There is no rock bottom.
The shamelessness and brazen hypocrisy of the Republican Party continued this week, highlighted by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s indignant pearl-clutching over a magazine interview with a little-known Democrat.
Rubio’s faux outrage, and that of other Republicans, further punctuated what we already know. In Republican-world, there is one set of rules for them and another for the rest of us.
The fake firestorm was set off when Joe Biden’s notoriously publicity shy campaign manager -- and incoming deputy chief of staff -- dropped an F bomb in a Glamour magazine article to describe Republicans. Of course, using typical Republican dishonesty, they took Jen O’Malley Dillon’s admittedly undiplomatic statement completely out of context.
In the process of trying to explain Joe Biden’s desire to work with Republicans, Dillon said: “I’m not saying they’re not a bunch of fuckers.”
It didn’t take long for Rubio, who has said and done nothing through four years of Donald Trump’s shenanigans, misdeeds and Twitter attacks, to jump all over Dillon’s statement, as if he finally woke up from a long dream. This was the bridge too far for Rubio? Come on, man.
The Queen of Lies, Kayleigh McEnany, was also quick to pounce, but does anyone take her seriously anymore? I think not.
What is so frustrating about Rubio’s behavior is this is who they are. This is who they all are. They are brazen hypocrites in the extreme. This isn’t even the only example of similar pettiness this month.
When Joe Biden nominated Neera Tanden to head the Office of Management and Budget -- a solid pick by all accounts -- Texas Sen. John Cornyn attacked her for being critical of Republicans on her Twitter feed.
What? Seriously? Can Mr. Cornyn not think of another person who has used social media in such a manner? How many times has Cornyn scurried away from reporters without giving an answer when asked about some inappropriate tweet from Donald Trump? To say nothing of the fact that Tanden’s criticism has been totally justified.
As frustrating as this Republican hypocrisy has been, they will never change if there continues to be no consequences for their reprehensible actions. What price have Republicans paid for rushing Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination this year, after they blocked nominee Merrick Garland four years ago? So far, none.
Unless Democrats can flip both Georgia senate seats next month, a tall order, Republicans will maintain their Senate majority. At the same time, they have strengthened their position in the House of Representatives.
What penalty was there for eight years of obstructing President Barack Obama? None. The strategy worked. By the end of Obama’s term, Republicans flipped both houses of Congress, took back the White House and swept into power in state legislatures across the nation.
Now, Republicans are attacking Hunter Biden, the woebegone son of Joe Biden, to the point where some are calling for a special counsel to investigate him. Meanwhile, they have ignored all of the obvious malfeasance coming from the three oldest Trump children. When does it stop?
After all the contemptuous behavior we have endured from Republicans over the last 12 years, one can hardly blame Jen O’Malley Dillon for expressing her frustration. We are all frustrated.
At the end of the day, however, we should all object to her calling this group of Republicans, “a bunch of fuckers.”
Her language isn’t harsh enough.