Profiles In Cowardice And Incompetence- Kevin McCarthy And The Impeachment of Joe Biden

Today's nominee for the Dunning-Kruger Hall of...uh, Fame??

Everybody’s saying it, so it MUST be true, yeah???

Look. You think how stupid people are most of the time. Old men drink. Women at a village fair. Boys throwing stones at birds. Life. The foolishness and the vanity, the selfishness and the waste. The pettiness, the silliness. You think in war it must be different. Must be better. With death around the corner, men united against hardship, the cunning of the enemy, people must think harder, faster, be...better. Be heroic.

Only it's just the same. In fact do you know, because of all that pressure, and worry, and fear, it's worse. There aren't many men who think clearest when the stakes are highest. So people are even stupider in war than the rest of the time. Thinking about how they'll dodge the blame, or grab the glory, or save their skins, rather than about what will actually work. There's no job that forgives stupidity more than soldiering. No job that encourages it more.

• Joe Abercrombie, The Heroes

(Please, if you’re able, donate to help the people of Maui- The Maui Strong Fund)

I’d argue that there IS a job that forgives stupidity more than soldiering. It’s being a Republican Congressman- specifically, a Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives. And even more specifically, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), whose usual deer-in-the-headlight stare provides him with the mien of someone intensely daft. Which, based on his attempts to be all things to all people, seems pretty close to being spot-on.

For reasons only they understand, the WAY Far-Right of the House Republican Caucus has decided that impeaching President Biden would be a GREAT idea. Of course, for what high crimes and misdemeanors, they have yet to say (because no one knows), but the plan seems to be to impeach first and come up with charges when/if needed.

Is it just me, or does this have a definite “Who’s on first?” feel to it?

The general attitude seems to be, “Of course, we can impeach this President; it’s Joe Biden! What else would we do? The man’s the head of one of the most evil political crime families in American political history; that’s all anyone needs to know.”

Except that’s USDA Prime, Grade-A, top-shelf, first-class bullshit. Republicans HAVE no proof of ANY crimes, only the lingering anger over the fact that The Former Guy was impeached and persecuted prosecuted twice.

Hmm…perhaps he was impeached twice because there was ample evidence of actual crimes? The only reason The Former Guy wasn’t convinced was because of the Republican ability to keep the Senate from reaching the 60-vote threshold needed for conviction. He was guilty, and Republicans knew it…but party loyalty and fear of The Former Guy won out over their duty to the country.

There’s a clown shortage? Not as long as the GOP still exists.

You can call it cowardice, but what’s done is done. History won’t be kind to the clowns, but that’s for another time.

Where once upon a time, it was “BENGHAZI!!! 24/7/365, and nothing came of it…now Republicans are chanting “HUNTER BIDEN!!!” with the same frequency, ferocity, and lunacy.

And, yes, the same lack of evidence. But seriously, since when has a lack of hard (or any) evidence ever stopped Republicans from proceeding with a persecution prosecution?

Recently, whenever reporters ask House Speaker and overall shell of a man Kevin McCarthy about the MAGA obsession with impeaching President Joe Biden, he’s responded brusquely, “I didn’t say I was doing an impeachment inquiry.” However, he never said he wasn’t doing an impeachment inquiry. Always ask the followup question.

CNN reports that “many House Republicans privately say that it appears to be a foregone conclusion: Biden will face an impeachment inquiry in the fall and could be just the fourth US president ever charged with high crimes or misdemeanors — and that it might all happen by year’s end.”

Biden’s drive-by impeachment should prove a simple matter, considering that Republicans aren’t interested in facts, evidence, or actual justice. This is just another Benghazi, but somehow even less reputable.

House Republicans, who’ve spent their time in the majority emulating nothing if not feces-flinging monkeys, have yet to come up with anything that might link President Biden- even tangentially- to any sort of crime, wrongdoing, or a white lie. There’s no ‘there’ there (apologies to Gertrude Stein), but that hasn’t stopped the House Republican Caucus from screaming “HUNTER BIDEN!!” whenever possible.

A little present from moi. You can thank me later.

It’s a wonder these buffoons have any voice left.

Yes, the President’s son has some legal issues, most of them tied to a long-standing drug addiction. That’s unfortunate, but it has nothing to do with the President- save for the fact that he loves his son.

CNN’s Manu Raju wrote on Twitter…“A reason why many in House GOP believe Biden will face an impeachment inquiry in fall: Not moving forward now will create impression that House Rs have essentially cleared Biden of any wrongdoing over his ties to Hunter’s business entanglements.”

Well, that’s just incredibly naive. This is a blatant political hit job and cynical payback for Trump’s past impeachments, which were fully warranted. No serious person believes James Comer and his fellow mouth breathers are interested in responsible oversight of the executive branch. They are just out to get Biden and appease their base.

CNN concedes that Republicans have “yet to corroborate” their “provocative allegation” that Biden was involved in a pay-to-play scheme with his son, Hunter, while he was vice president, but doesn’t make clear that the allegations are contrived right-wing garbage. Republicans have spent the past few months throwing their own feces at Biden and blaming him for the smell.

“Yet to corroborate” their “provocative allegation” re: a “pay-to-play scheme” means the House GOP ain’t got shit. The allegations ARE thinly veiled “contrived Right-wing garbage”- and I think even that description is being generous.

This should seem self-evident, but anger and petulance are crappy reasons to impeach a President. Bringing a President before the Senate on “high crimes and misdemeanors” is serious business, which means weighty charges with equally serious evidence to back them up. Impeachment is supposed to be a last-ditch effort, used only when a President has shown utter disrespect for the rule of law and the Oath of Office he took.

You know, like what The Former Guy did trying to shakedown Ukraine. Oh, and there was that “normal tourist visit” on January 6th, 2021.

None of that applies to Joe Biden, who thus far has not, to anyone’s knowledge, broken a single law. Nor has any member of his Administration. That’s a helluva lot more than can be said for his predecessor, who saw his term in office as a get-rich-quick scheme.

Of course, Kevin McCarthy is such a weak excuse for a leader that he’s trying to play both ends against the middle. The House Republican Caucus more closely resembles an episode of Romper Room than it does one of the most powerful deliberative bodies in the world. And while some members of his caucus should be wearing pancake makeup, red noses, and clown shoes, Speaker McCarthy can’t keep them in check.

Someone needs to teach Republicans that impeachment isn’t a toy you get to bring out simply because you hate a President’s guts. It’s a serious solution to address a very serious problem. That’s why it’s been used so seldom in our history. It’s not a means to settle scores or to strike back at someone you think has wronged you or your party.

It’s time that Republicans begin acting like adults instead of feces-flinging monkeys. Then again, when your “stars” are moral midgets like Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Marjorie Trailer Greene…well, good luck with that, eh?

The GOP long ago ceased being about policy and doing what they feel is best for America. It’s a three-ring circus featuring feces-flinging monkeys, carnival barkers, and attention whores. I’m truly curious why Americans continue voting for these clowns.