Officeholders should have the basic qualifications of honesty, decency, morality and intellectual capacity

John Kelly, retired general and former chief of staff under Donald Trump, commenting on the riot at the Capitol by insurrectionists who were urged on by Trump had this to say: “We have to get to the point of looking very, very hard at who is running for office. We need to look at their character, their record on integrity, morality … then say, ‘Now let’s talk politics.’” This writer hoped never to have to include the words “Donald Trump” in another column. However, his actions and their ramifications on Jan. 6 were the final cementing of the legacy of the worst president in American history.

The nation did not make the examination of character of the candidate in 2016, but instead installed a known con artist and charlatan, with a demonstrable record of shady business practices and untruths, in the most important job in the world. In the end, the predictable occurred in a way much worse than anyone could have expected.

Many others who signed on to help their country in the Trump administration quit, either during his campaign of lies about the outcome of the election, or after the Capitol riot. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly said he never wanted to speak with Trump again. Ten GOP House members voted to impeach — 10 more than the first time.

But where were they when all this began? And, more tellingly, what were the remaining House Republicans thinking after they experienced the real danger of injury or even death only a week before?

Regardless of what happens as impeachment plays out in the Senate — and this writer hopes the solons find a way to prevent Trump from ever seeking office again — his term expired at noon on Jan. 20.

Kelly’s point, however, applies to more than one defective person.

U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Joshua Hawley, who defied McConnell’s call not to embarrass the Senate by challenging the Electoral College vote, the other senators who supported them and the 138 House members who ignored the facts and their duty, all need to be examined carefully, when and if they seek reelection. Reportedly, some GOP congressmen enabled rioters to tour the Capitol the day before the riot, assumedly to plan their route. If true, authorities should determine whether crimes were committed, and if so, these people should be removed from office.

It is getting trite to quote Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s statement, that “everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not to their own facts.” That truth must be restored as the standard, not only for politicians but also the press. The entire campaign of disinformation — which Trump continues to promote — and support for it by many press outlets and other politicians, threatens to shatter our common understanding and the republic built on it.

It is not only in Washington that this problem exists. In New Hampshire, there are pockets of unacceptable expression. While everyone enjoys First Amendment rights, when elected officials make extreme, racist, divisive or patently untrue statements, consideration should be given to sanctioning them, or even removing them from office.

Recently, GOP Rep. Jim Spillane of Deerfield posted a statement: “If you see a BLM (Black Lives Matter) sign on a lawn … you are free to burn and loot that house.” Representative Dawn Johnson of Laconia shared a post on social media from a Nazi publication, repeating threats against the Republican governor of Georgia. Actions like this from local politicians, members of the House and Senate, or president of the United States are more than free speech, and should be treated as such.

What does all this mean? It means, as Kelly so succinctly stated, that before we consider the views or politics of candidates, we should be sure that they meet the basic qualifications of honesty, decency and morality, as well as intellectual capacity, to hold office. These have to be the baseline, or we shall not have learned the lesson of the last four years.

Thankfully, President Biden seems to have met these criteria in selecting his team, no matter whether we agree with their policies or not.

Brad Cook is a Manchester attorney. The views expressed in this column are his own. He can be reached at bradfordcook01@gmail.com.