Well, we've reached the point of caricature when Kevin McCarthy tries to stuff the January 6 investigation committee with persons like Jim Jordan and Jim Banks, two of the most ardent Magaheads in the House. He might as well have selected Lauren Boebert or Louis Gohmert. He had to know Nancy would reject them, as she has the upper hand here, not him. Nevertheless, he threw a great big temper-tantrum after she pulled the football out from under him again.
I really don't know how the Republicans expect to win back the House with these kinds of antics. They can try to change the voting laws in their states, but it affects conservative voters just as much as it does liberal voters. All they are creating is a great deal of resentment that is very likely to manifest itself next November, even if it feels the midterms are coming up this November with all the wild rhetoric swirling around.
It's not just the 1/6 investigation committee that has the potential to drag them down. The growing number of COVID cases in Republican states is hurting them just as bad. The vast majority of hospitalizations are persons who refused to take the vaccine and have exercised little or no precaution. Republicans have encouraged this by passing laws in their states against mask mandates, green passes and any other form of federal-recommended restrictions. Three Republican states (Florida, Texas and Missouri) account for 40 percent of all new coronavirus cases.
Recognizing that this resistance is counter-productive, Governor Kay Ivey is now urging Alabamians to get the vaccine. This after she signed a state law that did away with most COVID restrictions. Alabama is the least vaccinated state in the union and saw a 300% spike in cases this month.
At some point conservative voters will start questioning the efficacy of their leaders and not the vaccine. They have seen their leaders continuously downplay the virus, the January 6 insurrection and just about everything else that casts a bad light on their leadership. Much of this is filtered through Fox news and other conservative outlets, but Fox has been starting to be more prudent. Even Sean Hannity has recently urged his followers to get vaccinated. Not Tucker Carlson. He continues to cast doubt on the efficacy of the vaccine, urging his followers to remain vigilant.
Of course, it hasn't helped that the CDC has sent out a lot of mixed signals and continues to do so. We all want these restrictions to end so that we can return to a normal life, but until 70 percent of the population is fully vaccinated we should all be very, very cautious. Even someone who has had the vaccine is still susceptible to the coronavirus and can pass it along to someone else. This is why masks remain so important to prevent the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump is once again in campaign mode. No one knows quite sure for what. There is one theory he might run for a House seat, presumably from Florida. As the theory goes, when the Republicans retake the chamber in a landslide election, Trump will be unanimously proclaimed Majority Leader and immediately launch impeachment hearings for both Biden and Harris, so that he can ascend to the White House as the number three person in line. This is assuming the Republicans similarly sweep the Democrats out of the Senate. More likely, Trump just likes drawing attention to himself, especially now that he has nothing else to do.
The most frustrating part about all this is the amount of airtime CNN and other mainstream news outlets give to Trump and the radical members of Congress that offer steadfast allegiance to him. We have been hit so hard with the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz that it is hard to shake them from our heads no matter how hard we try. Biden, Pelosi and Schumer have for the most part tried to "go high," but it seems the mainstream media finds them boring and chooses to focus instead on these idiots. This only serves their interests, as the media allows these goons to insinuate themselves into our heads.
Then you have all the new crazies on the block, itching to get into Congress. Herschel Walker is said to be seriously considering a run at recently-elected Raphael Warnock's Senate seat despite the fact he hasn't lived in Georgia for decades. No matter, he once played for the Georgia Bulldogs and is considered a native son. Unfortunately, he has a rather sketchy past that would haunt him on the campaign trail. Hell, if Trump can do it, so can Herschel!
The Republican primaries promise to be dogfights as Trump loyalists plan to challenge any Republican who they believe wasn't true to their deposed president. Much of this stems from those who voted to certify the election, like Jim Lankford of Oklahoma, who barely survived a state Republican censure attempt but will be challenged in next year's primary. This means a lot of money will be wasted in the primaries and Republicans in battleground states will find themselves short of cash in the general election. As any political strategist will tell you, this is not a good omen.
McCarthy fully embraces this approach, as most House Republicans remained loyal to Trump by voting against certification, but Mitch has a tougher row to hoe in the Senate, where very few Republicans voted against certification, largely because he encouraged them to support the Democratic process.
Mitch thought Trumpmania would fade quickly and the Republican party could go back to doing what it does best, blocking Democratic legislation. However, it didn't work out that way. Schumer managed to get a robust spending bill through reconciliation and several Republicans are actively considering a bipartisan infrastructure bill that would provide valuable resources to their states. Meanwhile, the Democrats have stuck together in getting Biden's administration approved with only a couple of voluble dissents. Biden has pretty much had his way with Congress to this point.
Ironically, it does seem Trumpmania is fading. His rallies haven't garnered the kind of WWE enthusiasm he is used to. He spends most of his time listing his petty grievances rather than promoting Republican candidates for Congress. His schtick has worn so thin that I hardly see any of my conservative friends posting memes of Trump on facebook. Instead, I see the endless litany against Trump from my liberal friends. Trump did win the CPAC straw poll recently, but it was mostly his loyal following who attended the rowdy conference. It remains to be seen what kind of enthusiasm Republicans as a whole have for him in three years time.
For all we know, he may be in jail. Federal and state investigations continue not just on the January 6 insurrection, which Trump incited, but into the innumerable shady deals that comprise the Trump financial world. Recently, Tom Barrack was indicted on lobbying violations, obstruction and innumerable false statements. Trump also lost his CFO Allen Weisellberg of Trump Organization to indictments of tax fraud. It's only a matter of time before these investigations hone in on his involvement. He no longer has anyone to protect him in the justice department.
To some degree, the House Democratic investigation into the January 6 insurrection may be moot, as charges will be made against those involved as more evidence is gained. However, it does offer the opportunity to throw light on House and Senate Republicans' involvement in the insurrection before, during and after the siege. This is what Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell were desperately trying to avoid.
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