One thing is for certain: We do not live in boring times; at least not in politics anyway!

Senate Moves

I’m not saying that 2024 became a more challenging year for the Democrats in the Senate, but it certainly didn’t get any easier. Two seats had changes. One anticipated and the other was only a slight surprise.

On Thursday January 5th Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow announced that she would not be running for reelection in 2024. Michigan is purple state with a strong blue tint. It was always going to be a battleground in ’24 but an incumbent Senator is difficult to unseat. The Democrats have a deep and strong bench in Michigan. Several names have already been floated and they all have a legitimate chance to win. I think we saw at one tip her hand. On Friday January 6th Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that her office was reopening an investigation into fake electors. You connect those dots.

As anticipated as of January 8th Nebraska Republican Ben Sasse resigned his seat in order to take the job of president of the University of Florida. The Republican Governor of Nebraska will appoint someone to take the seat and a special election will be held in conjunction with the 2024 general election to fill the remainder of Sasse’s term.

As much as things changed, they pretty much remained the same.

A New Political Analogy But…

January 8 is to Brazil as January 6 is to America. Both were fascist attempts to overthrow the government spurred by an election denying office holder (in the case of Brazil a former office holder). The biggest difference to date is that in America the domestic terrorists left the government building that day to take celebratory selfies. In Brazil more than 1,000 left in the custody of law enforcement. In both cases the chief instigator fled to Florida.

False Equivalency

Many on the right are playing another round of whataboutism over the report of classified documents being found in the former offices of Joe Biden apparently dating back to his time as the former Vice President.

Here is the major difference: When they were discovered by Biden attorneys while cleaning out the office, they immediately self-reported and the documents were turned over to the National Achieves within 24 hours. No negotiations, subpoenas or raids were necessary. No lies were told.

Fake Christians

I am not a member of any religion. That said, I have a respect for the teachings of many religions because, in large part, they want you to be a good person. (I just don’t need an organization or assembly to do that for or with me.) Having been raised Christian I have a better understanding of it than other religions. I just wish those who profess to be Christians simply acted as such.

I have two examples of those who profess to be Christians acting the exact opposite. Christmas is the holiest of all Christian holidays. In Texas the Governor sent refugees to Washington DC and dropped them off on the street in the cold. That doesn’t sound very Christian (the least among us) to me!

In Europe Vladimir Putin declared a 36 hour cease fire in Ukraine for Orthodox Christmas only to violate it himself.

I believe in the First Amendment’s freedom of religion. I just don’t want people to hide behind it and/or be hypocrites about their faith.

More Wasteful Government Spending

Here are two more recent examples of the wasteful use of government funds (read: your money) both by Florida Republican Governor and wannabe 2024 GOP nominee Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis set up an election integrity police force which to date has done nothing but waste law enforcement’s time and taxpayers’ money. He also imported refuges from Texas only to fly them to Martha’s Vineyard. If the refugee problem is so rampant in Florida, why does DeSantis have to import people to deport? Waste? Yes. Fraud? Yes. Abuse? I’ll let you be the judge.

The Fed

The Fed continues to raise interest rates and indicates it will for some time despite the fact that it doesn’t make any sense at this point. If you look at the leading, not lagging, indicators inflation is rapidly decelerating. Is this a case of if the only thing you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail?

Terrifying Stat!

As of early December, Donald Trump’s approval rating stood at 31%. That is a low number for a politician but terrifyingly high for a twice impeached, serial liar who is the subject of a plethora of criminal investigations. What are the 31% thinking?

I’m putting the column to bed for a few days. “See” you again on Sunday.

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