Let's Say Mitch Is Right. Let's Go There.

For the sake of argument, let's say Mitch McConnell is right. Let's say the hubbub over impeachment prevented 45 from recognizing the dangers of coronavirus back in January, when he should have.

That means that somehow, the impeachment proceedings prevented 45 from thinking clearly about the coronavirus because his attention was diverted by something unnecessary. Mitch McConnell never said that, but I'm quite sure he wouldn't argue since that gives him exactly what he wants--a scapegoat which takes responsibility away from the president--as if he needs it, since he said he didn't take responsibility anyhow.

It also means that he would have risen to meet the crisis far before now. That's ridiculous, as he has already demonstrated. He admits that the knew the situation was going to be this serious back in January. He could have used it to prove his competence, and dissolve much of the momentum that impeachment created. That would have been an effective use of politics, but he doesn't understand that, either.

His philosophy, to let the states get the resources themselves and serve as a backup, is not only wrong but irresponsible. But that's his gambit--to be less than responsible.

Then, as November approaches, no matter how many have died by then--and nobody knows how many; his estimate of 100,00-240,000 is a guesstimate, considering that the statistics behind them aren't being revealed--he will somehow pivot and blame everything on the Democrats. He has the convenient excuse ready; see above.

But it also means that the Republican Party will also be to blame. It had the chance to get rid of this incompetent, maladjusted fool back in January, when the impeachment vote loomed. It could have allowed additional witnesses to take the stand and reveal his crimes. But they didn't, and left him in charge of commandeering this complete mess.

Would Mike Pence have taken charge of the situation? We'll never know. 45's removal might have resulted in some actually competent people being named to positions where government might have taken place in the same silent way that it usually does. That he was named as the front man to the current effort is practically meaningless, since 45 himself takes control of every briefing, to get himself maximum exposure while he provides evasive non-answers.

And let's not forget Trish Regan, recently fired by Fox for claiming that criticism of 45 for his foot-dragging was just another way of trying to incite impeachment charges again. That's a separate issue, but she might be right in that impeachment may be re-considered after all this is finished.

The New York Times, in a long article last Sunday, said that the Food and Drug Administration greatly dropped the ball when it came to arranging for effective testing; the focus should be on them. But an effective president would have known that beforehand, too, and done what he had to do to loosen the FDA's often draconian grip on regulations--which, prior to this, might have been necessary. But scientists throughout the nation found their hands tied and valuable time was lost.

I'll provide for you the conclusion of the editorial written by the Boston Globe just a few days ago. Nobody could have said it better:

....The months the administration wasted with prevarication about the threat and its subsequent missteps will amount to exponentially more COVID-19 cases than were necessary, In other words, the president has blood on his hands. 

It's not too much for Americans to ask of their leaders that they be competent and informed when responding to a crisis of historic proportions. Instead, they have a White House marred by corruption and incompetence, whose mixed message roil then markets and rock their sense of security. Instead of compassion and clarity, the president, in his near-daily addresses to the nation, embodies callousness, self-concern, and a lack of compass. Dangling unverified cures and possible quarantines in front of the public like reality TV cliffhangers, he unsettles rather than reassures. The pandemic reveals that the worst features of this presidency are not merely late-night comedy fodder; they come at the cost of lives, livelihoods, and our collective psyche.

Many pivotal decision points in this crisis are past us, but more are still to come. For our own sake, every American should be hoping for a miraculous turnaround--and that the too-little, too-late strategy of the White House task force will henceforth at least prevent contagion and economic ruin of the grandest scale. But come November, there must be a reckoning for the lives lost, and for the vast, avoidable suffering about to ensue under the president's watch.

No impeachment could have gotten in the way of that. Indeed. he should be impeached and removed now. I hope there's at least a discussion of it when and where it matters.

Be well. Be careful. With some luck, I'll see you down the road.


Mister Mark