The Catchup: Good Riddance, Mitch McConnell

The sap is flowing up here in the Northwoods. We’re going to do some boiling today.

Let’s catchup on stuff that was simmering last week.

Trump made McConnell look good. How bad is Donald Trump? He made me see Mitch McConnell as sort of a good guy. McConnell has been one of the few high-profile Republicans who have resisted bowing to a man who quotes Adolf Hitler. I guess that’s what counts for courage these days in his party. But now that McConnell is stepping down as Senate Republican leader, I’m reminded of why I despised this guy. Whatever else he did, he did two things that should send his name down in infamy. In 2016, nine months before the November election, Pres. Obama nominated Merrick Garland to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. McConnell refused to give Garland so much as a hearing, claiming that the nomination was too close to the national election. Fast forward to 2020 when Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsberg with little more than a month to go before another national election. McConnell rushed her nomination through in record time. So, frankly, I can’t stomach this stuff about what a gentlemen McConnell was and how much he cared about the institution. Aside from Trump, nobody has trashed decency, fairness, collegiality and the integrity of our institutions when it mattered most more than Mitch McConnell. Yeah, I know, the next guy will be even worse. But, still, good riddance.

Muslims for Trump? I’m not enthused about voting for Joe Biden again. I think he’s too old and shouldn’t have run again and I’ve never been a fan of Kamala Harris. Moreover, I think Israel has gone way too far in its response to the Hamas terrorist attacks. So, I don’t mind the protest votes, about 100,000 of them, by Muslim and Palestinian Americans against Biden in the Michigan primary last week. What I’d mind is if they don’t vote for him in November. Because, whatever misgivings I have about Biden/Harris, I will not be complicit in reelecting Trump, and that’s exactly what failing to vote for the Democratic ticket at crunch time will help accomplish.

More bad news for Biden. I’ll vote for Biden if I have to, but why on earth should I have to? Another week, another piece of evidence that Biden should bow out. A new New York Times/Siena College poll contains nothing but bad news for the Democrat. He’s four points down to Trump among likely voters and Trump leads in every swing state, Trump has a huge lead in the enthusiasm of his voters, Biden’s support among women and minorities without college degrees continues to erode, a majority of his own 2020 voters think he’s too old for the job, big majorities think the country is headed in the wrong direction and about twice as many people thought Trump’s policies benefited them personally as compared to Biden’s. And yet, the establishment Democratic Party soldiers on grimly to the slaughter in November. Can’t make a change now. No sir. It’s like seeing a head-on collision coming with time to swerve and deciding you need to stay in your lane because you’re in a no passing zone.

Evers vetoes tax cuts. As expected, last week Gov. Tony Evers vetoed three Republican bills that would have cut taxes. He was right on two of those. Evers vetoed a major income tax rate cut, which would have moved Wisconsin’s lowest rate up in the brackets from around $30,000 to over $100,000. That wasn’t necessarily such a bad idea, but the cut was too deep and it might have set up the state for future deficits. He also vetoed a piece of shameless political pandering that would have eliminated all state income taxes on retirement income up to $150,000 for a couple. Why I shouldn’t have to pay my fair share for state services just because I’m old is beyond me. But he also vetoed a bill that would have expanded the marriage tax credit. That is income capped, so it focusses tax relief on the middle class. The average couple would have received $338 and the cost to the state of $160 million was manageable. I don’t get Democratic opposition to this one. He didn’t act on a fourth proposal to expand the child care credit, but he’ll probably sign it.