Congress … Oy Vez

June 4, 2019

Congress … Oy Vez

congress

Mark Rubin

I wrote FUBarr the other day. I focused on how Special Counsel Robert Mueller explained his treatment of the obstruction of justice issue, given that he could not indict President Donald Trump, and did not have facts which allowed him to clear the president. As well, I took out after Attorney General William Barr and a columnist, on account of their blatant mendaciousness.

One of the smartest people I know, B.A., commented on the post. She noted the “regular person’s” frustration with the nuance, while also observing that Russian interference with the election ought to be mattering more, to President Trump and everyone else.

B.A. nailed it, but I want to go farther. Too, too much about the president, obstruction of justice, Russian interference, and, yes, impeachment, feels like much ado about not enough. I so wish the talking heads would shut about process and focus on We the People.

Here’s the impeachment answer. The president committed high crimes and misdemeanors, but the jury—here, the Senate—will not convict him. Conviction—what it takes to remove an impeached president—requires a two-thirds majority of the Senate. Not happening! So, stop talking about this, and move along.

Move along to what? Drafting legislation. Holding hearings. Marking up bills. Voting. Filling Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s in-box with stuff he won’t deal with. And then? Advertise the hell out of the Do-Nothing 116th U.S. Senate.

Harry S Truman ran against the Do-Nothing 80th Congress. (In fact, the 80th Congress was plenty productive!) Surely, he’d lose. In fact, at least one media organization reported his loss. But, when the votes got counted he beat Governor Thomas Dewey easily.

dewey beats truman

B-b-but, what about principles? President Trump deserves approbation, and impeachment represents the Constitutional vehicle for sending the message.

Okay, sure, in normal times—think about, oh, 20+ years ago—our nation had the wherewithal to wander down the righteous pathway. Our resources allowed us to suffer the pious, almighty Kenneth Starr, the sanctimonious Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, and a bunch of other j*ckasses. (Newt, nerds may recall, was cheating on his second wife with his current wife, who is presently the United States Ambassador to the Holy See, when he led the drive to impeach President Bill Clinton because he lied about sex.)

Not now. Sorry, but we have no time for such nonsense. We need all-hands on deck, focused only on rescuing our nation from the pox we gave ourselves on November 8, 2016.

Anything else? Yes, as a matter of fact. I read House Democrats Move to Increase Lawmaker Pay After Long Freeze. I felt like my 13-day old head wound might come undone. Hello! Matched up against the party of crooks and incompetents in 2020, in America’s existential election, the Ds decide to fight with both hands tied behind their back.

Members of Congress deserve more pay. (We deserve a better lot to represent us, but the two issues don’t align perfectly.) Regardless, might not taking a pass on a pay raise, for now, make sense? Do we really want to make Congressional pay an issue in 2020?

One more thing … for now. The Senate passed a disaster relief bill by an 85-8 vote on May 23. The House approved the bill on June 3. The time gap? Well, Congress recesses for a week for Memorial Day. So? Two or three R Congressmen—safe district dudes—objected to unanimous consent resolutions. They wanted a roll call vote. With the end of the vacation, uh recess, they got their wish. The bill passed 354-58.

Ds! Hello? Did it occur to anyone, when the first yahoo objected, to get 218 people to show up and pass the bill. Right away? (Or, maybe, pass the bill before you leave.)

I know plane tickets cost money, and I know our representatives work hard when they’re back in their districts. But … here’s an effing gift. A sanctimonious prick or two with no skin in the game says Nay, and y’all pass. Because … what, it’s expensive to fly back to D.C. for a vote? You’ve got dinner plans?

I offer a simple message. Elected Ds, start focusing on Americans. Talk less. Work more. Forget about Trump and pay attention to our needs. It’ll pay off, for all of us.

P.S. If voters get good information and pay attention, that will swamp whatever the Russians attempt.

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