GOP will follow path of Lincoln, our founder, not Steve King’s tweets

“He came instead as a peacemaker, his hand extended to all who desired to take it.”

On April 4th, 1865 Abraham Lincoln disembarked from the gunboat Malvern and stepped onto soil which just days before had been the capital city of the Confederacy.

With malice toward none and charity for all, Lincoln visited Richmond to begin healing a nation torn from four years of brutal warfare and centuries of slavery. His benign comportment inspired the fearsome soldier Admiral David Porter to make the remark quoted above.

{mosads}Too often in America — and yes, in the Republican Party — we fail to follow the example of our party’s founder, the great Abraham Lincoln.

This is why I cannot condone Rep. Steve King’s tweet earlier this week, which divided Americans based on race and religion. I know Steve King well and respect him, but strongly believe we must remain an inclusive nation that draws strength from its diversity. Rep. King lives this example in his district. He is a kind, attentive, ideological warrior with no equal. I’m proud to work alongside him, but even the best clocks need to be reset after Daylight Savings Time (or an election).

Promoting diversity doesn’t need to mean compromising with ideologies that seek to destroy American principles, and I support President Trump’s actions to keep Americans safe at home and abroad. But every person who supports freedom and pledges to live under the Constitution should be considered an ally and warrior in the fight for justice.

Steve King doubles down on controversial tweet: “I’m a champion for Western civilization” https://t.co/wkulCX6JtT pic.twitter.com/464tILGlkV

— The Hill (@thehill) March 14, 2017

I am blessed to see this American dream in action every week at Muscatine Community College, where I teach U.S. History classes to a student body that is nearly one-fifth Hispanic.  For 25 years it’s been my honor to show these young men and women the power of our Constitution, the genius of our checks and balances, and how, though long, the arc of history in America bends toward justice, not because progress is inevitable, but because good men and women work within the systems created by Madison, Hamilton, and Jefferson.

Our Founding Documents still provide the blueprint for the future of America, but those who build from this blueprint might look different than the be-wigged white men of the late 18th Century.

Chelsea Clinton rips “racism and jingoism” in King’s comments https://t.co/bHkvRotFnM pic.twitter.com/uVCIEaccpa

— The Hill (@thehill) March 14, 2017

The Republican Party has been given a historic opportunity with the election of Donald Trump, finally taking back its rightful position as champion of the middle-class. Now the Republican Party must follow the tradition of Lincoln and work to heal lingering wounds from the election. We must reach out to all Americans, not as conquering victors but as brothers and sisters who share a common goal — a fair shake, opportunity to advance, and a better life for our children.

The Republicans won and we’re governing now. I am proud to support President Trump actions that keep Americans safe at home and abroad, reform Washington, drain the swamp, and restore prosperity across the nation. With the continued support of the American people, we can do it together, hand in hand with anyone from anywhere who believes in this nation and wants to help make it a better place for all of us.

Jeff Kauffman is the chairman of the Iowa Republican Party. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2005 to 2013, including six years in leadership positions in the GOP caucus and two years as Speaker Pro Tem.

The views of contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.