Here’s a headline from today’s WAPO:

Democrats quickly seek to make Speaker Johnson a boogeyman

The party has begun painting House Republicans’ new leader as ‘MAGA Mike’ but may face a challenge given his low profile and quiet tone

As always, the most extreme libel of a Republican politician consists of quoting his positions word for word, and/or using exactly the same label that his most ardent supporters use to describe him.

To wit:

Last month, Johnson was among 93 Republicans who voted for an amendment by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to cut off U.S. military assistance for Ukraine. . . .

In mid-November 2020, Johnson gave a radio interview and echoed a discredited conspiracy theory involving Hugo Chávez and Dominion Voting Systems.

“In every election in American history, there’s some small element of fraud irregularity,” Johnson said. “But when you have it on a broad scale, when you have a software system that is used all around the country that is suspect because it came from Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, when you have testimonials of people that like this, but in large numbers, it begs to be litigated and investigated.” . . .

Johnson has also co-sponsored legislation by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., called the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, which would make it a crime to provide gender-affirming care to people under 18 years of age.

Sounds pretty MAGA. Hey, which clever Democrat came up with the libelous nickname “MAGA Mike” anyway?

This one:

Gaetz called him “MAGA Mike Johnson” in an appearance [last Wednesday before the Speaker vote] on right-wing host Steve Bannon’s podcast.

After he was elected to the position, Trump posted: “Congratulations to Rep. Mike Johnson. He will be a GREAT ‘SPEAKER.’ MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

If you simply state in the most straightforward way the policy positions of “mainstream” Republicans like Johnson to voters, a lot of them simply won’t believe you. Because those positions sound like caricatures of right wing extremism. But caricatures of right wing extremism would also be a good description of the current Republican party, starting with its Maximum Leader and his bootlicking minions like MAGA Mike Johnson.

Also too, the idea that a right wing lunatic is somehow less problematic if he’s soft-spoken and wears a decent suit is . . . problematic. Oops, I forgot that every time I use the word “problematic” I’m creating a new fascist or three, at least per David Brooks. Sorry about that!