25 I 2022: And, of course, Newt again …

These troubled times have evoked another epiphany of the hypocritical, much-married, parasite on American politics, Newt Gingrich. He is not content to spend time doing penance for the great harm he has caused, although he converted to Catholicism, the religion of his third wife. Rather, he welcomes the opportunity to support his fellow fascists in his own nasty, bigoted way, like a Steve Bannon with a shave.

Gingrich was a pioneer in the New Shamelessness movement in American politics, and even after a discreditable, fly-by-night withdrawal from public office in 1999, he keeps bubbling up when troubled times provide an opportunity. Discredited right-wing politicians-turned-pundit are constantly feeding quietly on the periphery of public life, but they find a voice when they are trotted out by fascist propaganda networks in need of a talking head.  

Gingrich has been a malevolent presence in politics through all of his careers, and, I suppose, will continue to be with us until someone drives a stake through his heart.

18 I 2022: Fake electors

We’ve grown so accustomed to MAGA’s endless lies that we tend to assume that Trump & Co. are lying, and then blow it off. This is rather like the “big lie” approach, i.e., keep repeating it and people will come to accept it. So, lie and keep on lying, and, in our corrupted society, people will accept it as a matter of course and not bother to contradict the lies or prosecute the liars.

Now we learn of certificates signed and submitted by Trumpists in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, and New Mexico whereby these liars claim to be the authentic presidential electors from their states. This is not a shenanigan, it is not just another “dirty trick.” Several federal and state laws have been broken. And this is no rumor. We have unambiguous evidence in the pseudo-electors signatures on these documents.

Now, is American democracy going to let this go with a “Tsk, tsk. You know, you really mustn’t do this sort of thing.” Or will we defend our democracy by prosecuting these seditionists at every level appropriate with a view to maximum sentences.

The Dept. of Justice has taken the easy path of prosecuting the small-fry of the Coup of January 6th. That is easier than going after the big bugs, because we have photographic proof of the rioters’ crimes. Well, prosecuting this latest crop of seditionist should be easy as well, for we have graphic proof.

I’m sure any number of the liars who signed their names on these fraudulent documents will turn out to be persons who are assumed to be upstanding citizens, pillars of the church, prosperous businessmen, etc., in their hometowns. This makes prosecution of these criminals even more important. This kind of seditious fraud is a white-collar crime, and prosecution of the criminals will probably be unpopular in their communities. But this is all the more reason for the Dept. of Justice and states’ attorneys general to act quickly, decisively, and ruthlessly.

14 I 2022: Six horses of the Apocalypse

The Supreme Court has made its latest contribution to the reactionary war to block change and eliminate the due protection of the people by the Federal Government. The six reactionary justices blocked the COVID mandate for large businesses. Who will suffer for this? Not the justices, I’m sure. Not the wealthy whom they serve. No, no. Ordinary people who will not be protected at work and all the other people with whom they live and come into contact.

In the Apocalypse, there are Four Horsemen that bring woe and death upon the earth. I might call the reactionary justices the Six Horsemen, but I think the Six Horses is a better fit, for they are only doing what the reactionaries who ride them want to be done.

I will not, cannot conceal my disgust. It is said that this is part of a program of the reactionary justices to reduce the Federal Government’s role in the lives of citizens. No, it’s a program to deprive the people of the protection of the Federal Government. Corruption is rife in Republican state legislatures, the Republicans in Congress are united in rejecting anything that might benefit the American people. Who will contain the voracity of big money?

This reactionary court, along with the Republican Party that created it, will continue to oppress us and will destroy the United States. Nor do they care, so long as power remains in the hands of those who hold it now.

4 I 2022: “What does Margorie Taylor Green do all day?”

This is the title of an analysis piece by Chris Cilizza today on CNN. Mr. Cilizza’s view of M.T.G. is 

“Greene is a new breed of Republican Members of Congress. She uses her platform not to legislate or move up the ranks of seniority or even to befriend colleagues but rather to build her brand. And that brand is as an unrepentant defender of former President Donald Trump and his “America First” policies.”

I would say more. Green is one of a coterie of Republicans in Congress who will do anything to keep themselves before the public eye. They cannot achieve this by being good legislators, so they must resort to other ways of attracting attention. They remind me of bad little boys competing to see who can perform the grossest act, like pissing the farthest, farting the loudest, belching on cue, pooping on neighbors’ porches, and so on. 

But these “bad little boys” are not going to grow up, and it is up to the Republican adults in Congress to discipline and restrain them. But those adults are inhibited by their own slavish behavior and their acquiescence in the Big Lie, and so they are not in a position to tell anyone how to behave.

16 XII 2021: Sedition is a federal crime, prosecute it!

The hand-wringing continues in D.C. and on the airwaves about the possibly illegal behavior of Trump and his entourage in their attempts to disparage and undo our election. The latest hesitancy to emerge is due to uncertainty about whether the Jan 6 Committee can subpoena other members of Congress like Coach Jim Jordan and other members of the self-styled “Freedom Caucus.”

It is an error to have a congressional committee do what should be a criminal investigation. All the seditious conspiracies and maneuvers should be turned over to the Dept. of Justice and the F.B.I. If we permit the current campaigns of lies and stonewalling to continue, if we allow probable criminals to escape investigation, and fail to bring these enemies of the United States to justice, we will be admitting that democracy lacks the means to defend itself against enemies from within.

15 XII 2021: Rep. Scott Perry appeals to the bigots in his district

Scott Perry will soon be up for re-election. He must anticipate that the primary race will be very close, for he is getting the jump on possible rivals by an anti-Islamic stunt that would appeal to the prejudiced in his community. I don’t know whether Perry is a bigot. I’d not be surprised to learn that he is. But whatever his personal views and biases may be, he’s making a splashy first bid for the bigot vote in his district.

10 XII 2021: SCOTUS votes along doctrinal lines

As predicted, the Supreme Court has declared by a vote of 5-4 that Texas’ unconstitutional abortion law can stand, thus handing another easy victory to misogyny. The vote was only partly political. The five justices are obligated to the people who made them what they are. But this vote was primarily religious, for it supported the Republican-Catholic party line. I fear we’re going to see a lot more of “good old religion” in the Court’s future decisions.

7 XII 2021: Prosecute or fail

I am nauseated by the failure to prosecute Trump & Co. for their attempt to overthrow the government. Bannon won’t cooperate, Eastman pleads the Fifth, Meadows thought maybe he would cooperate but has since changed his mind, Jeffrey Clark is likely to refuse to answer any significant question, the whole Republican Party refuses to cooperate, and all the House Committee can do is seek an ineffective charge of Contempt of Congress

The House of Representatives is not the body that should be acting on Jan 6. The House and the Senate are incapable of doing anything at all constructive. That is their contribution to the overthrow of the government. Trump and his entourage have been active in their attempts at a coup. The Congress’ inaction is a coup attempt as well.

No, the investigation of Jan 6 should be assigned to the F.B.I. and the Justice Department should then prosecute on the basis of the incriminating evidence that the investigation is sure to find.

Our American justice system is not making a very good showing. What are we learning from current developments? We have learned for sure that if you are sufficiently shameless and have enough money to hire enough lawyers, you can virtually shut down the justice system. You can delay and appeal and delay and appeal so long that you are likely to be dead before you come to trial.

Again I say, justice delayed is justice denied. If a plot to overthrow the government, a plot that is still ongoing, is not taken seriously enough to prompt immediate action, a dismal future for the United States of America can with confidence be predicted..

If America simply “moves on” from Jan. 6 and the Big Lie Campaign with barely a friendly admonition to the conspirators, American democracy will be completely vulnerable to the next coup. And unless we deal sternly and quickly with the Jan 6 conspirators, another coup attempt is inevitable, if not from Trump & Co., then from another demagogue who would like to be king, and the Republican Party is now dominated by people of that kind. Putin and the Russian Empire are not a greater threat to the United States than Trump and his co-conspirators and those who will come next to follow their example.

6 XII 2021: Wisdom of the right

Today’s news reported the medical pronouncements of several of the brighter Republicans in Congress. Sen. Ron Johnson accused Dr. Fauci of “hyping up” COVID19 just as he “hyped up” AIDS. Badboy Matt Gaetz insists that actually contracting COVID19 is “nature’s vaccine,” the best protection against the disease. Margorie Taylor Green wonders, since 600,000 die annually from cancer, why we are making such a big deal of COVID19 deaths. And Coach Jim Jordan has announced that “Real America is done with #COVID19.” I suppose that by “real America” all those people who are dying because they are guided by misinformation like this.

2 XII 2021: Of course Trump appointees to Supreme Court were lying

Trump’s appointees to the Supreme Court all claimed to have an open mind about Roe v. Wade. But they came to the Senate Committee already tainted from their contact with Trump, and are, like Trump, not to be trusted. And it wouldn’t have taken much imagination to conclude that in any deliberation about reproductive rights they would be guided by their own religious and political positions.

Trump and McConnell had, by a mixture of good luck and native shamelessness, managed to pack the Supreme Court, but they could not have succeeded in doing so if their nominees had told the truth to the Senate Committee. Two of Trump’s appointments added to the other reactionary Roman Catholics create a right-wing Catholic majority on the Court: Thomas, Roberts, Alito, Kavanaugh, and Barrett. These justices, given the kind of Catholic they are, are barred by personal convictions from supporting Roe v. Wade, whatever they may have told the Senate about an open mind.

I wonder if an earlier Catholic justice, the now much reviled Roger B. Taney of Dred Scott fame, would have been more candid with the Senate.