Last week Rush Limbaugh came under fire for comments he made about the candidate Pete Buttigieg. Limbaugh mentioned Mayor Pete being a gay man and kissing his husband at debates. The comment really was not needed, but in the end Limbaugh spoke factually about the candidate. For this he was accused of being homophobic. In the AP report on the comments there were responses from half a dozen Republican leaders, from President Trump, Lindsey Graham, and others

This is a result of the press resorting to its tried practice of challenging GOP leadership to respond to, condemn, or disavow comments made by others. The contention is this is a widespread mindset with all Republicans. If you do not properly condemn those words, which you did not speak, it ‘’proves’’ how this is a commonly held party belief. Condemn the words and you may cause a rift in the party.

Meanwhile, in Texas, Justin Lecea has been able to say nearly anything he pleases with impunity. His social media is littered with outrageousness. He is an avowed communist sympathizer, fully supports Bernie Sanders, and frequently invokes anti-Israel rhetoric. He is also running for Congress, as a Democrat in the 20th district of Texas. Essentially, he wants to be a male member of The Squad. Justin also made something of a name for himself during the holidays when he proposed that former President Obama should contract the most malignant cancer possible.

Now Lecea has little chance of winning the party nomination, given this is incumbent Joaquin Castro’s district, but he is still promoting extremely radical views that have become something of the norm in the Democrat party. His promoting of Communism, socialism, radical statism, and anti-Semitic comments are all things we have heard espoused by freshman members of Congress.

Lecea’s efforts here barely qualify above troll-level cries for attention, but his platform is hardly an original one. What is revealing is not only is this an accepted reality with the Democrats but the press does not challenge party leadership, demanding they be made accountable for comments made by him, nor the standing members who have said similar things.

It was not terribly long ago that someone openly backing communism would become a pariah, regardless of party. But now we see someone running for office openly under the umbrella of Karl Marx. We have a frontrunner for the party nomination boldly selling his socialism agenda items. Routinely members like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar can deliver anti-Israel messages, and there is no stampede to party leadership demanding they rebuke or define the messages.

So the question becomes — why should the GOP play along with these games? If only one side is demanded to be accountable for the opinions and comments of others why submit to the demand? The best response to these rushes for comment is, ‘’Why are you asking me?’’ If a third party is the one making a comment deemed ‘’controversial’’ why should anyone but that individual be made to explain themselves?

I’ve encountered this tactic on social media, and once you refuse to engage you see the anger well up, a result of frustration. Once you refuse to be boxed in by the false premise the accuser gets flustered. The next tactic is for them to say a refusal to condemn is the same as condoning and supporting them. So they attempt to assign culpability over those views never expressed, and guilt due to words never spoken.

This only can now go one of two ways. They are either exposed as being baseless cranks, or if they want to continue pressing the issue that you can be made guilty over things you never said, then so can they. If the media will refuse to confront Democrats and call out their anti-Semites and communists then — using their own rules as the standard — their silence on the matter means they are also communist anti-Semites. They are equally guilty.  And THAT is a result they would never tolerate.

Conversation over.