Something in the Water: GOP Rep. Mitchell Bows out in Michigan

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[Please check the byline, thanks. /~Rayne]

Rep. Paul Mitchell of Michigan’s 10th congressional district announced Wednesday he would not seek re-election.

He explained to Politico, “You look at the rhetoric and vitriol, it overwhelms policy, politics becomes the norm. Everything’s about politics. Everything’s about an election. And at some point of time, that’s not why I came here.”

Mitchell also said “A career in Washington was never my objective,” wanting to focus on issues while in office. He had also criticized the racist remarks made about the House Democrats’ freshman “squad” which includes fellow Michigander Rashida Tlaib. Tlaib’s 13th congressional district is on the other side of Detroit from Mitchell’s.

In Mitchell’s case more time with family is a key reason for leaving; he has a child with special needs at home in Michigan.

~ ~ ~

Here’s where it gets interesting. Really can’t blame Mitchell for wanting to get out of the cesspool before it gets any worse, especially when his family needs him at home.

But were there other reasons for him leaving? Recall that The New York Times ran a piece on Monday, These Michigan Voters Show How Trump’s ‘Go Back’ Attack May Help Him.

It was a crappy piece in that it only spoke with white people, and most appeared to be in MI-10. Granted, MI-10 is very rural, very Republican (R+13) , and very white (like 93% white), but the article painted an image of a district which was very racist.

Mitchell had been asked for his opinion about Trump’s ‘Go Back’ remarks:

Even so, Representative Paul Mitchell, the conservative Republican who represents the Port Huron area, struck a note of caution. “I do believe this strategy will be damaging to this election,” Mr. Mitchell said in a telephone interview. He has asked for a meeting with the president, hoping to add his voice to other Republicans who have urged Mr. Trump to restrain himself.

All of the women whom Mr. Trump told to “go back” to their countries — Ms. Tlaib and Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna S. Pressley of Massachusetts — are United States citizens, and only one, Ms. Omar, was born outside the country, in Somalia.

“I was appalled by the chanting ‘send her back,’” Mr. Mitchell said of the crowd at Mr. Trump’s rally Wednesday in North Carolina, where the chant was directed at Ms. Omar. For Mr. Mitchell, the message struck close to home. “My youngest son was born in Russia,” he said. “We adopted him. He’s an American.”

Mitchell also felt Trump’s racist remarks would spur minority voter turnout, which seems like an odd thing to worry about in a district that’s so very white.

Did the NYT get this wrong, perhaps talking to an insufficiency of MI-10 voters only to come away with the sentiment that Trump’s xenophobia could be a winner?

Or did Mitchell feel he was unable to reconcile his personal beliefs with that of his constituents?

There’s one other darker possibility. Did the GOP ask Mitchell to step down and let a pro-Trump white nationalist run for MI-10 in order to assure Trump carries the district in 2020?

Stranger things have happened.

~ ~ ~

A couple more things to keep in mind about MI-10:

The district is extremely rural — it has approximately 705,000 residents but one of the largest areas of Michigan’s districts. It’s also inside the reach of a Sinclair TV station, received more reliably than internet across the district.

The city of Flint’s new water pipeline runs through the middle of the district from Flint to Lake Huron. Two drivers pushing the pipeline’s development and subsequently forcing Flint off Detroit’s water system were the bank(s) funding the pipeline and development of fracking near the water pipeline in MI-10. Fracking needs more water than can be obtained by simply drilling wells.

Enbridge’s Line 5 also runs through the district. Michiganders want the pipeline shut down because it runs under water through the straits between lakes Michigan and Huron, posing a massive risk to these Great Lakes should the aged pipe fail.

How these factors feature in Mitchell’s decision and the 2020 race is anybody’s guess at this point but they shouldn’t be disregarded.

Adder: Ran across this article in MetroTimes published here in Michigan. Seems John James, black candidate running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Gary Peters, has removed all references to Trump from his social media sites.

Hmm.

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81 replies
  2. harpie says:

    This is the Mitchell quote just before the one Rayne posted [emphasis added]:

    “I want to talk to the president about the tweet, and what has emanated from that,” the Michigan Republican told Politico. “It’s one thing to do chants of ‘lock her up.’ But a chant like [‘send her back’] is simply not reflective of our Constitution.”

    How the FUCK is the highlighted part ANY different “constitutionally” than the other? The only difference is the “what has emanated from that” part.

    If there had been a huge groundswell of people rejecting Trump’s rhetoric about Hillary Clinton being jailed without being convicted of anything, then maybe he would have thought differently about that, too?

    I’m sorry about being so IRATE, but I’m at the point that I can not even look equitably at anyone, even friends, who has voted for/supported any currently sitting republican. Anyone of these people/entities, [no matter how “measured”, no matter how much they wring their hands], who does not totally repudiate everything the fucking GOP currently stands for is dead to me.
    End rant.

    • harpie says:

      I’m also still so angry that democrats did NOT stand up for HIllary for all those years she was being mauled by the GOP.
      I’m just UTTERLY disgusted all the way around.
      [really the end, this time]

      • Marinela says:

        Agree with your comment. I don’t understand how anybody thinks is ok to chant “Lock Her Up” as if somehow they are entitled to lock people at will.
        The media also played a role in this by normalizing it. Repeating it as if there was something of substance that caused the chant, without providing context.

        98% of the people should’ve been outraged by this poisonous chant but apparently GOP voters are saying things like this all along in the corners, now they are just coming out of the closet with that poison.

        • Americana says:

          I found it fascinating that the Koch brothers have reached out to Democrats in this 2020 election cycle. The Kochs finally seem to recognize everyone is at risk of the disinformation that’s being spewed. I’ll be keeping a close watch on the Dems the Kochs choose to sponsor and whether they attempt to sway their platforms.

          https://www.npr.org/2018/05/17/611798012/breaking-with-trumps-gop-koch-brothers-praise-democrats-on-immigration

          https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/06/koch-network-open-to-democrats-as-expands-political-engagement.html

          From the above link:

          Since the start of President Donald Trump’s administration, the network as a whole, now titled “Stand Together,” has received numerous political victories, including the signing of a criminal justice reform bill and the passing of tax reform legislation.

          The move to open its doors to Democrats comes after recent disagreements with lawmakers and Trump on how they’ve handled the immigration status of Dreamers — immigrants brought into the country as children. The two sides have also disagreed on trade policy, with Trump remaining firm on tariffs that have been implemented on goods coming from China.

          For those candidates receiving the group’s help in 2019 and 2020, they will get the reinforcement of four new political action committees based on the issues they’ve been actively engaging on. The letter shows the four PACs will be called “Economic Opportunity,” “Uniting for Free Expression,” “Uniting for Free Trade” and “Uniting for Immigration Reform.” They’re designed to contribute to candidates who follow their desired policy initiatives.

          The “Economic Opportunity” PAC, for instance, will finance campaigns that support removing business regulations, while the “Uniting for Free Trade” PAC will spend on candidates who are vocal about the negative effect tariffs are having on U.S. consumers.

          Still, Seidel warns that some of the candidates they’ll support will not always be directly on the same page with their organization — but said that’s no longer going to stop them.

          “We know that candidates will seldom agree with Americans for Prosperity on every issue,” she said. “But for those who do the politically difficult job of leading on a critical issue, these issue-specific PACs will make it clear why the millions of Americans support them on that issue, even if they have principled disagreements on others.”

          To be sure, the network has previously said it was willing to support Democrats but then opted to side with only Republicans instead.

          During the buildup to the 2018 congressional elections, Koch himself told reporters at his annual donor conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that he didn’t care which party a candidate is affiliated with, provided they follow their policy model.

        • harpie says:

          Any Democratic candidate that has anything to do with ANY Koch or Koch Entity is dead to me, as well.
          They are poison.

        • harpie says:

          As Quinta Jurecic says [responding to someone on twitter]:
          https://twitter.com/qjurecic/status/1154511002995527680
          2:57 PM – 25 Jul 2019

          I gotta say, [Trump] directing the attorney general [Sessions] to turn the full power of the state against your innocent political opponent [Hillary] (a thing that is in the Mueller report) does not strike me as beside the point

          I would argue that it’s all part of the same puzzle, which is that Trump views the law as a tool at his disposal and not as an instrument that provides any constraint or protection for the vulnerable

          …and it’s the people and entities that placed Trump in this position of power that must be excised from OUR government.

        • harpie says:

          Here’s Trump speaking at the Young Republican Leadership thing a couple days ago [VIDEO]:

          https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1153705450346635265
          9:36 AM – 23 Jul 2019

          TRUMP: “Then I have an Article 2, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president.”
          (Article 2 does not in fact empower the president to do whatever they want.)

          This is the same speech where: https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1153693921542909953
          8:50 AM – 23 Jul 2019

          Trump makes a [white power] hand gesture while saying AOC’s name

      • Democritus says:

        Passes a digital chamomile tea and a digital shot of whiskey down the bar so feel free to pick your poison. I’m not a lawyer, and I can’t do much day to day but maybe I can help cheer a few of you guys up here who can do more :)

        FWIW, I also get really frustrated with the hypocrisy. It’s why I have to take news breaks here and there so my ears don’t start shooting steam out.

    • harpie says:

      Ryan Goodman retweeted historian Julian Zelizer
      https://twitter.com/julianzelizer/status/1155442549248679936
      4:39 AM – 28 Jul 2019

      It’s not just racism, it’s presidential racism.

      This means that at this key point in U.S. history, we are seeing a convergence of presidential power and white racism.

      Equally relevant, this use of political power is not undercutting his support within the GOP.

      SEND THEM BACK.
      SEND THEM ALL BACK.

  3. Peacerme says:

    This passivity is a symptom of authoritarian regimes. When you fight and fight and it doesn’t get you anywhere, you give up. It started with Vietnam. We’ve been fighting for the will of the people ever since. Trump is likely the last stomps on our heads. Pelosi is codependently waiting for someone else to save the day. We need a leader. Honestly Elizabeth Warren seems like the only one willing to LEAD!

    • Peacerme says:

      Shaking my head. It didn’t start at Vietnam. This dual reality of denial started with the genocide of the American Indians, while we said one thing and did another. And then it was followed up by slavery. As America got filthy rich on the backs of slaves. Republicans are the slave owners. They don’t want to pay labor, taxes, protect the people, or do anything in collaboration. They want to maintain their wealth (that we all helped them get). Until we reconcile this dialectic between greed and human rights, our constitution is just a bunch of words that have no real meaning. Pay attention to what they do, not what they say. It begins and ends because our country has abandoned its principles and refuses to acknowledge the full extent of the damage. Rant away Harpie. You have every right. I Posted congress’s number on my Facebook page. The final straw is that oppression works best if you keep people scrambling to survive. The more we scramble the less will to fight back. Ugh. Thanks Rayne, how are we going to reconcile this? We know in advance we can’t trust the election. If we radically accept this, what do we do next?

    • harpie says:

      Thanks, and I agree with everything except the part about
      Trump being the end of US…,
      Instead

      Trump is the concrete boots
      the GOP has poured
      around their own feet.

      May they sink
      quick and deep.

  4. jayedcoins says:

    Great write-up, thanks, Rayne! Didn’t realize you were a fellow Michigander… or you aren’t, and you’re just on top of the research. Either way, appreciate it, there were a couple things in here I am ashamed to admit I hadn’t learned yet.

  5. skua says:

    People got a right to look after themselves. And a responsibility to be there for their families.
    And maybe jumping off the burning dynamite train is really just the best option available.
    But there seem to be a lot of Republican politician people who, having helped create the environment for Trump’s launch into the Presidency, are not hanging round to be part of the clean-up crew.
    Even if they are in fear for their health, family and sanity, they still owe the nation for having helped set things up for Trump.

  6. bigrivergal says:

    I’m a Michigan 10th district resident. It is about as racist as any place in rural America. Until recently, we had “sundown towns” here – towns that POC had to leave before sundown for their own safety. People here fear what they don’t know. They’ve had very little exposure to folks who aren’t just like them. They know the world is changing, and they don’t like it. It’s a bubble of individuals who haven’t progressed past the 1950’s. These are Trump supporters in a nutshell.

    • Americana says:

      I live in a rural area, too. But it’s getting more POC coming from some nearby cities all the time. The kids here are integrating even if their parents are not. I can’t tell you why the integration has been successful but it’s working. I suspect it’s the schools and the overall workings of the communities. We’ve got lots of illegal immigrants because there are so many dairy farms where the owners haven’t had sufficient kids to run their dairies/farms.

  7. Rugger9 says:

    Is this the same Congresscritter who spent $7+ million to get this seat? I’ll agree that something is up, but who from the Palace lives in MI-10? This feels something like Spawn (Liz) Cheney carpetbagging her way into WY’s congressional seat, so I’m wondering who’s being given this “pocket borough” (since we have a new PM in the UK) and why.

    It’s not like Ivanka will move there like Eva Gabor did in Green Acres. Maybe Junior’s getting banished.

    • bmaz says:

      Green Acres was a pretty awesome show though. Arnold Ziffel would make a better President than the one we have. Obviously both pigs, but still.

        • bmaz says:

          Exactly. Eddie Albert was great in that show, as was Eva Gabor. Pat Buttram, as Mr. Haney, often stole the show. Along with the aforementioned Arnold Ziffel.

      • Tracy Lynn says:

        Arnold was the best! I remember an episode in which he had to testify in court and he kept losing his voice. At least he was a pig who could make me laugh.

      • AndTheSlithyToves says:

        Well, at least $5 million of it was his own money. He seems to be a “true believer”–headed up the Michigan branch of Ralph Reed’s “Faith and Freedom Coalition,” a scam if there ever was one.

  10. LeeNLP says:

    I realized this morning that, like so many others, I have been holding on to a fool’s hope that Mueller would be the snowball that starts the avalanche that would change history. Since that day in 2016 when I was too depressed to get out of bed for 24 hours, I’ve been clinging to any hope I could find. But I realized after yesterday’s events that I’m burned out emotionally. Of course I will vote blue, write my representatives, contribute money to good causes and all that, but I can’t spend hours every day following every little news article like I’ve done the last two years, hoping beyond hope that good would somehow prevail. Forces beyond my control are at work.

    So this morning I cancelled my subscription to several major papers like the Times and Post, keeping just my small local paper, some progressive political sites and a couple of analytic sites like EmptyWheel. I need to take myself out of the fray.

    I know I am not the only one in this boat, as I can tell from reading others’ posts here. I know it wouldn’t make any difference, but I wish Speaker Pelosi could see and take into account the loss of faith and trust that must be happening throughout the entire Democratic party, and all those without a poisoned Trumpian/Fox worldview. She is losing me, and I am sure many others.

    May I just express the affection and kinship I feel for the writers and commentators at EmptyWheel. There is great good in this world still. I would love to see it rise up to overthrow the evil. But I am in my later years and may not live that long.

    • harpie says:

      Hang in there LeeNLP!
      There are a lot of US in this boat together,
      and we’re sailing on!
      Anchors aweigh!

  11. Frank Probst says:

    I think this one might be largely what it looks like. The cynic in me says that this is just a filthy rich guy who bought a House seat and then quit after it got boring, which was exacerbated by–if not caused by–the GOP losing their majority in the House. But I really do believe the part about wanting to spend more time with his family. It looks like he married his current wife in 2008, and the child with special needs is 9 years old. If he and his wife adopted a child from Russia, I’d say his desire to have children at his age is genuinely strong, and having a special needs child puts a huge strain on marital relationships, regardless of how much money you have (which determines how many nannies and private nurses you can afford.) He probably severely underestimated how much his frequent commuting to DC would affect his relationship with his wife and kid(s), and the “send her back” chant probably really did hit a nerve with him. I don’t think anything deeper than that is going on here.

    • posaune says:

      Frank, you have very good points. Every adoptive child is special needs in one way or another. Those from Eastern Europe especially so, along with developmental trauma of orphanage care in early childhood. We have a special needs adoptive son — now 15 (!), and the first 5 years, he had 8 therapy appointments per week — that’s a lot of driving and waiting and burning leave like a forest fire. We’re down to three appointments per week now, which helps. I’ll never forget how overwhelming it was for so long.
      It is a really long road to raise a special needs child. It is incredibly gratifying to see him/her achieve their potential. Nothing like it in the world.

      • Frank Probst says:

        I’m glad to hear that things worked out well for you and your son! The various kinds of therapies (physical, occupational, and speech are the big three, but there are many other types) are often critical for a child with special needs. The textbook example is Down syndrome. Life expectancies for people with Down syndrome have improved dramatically over the last century, and a large part of that increase is probably attributable to early intervention with necessary therapies. And the earlier you start, the better the outcomes.

    • harpie says:

      Good on you, Frank, for maintaining your compassion.
      Sometimes it’s a struggle to do that.
      And hugs to you, posaune!

      • Frank Probst says:

        Thank you! I used to be a doctor who saw patients with genetic disorders, so it comes with the territory. And I have several friends who have been shocked by how much a child with special needs will change your life. The most startling to me was a couple–both physicians–who learned on prenatal ultrasound that they were going to have a child with a cleft lip and palate. They knew that the issue required some additional work at home and several stages of surgery to fix the issue, but they thought they would be able to handle it without too much trouble. They were shocked when they went in for a “what to expect” visit, and they were bluntly told that one of them was going to have to quit their jobs. The reason why was that it was very unlikely that they’d ever find a decent nanny to take care of the child, and no day care would accept him. They knew that they would be able to handle this financially, since both of them were making very good money to begin with. But it was still quite a lot of pressure on their marriage. It was quite an eye-opener for them, and they both said that if they’d been a typical family pulling in the median household income, they’d probably have gone bankrupt.

        • bmaz says:

          I’d like to say I can imagine what that would be like, but I cannot. And of the litany of issues, that is not really at the top of the devastating ones. The most relieved I think I have ever been was when the ultrasound of our nascent daughter was clean and then when she was born and everything was right. Obviously that is the norm, but until you know for sure, you worry “what if…”.

        • posaune says:

          Frank, you are absolutely on point about the childcare! This was the most expensive thing we faced. Finding competent childcare for a special needs child is near impossible. We ended up hiring doctoral-level students in the GWU child psychology-trauma track, and we assembled a team of three, stacked in sequential years of the program. Each stayed with us for 4+ years, so that we only had one new carer per year for our son to learn to trust. It was the most expensive thing we did (the rate for SN childcare in DC is $35/hour!). But, each person became close to our son, and he trusted them. They were professional, wrote reports for the foster care magistrate, alerted us to potential issues, attended his IEP meetings and came to family therapy sessions. (They really did learn what special needs means.) All attended his adoption hearing last year! And two have agreed to become his guardians (personal and/or financial) and to oversee his medical and psychiatric care needs in the long term. It was an investment, but worth it. Because of them (and an exceedingly kind boss), I was able to keep my job and the health insurance and leave that came with it. That’s the level of child care professional we had to have. And it still took my entire salary! We know we were fortunate to have the means to do this. It is so gratifying here at empty wheel to know you and others understand this! A real gift. Thank you for your past and present kindness and expertise!

        • bmaz says:

          I cannot express to you how awesome this, and the discussion of it between you and Frank, really is. You folks rock, and the readers of this blog are so much better for it. Thank you.

        • DAT says:

          Posaune, Frank, Thank you two, and all with you. You (Plural) are a reminder of what this fight is about, and why we cannot allow ourselves to despair.

        • Frank Probst says:

          Thank you all for the gratitude! It’s nice to be able to contribute something to “pay back” for all of the stupid legal questions that I ask!

        • bmaz says:

          That is exactly why we are all here, and have so long been. And you owe us nothing ever. We owe you, and everybody, the thanks.

        • Frank Probst says:

          Wow! That’s a very “outside of the box” solution to getting high-quality child care for a child with special needs! You may want to suggest to the now-former students that they push for some sort of formal program at GWU for something like this, since you and they have sort of pioneered it. (It might not be possible because of liability issues, but it’s worth suggesting.) It would also be a huge help to other parents if you would consider writing some sort of “manual” for other parents who want to choose this route. Your post reads almost like a “Table of Contents” for many of the things that you don’t initially think about. It doesn’t have to be hundreds of pages long. Something that’s only 10-20 pages would probably still be a godsend to many parents, and it would save them the trouble of starting from scratch. I’m assuming you’re pretty “plugged in” to support groups in your area, and you could potentially start by passing it on to a select group of other parents to see what they think of it.

  12. P J Evans says:

    The GOP-T candidate challenging Ilhan Omar was arrested for felony shoplifting, and it’s not her first felony.

  13. Wm. Boyce says:

    “It was a crappy piece in that it only spoke with white people, and most appeared to be in MI-10. Granted, MI-10 is very rural, very Republican (R+13) , and very white (like 93% white), but the article painted an image of a district which was very racist.”

    Well? Why is that a surprise? These are the people who are Trump voters – largely white, afraid of the future, (can’t say I blame them for that) and utterly conventional in their thinking. One 54-year old white man was quoted as saying “I paid off my student debt.” Bully for you! Thirty years ago any of us could have.

  15. harpie says:

    a] HILLARY tweets- exactly [!] three years ago:
    https://twitter.com/hillaryclinton/status/758864218439286784
    8:18 PM – 28 Jul 2016

    “A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.” —Hillary

    b] Rev. Al Sharpton tweets:
    https://twitter.com/TheRevAl/status/1155661877172678656
    7:10 PM – 28 Jul 2019

    MICHAEL STEELE & I TO HOLD A PRESSER IN BALTIMORE TO ADDRESS TRUMP’S REMARKS & BI-PARTISAN OUTRAGE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY Participating in an already scheduled conference on the Black Economic Agenda, Sharpton & Steele to Decry Trump’s remarks about Baltimore & its Leadership

    TRUMP TWEETS TODAY
    T1] 3:30 AM – 29 Jul 2019
    realDonaldTrump/status/1155787721576779776

    I have known Al for 25 years. Went to fights with him & Don King, always got along well. He “loved Trump!” He would ask me for favors often. Al is a con man, a troublemaker, always looking for a score. Just doing his thing. Must have intimidated Comcast/NBC. Hates Whites & Cops!

    T2] 3:49 AM – 29 Jul 2019
    realDonaldTrump/status/1155792447429054465

    Baltimore, under the leadership of Elijah Cummings, has the worst Crime Statistics in the Nation. 25 years of all talk, no action! So tired of listening to the same old Bull…Next, Reverend Al will show up to complain & protest. Nothing will get done for the people in need. Sad!

    T3] 4:04 AM – 29 Jul 2019
    realDonaldTrump/status/1155796277248057345

    If the Democrats are going to defend the Radical Left “Squad” and King Elijah’s Baltimore Fail, it will be a long road to 2020. The good news for the Dems is that they have the Fake News Media in their pocket!

    T4] 4:26 AM – 29 Jul 2019
    realDonaldTrump/status/1155801677485789184

    Al Sharpton would always ask me to go to his events. He would say, “it’s a personal favor to me.” Seldom, but sometimes, I would go. It was fine. He came to my office in T.T. during the presidential campaign to apologize for the way he was talking about me. Just a conman at work!

    • harpie says:

      Daniel Dale usually posts Trump’s daily schedule, and each day he writes:
      “(Public schedules don’t include all of a president’s activities.)”

      This is today’s, tweeted yesterday evening:
      https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1155662942291054592
      7:14 PM – 28 Jul 2019

      Here’s Trump’s public schedule for tomorrow. (Public schedules don’t include all of a president’s activities.)

      So, Trump just tweeted about a meeting which was not on the schedule:

      https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1155893122578206720
      10:29 AM – 29 Jul 2019

      Looking forward to my meeting at 2:00 P.M. with wonderful Inner City Pastors!

      …”wonderful” Inner City Pastors [Capitalized],
      like a singing group…

      LOL…I wonder what they might discuss.

    • Eureka says:

      Oh, Trump tweeting about Sharpton like this is a threat vs. warning he’s about to re-dredge the Tawana Brawley case. Probably his rwnj sites already have.

      ETA: more like a dog whistle for the latter/for his media partners to do it.

  17. errant aesthete says:

    Rayne,

    I’ve been out of the loop at EW for a bit, but learned this morning that my representative here in Washington state, Susan DelBene, is supporting the impeachment inquiry. I received a letter addressed to me from her office on Friday, July 26, dated that same day that said nothing on the topic of impeachment, only on her support of the work being done by the Ways & Means committee’s efforts to get Trump’s tax returns. I had written a second and third letter to her following the initial one I had mentioned to you in your earlier post, that I believe her letter was a response to.

    While I have often cited the mishandling of the messaging for the Dems in my posts, I will tell you that their announcement late Friday informing the public of their intention to finally launch an impeachment inquiry, left me feeling embarrassed, humiliated and mortified. To learn just now that congresswoman DelBene was on board, despite that…

    I would encourage you to read a column written for The Atlantic by Quinta Jerecic over the weekend. The title: Impeachment, but Without the Moral Clarity. It soothed and humored me in a way that little else does these days. For a glimpse, note her eloquent close*:

    “In watching Trump’s rage alongside what looks like Democratic dithering, what comes to mind is an unflattering line from the poet William Butler Yeats: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity.” The only hope is that the House will continue to slouch toward impeachment.”

    Kudos to congresswoman DelBene for joining the slouch.

    *[https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/house-democrats-slouch-toward-impeachment/594940/]

    [Replying inside your comment because comments here are now closed. Don’t feel embarrassed, humiliated, mortified at all. The House has not made a distinct, clear statement supporting an impeachment inquiry when you wrote this and even now, a week later, we only have the work of the House Judiciary Committee to which we can point as evidence any part of the House is moving toward a formal impeachment inquiry. I’d send a thank-you to your rep for supporting an inquiry and look for ways to support others still working on their resistant representatives. We still need ~100 more House Dems as of this reply to pass a resolution to launch an impeachment inquiry. Thanks for sharing. /~Rayne 2:43 pm EDT 05-AUG-2019]

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