Republican ex-congressman suggests colleagues 'had serious cognitive issues'

[Jenny von Westphalen]

The Republican congressmen Louis Gohmert and Paul Gosar adopted such extreme, conspiracy-tinged positions, even before the US Capitol attack, that a fellow member of the rightwing Freedom Caucus thought they “may have had serious cognitive issues”.

Denver Riggleman, once a US representative from Virginia, reports his impression of his former colleagues from Texas and Arizona in a new book.

The Breach: The Untold Story of the Investigation into January 6th is published in the US on Tuesday. The Guardian obtained an early copy.

Riggleman is a former US air force intelligence officer who lost his seat in Congress after he officiated a same-sex marriage. In his book, he describes fallout beyond his primary defeat, including someone tampering with the wheels of his truck, endangering the life of his daughter.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/sep/27/denver-riggleman-book-republicans-paul-gosar-louie-gohmert

[LiberalLovinLug]

1. Some folk

[Martin Eden]

2. "Serious cognitive issues" assumes they believe what they say

They keep getting elected because their voters believe what they say. Nutjob conspiracy theories are a feature, nor a bug, in red districts.

[Irish_Dem]

4. That is his point, there are a few idiot GOP leaders who actually believe the BS they spew.

It's so unusual he committed on it.

Meaning yes, of course. The rest of them full well know it is nonsense.

[Martin Eden]

5. Idiots and Charlatans

Hard to say which is worse -- elected representatives who actually believe the nonsense they spew, or liars who spew it to gain political power.

Either way, that's today's Republican Party -- in a nut shell.

[Irish_Dem]

6. Yes, mentally ill/low IQ. vs ruthless psychopaths.

History tells us the ruthless psychopaths are the worst.

[Irish_Dem]

3. "Serious cognitive issues" describes the entire GOP/Putin/Trump/MAGA crime syndicate.

[SheltieLover]

8. +1,000,000!!!

[czarjak]

7. So, W-O-K-E, Denny?