And still a majority of Republicans are willing to stand behind Trump.

Why?

Do they like and respect him? Is it a matter of blind loyalty, of stubbornness masquerading as “principle,” that they don’t want to give in to any Democratic demand? Is it still just political theatre, all about optics and personal goals and aspirations?

Or is it more that they are afraid? Afraid of pissing off the empty-headed hooligans who are ready to drink the kool-aid for Trump? Afraid for their lives and for their loved ones? Is this what it has come to, what it boils down to?

Is this the sad situation we all find ourselves in at the moment—that we are all being held hostage in some way by a megalomaniacal toddler who is still pulling the strings?

What. The. Hell!  

Somewhat satisfying, though hollow and predictably unfinished.

This is how it feels the morning after the House impeached Trump for a second time. What a distinction. Does #45, in private—or maybe for all to see—have a shit-eating grin on his face? Does he feel a perverse pride in having the ignoble distinction of being the only President in American history to be impeached by the House TWICE, within a year? And this most recent iteration with at least a bit more bipartisan support.

Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell still can only summon a selective sense of expediency. With little hint of urgency, he proclaims that the Senate trial won’t start until the day before Joe Biden is scheduled for Inauguration. It doesn’t matter that there is precedent for impeachment after someone leaves office. It matters more that having this weighty task to tend to at the same time a new, Democratic administration tries to implement its agenda may be exactly the kind of distraction that has McConnell salivating and twirling his invisible Snidely Whiplash moustache. Mitch wants to keep the new administration off balance, from hitting the ground running. That prospect is what gets him up in the morning.

Who does this with a clear conscience? Has there ever been anyone who’s so willing to stand in the way, to play politics while opportunity passes by, and while so much is unraveling? He has to know that Trump indeed incited insurrection, that a fucking pandemic with all its fallout continues to rage, yet all of that can wait while he has one more opportunity to gum up the works and orchestrate a power play.

It is hateful. It is calculated. It’s not genius, it’s not “good politics.” It is negligent, criminal, ignorant of ghastly need, ignorant of history and who it is he still, for some reason, appears willing to protect. He could have reconvened the Senate today if he wanted to.

There was no time like the present to ramrod the confirmation of a new Supreme Court justice a week before the election. But the current predicament, somehow, is different? Not as urgent?

McConnell’s days as Majority Leader are numbered, but he seems intent, before he leaves, on setting the table for the Biden administration, minus utensils. And maybe he’s afraid of the Base. It’s the first time in a while that being a member of Congress comes with a more realistic threat of bodily harm for doing the right thing. Or the wrong thing, depending on whose flag you’re flying.

It’s been interesting to listen to the posturing and theorizing with regard to the pending impeachment resolution up for a vote today in the House. As of last night, it looked like momentum was slowly building among Republicans—including Mitch McConnell.

Are they beginning to see the light? Are legislators daring to put reason and facts above party and personal aspirations, as they take a closer look at what Trump said and did last week? Or will this ultimately be just another calculated move with benefits for one side over the other?

Part of the ongoing struggle, the ongoing reality, is that when Reps and Senators talk about being mindful of “the will of the American people,” we have to qualify that by realizing there are two substantial groups of people they might be referring to—those who voted for Biden, and those who voted for Trump. It’s a relative majority for those in the Biden camp, but it’s not something that lends itself to being described as a clear majority of Americans. Not when 74 million voted for the other guy.

I don’t see how anyone can claim to be speaking for “the American people.” There’s a need to be more specific. A need to acknowledge just how divided we are. 

It’s probably best to be wary of Mitch McConnell’s enthusiasm regarding the House impeachment resolution. What is he envisioning, what is he hatching now? What’s he got up his sleeve? Is he yielding to mounting pressure from colleagues, or is he plotting his next move?

Even Rachel Maddow is excited about this, but another rep came on and basically said “Hold your horses.” Remember who we’re dealing with here. McConnell is shrewd, calculating, and still wants to bog down Democratic legislation whenever he can. The chess match never stops with Mitch.

It seems like the trip from quid pro quo to concessions and compromise can be a short one. I wonder what that will look like if the impeachment res passes.

No big surprise regarding last night’s NCAAF championship. Alabama again. No. 7 for Nick Saban, six in Tuscaloosa. Impressive, but starting to get boring. Guess he found his niche coaching college ball.

So the weird season is complete.

There was some talk about postponing because of covid protocols at OSU, so not sure if this affected their chances. Anyway, Saban and crew seem to be able to summon another level, rise to the occasion. They are a juggernaut, in a class by themselves.

Is there any brand of nationalism that doesn’t raise eyebrows or conjure images of swastikas and mindless allegiance to demagogues? Our hackles should be permanently raised in this country, yet look at what’s happening right now.

Enough people willing to buy what Trump is selling have gotten the nation’s attention, threatening to cause trouble in the days leading up to and including Inauguration. So far they have stopped at threats, though there were indications that some among the mob last Wednesday were looking for hostages, or victims. The next round of encounters could be even more violent.

Trump, of course, could step forward and try to calm things down, but he’s under siege and probably in no mood to kowtow to Democrats or neuter his rabid dogs who are apparently ready to die for the cause, whatever that is. I guess we may find out how genuine is their bravado.

Just to reiterate– freedom is an illusion. We’re not as free as many apparently think we are.

Laws and rules, and even what may be perceived as archaic ritual, are necessary in a civil society. They are what hold the center when untethered jackasses like Donald Trump emerge and try to ruin the day, or rule it.

The Impeachment saga continues. Sounds like Ms. Pelosi has given a 24-hour ultimatum to Mike Pence for Trump’s removal. I’m sure the Pres is shaking in his boots. Just another opportunity for him to double down. He’s been really good at that.

He does need to go, though. No more passes, no more avoiding consequences. No time to waste. He’s said and done way more than enough to warrant this sequence of events. He deserves nothing more than an ignominious exit from the stage he’s undeservedly dominated for way too long.

The person who’s always had next to nothing good to say, who’s done little of value during his time in office, who turned his back on this country during a pandemic and incited seditious mobs, is being forced to leave in shame, tail between legs.

It really shouldn’t end any other way.

I may have come on too strong in a blog post from Dec. 30.

Of course I realize that many people have gone above and beyond in the midst of the COVID-19 scourge. They have worked themselves to the bone, daily risked exposure of themselves and their families in order to tend to those who were/are suffering from infection.

I feel the same way about others in various lines of work, not just healthcare workers. They’re not where I was directing my cynicism. It was more a general reaction to what is probably inevitable the longer something like this drags on—the saturation of media coverage, the repeated refrains of frustration and anger, the cries for help that grow so familiar that they lose their impact and start to sound more like whining.

Sure, we may really need a hug, we may really want to see folks in person, but this is a bona fide pandemic. This isn’t normal. This demands painful, sacrificial changes in behavior that, in America’s case, were downplayed, dismissed, and critcized as un-American by people at the highest levels of government. If by some miracle we could have all been on the same page from early on and practiced the basic precautions, we’d be in a much better place by now.

Instead, in addition to the maddening stubbornness and hubris that apparently are accepted as American character traits, many millions believed the Chief Executive and Fox News and others who said the virus was a hoax! That we could just go about our regular business. Thankfully, many were skeptical of such advice. Nonetheless, it was a grossly negligent policy decision that has paved the way for the misery we’ve experienced ever since early last year.

So we continue to limp along, enduring mind-numbing case numbers, becoming desensitized to death and loss that cannot possibly be comprehended. The vaccines will eventually stem the tide, hopefully, but distribution is revealing yet another facet of the current administration’s neglect and ineptitude.

People in the know– not Trump and the rest– have been warning us since the early days of all this that things would get as bad as they currently are. Yet our leaders in Washington decided to look the other way.

It is a decision, a choice, that should haunt them for the rest of their lives.

I know the Inauguration ceremonies are going to be scaled back because of Covid-19, but will further consideration be given to moving them somewhere other than the west front of the Capitol building, given the rumblings of a return of Trump supporters to pick up where they left off, or worse?

This would be disappointing, given the kind of message it would send to Trump loyalists. I’m sure an act of defiance is preferable to signaling that these domestic terrorists have somehow won. It’s just that we know these lunatics are aching for the next battle, and they’ll be bringing their loaded assault weapons at some point. I guess we need to trust that law enforcement will be appropriately prepared.

Despite everything, it is still difficult for me to imagine that these people have enough hate and anger in their hearts to contemplate and carry out violence and sedition against the country they supposedly love. Hard for me to believe that they are secure enough in their beliefs—as twisted as they are—to act on them in a way that will lead to mayhem and bloodshed.

They are not well. And of course neither is Trump, who sits in the comfort of the Oval Office plotting his next moves. He has to go, as soon as possible. He has to somehow pay a price for all of this. It is way past time for the cows to come home, the chickens to roost, and whatever else. Why is Congress waiting until Monday to begin impeachment proceedings?

Consequences, man. Consequences. Time to pay the piper.

Is this really about disenfranchisement, feeling left behind and unheard? The last gasp of angry white people who feel their grip on undeserved privilege slipping away?

Is it a sickness born of prolonged exposure to poisonous words and twisted ideologies? Is all of this connected, one thing leading to another? Do these people have legitimate excuses for their behavior and world views? Do they need to be listened to, or squashed like bugs, once and for all?

How do people grow so hateful and angry, so vulnerable to having their hearts ripped out and their minds closed? Some—perhaps many– who stormed the Capitol the other day looked like lost boys and girls who emerged from shadows, crawled out from under rocks, crazed and impressionable. Energized by hate and the opportunity to engage in mayhem. They came with ladders, sledgehammers, tear gas, goggles, helmets, their own riot gear! And they were practically escorted into the building. It didn’t look like righteous anger as much as it did an excuse to break things. Helluva way to treat a place they consider “the peoples’ house.”

Was it blatant insurrection, or more a mindless mob jumping on a big bandwagon with a chance to write a chapter of their own story and have something to talk about over a few beers?

For all the heartfelt, eloquent pleas and thoughtful, measured tones, we must realize that none of our attempts at being rational are going to touch Donald Trump or those who are still in his camp. We can try to explain ourselves, voice our disapproval, even get mad as hell, but none of it is going to sway or deter or open the eyes of those who lose their shit over myths, convinced that pigs can fly and Democrats are leftist libtards and communists who hate America.

Imagine if this had been a BLM march on the Capitol. There would have been a Ramboesque body count in the halls of Congress, if they had made it that far.