The Long Weekend

So many oh-so adorable things from the Republican Party and far right, perhaps the most notable being Trump's now-pardoned, 22-day National Security Advisor Michael Flynn calling for an armed bloody coup -- though what stands out most from that is not that Flynn said it (ghastly as it was, I'm not surprised...), but that elected Republicans have basically been silent in condemning him.

There was also Tucker Carlson saying on his TV show that "Our military, at times, does not seem interested in protecting the country."  Which, to be clear, ghoulish as it is to say that period, he said it on Memorial Day.  While it would be nice to think he was referencing people like retired General Michael Flynn and all members of the military who supported the insurrection to overthrow the government, he wasn't saying that.  And while it would also be nice to think that his bosses at "Fox News" will reprimand him, the sad truth is that he was likely speaking on brand.

But for me, the issue that stood out the most one was for its utter irresponsible foolishness that spoke to who today's Republican Party is.

Throughout the past couple days, I kept seeing references about Republicans and far-right media attacking Kamala Harris for her comments.  But I didn’t know what they were referring to, and didn’t even care about finding out since I figured it was totally stupid.  Then finally, after I replied to an idiotic, nasty tweet by Nikki Haley (who had written about Vice President Harris), I decided to check it out.  And when I saw it was all about how Harris had sent out a tweet, “Enjoy the long weekend,” it infuriated me.

For starters, she didn’t say “Have a happy Memorial Day.”  She said I hope you enjoy your long weekend.  Grocery stores have Memorial Day specials.  Businesses have Memorial Weekend sales. Americans plan barbecue parties.  The Indianapolis 500 motor race is always held on Memorial Day weekend.  So, to say “Enjoy your weekend” is as benign as things get.  Especially since there are many ways to enjoy even a solemn day. 

Further, Vice President Harris did send out a thoughtful, moving tweet about honoring soldiers on Memorial Day.  So, it's like like every tweet (and again, we're talking about tweets!!) that a public figure sends out has to include a solemn reference to the military.  (Something that Haley herself proved when she sent out her own tweet with her son at the beach, saying how thankful she was for the blessings to spend the weekend with him -- which, by the way, is not what Memorial Day is about.  Apparently, she confused Thanksgiving with remembering the sacrifice of soldiers.)  And also, for the record, Kamala Harris spent Memorial Day with President Biden at Arlington National Cemetery in a ceremony honoring the military and those who lost their lives.

But most especially this entire "Republican faux-outrage" was galling because all these people trying to slam her are the same ones celebrating an insurrection to overthrow the government.  And they have the sickness to try to smear someone for saying “I hope you enjoy your three-day holiday weekend like most Americans are likely planning to do.” 

By the way, Nikki Haley's tweet that I had responded to was her reply to Kamala Harris’s tweet “Enjoy your long weekend,” and what she wrote back “Unprofessional and unfit.”  I wrote back that this phrase read like her own Twitter bio.  That’s what got me to look up what in the world Haley was talking about in her reply to the Vice President.  I assumed that it couldn’t have possibly been the Harris tweet, since it was so benign, but rather that she was only using the tweet as a jumping off point.  So, when I looked it up and discovered that, no, that was the thing Republicans were up in arms over, it just has been gnawing at me since.  It was galling even if Republicans weren’t enabling the insurrection.  But the fact that they are only made it all the worse.

On the other hand, I also sort of like seeing Republicans trying to make an issue out saying "Enjoy your long weekend."  Because that shows they have nothing better to complain about.  So, instead of building opposition to Biden and Democratic proposals -- which is a huge change since 60-70% of Americans are saying that they actually like them -- Republicans are stuck with trying to be "outraged" over Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato Head, Sesame Street, Kamala Harris going to a bakery, Kamala Harris hoping people enjoy their holiday weekend, and Joe Biden stuttering.  That is not a recipe on driving people to the polls...

Anger at a party that enabled an insurrection to overthrow the government and refused to vote to investigate it -- that is something that does drive people to the polls.