The Civility Shakedown
Senator Deb Fischer’s latest article on X is a masterclass in selective memory. She uses the recent assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner to pivot toward a plea for "civility" and "debate."
- The Facts: There was a violent attempt on the President’s life; political violence is a cancer on the Republic; and the Secret Service did their job.
- The Inaccuracies: Fischer suggests our current political system is built on "healthy debate." The record shows it is built on a foundation of shifting goalposts, manufactured outrage, and a total abandonment of the truth.
The Record vs. The Rhetoric
Senator Fischer asks how we "got here." The answer is simpler than her prayer list suggests: We got here because trust is at an all-time low, and leaders like Fischer have spent years watching it erode without lifting a finger to stop the rot.
Fischer claims we should "fight with words" and let ideas "compete in elections." That sounds noble on a Substack, but the facts on the ground tell a different story.
- The Truth Gap: Fischer calls for "civility" while supporting a President who remains a "lie incarnate". You cannot demand a polite conversation while the person holding the microphone is actively dismantling the concept of objective reality.
- The Debate Dodge: While Fischer praises the "debate podium," her colleagues (including Pete Ricketts and Mike Flood) frequently avoid unscripted encounters with the public. They prefer controlled environments, vetted questions, and PR-heavy town halls. They hide from the very competition of ideas she claims to value.
- Convenient Ethics: She mentions the First Amendment only when it’s a backdrop for a black-tie dinner. In practice, the moral and ethical foundations of our leadership are applied only when it is politically convenient.
The result is a political environment where "civility" is used as a silencer for those pointing out the hypocrisy of our elected officials.
Nebraskans, Demand Better
Senator Fischer wants you to pray for a change in "tone." But tone didn't break this country; a lack of truth did. While she and Governor Pillen attend galas and talk about "getting along," the record shows they continue to fail the working class, take from the vulnerable, and break the trust of the very people they represent.
By accepting this "civility" narrative, Nebraskans are sacrificing:
- Their Clarity: You are being told to ignore the lies of the past in favor of a polite present.
- Their Agency: When debate is replaced by platitudes, you lose your seat at the table.
- Their Future: A state built on "convenient ethics" cannot sustain its teachers, farmers, and laborers.
We must do more than "change the tone." We must continue uncovering the truth, pointing out the hypocrisies, and demanding that our leaders provide more than just scripts and prayers.