GREENE, GOSAR, GAETZ, AND CARLSON ARE MOVING THE OVERTON WINDOW (updated)

You probably know about this already:

In an effort to "follow in President Trump's footsteps," a new America First Caucus led by far-right lawmakers is seeking to protect "Anglo-Saxon political traditions."

The new caucus is recruiting members, reports Punchbowl News, and is appealing to a "common respect for Anglo-Saxon political traditions," including pushing for infrastructure that "befits the progeny of European architecture." Punchbowl described the materials being distributed as "some of the most nakedly nativist rhetoric we've ever seen."

The new caucus is being led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.). Republican Reps. Louie Gohmert (Texas) and Barry Moore (Ala.) are also reportedly going to join the group.

Moore's office denies that he's joining the caucus, and Colorado congressman Ken Buck, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has denounced the group. But Matt Gaetz is an eager recruit.

I’m proud to join @mtgreenee in the #AmericaFirst Caucus.

We will end wars, stop illegal immigration & promote trade that is fair to American workers.

This is just a hit piece from the America Last crowd in Big Media, Big Tech & Big Government.https://t.co/hjGiuSLwBW

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) April 16, 2021

This comes at a time when Tucker Carlson is pushing the limits of what's acceptable in mainstream, high-profile commentary with his proud invocation of "replacement theory."

Besides injecting a lot of overt racism into the discourse, all of this drags the Overton window further to the right, so Republicans who are proud Trumpists but don't speak this way appear to be part of "the sensible center." (That's nearly all of the D.C. GOP, of course, with Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger as rare exceptions.)

If you believe the election was stolen, think President Biden should finish the Wall, and have scheduled your ring-kissing pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago but you want it known that you would never, ever join a group that invokes "Anglo-Saxon political traditions," congratulations -- Greene, Gosar, Gaetz, and Carlson are making you look like the sane, reasonable ones. Sunday talk show bookers will see nothing wrong with inviting you to appear because, hey, at least you're not one of those Republicans. And so the "center" continues to be moved further and further rightward.

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UPDATE: Well, so much for that.

Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scrapping the planned launch of her "America First" caucus after receiving blowback from leaders in her own party, despite confirming through a spokesperson on Friday that the caucus would launch.

Nick Dyer, Greene's spokesperson, told CNN in an email on Saturday afternoon the Georgia Republican is not "launching anything."

"The Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved," he said in an email to CNN....

The reversal from her office comes a day after top House Republican Kevin McCarthy indirectly referenced the congresswoman's new caucus, tweeting, "The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans—not nativist dog whistles."

So there are limits, at least for now.