Letters: ‘Pulling a Thompson’; Thompson for ‘Hypocrite Hall of Fame’

‘Pulling a Thompson’

For the first time in his Congressional career, the country knows the name “Glenn Thompson.” In fact, it’s entirely possible that in the future committing a public act of cringe-worthy hypocrisy will even become known as “pulling a Thompson.”

But we shouldn’t overlook the reason Thompson gave for voting against the bill allowing same-sex marriage even knowing he was about to attend his own son’s same-sex wedding: he claimed the bill was a political “stunt” by the Democrats, this despite 47 Republicans breaking with Thompson and the rest of his party to vote in favor of codifying marriage equality.

Thus, not even this once could Thompson, the purely political politician, rise above politics to vote for compassion and human understanding. And not even this once could Thompson give us an intelligent and well-reasoned explanation for voting against a bill. Instead, Thompson, the politician, says he voted against this bill because it was, wait for it, “politics.”

Thompson has indeed “pulled a Thompson.” Sadly, after a dozen years in Congress it’s the only thing Glenn Thompson will ever be remembered for.

Karen Stoehr, State College

Thompson for ‘Hypocrite Hall of Fame’

Well, Glenn Thompson did it!

The Los Angeles Times had declared Rep. Kevin McCarthy “the biggest hypocrite in Congress” (Jan. 13. 2021) but Congressman Thompson elbowed him right out of the way to take the coveted “biggest” spot with his recent vote and wedding speech.

I cannot imagine Thompson’s “thrill” to be present at the wedding of two gay men — one of whom his son — having voted against his rights to marriage three days earlier.

And that speech about “praying and hoping” at the wedding reception.

If there is ever a Hypocrite Hall of Fame Representative Thompson is going to be inducted for outrageous hypocrisy. He will be a “shoo-in.”

Harold Ivan Smith, Palm Springs, California

Second Trump term would be ‘horror show’

Rumors abound that Donald Trump is on the verge of announcing his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election at an uncharacteristically early date. Why so early?

Attorney General Merrick Garland recently extended an earlier policy from Attorney General Bill Barr that requires advanced AG approval for any Department of Justice investigations, let alone indictments, of a presidential candidate “close to” an election, citing “election year sensitivities.”

Does Trump want to be on record as a declared candidate as insulation from any such investigation or indictment? Likely so.

This should serve as a wake-up call to the DOJ and Fulton County (among others) to move with utmost speed in their currently underway proceedings.

When former AG Barr instituted the unprecedented policy in February 2020, it was viewed as a means of protecting Donald Trump. Aside from it being a get-out-of-jail-free card, what would a second Trump Administration portend? Among other horrors, we should expect it to be staffed with entirely inappropriate and unqualified people.

The first Trump Administration at least started out with some capable people of integrity, such as Rex Tillerson, James Mattis and John Kelley. Because they were not blind Trump loyalists, all the “good ones” fairly quickly resigned in disgust (Tillerson calling Trump a “moron”), or were fired for not being pure sycophants.

Who might we see in a new Trump Administration? Jeffrey Clark? John Eastman? Rudy Giuliani? Sidney Powell? Mike Lindell? Steve Bannon? Peter Navarro? Patrick Byrne?

What a horror show that would be!

Harvey Gilbert, State College