OK, Karen. And Greg.

The circle is so broken

Yesterday, the New York Times published a recriminatory letter to Rep. Adam Kinzinger that was written by his family. Kinzinger is an Illinois GOP U.S. representative who voted to impeach the former president (whom the Senate later acquitted).

For that vote, Kinzinger’s political party has censured him, but perhaps the greatest heat is coming from his own kin. Greg and Karen (Karen is Kinzinger’s cousin) Otto, of Danvers, Illinois, are the lead signatories in two pages of viciousness that are mostly a list of Fox News talking points, sprinkled with expressions of disappointment, and accented by multiple exclamation points and underlinings because, gosh darn it, they really mean it!!!!!!!!!

The letter marks the ascension of the Ottos, who have appointed themselves God’s Own Arbiters of Who Is a Christian and Who Is Not. I do not remember that vote. I’m pretty sure I would not have voted for the Ottos, who seem small-hearted and vindictive because they not only wrote a screed and enlisted family members to sign on, they sent the thing all over the state — and to Kinzinger’s father, which frosts me the most, like they’re tattling on him — with the hope that, says Karen, her cousin will be “shunned.”

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Illinois

I assume the letter was painful to read for Kinzinger, though he told the Times:

I hold nothing against them, but I have zero desire or feel the need to reach out and repair that,That is 100 percent on them to reach out and repair, and quite honestly, I don't care if they do or not.

I hope Kinzinger can take heart that, according to the Ottos, he has earned the enmity of some incredibly tacky people. From the letter:

You should be very proud that you have lost the respect of Lou Dobbs, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Greg Kelly, etc., and most importantly in our book, Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh and us!

So let’s unpack that paragraph, for Christians in the Otto Branch:

• Dobbs’ highly-rated show was recently cancelled after he was named in a $2.7 billion lawsuit filed by Smartmatic, a voting technology company that is seeking damages from Dobbs and others who launched a lie campaign about the presidential election’s veracity.

• Fox’s own lawyers have suggested that people who expect the truth from Carlson will be sorely disappointed. He lies. He’s a liar.

• Connecticut’s own Laura Ingraham makes fun of teenaged survivors of school shootings. Plus she lies.

• Greg Kelly was not charged in a serious rape allegation some years back, but he can’t seem to behave appropriately on camera. And he lies.

• Mark Levin lies. He is a liar.

• And Rush Limbaugh? Rushbo? Where to begin? His pathology goes far beyond lying.

The Otto letter insists the family is not judging Kinzinger, because if you’re an Otto Christian, can say the most heinous things if you insist you’re not judging, just sharing your opinion. So here is my opinion of the Ottos and their fellow signers: You are precisely what gives Christianity a bad name. Baby Jesus is crying, Ottos, over your vindictive, hateful screed against a relative who voted his conscience. Of all the places someone like that should be able to go for succor, it’s family. Shame on you. Step away from your note pad and spend time in prayer. Oh, and flip back through your Book. Start with this verse (and I’m using KJV because Ottos strike me as KJV types:

Selah.