MTG's failed attempt to stand-in for Speaker McCarthy
On May 24, Georgia's most outspoken and controversial Republican - Marjorie Taylor-Greene - took temporary control of the speaker's chair and gavel in the House of Representatives, standing in for Speaker Kevin McCarthy. It was during this session that MTG appeared to lose control of the assembled politicians, and after growing impatient, the Georgia Republican lost control entirely.
Repeatedly banging the gavel, the Georgia Republican failed to achieve silence, and the situation worsened when her calls for "decorum" and "order" from the house were met with increasing laughter, mainly from the Democrats assembled in the chamber.
Commentators have since ventured that the strength of reaction from the House to Taylor-Greene's pleas, may be down to the irony of her suggesting that her fellow politicians exhibit "decorum" when she so often exhibits so little of it herself.
A frequent disrupter of proceedings
For Georgia's MTG, her usual mode of operation tends to be to do whatever may be necessary to express her opinions and to share often-unsubstantiated statements and accusations regardless of whether she-herself is observing proper decorum or preserving order.
During a recent oversight committee hearing, Taylor-Greene was shut-down and ordered not to speak by the Republican chair of the session, after she chose to accuse Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of being a liar when she didn't agree with his testimony.
She later drew criticism from various quarters following the episode, and it also gave the Georgia Republican's most vocal enemies the chance to attack her, calling out her conduct. Her long-term nemesis - New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio - pointed out that restrictions of government often cause outspoken politicians like MTG to struggle to make their point in moderated committees where a certain amount of decorum and good behavior is expected.
A vocal critic of Biden
There have also been frequent episodes where Georgia's MTG has failed to observe proper decorum herself, often shouting over others and trying to disrupt proceedings.
In recent months, on the day of President Joe Biden's State of the Union address to Congress, MTG chose to parade around The Capitol while trailing a large white balloon - a stunt that was an apparent attempt to highlight her views on his handling of the appearance of a spy balloon in American airspace.
Later, as President Biden delivered his speech, Taylor-Greene and other outspoken Republicans could be heard heckling the president and calling him a liar. While she's entitled to her opinion, few would argue that this represents a polite or 'orderly' way of acting in the political chambers.
Was laughter appropriate?
The flip side of the argument of course, is whether it was appropriate for House Democrats to disrupt the session as they were doing, while Georgia's Taylor-Greene was in charge. Their laughter and jeers were distracting from the business of the day.
Perhaps the antidote is for Kevin McCarthy to consider a less-divisive figure than MTG to stand in for him when he's next engaged in other business?
Do you think that Marjorie Taylor-Greene is doing an effective job of representing the interests of the people of Georgia? Should she be focused on serving those people rather than building her own profile by any means possible? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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