Dear America,
I'll admit at the outset that I have always had negative feelings about Republicans. I have even characterized them in these letters in unflattering ways: that they are oriented toward things rather than people, that their attitude toward complete candor is that it is optional, that eristic palaver is the equivalent to logic in their political discourse, etcetera. But now we are confronted with a hard reality that does not defy categorization, nor does it merit subtlety. Mitch McConnell has demonstrated an apostasy that is pure autocracy no less ignoble than that of any tyrant or aspirant to that kind of power, including his boss, in the world. And his Republican minions in The Senate are going along with him demonstrating that all Republicans in politics are as morally bankrupt as McConnell and Trump are. I am also presuming that those who elected them will vote for them again, and that there will be no outrage, or even criticism emanating from other halls of politics on either the federal or state level. Thus, I feel free now to give vent to my unvarnished opinion of Republicans. They are impious liars, and their claims to piety are nothing but empty sanctimony and they know it, though in the spirit of their party, they will never admit it even when confronted with the indubitable truth.
McConnell didn't even wait until Ruth Bader Ginsburg's body was cold before he proclaimed his own hypocrisy for all to hear. He stated as if it were a valid argument that refusing to give President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, so much as a hearing not to mention a vote, was different in kind from his current willingness to give such to Trump's nominee. Now, McConnell continued to prevaricate, Republicans have had control of The Senate for two election cycles, which constitutes a mandate from the people that justifies this betrayal of his own principles. He implied that he and his cronies had a popular mandate by dint of their majority control of his house of the legislature and the oval office. But what he omitted were the facts that despite holding more senate seats than Democrats, Republicans got 8% fewer votes in the process of winning them than their minority Democratic opponents did. As to Trump, he got nearly 3 million fewer votes than his Democratic opponent in 2016. The total of all the votes that Republican senators in office received in their elections was 153 million whereas Democrats holding Senate seats now received 168 million in their elections. So the mandate that McConnell claims didn't come from a majority of the American people. It came from a minority of the voting electorate. That's no mandate at all.
The bare fact is that McConnell is shepherding this process through to its ultimate, ineluctable end out of his sheer, brutish, shamelesss willingness to exercise power without regard to moral rectitude or integrity. And given that he will likely be reelected in November, and that the Republicans up for reelection will win many of their elections too, I cannot help but conclude that Republicans in general are without rectitude, integrity or shame. But I will concede this.
It may be that my conclusions and opinions about Republicans are wrong. It may be that come November, Republican voters will determine that they do not want to be tarred with the same brush that McConnell, Trump and their sycophants deserve and will have no choice but to endure in history. It may be that there are enough noble Republicans in the voting electorate to repudiate and expel from the halls of power those Republican politicians who are perpetrating this offense to decency...this overt abuse of power...to work an injustice that will prevail for decades.
I don't know that I can withhold judgment until the election, and I admit it. I am so incensed at this moment that I can barely keep myself open to the prospect of associating with the Republicans I know, and to do so in silence as to this abomination, but I will try. And I will admit that my opinion means nothing to any Republican as righteous indignation isn't within their ken. But this is an offense that will never merit forgiveness, not even for a hyper-righteous, would-be saint like Mitt Romney--whose father I believe would have been ashamed of him over his acquiescence in this offense against democracy--no matter how many times Mitt genuflects and prays.
To all you Republicans I would offer this exhortation. God is watching, and he knows that you know that this isn't right.
Your friend,
Mike
Leave a comment