December 20, 2019
After three years of continually engaging in blatant abuses of power, rampant corruption and shocking acts of cruelty, Trump was finally impeached by the House of Representatives on Wednesday night. To soothe his fragile ego, Trump scheduled another of his Klan rallies in Michigan to coincide with the House debate, in order to bask in the adoration of his cult like followers. Because he is pathetic and petty, he taunted Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, by stating that her husband, the late Congressman John Dingell was “looking up” from Hell. Even for Trump it was a reprehensible display of vindictive cruelty.
This is the man to whom recent turncoat Congressman, Jeff Van Drew, pledged his “undying loyalty.” This is the person who Republican after Republican defended in unhinged sycophantic rants during Wednesday’s debate. Instead of engaging in somber and serious consideration of the articles of impeachment, Congressional Republicans treated it like a circus, with one dimwitted backbencher, Barry Loudermilk, comparing Trump to Jesus Christ himself, (Source: “GOP Congressman Compares Trump to Jesus: ‘Pontius Pilate Was Fairer Than Democrats,’” by Justin Baragona, TheDailyBeast.com, 12/18/19).
This is the man who reptilian Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, defended from the Senate floor Thursday in Orwellian terms, calling the methodical inquiry conducted by House Intelligence Chair, Adam Schiff the “most unfair” in history, (Source: “McConnell blasts impeachment effort as ‘most unfair’ in history,” by Ted Barrett and Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN.com, 12/19/19.
Recognizing that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could thwart his plan to hold a sham trial by refusing to send the articles to the Senate until he agreed on rules ensuring a fair process, McConnell claimed that the Speaker was “too afraid” to send the case to the Senate, (Source: ibid). McConnell’s determination to shield Trump from accountability is not out of fealty to the man, but rather to cement the hold of corrupt minority on the reins of power. The real threat to democracy isn’t Trump, it’s McConnell. It has always been McConnell.
From the 2010 midterm elections, when he declared that his goal was to make Barack Obama a one term president to his crowing that his “proudest moment” was in 2016 when he denied Merrick Garland a hearing on his nomination to the Supreme Court, McConnell has relished his role as the thwarter of the popular will. His embrace of the moniker, “The Grim Reaper,” begs the question, just what is he killing?
Any doubt about the answer has been dispelled over these last three years. McConnell has refused to bring more than 400 bills passed by the House to the Senate floor, (Source: “House Democrats have passed more than 400 bills. Trump and the Republicans are ignoring them,” by Ella Nilsen, Vox.com, 11/29/19). Instead, McConnell has used the Senate solely to remake the courts, to the point where Trump has appointed more federal judges in three years than President Obama did in the preceding eight. These appointees are overwhelmingly white, and ten years younger, on average, than the judges appointed by President Obama, (Source: “What Trump Has Done To The Courts: Explained,” by Ian Milhiser, Vox.com, 12/19/19). This judiciary has the power to stymie any progressive legislation even if we win the presidency and both houses of Congress next year.
This is why last night’s Democratic debate was so dispiriting. Rather than trading pot shots about wine caves or refuting Republican talking points that blame the country’s polarization on some political failure of the Democrats, there needs to be an honest reckoning of what is actually at stake in this election. It is long past time for our media and political candidates to accept that the struggle is not between left and right. It is between those who know that in 2019, embracing our Constitution and the Rule of Law means a multicultural representative democracy and those who would rather burn the Bill of Rights in a bonfire than surrender their dream of white supremacy. They will cling to it even if it kills them (or us). There is no guarantee that we can win this fight, but we’re doomed even we won’t even face what we’re fighting.
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