Why do Democrats, liberals, and people worried about our nation keep showing up for the wrong fight? I’m exhausted listening to the talking heads debate whether Brett Kavanaugh would be a good or bad Supreme Court nominee. It’s like watching a drunk trying to hit on a store mannequin, confident he’ll score any second now. Don’t shriek about justice Kavanaugh’s morality as if that’s what matters. Come on, people! Republicans have already made the point a few dozen times now. Weren’t you listening? They’re not voting on morality or suitability. Whining about criminal assault won’t change anyone’s minds because they don’t care if he did. They’ve said so already.
When we elected Donald Trump our president, one of his first actions after blowing off the security briefings was to drive out those nagging ethics people so he could pocket his bribes quietly. And the GOP approved. Trump then stocked his cabinet with feebs, cretins, nitwits, and ninnies whose incompetence was only overridden by their corruption. And the GOP supported every nominee along cast-iron, party-line votes. Hell, the Republican party put its full faith and official GOP resources behind a string of birdbrains, idiots, louts, rakes, child molesters and worse.
I admit I was surprised by the ‘child molester’ thing, too. So much for that red line. But that was the lesson, and we should have learned it: Republicans are immune to shame (or irony).
It’s fair to ask why Republicans support so many creeps. My first thought was it was merely tribal, but there may be a few core Republican principles beyond that:
- Republicans keep their rich and powerful patrons frozen up in the 0.01%, protected from any consequences, competition or accidental progress that might threaten their high standing. That’s number one.
- Make sure women and brown people know their place. As much as black pride and racial mobility scare the racists, the idea that they can’t keep women helpless utterly terrifies them.
- Cripple the electoral system to keep Republicans on top. Makes sense to rig the game for themselves just the way they rig the system for their patrons.
So long as you remember who brought you to the dance, the rest is just noise to keep the hoi-polloi out of your office.
Look, morality isn’t even in the Republican top-10 list. It’s not like they’re trying to hide who they are. Stop insisting that “lying under oath” or “judicial temperament” will somehow affect key swing Senators. After the fifth party-line vote, it’s time to admit that Susan Collins, Bob Corker, Jeff Flake and all the rest were bought and paid for long ago. They talk a good game, and the press eats it up, despite their subsequent party-line votes.
Kavanaugh lied about… well, almost everything, but let’s look at early stuff. Kavanaugh received and traded in stolen data. He understood they were stolen goods, too, which we know because he goddamn documented ‘spying’ in his email. Kavanaugh then lied about what he did under oath during his Court of Appeals confirmation hearing. And then Kavanaugh lied about that lie during his Supreme Court hearing. Since all those lies were told knowingly, under oath, and in bad faith, they put the good judge at risk of indictment for perjury, lying to the FBI, lying to Congress, and probably a few dozen more. People keep raising all those potential felonies is if malfeasance was an argument against the guy. Look, for Republicans, mendacity’s a plus and a big one. Yes, yes, yes, Brett’s a partisan hack; they already knew that. They consider “Bagman who keeps his mouth shut” a big part of his job application.
And now there’s Sen. Jeff Flake. He stopped the train, insisting he needed an FBI investigation. Later, Flake demanded a real investigation and not just a fig leaf for dubious Senators. All the news services reported Flake’s high language breathlessly as if his words were all that mattered. Dozens of people wrote opinion pieces about Flake’s decisive action and his spiffy moral position. This is a dude who just voted for the angry rapist bro!
So Trump rigged the investigation. Flake blinked. McConnell grinned, giving Flake a poison ivy leaf instead. And guess what happened? Flake is pressing that thing against his genitals with both hands as he struggles votes ‘Yes!’ for Kavanaugh using his elbow. (And I get another disturbing image stuck in my head.)
As I write this, Sen. Mitch McConnell is ramming Kavanaugh through the nomination almost bodily. Come hell or high water, he’s holding the confirmation vote this week. The betrayal of their oath of office isn’t new. It’s what Republicans do. And Kavanaugh isn’t unique; he’s just the latest incompetent party apparatchik.
And, reliably, Democrats keep showing up to the wrong fight. Yeah, I’m sure social pressure will work this time despite never having worked all those other times before now. You keep insisting the Senate should hear all the evidence before deciding. I’m sure that’ll make a difference this time.
Democrats? Hapless.
