Arizona’s former Speaker of the Arizona House during MAGA’s 2020 attempted coup, Rusty Bowers, was honored today with the Presidential Citizen’s Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor that recognizes an individual “who has performed exemplary deeds or services for his or her country or fellow citizens.”
The Medal salutes Rusty’s courage and steadfast adherence to the rule of law, and our state and federal Constitutions, in face of manacing protests, harassment by his GOP peers, and direct appeals by then-President Trump to abandon those convictions. It also recognizes the electoral price he paid for his steadfastness in defense of our democracy.
Though I, of course, disagree with Bowers on almost all matters of policy, his personal and political courage has my deepest respect.
UPDATE: MSNBC’s Ari Melber interviewed Bowers today about Jan6 and today’s Medal ceremony:
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The Presidential Citizens medal…for simply doing what he swore an oath to do. It was his job. The lowest possible bar of ‘heroism’, quite honestly.
You may be correct about it being a low bar, but it’s one that many members of Congress, and other electeds, couldn’t surmount. Many of who swore the same oath.
Feel the same about Liz Cheney. Horrible policies but rose to the January 6 occasion. Credit where credit is due…that’s the Progressive way!