Winter in southwest Mississippi is a lovely time. Even in February, the woods are dotted with green trees: magnolias, cedar, and pine. Now that duck season is over, and the shotgun blasts have died away, Lake Mary, where I live, is especially placid.
Unfortunately, I was anxious about President Trump’s cabinet nominations, and I watched TV instead of contemplating the tranquil beauty of rural Mississippi. Would Trump’s cabinet picks get through the Senate confirmation process and be confirmed, or would they be shot down like ducks in flight, destroyed by mean-spirited Democratic senators delivering nasty questions like shotgun blasts?
Identifying the most boorish senator in last week’s senate hearings would be difficult. Still, my vote goes to Bernie Sanders, Vermont’s geriatric Jeremiah, who shouted at Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Sanders seemed to be interviewing for the lead role in the sequel to Bad Grandpa. When Kennedy accused Sanders of taking money from the pharmaceutical industry, Bernie went nuts. Why? Because Sanders indeed took money from Big Pharma–$1.4 million in 2019-2020.
Sanders was not the only Democratic senator who behaved clownishly. It seemed that all the Democratic senators were acting out comedic roles.
As I recently wrote, Senator Warren reminded me of Emily Litella, the scatterbrained citizen protester played by Gilda Radner on Saturday Night Live. Did Warren realize how ridiculous she looked as she screeched and shook her fists at the cabinet nominees?
Warren stridently accused Kennedy of profiting from vaccine lawsuits, yet like other Democratic senators, she took money from the pharmaceutical industry ($822,000 in 2019-2020).
Perhaps the least intelligent senator on Capitol Hill, Senator Mazie Hirono, reminded me of Roseanne Rosannadanna, one of Gilda Radner’s SNL characters, who often began her commentaries by saying, “It’s always something.” During Kelly Loeffler’s confirmation hearing, Hirono gratuitously asked Loeffler if she had ever been accused of making unwanted sexual advances. Such trashy behavior!
Senator Richard Blumenthal, who looks uncannily like Mad Magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman, behaved like a bully at Kash Patel’s confirmation hearing. Blumenthal concluded a partisan sermon by demanding Kash Patel answer a “yes or no” question. Patel answered the question honestly and forthrightly, but Blumenthal maliciously chose to misinterpret Patel’s response.
In my mind, last week’s senate confirmation hearings came across as one long episode of Saturday Night Live; the Blue State Democrats appeared to be reciting their lines for laughs.
As I watched these disgraceful proceedings, I asked myself this question. If the Democrats behave so churlishly when out of power, how would they behave if Kamala Harris had been elected president?
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| Is Bernie Sanders auditioning for the title role of Bad Grandpa? |