Maverick Jones

 

            Walter Jones, our Perquimans County NC representative in the U.S. Congress, rarely makes headlines— except when he is out to prove that he is a maverick with unconventional ideas. Some of them have been strange, if not downright nutty, like the time he pushed for a memorial to dogs on the National Mall. Or the time he proposed that the French fries in the congressional cafeteria be renamed Freedom fries in protest of France’s support of the Iraq War.

            As a member of the libertarian Liberty Caucus, Jones has consistently earned some of the lowest ratings from the American Conservative Union. In fact, he is one of the very few Congressmen to be stripped of a major committee assignment for defying party leadership.

            Here are three recent examples: he bucked Republican Party policy on minimum wage; he demanded that President Trump release his tax returns; and he refused to support the House health care bill. Now he’s at it again by becoming the first Republican lawmaker to call for the removal of Kevin Nunes from the House Intelligence Committee. Enough! Nunes is a patriot and the key to getting to the bottom of the Trump-Russia connection and the Obama administration’s surveillance of Trump’s transition team. Nunes needs to be allowed to do his job—without backbiting from Democrats, the Trump-hating media, and disloyal Republicans.   

            Walter Jones does not reflect the views of his Republican constituents. A former Democrat, he has repeatedly been invited by Democrats to re-cross the aisle. Judging by his positions on key issues, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. If he remains a Republican, I hope a good candidate will come forward to oppose him in the 2018 primaries. It is time for this maverick to vacate his seat and enjoy retirement playing with his dogs and eating Freedom fries.