WILL ANY OF THEM HONOR THE RESULT IN NOVEMBER?

Perhaps the most shocking thing the execrable Elise Stefanik did when she was on Press The Meat yesterday was to refuse to answer moderator Kristen Welker’s question of whether or not she would recognize and honor the result of this November’s election, regardless of the outcome.

Stefanik proves every day what a Republican who has sold its soul to the Devil looks and acts like, even more obviously than scum like Chip Roy or Matt Gaetz or Jim Comer or Jungle Gym Jordan or the rest of the bend-over-and-spread-for-him Fweedumb Kawkuss. That’s because she came into politics advertising herself as a “moderate,” “sane” Republican, a supporter of Paul Ryan. And then, to gain office within the party in congress, she oh-so-obviously sold what passed for a soul right out in public.

Her performance yesterday was a wonder to behold. In addition to refusing to certify the 2024 election, she parroted Trump’s reference to J6 defendants as “hostages;” embraced the claim that the 2020 election was an “unconstitutional circumventing of the Constitution, not going through state legislators when it comes to changing election law.” She defended Trump’s statement that immigrants were “poisoning the blood” of the nation:

“Our border crisis is poisoning Americans through fentanyl. It is poisoning people, including in my district, who are dying from overdoses of fentanyl. And you know why? Because of Joe Biden’s wide-open border. ... So yes, I stand by President Trump.”

When you’re constantly reminded by events of George Orwell’s “1984,” that’s not a good thing. His paragraph about a female party member Winston Smith meets is too dead-on to avoid:

“...she had without exception the most stupid, vulgar, empty mind that he had ever encountered. She had not a thought in her head that was not a slogan, and there was no imbecility, absolutely none that she was not capable of swallowing if the Party handed it out to her. 'The human sound-track' he nicknamed her in his own mind.” — George Orwell, 1984

For anyone still resisting the truth that there no longer is a Republican Party, that it is now fully and completely the Trump Party, yesterday’s performance should have been the final argument that every vile, ignorant, malevolent thing Trump is, is now a bedrock belief in the party. Stefanik is Number Four in the alleged “Republican House Leadership.” That designation used to mean the holder was a person of experience in the ways of the House, who had sufficient character they could be trusted as a leader in a political body where progress depended on the leaders of both parties trusting each other sufficiently to enter into agreements believing the other side would uphold their part of the bargain.

No more.

I think the last time I dealt with a Republican on any matter where they kept their word about any agreement we came to on whatever the subject was, was around 2003. And truth be known, the situation had been going on since before then for several years, during which I kept demonstrating that the definition of insanity really is to keep doing the same thing in the expectation of a different outcome. 2003 was when I started cutting those people out of my life when they demonstrated their lack of character; today there are no current Republicans I am involved with (though there are several ex-Republicans, who demonstrated their character by walking out the door, knowing what the consequences would be).

And the public display of lack of character by office holders pretty much paralleled that.

Sadly, I’ve watched too many people I knew 30 years ago, who I disagreed with politically but respected personally, move effortlessly along the long downward path to out and out fascism. They really are the frogs in the simmering pot who didn’t realize they were being boiled to death.

In the meantime, the man the Economist named “the greatest threat to the planet in 2024" continues to go more batshit insane in public - to the applause of the droolers.

Just in the last 72 hours, he did or said the following:

"Think of it, magnets. Now all I know about magnets is this, give me a glass of water, let me drop it on the magnets, that's the end of the magnets.”

Declared the January 6 seditionists are “hostages” and demanded their release. Also claiming that the violence that day was the result of a “false flag” operation by “antifa” and law enforcement.

And then, out of nowhere, once again he decided to slander John McCain for the injuries he suffered in he service of his country, surviving ejection from his airplane and three years of torture at the Hanoi Hilton - while this fatassed old pissant was dodging service (like his father and grandfather) by buying a phony medical diagnosis of “bone spurs.”

Once again criticizing Abraham Lincoln as he did eight years ago for mishandling the Civil War and not “negotiating.” “So many mistakes were made. See, there was something I think could have been negotiated, to be honest with you. I think you could have negotiated that. All the people died. So many people died.”

As reported by WBEZ Chicago, Trump has refused in 2024 to sign the decades-old pledge that he would not advocate overthrowing the government when filing for placement on the Illinois primary ballot; in 2016 and 2020, he signed that document.

Responding to the news of that, which broke on Saturday, Biden campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said:

“For the entirety of our nation’s history, presidents have put their hand on the Bible and sworn to protect and uphold the Constitution of the United States – and Donald Trump can’t bring himself to sign a piece of paper saying he won’t attempt a coup to overthrow our government. We know he’s deadly serious, because three years ago today he tried and failed to do exactly that.

At the end of the oath, candidates attest that they “do not directly or indirectly teach or advocate the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this state or any unlawful change in the form of the governments thereof by force or any unlawful means.”

“This is the same man who thinks American troops who died protecting the ideals outlined in the Constitution are suckers and losers – yet calls the convicted felons who violently assaulted and killed police officers on January 6th ‘hostages’. He can’t fathom putting anything – our country, our principles, or the well-being and safety of the American people – above his own quest for retribution and power.”

Adam Kinzinger said:

“Why wouldn’t he sign it? Has he been advised maybe not to sign it because maybe there’s some legal exposures…given that oath, if he signed it, would be a violation of everything he actually did on Jan. 6th, 2021, and leading up to it?”

Video of the insurrectionary assault on the capitol three years ago includes a moment when Representative Troy Nehls of Texas shouts a the insurrectionists through the broken glass of the door. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself! I’ve been in law enforcement in Texas for 30 years, and I’ve never had people act this way. I’m ashamed!”

Three years later, Nehls is all-in with his support of the man who sent those people he confronted. He has stated he will refuse to participate in any compromise effort to get actual legislation regarding immigration passed, saying he’s “not too damn interested” in helping Joe Biden’s reputation. Last week, he called the death of Ashli Babbit - shot by a Capitol Police officer as she attempted to jump through the door to assault congressional members in the House chamber - “murder.”

Over the past three years, we have been witness to a parade of mind-bending rationalizations, reversals, silence, and surrenders as the Republican Party and Conservatism Inc. dodge, deflect, and minimize the enormity of the events of that day. In that time, they have convinced the majority of their base to actually applaud the insurrection, and now their alleged “leaders” refuse to say they will accept the results of the coming election or swear they do not advocate the overthrow of our democratic constitutional republic.

Any Republican who endorses Trump for the 2024 election and lies about the 2020 election, or about January 6th, is not merely complicit in spreading his lies; they are also consciously acting in support of an ongoing attack on the rule of law and our democratic constitutional republic. Trump will demand they lie about the next election also - and too many of them have already surrendered to him about this, as witness Stefanik’s performance.

Writing in “On Tyranny,” Dr. Timothy Snyder noted that one of the 20 signs of tyranny was a surrender before it was demanded by the tyrant.

I’m old enough that I can remember Republican politicians I worked with, responsible Republicans, who would have had no difficult pushing back against and denouncing Trump’s reckless rhetoric. Even a few of the current office holders in the party managed to do so in the immediate aftermath of Trump’s failed coup. Erick Erickson posted on Twitter as the event happened:

“Shoot the protestors. Waive the rules, impeach. Waive the rules, convict. Waive the rules, deny the ability to run for election again.”

Kay C. James, who was then the president of the Heritage Foundation put out a scathing statement: “Like many Americans, I watched in disbelief Wednesday as an angry mob stormed our U.S. Capitol. As members of Congress gathered to certify the electoral votes of the presidential election, a band of criminals decided to take matters into their own hands. As this horrible act is investigated, it will be determined exactly who they were, and they must be held accountable. Violence should not be used as a tool to bring about change, and those who stormed the Capitol on Wednesday should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Now, all of them simply amplify and repeat the worst of the worst things to come from his diseased brain. It’s where they see the power and money coming from.

Last week, Erickson tweeted, “It was a bad day, but it doesn’t outweigh crime, inflation, COVID, school closures, etc. for voters.”

It took less than a year for year for Kevin Roberts, James’ successor at Heritage, to post on December 13, 2021:

“The House of Representatives’ Jan. 6 committee is abusing its congressional authority with its latest attack on former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. This committee is comprised of politicians who are carrying out a partisan fishing expedition intent on destroying the reputations of public servants in the Trump administration.

I may disagree strongly with Liz Cheney about any number of political policies, but I respect the hell out of her for having the courage to see the truth before her and act on it, regardless of the personal cost. She was entirely right when she told voters in New Hampshire last week, “... tell the world who we are with your vote. Tell them that we are a good and a great nation.”

Orwell, “1984": "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your own eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."

Trump, 2018: "And just remember, what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening."

Your support of That’s Another Fine Mess in 2024 - the most important and worst year of our lives - as a paid subscriber will really help. It’s only $7/month or $70/year.

Comments are for paid subscribers.