I have been closely following the January 6 Committee hearings and, as a result have become very intrigued by Republican Representative Liz Cheney.  Yes, I said “Republican” Representative Liz Cheney.  I am impressed by her pit bull mentality as regards the truth and sincerity about protecting the Constitution and serving “all” of the American people… not just Republicans.  And she is doing this even after she has already lost her once “third-in-the-line-of-power position in the Republican caucus and stands a serious chance of losing her seat as the Representative from Wyoming.  I mean, come on, this lady is a Republican who strongly supports Republican policies and voted with the former Occupier of the Oval Office – The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, 93% of the time!  But the fact of the matter is, the Honorable Liz Cheney got me to thinking.

One might think that I am rubbing it on a little thick by having made it a point to refer to her at the end of the above paragraph as the Honorable rather than simply Representative Liz Cheney; especially since everyone knows that I am a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat… just like she is a dyed-in-the-wool Republican.  And that is exactly why she got me to thinking.  The fact that I am a staunch Democrat does not automatically make me a terrible person and her being a staunch Republican does not automatically make her a terrible person.  Terrible Might not be exactly the word that I am looking for but I’m sure you get the gist of what I am trying to say; at least all of you Democrats do.  Anyway, Representative Cheney inspired in me a renewed determination to do more research on those who think radically – again, maybe not exactly the right word – differently from what I do before I form an opinion of them.

Now before you get me wrong, I still don’t like Representative Cheney’s politics (I never liked her dad’s politics either and still don’t) but I do like the fact that she believes in truth rather than “alternative facts” and lives in the real world instead of some kind of an alternate world bubble like far too many of her Republican colleagues do right now.  This makes her a reasonable person that can be reasonably negotiated with even though her position on issues might be all but unalterable to that of those she is negotiating with.  This makes her a person whose strong disagreements on the issues with those she is negotiating with maddening at times and can drive them to the brink of insanity.  But with an honest and honorable person like her it is always reasonable to assume that common ground can be found and compromise can be achieved.

As I was writing this article I thought; Liz Cheney would totally hate it if she knew that a hardnosed Democrat like me wrote and published an article that reflected her in a good light.  But then, as I reflected on this thought while considering how she has handled herself in light of her membership on the January 6 Committee and the mess that she currently finds herself in with her own Party, I changed my mind.  Instead, I thought, Representative Liz Cheney knows exactly who she is and so an article like this would not bother her.  She would still be and still conduct herself like Liz Cheney.  As hard as it is for me to admit it, she must have developed that forthright, honest, deliberate and hardnosed character that is so Liz Cheney from her upbringing.  It must have a lot to do with her mom and dad.  I’m not sure which parent to attribute the preponderance of the forthright, honest and deliberate aspect to but I’m pretty sure about who contributed most of the hardnosed part; her dad…  I still don’t like his politics!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line