The Left-Cheek Ass Clown for September, 2020

The last two weeks have gone so far off the rails that it's been all but impossible to single out an individual for this period's award, but in spite of all that, two really big chunks have floated to the surface of the Swirling Cesspool of Ass Clownery.

The Left-Cheek Ass Clown Award for September, 2020

is presented to

Senator Lindsey Graham (R, SC) 

~ Fourth Award* ~

and

Senator Mitt Romney (R, UT)

The raw hypocrisy and shameless power-grabbing on the part of Der Furor and his enablers in the GOP was breathtaking this past week as Republicans raced to ignore their previous pious posturing about not making Supreme Court appointments in an election year and jam through a replacement for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before the November election, which Der Furor stands a good chance of losing**. Not a single Republican reflected anything close to honor and decency in the race to cement a hard-right SCOTUS majority, but the most amazingly blatant and shameless hypocrisy was demonstrated by Senator Graham, who in 2016, while joining with his GOP colleagues in refusing even to consider President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the court, said this:

“I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination."

This week, at a GOP fundraiser, he said this:

"I will be leading the charge to make sure that President Trump's nominee has a hearing, goes to the United States Senate for a vote, because that is my job and I believe I am doing what the people of South Carolina want me to do in this regard."

But not only Senator Graham demonstrated world-class moral and political flexibility. He was joined by Utah Senator Mitt Romney, who had been viewed as a potential check on Der Furor, who issued this statement:

“My decision regarding a Supreme Court nomination is not the result of a subjective test of ‘fairness’ which, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. It is based on the immutable fairness of following the law, which in this case is the Constitution and precedent. The historical precedent of election year nominations is that the Senate generally does not confirm an opposing party’s nominee but does confirm a nominee of its own.

    

“The Constitution gives the President the power to nominate and the Senate the authority to provide advice and consent on Supreme Court nominees. Accordingly, I intend to follow the Constitution and precedent in considering the President’s nominee. If the nominee reaches the Senate floor, I intend to vote based upon their qualifications.”

If you're looking for world-class examples of utter hypocrisy and spineless bowing to political expediency, look no further than these two moral and political gumbies.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and Utah Senator Mitt Romney are jointly designated as the Left-Cheek Ass Clown for September, 2020. It's a dishonor well deserved.

Have a good day, and come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday ... you need the laughs now more than ever.

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

* Senator Graham received his previous awards on November 28, 2014; September 22, 2017 (joint award with Senator Bill Cassidy (R, LA) (Left Cheek); and January 18, 2019 (Left Cheek).

** Assuming he is unable to disrupt the process and results of the election in his favor.