neb. state Sen. John McCollister of Omaha gestures during a worried about the recent
after publicly criticizing the debate on the Senate floor in Lincoln, Neb. defectors because many
president and Republicans Associated Press served in relatively minor
who support him. In a press licans, unlike other current have recently announced Pete Olson, was among roles compared to Ricketts,
release Monday night, the and former officials who their retirements, although the first GOP lawmakers to a staunch conservative,
Nebraska Republican Party have crossed the party. they gave other reasons for condemn Trump’s tweet and Nebraska’s all-Republi-
urged McCollister to “tell U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of leaving office. about the congresswomen can congressional delega-
the truth about his partisan Michigan changed to in- U.S. Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, as “not reflective of the val- tion.
views” and register as a dependent last month the only black Republican ues” in his suburban Hous- “The people who are leav-
Democrat. after becoming the only in the House, announced ton district. ing are not necessarily the
“We’re apparently not the Republican member of last week that he won’t Nebraska has seen many high-impact folks,” he said.
party of the big tent any- Congress to accuse Trump seek re-election in 2020 . party-switchers. Hamilton said the party’s
more,” McCollister said of impeachable conduct. Hurd was one of the only Former state Sen. Bob criticism of McCollister was
Tuesday. “It’s become so He now faces three Re- Republicans to condemn Krist left the GOP in 2017 justified because he has re-
mean-spirited. Perhaps my publican challengers in his Trump’s comments that and ran unsuccessfully for peatedly voted with Dem-
view is aspirational, but I conservative district, which four liberal, minority con- governor as a Democrat, ocrats in the officially non-
think we ought to be the he has represented since gresswomen should “go pledging to govern as a partisan Legislature and
party of big ideas and ef- 2010. After he switched, back” to their countries of centrist. Former state Sen. spoke at a rally organized
fective government. I don’t Trump blasted him on Twit- origin, even though all four Laura Ebke switched her by abortion-rights support-
think the party should be as ter as “one of the dumbest are U.S. citizens and three registration from Republi- ers. Hamilton said many
close-minded as it appears & most disloyal men in Con- were born in the United can to Libertarian in 2016 party activists were insulted
to be.” gress.” States. after Gov. Pete Ricketts is- by McCollister’s tweets and
McCollister said he doesn’t Other congressional Re- Another Texas Republican sued a call for more “plat- don’t consider him to be
intend to leave the Repub- publicans critical of Trump who is retiring , U.S. Rep. form Republicans” at the loyal to their core beliefs.q