The GOP Stirs a Witch’s Brew!

“Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble.”

(Shakespeare–Macbeth)

In Macbeth, the witches warn that nothing good can come of the actions whereby Mac Beth killed to get the throne, even though they prophesied he would win the throne. In the end, several deaths were at his hands, even as he ascended to the throne. It was a hollow victory, and worries about these crimes drove him and his wife to despair. Of course, as tragedies do, it ended with both of them, and many others, dying.

As Halloween and Election Day are both upon us, I wonder just what other calamities are in store should the GOP take control of the House or horrible thought - the Senate as well. It is certainly more serious than trick or treats as the GOP has in store only tricks and no treats. I know that this area has seen some of the worst and most misleading ads by Republican candidates. In fact, I wished for used car ads again! The overkill with negative political ads needs to stop. Pundits say they air negative ads because they work. I know that they have never convinced me.

Their churlish responses to the wounding of Speaker Pelosi’s 82-year-old husband by an intruder were exercises in pettiness. The GOP has long used images of Nancy Pelosi in their attack ads-where she was the wicked witch, for sure. And, even after the attack on her husband, which caused a skull fracture, these ads continued. This petite, elegant woman, who is tough as nails, is often portrayed as a harridan by the Republicans who use her as a foil for all that they want to claim is wrong with Democratic decisions.

According to USA Today, Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia on the campaign trail said: “There’s no room for violence anywhere, but we’re going to send her back to be with him in California,” Youngkin said at the event.

An exception was Governor Sununu of New Hampshire, who said as reported by the Hill:

“I don’t think there’s any need for the attack ads, and, again, you know, right now, all our thoughts and prayers and sympathy have to go out to Nancy Pelosi, her entire family, her husband, of course,” Put all the politics aside. Ignore the elections. She’s gonna get reelected fine. I mean, let’s just make sure that she and her family are safe, they’re taking the right steps to make sure that not just they’re safe but hopefully extend that safety out to the other members of Congress and the Senate,” Sununu said.

Minority leader Kevin McCarthy, a member of Pelosi’s state delegation, said he texted her about the incident but did not make a public statement until Sunday when he said:

‘I wanted to convey that our thoughts and prayers were with her and her family, with Paul, and we hope him- for him, a speedy recovery, and that we’re able to stop this crime across our country,’ McCarthy said.

‘Of course, this person seems deranged.’

He acts as if he is sending kind thoughts but links a possible deranged person to the so-called crime wave across the country, a big Republican talking point, that omits the facts that red states have more crime and more gun violence than blue states.

Are you ready for ‘attack dog’ Congressman Jim Jordan to be the head of the House Judiciary Committee? Or for Marjorie Taylor Greene to head any committee? She claims to be readying her Impeachment resolution against President Biden; she has had it ready since Inauguration Day, it seems. Or how about tying the hands of Merritt Garland by cutting the budget for the Department of Justice or the IRS? Of course, McCarthy has already threatened to impeach Garland. As for issues that would support these Impeachments–they claim they do not need any because they can use the phrase ‘other crimes and misdemeanors.’

Before we go any further, the Department of Justice seems to be getting even closer to an indictment over the refusal to turn over security documents from Mar-a-Largo. A new prosecutor, known for previous convictions in misuse of classified documents, has joined the DOJ team to review the documents retrieved. Who knows what this group might do should someone ever indict the former president for just a few of his crimes? 

Grandstander Senator Ted Cruz is already threatening impeachment as revenge. You impeached our guy; we will go after your guy, he intoned. Then, for good reason, he would throw in the HHS secretary because of immigration issues. Of course, this is regardless of the fact when they controlled both houses and the presidency, they could not and did not want to solve border control and immigration.

And then there is always the concern about the President’s son, who may have made a misstatement about a gun permit and carelessly left his laptop in a repair shop for too long. Republicans are promising to turn the investigation of Hunter Biden into a new Benghazi investigation. The FBI in Delaware has been said to be looking at charges regarding Biden, but time will tell if this goes anywhere. Do you remember that absurd series of hearings that were an attempt to smear expected candidate Hillary Clinton? And do you remember they said that it was not political when they kept Clinton testifying for eleven hours, during which she never failed to answer and did not lose her composure?

It took two years, cost over seven million dollars of taxpayer money, and found no wrongdoing in its final 800-page report according to PBS. Of course, it faulted the State Department and the Defense Department for not protecting Americans, but there was a volatile situation that deteriorated quickly. But it mostly faulted Ambassador Susan Rice, who bravely went on all the morning talk shows with the talking points she was given and that later had to be partially walked back. She did her job with the information that she had and was castigated for doing so.

So, these are just a few of the dire things that can happen if the GOP wins. So far, they have threatened to not approve the debt limit unless the president lets them do whatever with spending cuts. They are promising to roll back the taxes imposed to pay for the infrastructure bill improvements, refuse to renew Medicare and Social Security legislation, make the tax cuts for the rich permanent, and roll back the changes to Medicare drug costs.

There is just so much that is scary about the GOP- you have the MAGA folks, you have unqualified candidates; you have conspiracy theorists and election deniers, or what else could they find?

As former president Obama said recently, sorta like this: ‘You are sitting in the airport and someone says we need a pilot for this plane and Herschel Walker steps up to say, I can fly this plane’-would you get on that plane? So far, he has claimed to be an FBI agent, a police officer, a college graduate, and a real sheriff, and who knows what-but he has not been in any of those positions. He also claimed he did not pay for abortions for two different women. Does anyone think this man is qualified to be in the United States Senate?

And there is Kari Lake-a TV news broadcaster who found religion and the Donald about the same time and is now a genuine believer on both counts. Does anyone seriously think that this election denier is qualified to lead the state of Arizona?

According to 538’s midterm model, currently, Dems have a 55% chance of holding the Senate while the Republicans have an 81% chance of taking over the House.

Cook’s Political Report thinks that in the House 161 seats are leaning Democratic with 188 leaning toward Republicans with about 85 seats up for grabs. In MD, Democratic Congressman Trone is projected to win his seat, but they projected Republican Andy Harris to keep his. In Virginia, two of the three women congresswomen are in tight races, that is Spanberger and Luria, with Wexton expected to win in the redistricted districts. The RCDC is running tons of negative ads in these races. In the Senate, Cook considers PA and Wi to be tossups.

According to CNN, about 17.5 million votes have already been cast by those doing early voting. ABC reports if mail-in ballots are also counted, there have been over 20 million votes cast already. These numbers seem to be pointed to a larger than 2018 turnout and one closer to the 2020 tallies.

If, after these numbers, you feel down, here is a rip-roaring political speech by former president Barack Obama in Milwaukee, that should make you feel better-he speaks at minute 25: onward. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCu9AtQIASA

I miss his rhetoric. There is so much more that I could say, but I think I will let Obama close tonight.

Happy Halloween!

‘Til next week -Peace!