Truthdigger of the Week: Mike Lofgren
Retired Republican congressional staffer Mike Lofgren outed the "political terrorism" of the lunatics and crackpots who make up the GOP today, and that's why he's our Truthdigger of the Week.Retired Republican congressional staffer Mike Lofgren is our Truthdigger of the Week.
Every week, Truthdig recognizes an individual or group of people who spoke truth to power, blew the whistle or stood up in the face of injustice. You can see past winners here, and make your own nomination for our next awardee here.
On June 17, Mike Lofgren retired after 28 years as a congressional staff member. He worked for 16 of those years with Republicans on the House and Senate budget committees, but until this week, few people knew who he was. He would likely tell you that’s because he’s not a “lunatic” or a “crackpot” like so many Republicans who make up the “vital center” of the GOP today. But we now know who Lofgren is, and he’s our Truthdigger of the Week.
On Saturday, Truthout published a lengthy op-ed by Lofgren that received a surprising amount of attention, “Goodbye to All That: Reflections of a GOP Operative Who Left the Cult.” While not his first article to blast politicians for their utterly unproductive antics lately, the piece is refreshingly honest, engaging and downright sensible — characteristics that he would agree are difficult to find in today’s Republican politicians.
Lofgren accuses the Republican Party of practicing “political terrorism,” especially during the debt-ceiling crisis.
“Everyone knows that in a hostage situation, the reckless and amoral actor has the negotiating upper hand over the cautious and responsible actor because the latter is actually concerned about the life of the hostage, while the former does not care,” he wrote.
In nominating Lofgren, Truthdig reader Lucius said the article “is the best, hands down, evisceration of the Republican Party (and their Democratic enablers) yet published.” But Lofgren doesn’t simply “eviscerate” his own GOP. He draws the curtain wide, allowing us to see exactly why it is that the American people need to stay involved in the political process. Lofgren shows us, as Truthdig reader Carmen said, that “this is a big (Herculean) task. Let’s get on with it.”
Wait, before you go…If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
Our already volatile nation may not withstand the impact of Trump’s leadership—but there’s still time.
It isn’t a vision of Coachella gone horribly awry—the summer hit draws its scares from racialized terror campaigns from past and present.
A society rife with loneliness puts pressure on women to be compliant and not make waves, making them ripe prey for sociopaths.
She violated the terms of her lifetime parole by leaving the country without permission.
Society’s educated, humane members are being systematically sucked into a destructive reorientation program orchestrated by and for the benefit of a corporate establishment centered on the practices of finance and management, writes veteran journalist George Monbiot at The Guardian.
A former professional skier who sought help for alcoholism from a rehabilitation program became locked in a cultish life that destroyed her self-esteem and independence in the name of Jesus.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.