In this country we have a wonderful tradition of granting newly elected officials a “honeymoon,” a period of harmony and good will as they begin their term of service. Disappointment, rancor and party prejudice are laid aside while the new office-holder gains his or her footing, comes up to speed and shoulders the burdens of the office.
Never was the good grace of such feelings better displayed than in George H.W. Bush’s short note written by hand on the day he relinquished the presidency to Bill Clinton, who had just defeated Bush in a contentious and bitterly-divisive campaign.
He wrote, “You will be our president when you read this note. I wish you well ... Your success is now our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you.”
An elected official’s honeymoon is ordinarily interrupted only because of a serious problem. Newly elected Utah Rep. Burgess Owens’ has such a problem, which should end his honeymoon before it begins.
In recent comments to The Salt Lake Tribune, Owens said he would work to overturn the verified electoral college results from last November’s presidential election when they are presented to a Joint Session of Congress Wednesday, owning that “I plan to leave everything on the field” for Trump and claiming that Trump won the election, even though the popular and electoral votes determined otherwise.
Owens’ comment is reminiscent of a line from the film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” In the film, one of the state’s senators has died and a successor must be appointed. As successor the boss of the state’s corrupt political machine proposes a judge who owed his position to the machine. To which everyone agrees: “Terrific! A born stooge! [He’ll] perform like a trained seal.”
With this in mind, imagine what Owens might say, if he were in the position of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who received a call on Saturday from Trump trying to strong-arm him into declaring Trump the winner in Georgia.
(Trump’s statements below are from an audio recording made by Raffensperger.)
Trump: I just want you to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we need.
Owens: Yes, sir. I’m sure we can find 11,780 votes for you right away.
Trump: You’re a Republican and you should know how to get us this result.
Owens: Right, sir. I’m sorry, sir. We failed the party. We’re printing the new votes now. You got me elected and tripled my income, so it’s the least I can do.
Trump: You’ll really be respected, if this thing can be straightened out.
Owens: Thank you. I’m going to leave everything on the field for you.
Trump’s treacherous call descends below any act of corruption in the annals of presidential politics, Watergate included.
Owens wasn’t through demonstrating his contempt for democracy. He told the Tribune, “I absolutely believe Trump won the election. There’s absolutely no question in my mind that I think he won.”
Asked about overturning the results of the election, Owens added, “I think it’s the right thing to do.” On what grounds? Owens said, “[Because] seventy-plus percent of conservatives say that this [election] is not fair.”
Mother of mercy, that is indeed a powerful argument for ditching democracy; irrefutable. Pardon us for doubting you, Mr. Owens.
Let’s look at the breathtaking sweep of Owens’ position. He wants all the votes thrown out not just in Georgia (4,997,716 total votes cast), but also in Michigan (5,539,302 total votes cast), Wisconsin (3,297,352 total votes cast) and Pennsylvania (6,925,255 total votes cast).
That’s 13,834,370 votes Owens wants to throw out, because he thinks it’s the right thing to do and because of a public opinion poll of conservative Republicans. Of course, throwing out these votes would give Trump a chance to suborn members of Congress to require new slates of electors from the four state legislatures, all of which are controlled by Republicans, possibly reversing the outcome of the election.
If this happened, it would be the death knell of democracy in America.
If the above isn’t enough to interrupt a politician’s honeymoon (and maybe prompt a recall election), I don’t know what is.
Robert Gehrke | The Salt Lake Tribune Brent Ward, a former U.S. Attorney for Utah.
Brent Ward is a Salt Lake City lawyer, lifelong Republican and former United States Attorney for Utah.