Editor's Note: Steve Schmidt is one of the founding members of the Lincoln Project. He is a communications and public affairs strategist who has worked on several Republican campaigns, including John McCain's 2008 bid for the White House, and he is now a regular political contributor to MSNBC. On Saturday, Schmidt demanded to know why the owner of the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball franchise asked for his donation to Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert to be returned, yet hasn't asked the same of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. MaxNewsToday has assembled this 8-tweet thread and reprinted it as one easy-to-read op-ed for our ongoing segment, Schmidt Storm. It has been edited for grammar and clarity. Charles Johnson is a public figure by virtue of his majority ownership of the storied San Francisco Giants. Charles Johnson recently set a precedent, which begs a question. What conduct triggered the return of the Lauren Boebert donation that Kevin McCarthy didn't also participate? In 1947, there was a man named Branch Rickey, who took a stand against racism and integrated baseball. The player he found was a man of indomitable courage and character. A year after Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the U.S. Military was integrated. Kevin McCarthy led 140 Members of Congress, all white, to nullify millions of Black votes on the basis of a cynical lie for the purpose of maintaining the power of the loser of the election. If the scheme had succeeded, it would have ended the Republic. McCarthy, whether through his malice, cynicism or shallow stupidity, has given birth to a new Jim Crow caucus. McCarthy has established the idea that Congress can decide which Black votes are the good ones. It is outrageous. Every Black player in the major leagues stands on the shoulders of the great Jackie Robinson. How can the owner of the San Francisco Giants disrespect his players and the greatest players who ever played the game, like Willie Mays, with donations to a man who wants to take the vote away from our fellow Americans on the basis of their skin color? The vote on Jan. 6th was an attack on all of the progress that America has made because of the courage and martyrdom of the men and women who advanced the civil rights movement. Baseball is part of that story, and it is important to remember the contributions to American progress and justice by giants like Hank Aaron. Kevin McCarthy is a small and timid man. He lacks the vision to see the danger of his cynicism and the consequences of his incitement and casual lying. He incited insurrection that killed 5 people. He tried to strip Black Americans of their votes. He did it for Donald Trump. Charles Johnson should not disgrace baseball with his support for what Kevin McCarthy has wrought.
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