Turnabout is generally considered fair play: what you do to me, I can do to you.  This form of equality is about to play out in Washington, both in legislation and investigation. 

With the GOP taking control of the House of Representatives, talking heads have begun warning that a small faction such as the Freedom Caucus will force its agenda on new House speaker Kevin McCarthy and the bulk of establishment Republicans.

Americans have seen similar events play out over the past two years.  A small segment of the Democrat party — the four-member "Squad" — has dominated policy decisions and the airwaves despite the fact they do not represent the majority of Democrats, who are much less radical than Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Omar. 

As the Squad is considered radical left wing or even socialist, the Freedom Caucus has been labeled right-wing or highly conservative.  The Freedom Caucus includes Jim Jordan (OH-4), Matt Gaetz (FL-1), Chip Roy (TX-21), and Louie Gohmert (TX-1), as well as 40 other Republicans.  Freedom Caucus membership is by invitation only.

The caucus has radical plans such as limiting the debt ceiling and other fiscally conservative moves; reversing Biden's executive orders that limit domestic production of oil and gas; rule changes that nullify federal over-reach by agencies such as the EPA, OSHA, and the FDA; changing Democrats' permissive laws that encourage crime and urban violence; and enforcing immigration laws currently on the books but which are being ignored.  The word "radical" is in italics because that is what these actions will be called, even though they are consistent with the desires of most Americans, regardless of political affiliation.

Watch for rage-soaked vitriol in mainstream media claiming that turnabout is not fair play.  Democrats will loudly cry "foul" when Republicans behave as they (Democrats) did in the policy arena.  But if Republicans begin to treat their political enemies the same way Democrats have treated them, Democrats will become apoplectic. 

Progressive Democrats impeached Donald Trump, twice.  Merrick Garland's DOJ repeatedly investigated Rudy Giuliani.  The FBI sent 29 field agents to arrest Roger Stone and execute a search warrant for a charge of obstructing a congressional inquiry.

Democrats believe that "rules are meant for thee but not for me."  For them, turnabout is illegal, anti-democratic, and certainly racist. 

Though House speaker Nancy Pelosi was responsible for calling out the National Guard for Washington, D.C. in January 2021 and chose not to do so, there were no consequences when she refused to testify before the January 6 commission. 

There was no investigation into then–vice president Biden's very public quid pro quo using a billion taxpayer dollars to coerce Ukraine into firing a prosecutor who was investigating his son Hunter.  And where are charges against Hunter Biden for his gun violation, tax crimes, and peddling influence for millions of dollars? 

Republicans have indicated plans to investigate Homeland Security secretary Mayorkas for his refusal to enforce immigration law.  They are considering impeachment proceedings against A.G. Garland for his numerous derelictions of duty.  A formal inquiry is likely to bring out Anthony Fauci's lying to Congress.  Other official witch hunts may happen, in the same way James Comey and the Democrats attacked President Trump with a patently false claim of collusion with Russia. 

Turnabout may be fair play in many people's minds, just not Democrats'.

Deane Waldman, M.D., MBA is professor emeritus of pediatrics, pathology, and decision science; former director of the Center for Healthcare Policy at Texas Public Policy Foundation; and author of the multi-award-winning book Curing the Cancer in U.S. Healthcare: StatesCare and Market-Based Medicine.  

Graphic credit: Beto2789, CC BY-SA 4.0 license.