NY Times praises Cheney, Murkowski as 'models of political bravery,' 'essential to democracy'

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In a column composed on Monday, The New York Times editorial board lionized the political bravery of Sen. Lisa Murkowksi, R-Alaska, and Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., for their efforts to take a "principled stand" against former President Donald Trump.

The Times praised the lawmakers for sacrificing political safety and expediency for the sake of the standing up to Trump. The lawmakers, who are both running against Trump-backed primary candidates, will see the results of their primary races on Tuesday. 

The board began its column with a weighty appraisal of elected leaders who "take a principled stand, at odds with the party leaders or supporters (or both) and ultimately against his or her own self-interest."

The column proclaimed, "In our era of partisan warfare, these principled acts amount to political bravery, and they are essential to democracy – helping replenish our belief in leadership and, in some cases, our trust in the rule of law being followed." The piece also mentioned how these leaders "risk alienating donors, party bosses and voters who may scream betrayal rather than seek a measure of understanding.

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The New York Times editorial board praised the sacrifice and commitment Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Liz Cheney have shown in combating the Trump agenda.

Before mentioning Cheney and Murkowski, the outlet provided a previous exemplar of principled Republican opposition to Trump, stating, "When Senator Mitt Romney cast the sole Republican vote to convict President Donald Trump for abuse of power in his first impeachment trial, Republicans nationally and in Utah criticized the senator." 

It even mentioned how Romney’s "own niece, Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, defended Mr. Trump and chided ‘Mitt.’"

"These examples of leadership — whether you agree with those positions or not — are important moments in the political life of a country," the Times declared, adding that the "stakes of the current moment are only going to require more of such acts, particularly among Republicans."

Then came the praise of Murkowksi and Cheney, who are at risk of losing their primary battles against the Trump-backed candidates, something the paper acknowledged as their sacrifice for their principles. "Indeed, their political fates are in question solely because they stood up to Mr. Trump when it would have been much safer and politically expedient not to," The New York Times remarked. 

The column compared the lawmakers to those who faced primary challenges and, "in some cases, defeat in 1974 after supporting articles of impeachment against President Richard M. Nixon," or those GOP members who lost re-election after voting "for the Affordable Care Act in 2010."

The paper even claimed these lawmakers’ actions were reminiscent of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., "whose efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic made her a divisive figure."

"She, too, did not take the safe and politically expedient course," the board recalled. 

On Monday, The New York Times editorial board praised the political bravery of Republican lawmakers who have gone against Trump's agenda. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo)

Returning to the heroes at hand, the Times, wrote, "Ms. Cheney and Ms. Murkowski are, in fact, offering two models of political bravery at a time when straight, down-the-line party support is more and more common."

Focusing on Cheney, it claimed she "took the right stance — calling out Mr. Trump’s election lies and attempting to hold him accountable for subverting American democracy and fomenting the Jan. 6 attack." The piece added, "Whatever happens on Tuesday, history will remember Ms. Cheney for her principles just as it will Mr. Trump for his lack of them."

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Of Murkowski, the board wrote, "it was her vote to convict Mr. Trump in his second impeachment trial that now has him seeking political payback. She was one of seven G.O.P. senators to find Mr. Trump guilty then; she is the first to face re-election."

The board also compared the bravery of both lawmakers to that of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who it praised for "his thumbs-down vote in 2017 that helped preserve the Affordable Care Act," and "his bipartisan efforts on some policy issues, like immigration reform."

The editorial board continued, "The positions of Ms. Cheney and Ms. Murkowski stand in sharp relief to so many of this season’s Republican candidates, who are launching scorched-earth attacks on Democrats as ‘liars’ even as they continue to promote Mr. Trump’s Big Lie." 

It claimed that other Republicans "like to pretend that they’re brave with shows of chest-beating, name-calling and machismo, and complaints about being persecuted by social media and the news media," but in reality, "this is political theater aimed at whipping up the Trump base, and none of it requires moral courage," the board added. 

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski was commended by the New York Times editorial board for her leadership in voting for Donald Trump's conviction in his second impeachment. (Greg Nash/Pool via Reuters)