What do June 22, 1940 and November 8, 2016 have in common?

The former is the date on which the French government (État Français), headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain signed an armistice with Nazi Germany, allowing HItler’s troops to occupy northern and south-eastern France.  In return, Pétain continued to head a nominal government located in the town of Vichy on the condition the  Régime de Vichy, as it became known, did not challenge the German occupation.  The arrangement lasted until 1944 when allied forces regained a foothold in Europe following the D-Day invasion.

In the fall of 2016, the former Republican Party experienced a similar takeover by an outside adversary.  Immediately following Donald Trump’s ascension as titular head of the remnants of the GOP, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speak Paul Ryan signed what can only be described as the Armistice of Mar-a-Lago, ceding their authority to the incoming administration.  And consistent with the European model on which it is based, Congressional leadership was allowed to pretend they still had power as long as they did not challenge the MAGA occupation.

If that was not evident over the first three years and five months of the Trump administration, any delusion otherwise was dispelled during the first ten days of June.  Twice the leader of the MAGA occupying forces tested the arrangement.

• On June 1, Trump authorized disruption of a peaceful protest in Lafayette Park using chemical irritants, gas canisters and rubber bullets.  The park was cleared to allow Trump and his posse to amble over to St. John’s Church for a photo op.
• On the morning of June 9, Trump accused the 75 year-old victim of excessive force by the Buffalo, New York police of being a provocateur and ANTIFA plant.

If I did not know better, I might think the timing of these two events were designed to demonstrate just how weak the Republican Senate caucus is when it comes to dealing with the current occupant of the oval office.  One occurred the night before and the other the morning of the regularly scheduled Tuesday GOP caucus lunch.  To enter the caucus room, each Senator has to pass a podium flanked with American flags, where McConnell would normally hold public briefings or announce forthcoming policies or actions.  Being a press accessible area, no one should be surprised the corridor is regularly filled with microphone-wielding reporters hoping to get a sound bite on the issues of the day.

Any senator who did not anticipate he/she would be asked about either of the two incidents above is guilty of the most serious of political crimes–demonstrating ignorance and/or stupidity.  The only question is the degree.  If such offenses were codified, one can imagine the following taxonomy.

• Third degree ignorance/stupidity.  Suspects suffer from dementia and have no idea what is coming and are incapable of a rational response, sometimes referred to as third degree mental-slaughter.
• Second degree ignorance/stupidy.  Suspects walk into an unexpected situation and intentionally choose ignorance/stupidity as the best course of action.
• Second degree felony ignorance/stupidy.  The suspect is immoral and intentionally uses ignorance or stupidity to cover his/her more egregious behavior.
• First degree ignorance/stupidity.  Suspects know what is coming and do not give a damn if they look ignorant or stupid knowing their equally ignorant or stupid constituents will identify with this kind of behavior.

And there it was, the neo-Vichy Party had not one, but two chances to stand up to the man who had repeatedly emasculated it for the better part of five years.  And yet they did nothing.  Just like Marshall Pétain, they ceded the territory to Trump and retreated to the safety of the Senate caucus room.  Or in the immortal words of John Banner who portrayed Master Sargeant Hans Schultz on Hogan’s Heroes, “I see nothing. I hear nothing.  I know nothing.  NOTHING!”

Hopefully, five months from now, I can amend this post by adding the question, “What do June 6, 1944 and November 3, 2020 have in common?”

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP