Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar are the proud Putin wing of Arizona's GOP

Just when you thought Arizona Republican Reps. Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs could bring no greater disgrace to the GOP than their connection to the Big Lie and their alleged association with organizers of what became the Jan. 6 insurrection …

Stop.

I take that back.

If you’ve lived in Arizona for any amount of time and follow politics even a little you know that Gosar and Biggs are more than capable of bringing even greater ignominious disgrace to the GOP.

And they have, with recent actions placing them squarely in the forefront of what Republican Rep. Liz Cheney derisively calls the “Putin wing” of the Republican party.

As if Adolf Hitler 'isn't a good thing'

First there was Gosar, speaking via prerecorded video at the America First Political Action Conference, a convention of white nationalists where the chant was “Putin! Putin!” Organizer Nicholas Fuentes called the United States “the evil empire of the world” and added, “Now, they’re going and saying, ‘Vladimir Putin is Adolf Hitler,’ as if that isn’t a good thing.”

Then, both Biggs and Gosar joined only 15 others from the House who voted against a Russian oil ban in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Then Biggs became one of only eight members of the House, all Republicans, to vote against a bill revoking revoke Russia’s “most favored nation” status in the World Trade Organization.

The legislation would allow President Joe Biden to introduce higher tariffs, joining the European Union and the Group of Seven industrial nations in taking punitive actions against Russia.

Are they 'lonely voices' or mainstream GOP?

In these actions Biggs and Gosar stand side-by-side with Republicans Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Matt Gaetz of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, outliers within the Republican party, within the American populace and within humanity.

At a press conference on Friday a reporter asked House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, “Eight of your members voted against trade sanctions yesterday, 15 voted against oil sanctions last week. One of your members put out a Twitter thread on what she referred to as ‘NATO Nazis.’ Are you worried that a small group of vocal right-wing members with very large platforms are going to cloud the GOP’s otherwise overwhelming support for Ukraine?”

McCarthy answered, “No. Next question.”

But of course, they do cloud that support.

And Putin loves it.

Also recently, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the Putin wing “lonely voices” and said, “I wouldn’t pay much attention to them.”

I bet he would if they were Democrats.

Biggs and Gosar are Yankee Doodle ... comrades

As it is, the Russian propaganda machine is using some remarks from Putin supporters in Congress to garner support for its vicious invasion of Ukraine. Right up there with the rants of Fox News’ Tucker Carlson.

It would be shameful, if those spreading the pro-Russia rubbish had any shame.

My guess is that the Arizonans who keep Biggs and Gosar in office speak of them as flag-waving, apple pie-eating patriots, ignoring the part about propping up Putin.

Which makes them more like Yankee Doodle ... comrades.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar live in the GOP 'Putin wing'