Let me preface what I am about to write by saying that I like and respect Congressman Don Bacon. I thoroughly supported him in his efforts to keep Jim Jordan from becoming Speaker of the House.

There were times during the three weeks of chaos on Capitol Hill where I was cautiously optimistic some sort of bipartisan agreement could be reached. In these partisan times we live in it was a naïve hope, but I try to stay positive. Obviously, that didn’t happen. And instead of Jim Jordan, we got a better dressed, smoother talking, Jim Jordan in Mike Johnson. When Congressman Bacon went along and voted for Johnson, I was disappointed to say the least.

Disagreeing about issues like abortion, gay marriage, the border, and other topics is all part of a vibrant democracy. And I don’t expect to agree with every vote any Representative in Government makes. That too is part of a vibrant democracy.

But electing an election denier who actively tried to overturn the will of the people and putting him third in line to the Presidency is a bridge too far.

And while Congressman Bacon is trying to put lipstick on a pig by talking about Speaker Johnson being a man of character with strong conservative values, that doesn’t negate the fact that Johnson has yet to say that President Biden won the election in a free and fair election. He has yet to apologize for his actions after the November 2020 vote.

But after I calmed down and thought about it a while, I realized our congressman had no other option if he wanted to try to keep the government open. General Bacon is a military leader who realizes you can’t send cowards into battle.

And that’s just what a large percentage of the Republican Congressional Caucus showed themselves to be …. Cowards. Cowards who vote one way when it’s a secret ballot and another way when it’s public.

When the vote was public eventually 25 Republicans led by Congressman Bacon voted against Jim Jordan. But when the vote was private, and they wouldn’t be held accountable, 112 Republicans voted against the controversial Congressman from Ohio. That’s something a coward would do.

They say these Congressmen are worried about facing a primary challenge from the Trump wing of the party if they anger the former President and current defendant. I say if they are that worried about it then they aren’t doing a very good job with their constituents back home. These cowards are responding more to the loud mouths on social media and cable news and less to the needs of a senior citizen with questions about their Social Security benefits, or a young family whose passports are tied up as they prepare for a European vacation.

But that doesn’t mean the Democrats are without some blame in this. They could have worked across the aisle and supported a more moderate Republican that they could work with. But instead, they sat on the sidelines and watched. They must believe a far-right election denier will benefit them come the vote next November.

You could make the argument that by electing Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House both parties got what they wanted.

Like I said I try to be optimistic. I pray that during those closed-door sessions, the moderates who voted one way in private were able to get concessions from the new Speaker so that his actions in his new job contradict his actions when he was just a Congressman from Louisiana. He needs to rise to the gravitas of his new position and not succumb to the whims of an erratic post on Truth Social or a Steve Bannon rant.

Now I’ll grant you there is no evidence so far of that happening. But what other choice is there? For the time being Mike Johnson has got the gig. There are major issues facing our country and the world. Will Speaker Johnson rise to the challenge? Will those 112 Republicans finally grow a backbone? Will both parties in Congress find a way to work together? And can Congressman Bacon still try to return the Republican Party to what it used to be? Or has that ship sailed?

These are most certainly challenging times. But our country has survived challenging times in the past and come out stronger in the end.

Will that winning streak continue? I’m going to try to stay positive, but only time will tell.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.