Simon Cameron, Abe Lincoln’s Secretary of War, once described an honest politician as one who “when he is bought, will stay bought.”
Harry Truman said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”
John “No Relation” Kennedy may or may not have many friends in Washington – I don’t really know or care – but you have to give him credit for being a model of consistency in a town where allegiances and alliances only count where the most important consideration is the next election cycle.
He sold his soul when he first ran for the Senate back in 2016 and it has remained sold. He just doesn’t give a damn what one faction of Louisiana voters want from him in the nation’s capital; the one-time liberal Democrat sold out to Trump, the NRA and the big money that underwrites the Repugnantcan Party and never looked back.
He wraps himself in some sort of blanket of homespun philosophy that borders on a cheap imitation of Walter Brennan from The Real McCoys sitcom of the late ‘50s and early 60s – even to the point of appearing semi-literate with his misspelling of the word “believe” in a TV spot he made on behalf of the NRA. He apparently thinks everyone is laughing with him instead of at him.
But behind that aw-shucks veneer lies a ruthless cutthroat politician who doubtless knows his constituency. A big majority of Louisiana voters love that crap and he knows it – even if it means metamorphically turning his back on the mother of a slain police officer, which he did on Thursday.
So much for his proclaimed support of law enforcement.
Gladys Sicknick, mother of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, killed in the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, appeared in Washington to plead with senators to support an investigation into the riots that attempted to halt the confirmation of the November election defeat of Trump.
Several Repugnantcan senators met or spoke with her, including Trump sycophants Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham and Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson, of all people. Others, including Mitch McConnell, Rick Scott and John Cornyn offered to have staff members meet with her even though some said it was unlikely they’d change their minds. At least give them credit for candor, if not for empathy.
Louisiana’s senior Sen. Bill Cassidy also met with her.
Guess who was among senators who refused to meet with her?
You guessed it: John “No Relation” Kennedy, Louisiana’s junior senator.
On Friday, the Senate finally got around to voting on House Resolution 3233 which called for the establishing of a “national commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the United States Capitol Complex.”
Now, bear in mind that Repugnantcans had just a while back spent 28 months “investigating” Benghazi in an attempt to bury Hillary Clinton.
Not this time.
Needing a three-fifths vote, or 60 of 100 senators, on “cloture,” which means to end debate so that an up-or-down vote can be taken, the Senate voted in favor by a 54-35 vote, but not enough for the needed 60 votes.
Again, Cassidy voted in favor, which, along with his earlier vote in favor of impeachment, is almost certain to cost him dearly when he runs for reelection (though that isn’t until 2026, sufficiently far enough away, he hopes, for voters to forget – or for Trump supporters to come to their senses).
But John “No Relation” Kennedy voted against the resolution, apparently sending the message that he’s not interested in knowing what – or who – prompted the riotous mob to swarm over the People’s House like the deranged, murderous criminals they were. It also sent a somewhat callused message to Mrs. Sicknick.
Yep, John “No Relation” Kennedy has sold his soul and once bought, he’s staying bought.
But you want to know what’s more disgraceful?
Eleven cowards, including two Democrats, didn’t vote at all. Remember the final tally fell just six votes short. With those two Democrats and four of the nine Repugnantcans who pulled a no-show, the outcome might have been different and at least give Mrs. Sicknick some faith in our democratic system. (Of course the expectation of four of nine Repugnantcans displaying any form of courage is just a fantasy anyway.)
The Democrat senators who took a walk were Patty Murray of Washington and Krysten Sinema of Arizona.
Repugnantcan senators who might’ve wet their pants had they been forced to actually display some semblance of a spine included Richard Shelby of Alabama, James Risch of Idaho, Roy Blunt of Missouri, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Mike Braun of Indiana.
I watched a movie on Netflix last night entitled Miss Sloane. It’s about a struggle by competing powerful lobbyists in Washington over the issue of gun control. At one point during congressional testimony, the protagonist of the movie, Elizabeth Sloane (played superbly by actress Jessica Chastain) tells senators, “Our system is broken.”
Left unasked – and unanswered – was the obvious question: who broke it?
- Was it the politicians who will do whatever necessary to remain in office?
- Was it the lobbyists who will go to any ends necessary to win?
- Or was the voters who are too lazy to examine the issues and to cast their ballots intelligently, without regard to 15-second sound bites, neatly coiffed hair or banal platitudes?
Louisiana Voice 
Goodness….this post is so depressing on so many levels. I think all 3 of the reasons are responsible for this unholy mess…but, voters must bear the most blame because we can change things by voting. As for Kennedy, I think he knows exactly who is responsible for 1/6, the why and the how and his vote to block this investigation just proves his equal guilt. Therein lies our problem. We are asking the guilty to investigate themselves….
Kennedys reelection bid can’t get here fast enough…
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brian-sicknick-capitol-riot-died-natural-causes/
This is CBS news.
Zoe, where the hell have you been since the election? You’ve been very quiet since your predictions that trump would win reelection. CBS was reporting what the medical examiner said was the cause of death. I don’t think CBS wasn’t necessarily agreeing with that assessment. Remember, the coroner in Iberia Parish said that young black man died of suicide after obtaining a gun and shooting himself in the chest – while in custody in a sheriff’s patrol unit with his hands cuffed BEHIND HIS BACK. So that unlikely scenario was officially classified as a suicide, not a homicide.
Sicknick was sprayed in the face with a chemical substance which, along with the mob that invaded the Capitol, induced considerable stress. You’re a nurse, so you must know that stress can – and does – contribute significantly to strokes, which was given as the official cause of death. In fact, he suffered two strokes before dying.
But putting all that aside, you appear to making some sort of justification for the riots, for the assault on the Capitol by MAGA mutants. You seem to feel there is no reason to investigate the insurrection – simply because the official cause of death was “natural”?
If you read the full story, you will see that the Chief Medical Examiner Office’s legal counsel Thomas DiBiase said the medical examiner’s report “does not mean that Officer Sicknick was not assaulted nor that the events at the Capitol did not contribute to his death.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ron-johnson-capitol-police-letter-brian-sicknick-death/
So, Zoe, don’t try to b.s. your way out of this despicable display by the republicans in the Senate. If you’re going to quote a story, quote the whole damn story.
Otherwise, you nothing to add to the discussion that interests us.
I simply showed what CBS has reported from a release from an expert, which you surely are not. I made no comment beyond that. It is you, a typical Democrat, who infers the rest of the story, “CBS wasn’t agreeing”…..who cares what CBS thinks ?Their JOB is to report facts, NOT interpret them.. Where do you see that I am trying to b.s. “my way” out of despicable display in the Senate (where were you when Democrat Senators all sat down in hall of Senate like a group of 4 year old children because they could not get their way ?)
I have not been commenting because most of you deduce that your “facts” are the only facts, and there can be no other option, thus, I am talking to a brick wall and I am having to read your one sided tripe.
I have never defended the events on January 6, but many of you have stood silently for the previous year where much of this country was being destroyed by riots, looting and civil disobedience (no difference than Jan 6 except rioters were Democrat sympathizers). Some would call this being a hypocrite.
Russell, I do not recall seeing any previous posts from you, but judging from your tone, I can interpret that you back what is going on with the current presiding government in Washington, so, there is no point in trying to reason with you. You oppose the 1st Amendment, the Second Amendment, Fourth , Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth as do most Democrats, and are fiscally irresponsible. In fact, many Democrats abhor the Constitution while crying at the same time that someone is undermining our “democracy” (we are, in fact, a republic)
And, your quote from an attorney could easily be applied to George Floyd death. Mr. Floyd was destined to die that day, which in no way justifies police use of excessive force. Officer. Sicknick was likely going to have stroke no matter what happened, and this does NOT say any assault is okay, especially on a police officer.
To be completely accurate, Zoe, it’s a democratic republic. And it did actually seem that you were defending the rioters with something of a smokescreen by citing the CBS story as a means of deflecting attention from the rioters and their actions.
Tom, one can have a Democracy with no republic (Ancient Athens) but you cannot have a republic without a democracy if we are going to nitpick. A statement of fact is not a smokescreen in any way. I was neither defending nor attacking events of that day. I simply quoted the truth as reported by CBS (had I quoted Fox, the liberals would have gone crazy) as a report issued by medical examiner (expert) with no other comment. I suppose I again struck a nerve with some saying I was “defending” anyone – but the only deaths were amongst rioters.
The fact is, CNN reported that the officer was struck by fire extinguisher (total fiction) and this man’s death (tragic) is being used to drive a narrative that is factually incorrect. The underlying issue is democrats fear the return of Trump and are trying to kill any possibility with another sham like the last two impeachment trials. I am sure that statement will set off a lot of people, but were people open minded or honest, we have a video of VP Biden saying publicly what Trump was accused of ie. extortion with no witnesses. There was zero factual basis in the Steele dossier and Sen. Schiff lied saying he had factual evidence of collusion when in fact, he had not one instance. We also have a sitting Vice President who provided bail for rioters, arsonists, looters etc. That is clearly an impeachable event.
I am sure my reply will agitate some posters, but, please, let’s not get ugly or have personal attacks. I understand we view facts from different perspectives.
“We also have a sitting Vice President who provided bail for rioters, arsonists, looters etc. That is clearly an impeachable event.”
Zoe, do your research before you post your comments. The VP had not been selected as Biden’s running mate. Also, she was only asking people to donate to a Minnesota project that helps provide bail for those who can’t afford it.
Yep. Good ‘ole John Neely Kennedy. I actually wasted time last night writing him to tell him what an embarrassment he was to Louisiana. But, really, ALL our electors are an embarrassment! Sickening! They are on the MAGA train to Hell.
One word describes JNK the best: Disgusting
What’s funny Tom and you fail to mention it of course is that there were a half dozen demorats that didn’t even stay and bother to vote! It will be Kennedy another 6 years! You should be proud of your boy Coward Cassidy though!
No, I didn’t fail to mention the no-votes, but your numbers are incorrect. There were two Dems and nine Repugs who took a walk and I even named them. In fact, I even shamed them on their absences. Go back and re-read the post. Here’s the link to the official vote data, in case you’re curious enough to do your research:
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/117-2021/s218
With his abhorrent behavior I don’t see how Senator Foghorn Leghorn is not a shoe in for reelection.