WASHINGTON — In Friday’s Ransom Note: when the truth loses.
It’s happening a lot lately thanks to conspiracy theories and millions willing to share them on social media, but today was worse than usual. In any other setting if one side of an issue gets 54 votes and the other side gets 35 votes, the side with 54 votes wins. But not in the U.S. Senate.
Friday, 54 senators voted in favor of establishing an independent commission to look into the January insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, but because 60 votes were needed, the measure failed. Democrats conceded on every point Republicans asked for, including sharing representation 50-50 and agreeing to finish the investigation by the end of the year.
This shouldn't be a partisan issue. Our country needs to get to the bottom of what happened January 6, 2021. The six republicans who voted for the commission agree. They were Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Rob Portman of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Ben Sasse of Nebraska. None represent the Mid-South, although curiously Marsha Blackburn just didn't vote. The other 10 senators who did not vote were:
Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri
Republican Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana
Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina
Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma
Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington
Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota
Republican Sen. James Risch of Idaho
Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama
Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona
Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania
While I still think the truth will come out, it's a shame so many of our politicians would rather it didn't. Join the conversation by email (rransom@localmemphis.com), Facebook, or Twitter.
