Why is GOP called 'party of freedom fries'? Hillary Clinton mocks Republicans for criticizing 'cancel culture'
Former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, took to Twitter to call out the GOP for its decrying of "cancel culture". As cancel culture takes a hold of right-wing debates over Dr Seuss and Mr Potato Head, Republicans were mocked by the former Democratic Party presidential nominee and others who reminded them of their early 2000s act when two GOP congressmen sought to rename the French fries and the French toast as "freedom fries" and "freedom toast".
Over the past week, House Judiciary Committee member Rep Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) wrote a letter to Chairman Jeremy Nadler (D-NY), decrying the "wave of cancel culture spreading the nation" as a "serious threat to fundamental free speech rights in the United States". Jordan also wrote, "From newsrooms to college campuses to social media giants, we have seen a dangerous trend toward silencing and censoring certain political speech. As the committee entrusted with upholding the Constitution and our fundamental liberties, our first full committee hearing for the 117th Congress must examine this cancel culture sweeping America."
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Clinton took to social media to mock the trend of Republicans canceling cancel culture, as she tweeted, "The party of "Freedom Fries" would like you to know that "cancel culture" is a very serious problem." She was also joined by Rep Ted Lieu (D-Cali) who tweeted, ".@GOP supports forcing companies to keep making the same toys without any change, like Mr. Potato Head. And GOP cancelled french fries in favor of freedom fries. Dems support stimulus checks, unemployment benefits, an expanded child tax credit, and small business loans."
The party of "Freedom Fries" would like you to know that "cancel culture" is a very serious problem.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 4, 2021
.@GOP supports forcing companies to keep making the same toys without any change, like Mr. Potato Head. And GOP cancelled french fries in favor of freedom fries.
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) March 5, 2021
Dems support stimulus checks, unemployment benefits, an expanded child tax credit, and small business loans. https://t.co/AmmfnL72ph
What is 'freedom fries'?
Lieu was called out by a user who told him, "Literally no one said freedom fries," to which Lieu responded, "Republican Chairman of the House Committee on Administration Bob Ney renamed French fries to Freedom fries in three Congressional cafeterias. I don’t lie."
Republican Chairman of the House Committee on Administration Bob Ney renamed French fries to Freedom fries in three Congressional cafeterias. I don’t lie.
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) March 5, 2021
Lieu is right. The politically motivated renaming of the French fries in the country was first created by a North Carolina restaurant in 2003, but overtook the news when the then-Republican Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, Bob Ney (R-Ohio) along with the late Rep Walter Jones (R-NC), led an effort to change the terms in three House buildings after France refused to support the United States' then-proposed invasion of Iraq.
However, as the Iraq War went on and support for the war fell, the term became unpopular as well, and after Ney resigned as Chairman in 2006, the change in congressional cafeterias was reverted.
Where is Bob Ney now?
Just before he resigned from the US House of Representatives in November 2006, he pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and making false statements with respect to the Jack Abramoff Indian scandal. Before he pled guilty, he was found guilty of accepting bribes along with other public officials from Jack Abramoff, who was lobbying on behalf of Native American tribes.
According to the Department of Justice, Abramoff and another party provided "things of value" to Ney and members of his staff, including but not limited to, "a lavish trip to Scotland to play golf on world-famous courses, tickets to sporting events and other entertainment, regular meals at Abramoff’s upscale restaurant, and campaign contributions for the Representative, his political action committee, his campaign committee, and other political committees on behalf of the Representative."
In January 2007, Ney was sentenced to 30 months in prison, ordered to pay a fine of $6000, and provide 200 hours of community service. He was imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution in Morgantown, West Virginia, where he shared space with former 'Survivor' star, Richard Hatch. Ney was released in August 2008 after serving 17 months and was on probation for two years. One year later, he started the 'Bob Ney Radio Show' on WVLY (AM), and in 2013, he released his memoir, 'Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill'. He currently serves as a political analyst for Talk Media News.
Ney said of the January 6 insurrection attempt that it was "seditious". He said, "It was not a protest or even a riot. It was an attempted coup to stop our nation's work." He also said the failure to foresee the need for more security was “a huge mistake, but I don’t believe it was intentional”.