In politics, it’s not uncommon to see reports that refer to some members as “bomb throwers.” The phrase is generally used to describe rabid ideologues who are more interested in waging partisan attacks than legislating.
A couple of weeks ago, however, the phrase took on new significance when freshman Rep. Cory Mills passed out grenades to his colleagues. “I am honored to be a part of the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees,” the Florida Republican and defense contractor wrote in a letter accompanying the gift. “In that spirit, it is my pleasure to give you a 40mm grenade, made for a MK19 grenade launcher. These are manufactured in the Sunshine State and first developed in the Vietnam War.”
The letter concluded with an assurance that the grenades the GOP congressman was handing out were inert.
By any fair measure, it was an odd way for the new congressman to begin his career on Capitol Hill, but it wasn’t the only unfortunate gift making the rounds in the Republican-led House. The Washington Post reported:
By his own acknowledgment, Rep. Andrew S. Clyde (R-Ga.) has been handing out lapel pins shaped like assault rifles to fellow GOP lawmakers — an exercise that comes in the wake of a spate of mass shootings and during a week intended to honor survivors of gun violence. Late Thursday, Clyde, who owns a gun store, tweeted a video about his efforts.
“I hear that this little pin that I’ve been giving out on the House floor has been triggering some of my Democratic colleagues,” the Georgia Republican said in the video. “Well, I give it out to remind people of the Second Amendment of the Constitution and how important it is in preserving our liberties.”
If Clyde’s name sounds at all familiar, it’s probably because he’s managed to generate quite a few headlines despite having only been in office for two years. Just four months after arriving on the Hill, for example, the far-right congressman said the Jan. 6 rioters behaved “in an…
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