Last Updated on November 8, 2023
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia complained about "a system of failure" that led to her party choosing fellow Georgia Republican Rich McCormick's resolution to symbolically censure Democrat Rashida Tlaib for her Israel-criticizing comments instead of Greene's resolution to censure Michigan's Tlaib.
McCormick's resolution gained 234 votes in the House, proving yet again that Republican congressmen are eager to be seen as supportive of the foreign country of Israel as it wages war against other entities in the Middle East.
However, Rashida Tlaib does not actually get kicked off any committees or get any real punishments as part of being censured.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, who strongly supported Kevin McCarthy's failed speakership, wanted credit for being the one to introduce a basically meaningless House resolution. In fact, Greene bristled so hard at her party's snub that she dissed her Georgia colleague McCormick.
"I'm not a part of leadership. I'm not the Speaker, I'm not the majority leader, I'm not the whip and I'm not going to be part of a competing censure resolution because leadership failed to organize it. So, for me, I decided to pull it," Marjorie Taylor Greene said, referring to her choice to pull her own resolution to censure Tlaib because Rich McCormick of Georgia also introduced a resolution with different wording.
"She's getting censured. That's what I set out to do, and so that's what's happening. But I think the bigger problem is, we need leadership to be organized and not force Republicans to compete with each other," Marjorie Taylor Greene said, referring to competition over who gets credit for introducing a totally symbolic and effectively meaningless resolution against a congresswoman.
"Last week and now this week, where there was no communication on censuring the most antisemitic, pro-Hamas, pro-terrorist Democrat member of Congress. And so, I'm just … refusing to be part of a system of failure, and I'd like to see change in our party," Greene stated as part of her tantrum.
"I think I'm taking the high road … and doing what is actually more professional. And I'm actually, I'm very happy with that decision," Greene rationalized.
"It's not about Rich McCormick, nobody cares about Rich McCormick. Most people have no idea that he's even doing this, most people think it's my resolution," Greene said, perhaps consoling herself in the process.
While it's quite possible that donors notice who introduces a symbolic resolution and who doesn't, the censure of Rashida Tlaib does not actually accomplish anything in the short term for Republicans. Rashida Tlaib still has her opinions about Israel and Gaza, and Republicans are still desperate to shill for Israel without achieving much of anything. And the political world keeps on spinning.