to pull a Sununu – to fail to support solid conservative legislation or policy, or conversely to support Leftist legislation or policy, while attempting to mislead Republican and Independent voters by giving totally specious reasons for doing so.
New Hampshire’s self-crowned Sun-King Cris Sununu recently pulled a Sununu when he tried to justify his promise to veto a bill banning Critical Race Theory by thoroughly misrepresenting Critical Race Theory.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem also recently pulled a Sununu with her veto of a bill that would have prohibited biological males from playing on girls’ sports teams. From the Alliance Defending Freedom on March 22 in response to the veto:
“Gov. Noem had an opportunity to protect women and girls by signing the Fairness in Women’s Sports bill, but instead she pandered to the demands of special interests. In what was an abuse of her ‘style and form’ veto power, she gutted protections for collegiate athletes and took away legal recourse for girls forced to compete against biological boys. We are shocked that a governor who claims to be a firebrand conservative with a rising national profile would cave to ‘woke’ corporate ideology.
“The governor tried to explain her betrayal with claims that her hands were tied by NCAA policy. But there is no NCAA policy that requires schools to allow males to compete on women’s teams as Gov. Noem suggests. The governor also vetoed the part of the bill that gives girls any legal recourse against unfair policies that arise. What’s left is mere lip service for women and girls forced to compete against biological males.
“The governor intends to have a press conference launching an initiative Monday to control the damage to her credibility and political image. Politicians launch belated ‘initiatives’ for political theater and to create distractions. Our hope is that Gov. Noem will reverse course and make this right by signing the bill passed overwhelmingly by the South Dakota Legislature. Anything less—including an ‘initiative’ promoted by a few athletes at a press conference—will be more empty words.”
Margot Cleveland, in the Federalist, provides a detailed explanation of the bill and how Noem’s proposed changes gutted the bill. She also explains that the real reason Noem vetoed the bill was that she caved to pressure from Amazon, the Chamber of Commerce and the NCAA:
… at least be honest. Tell America that her obligation is to her South Dakota constituents and that the Chamber of Commerce, Amazon, and the NCAA threatened the economic wellbeing of her citizens and that given that no biological males currently compete in NCAA female sports in South Dakota, she must put the pocketbook concerns of South Dakota families ahead of signing H.B. 1217. …
While Noem understandably prefers to avoid facing the economic brunt of a showdown with the NCAA, if she led, others would follow. That is what conservatives want. That is what they demand. Name names. Expose the threats. Stand firm and beckon others to the battle against the NCAA and woke corporate America. Truly lead the coalition.
If the NCAA retaliates, publicly call on Texas and Florida—two athletic powerhouses—to decline to host tournaments. Ask religious colleges and universities (most of which have in force a similar sex-based rule for athletic competition) to do so too. We may not be able to win against the NCAA in court, but we don’t need to. Governors like Noem just need to lead. …
So disappointing to see Noem cave like this … after her courageous refusal to lockdown and mask-up Such Dakota. Needless to say, if and when a Fairness in Women’s Sports bill reaches Sununu, it won’t be in the least surprising when he vetoes it and then proceeds to mislead us about his reasons for vetoing.
