Jordan's undeserved medal

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan didn't deserve the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The nation's highest civilian honor, it is supposed to be given to those "who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors," as a White House news release put it. Jordan has done none of those things, but the Urbana Republican received the medal nevertheless in a private White House ceremony Monday. It was his reward for his service to President Donald Trump, not the nation. Rather than accept President-elect Joe Biden's victory, Jordan joined Trump in spreading the lie that the election was stolen. Trump never produced any credible evidence to support his claims of widespread fraud, but that didn't stop Jordan from helping to persuade millions of Americans to believe that falsehood. Then Trump unleashed an enraged mob. When the insurgents struck, Jordan was fighting to throw out the votes of millions of Americans, not because of fraud, but because he didn't like how they voted. Even after the carnage at the Capitol, in which five people, including a police officer, died, Jordan was undeterred. Just hours after they fled a violent mob determined to stop the formal counting of votes, Jordan and Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, who also represents parts of Lorain County, were back on the House floor voting against accepting the results from Arizona and Pennsylvania. Gibbs didn't rate a medal, but Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., another of Trump's most devoted acolytes received one last week. He didn't deserve it, either. Jordan was all in for Trump even before taking up the cause of undermining a free and fair election. He has been one of the president's most stalwart and servile champions. No matter how egregious Trump's conduct, Jordan was there to excuse and defend him. The White House news release cast Jordan as a dogged investigator fighting "Deep State corruption." It laid out some of his most shamelessly partisan investigations, including his obsession with damaging Hillary Clinton with endless probes of the 2012 attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya. The release also heaped praise on Jordan for his defense of Trump against impeachment over his deeply troubling threat to withhold military aid from Ukraine unless the Ukrainians produced dirt on Biden. "At the beginning of last year, Jordan was named ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee and led the effort to confront the impeachment witch hunt," the release said. "He is an inspiration to freedom-loving Americans everywhere and has distinguished himself as one of the most consequential members of Congress of his generation." Even after last week's attack on the Capitol, this "consequential" congressman was still defending Trump. Although Jordan has offered up rote denunciations of the siege, praised police and called for those who attacked the Capitol to be prosecuted, he remained focused on shielding Trump from the consequences of his actions. "People are responsible for their actions and these terrible actions that were taken, they need to be held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the law," Jordan said on Fox News over the weekend. Just not Trump. Or his enablers. He insisted that Biden should oppose impeaching Trump for inciting his supporters to march on the Capitol. Unity and healing are what Jordan said the nation needs now. "I hope we can begin to come back together," Jordan said. That's rich. Where was Jordan's devotion to unifying the nation in the aftermath of the contentious election that Biden clearly won? Jordan has no use for unity and no intention of working with Democrats. He'll continue to spew conspiracy theories, mount partisan investigations and obstruct Biden whenever he can. He deserves condemnation, not a medal.