The excuses about the recent vote to censure radical Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) are another glaring example of political misdirection. It was not a vote to take away anyone’s free speech as the self-described “principled” Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO-3) would have us believe in his deceptive column (Herald, Oct. 5). It was a vote for the people’s U.S. House of Representatives to say “enough is enough” – but four weak Republicans huddled with Democrats to appease insanity and defend Omar’s condoning of political violence.
Article I, Section 5, Clause 2 – “Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member.”
For those unfamiliar with why freshman Hurd, now dubbed one of the “Fake Four,” is trying to gaslight us, here’s what the radical representing Minnesota, Rep. Omar, said just days after Charlie Kirk’s gruesome political assassination:
“I do believe those of you interested in rewriting this hateful man’s history are full of sh-t.”
Her vile and heartless remarks ignited nationwide outrage. A resolution condemning her behavior cites reposts on X, including one that cruelly mocked Kirk, saying, “Charlie Kirk was Dr. Frankenstein, and his monster shot him through the neck.” Omar went further, smearing his “legacy” as one of “bigotry, hatred, and white supremacy.”
She then amplified a video, calling Kirk a “reprehensible human being” and accusing Republicans of exploiting his death, claiming, “Don’t be fooled; these people don’t give a single s* about Charlie Kirk; they are just using his death to further their Christo-fascist agenda.”
This was not a free speech vote. It was a vote about the consequences of free speech – and Hurd chose appeasement. He then wrote an op-ed attempting to trick us again into believing his vote for Ilhan Omar was something else.
Unfortunately, we’ve seen this same gaslighting from Hurd in just his first months in office.
Within hours of President Donald Trump’s inauguration this year, our freshman Republican publicly blasted the president’s equitable Jan. 6 pardons that exposed the Department of Justice’s broken two-tier judicial system and the corruption of Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden. Hurd again tried to deceive us by parroting Democrats’ debunked talking points.
Then came the Democrats’ Western Slope land grab bill, the GORP ACT, which Hurd proudly cosponsors with Colorado’s radical, do-nothing Democrat Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper. Again, Hurd’s first instincts – not even a year into office – were to side with Democrats to push an elitist agenda while selling out his constituents to benefit insider establishment friends.
By my count, that’s three big strikes, and we’re not even through his first year. But rather than have us look at his record, he resorts to slick-lawyer doublespeak meant only to trick us.
There is no longer any doubt that Americans are facing a good vs. evil battle in our country, the likes of which we have never seen. Trump has proved that we must reject the insane playbook that radical Democrats and weak Republicans like Hurd are using. Enough is enough. Just as free speech has consequences, so do our votes.
Thankfully, voters will get another chance to pick their member of Congress in 2026. This time, Hurd has a record he won’t be able to hide.
Hope Scheppelman of Bayfield is a U.S Navy veteran, a Critical Care Nurse Practitioner, a Republican loyalist, and a candidate for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. Reach her at hopeforcolorado.com.
