The opening line in Todd Starnes’ FoxNews article on the events of the October 1 Honor Flight of some 90 World War II veterans from Mississippi says it all: “Congressman Steven Palazzo was willing to go to jail.”
The two term 4th District Congressman appeared potentially vulnerable in 2014 if you listened to a good many pundits and a poll or two. I even used the phrase that to many in the district Palazzo may not have endeared himself quite yet.
He changed that by leading the greatest generation through a barricade placed there by the federal government due to a shutdown caused by a Democratic President and Senate Majority Leader unwilling to negotiate across the aisle.
Palazzo led the charge and the veterans followed, along with fellow Mississippi Congressmen Gregg Harper and Alan Nunnelee and Senator Roger Wicker. Congressmen from Iowa, Texas and Minnesota also joined in.
Tweets and even the media praised the act of civil disobedience saying it was those veterans’ blood that was honored there; they have a right to see the monument and lay their wreath in honor of their fallen brothers and sisters.
Palazzo wasn’t acting out of want of reelection or to grab a headline. His concern was that of honoring his constituents, men and women who gave their all to protect our freedom, allowing even such disfunction in government as we see today.
I contacted the Congressman to thank him for his stand. His reply: “Great day for our vets.”
Palazzo may not realize it but moving that barricade just secured him a third term and may have solidified his seat for a while.
