A Little Bit of Tuesday Drama

Years ago, an old girlfriend of mine went to visit her bestie, who was recovering in the hospital. “I’m going to get her a bunch of celebrity gossip magazines,” she told me. “She’s going to LOVE IT!!”

The invalid, it turns out, was not especially interested in this topic. But she appreciated the gesture and devoured the glossy rags. Because, when you’re hurting and trying to avoid reality, it is fun.

I think we all enjoy a bit of drama when it’s happening to other people and it doesn’t matter all that much. But drama in politics, well, that does come with a cost. The price is our tax dollars. And if the drama becomes sufficiently extreme, we will begin to lose our democracy.

By “drama,” of course, I mean the machinations that are designed to create controversy instead of progress. Which makes for great reality TV or those magazines you see in the checkout aisle. But not so much for good government.

Today, Tuesday July 27, is Another Dumb Day in Drama. Down in Arizona, we’ve got some juicy trash talking on the 2020 election. You know, the one from November of last year? The one the former President conceded back in January? A couple members of the State Senate have issued a new subpoena. This was following an epic nastygram [1] from the local election board they’ve been targeting (which is mostly Republicans by the way.)

In national news, the Democrats are just starting the “United States House Select Committee on the January 6th Attack.” (Fightin’ words!) There are spots for six Republicans on the panel, but so far most of those seats are empty. That’s because the Democratic leader rejected all of the proposed candidates the Republican leader suggested, and the Republican leader is refusing to appoint any if he doesn’t get all of his choices.

Better than a sweeps week episode of Survivor, amiright?

We could go on with more examples of people from both major parties being petty, but who needs that? This isn’t Us Weekly. And to be fair, these aren’t pure drama. There are legitimate questions if you dig deep enough.

But I think we’re are a little tired of the show. It was okay for the first few seasons, but this one needs to go off the air.

It’s time for something which doesn’t make our eyes widen and our heads shake in disapproval. It’s time for progress. Normal, boring, progress.

As your member of Congress, I don’t promise to be entertaining. What I will do is get things done. And you can watch, if you want. But don’t expect drama.

The time for that bullshit is long gone.

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[1] Get yourself some tea for this one.