You Are There

What kind of a day was it in MAGOP World yesterday?  A day like any other – except…you are there. 

After having called Trump “unhinged,” “unstable” and "unfit," Nikki Haley says that she will vote for him.  Disturbing as this is, it does not come as a shock.  A friend wrote to say he didn’t know if he was naïve, but it does come as a shock to him.  I’m not sure if it’s naivete or decency, but I can at the very least understand his feeling.  The best I can figure is that when your party has become literally fascist, power and authority is all that matters.

That said, I also don't expect her underwhelming statement to have a huge impact.  The 23% who voted for her in the last primary clearly weren't trying to elect her -- since she'd dropped out of the race.  So, it was really a protest vote against Trump because her name was on the ballot.  Mind you, I don’t think that that means all 23% won’t vote for Trump in the general election, but if only 5% don’t, that’s huge.

Then there was Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito once again, who it turns out had yet another Insurrectionist flag flying.  This time, it was the extremist symbol, an "Appeal to Heaven" pine flag that was up at his vacation beach house. This is an old symbol from the Revolutionary War that more recently has been used by Christian nationalists and was carry by Insurrectionists at the Capitol on January 6.

The good news is that, so far, Alito has not hid behind his wife and blamed this on her getting into an argument with her neighbor.  Now, of course, obviously it’s fair for anyone to voice a political opinion.  But, just as, of course, obviously, when you’re a Supreme Court Justice with a lifetime appointment to decide on laws concerning the United States Constitution, you have a sworn obligation to be impartial, objective and fair.  And Alito has long-since crossed over that threshold.  But then, the best I can figure is that when your party has become literally fascist, power and authority is all that matters.

And dear Lauren Boebert nudged her way into the news yesterday, as well.  She posted a tweet celebrating her actions bringing a bridge to her area of Colorado.  She wrote, “We have secured over $51.4 million for the South Bridge.” And included a photo of her a local city councilman commemorating the achievement.

For the record, contrary to linguistics, assumptions and appearance, "We" in this case does not mean those in the photo.  It is the people who, of course, actually voted for the Infrastructure Bill that got the funding for the bridge. This does not include Ms. Boebert who actually voted against it and is trying to take credit for something that -- if she had her way -- wouldn't exist.  She was immediately called out by the White House, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Rep. Jason Crow (who represents a neighboring district) and many others.  Now, why Lauren Boebert would take credit for something she tried to block and so blatantly lie, I have no idea, other than she was just being herself.  But beyond that, the best I can figure is that when your party has become literally fascist, power and authority is all that matters.

And of course, we can’t end yesterday without something about Trump.  And it’s him leading the way with his legal defense fundraising cry that, supposedly, he wants his money-giving base to believe that President Biden ordered a “shoot to kill” assassination order on him when the FBI exercised their search warrant for Mar-a-Lago.  Mind you, the fact that he wasn’t assassinated and is still around and in court doesn’t seem to have factored into his efforts to outrage his base, or factored into other Republican officials like Marjorie Taylor Greene (who is now going around insisting that she, apparently saved Trump’s life by “warning him”).

But of course, facts have little place in this delusional faux-outrage.  After all, FBI agents always carry weapons on an authorized search warrant for safety, prepared to defend themselves if necessary.  So, why would Trump try to make himself the woeful victim of a non-existent and fanciful “assassination plot”(his faux-outrage made all the more whimsical since his own lawyer recently argued in court on his behalf that a president could kill a political rival and not be prosecuted because he would have immunity for it) and lie about such a thing?  The best I can figure is that when are a fascist, then power and authority is all that matters. 

Well, that and he’s a pathological lying con man who seemingly is in the early stages of dementia.