Missouri editorial board dismantles the facade around 'supposedly centrist' No Labels group

In a Monday, September 11 op-ed by The Kansas City Star Editorial Board, the editors argue that voters should "say no" to joining the "supposedly centrist group" No Labels Party — or end up with "Trump 2.0" in 2024.

According to the board, despite the idea that the third party group claims to be "looking for solutions in the neglected middle of the ideological spectrum by bringing together Republicans and Democrats who can see beyond their own partisan interests," it's actually a dark money group financially backed by "Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ patron Harlan Crow, the Dallas billionaire who collects Hitler’s table linens and other Nazi niceties."

To make their point, the editors reference a recent op-ed written by United States Representative Mark Pocan's (D-WI) and published by The Hill, in which he writes, "When I first came to Congress, I was enamored with the alleged ideal behind No Labels and their mission to take partisanship out of politics. A world where people can work together on ideas that help the American people despite ideological differences. Boy was I wrong. Their nonpartisan agenda is and always has been dishonest. My first disagreement with No Labels came when I realized they were only looking out for mega donor special interests, advocating for lowering taxes on the rich and powerful, and weakening regulations for big business, making it easier for them to exploit workers or the environment."

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Still, as the editorial board notes, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) is considering a 2024 presidential candidacy under No Labels.

The editors add that GOP strategist Rick Wilson has also publicly criticized the group, saying, "No Labels founders 'Nancy Jacobson and Mark Penn have one goal: to punish the Democratic Party that rejected and ejected them. Their profitable psychodrama revenge fantasy against Joe Biden and the Clintons is a lie from top to bottom, and their 2024 plan is designed to divide the anti-Trump vote and ensure Trump returns to the Oval Office.'"

The board emphasizes, "We don't know what fantasies have fueled their effort, but Wilson is right that a Trump victory would be the result of a centrist third-party ticket."

READ MORE: 'A label I can’t mention': Columnist blasts Manchin’s No Labels appearance

The Kansas City Star's full editorial is available at this link (subscription required).