"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” The unfortunate case of Michael McCaul

Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  He has never bought into he lie that the 2020 election was "stolen" and has been a strong, forthright supporter of Ukraine's struggle against Putin  His national security credentials are impeccable.  In other words, on the issues that appear to be the most important to him, he has been the polar opposite of Jim Jordan.

As a Republican member of Congress who actually seems to believe in democracy, one might think that he would be part of a faction of non-crazy Republicans to ally with Democrats in a Speaker vote, electing one of those Republicans (or even being Speaker himself).  

Yet, earlier today, based apparently on a tepid assurance from Jim Jordan that he would include Ukraine in an Israeli supplemental national security bill and that he "would look at the details of that," Chairman McCaul voted to make Jordan Speaker of the House.  (At this writing, Jordan still does not have enough votes.)

Chairman McCaul is the fifth richest person in Congress  and, presumably is not beholden to other money-laden interests.   He has carved a path so different from Jordan's, so it is breathtaking to see him cave so easily based on such inchoate assurances as to the protection of the most beleaguered democracy in Europe (nothing apparently was said about the dollar value of such inclusion).

He appears to have been been a competent and, certainly compared to most of his current colleagues, a “reasonable” member of the Republican caucus. He voted to accept the 2020 election results. He has been respected for his consistent support for Ukraine and Taiwan, and his support of Trump always has been tepid. I had hoped he would have the spine to block the ascent of likely insurrection conspirator and liar Jim Jordan’s ascent to the Speakership.

My hope turned out to be unfounded. As Edmund Burke is said to have taught us 250 years ago, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Sadly, when the chips were down, McCaul chose to do nothing to impede the rise of this evil.  

Failure to heed Burke's famous admonition is the operative basis of the current Republican Party.  

(Full Disclosure:  For several years late in the last century, I supervised and worked with Mike McCaul at the Department of Justice. He was a conscientious and effective attorney, and a very pleasant person. That makes my disappointment even greater.)