Fauci and Other F Bombs

The language of these Soviet show trials... could only be understood in the Aesopian imagery of the closed Bolshevik universe of conspiracies of evil against good in which 'terrorism' simply signified 'any doubt about the policies or character of Stalin.' All his political opponents were per se assassins. More than two 'terrorists' was a 'conspiracy'.

-Simon Sebag-Montefiore

We've all now read about the circus in the Senate yesterday, as a United States Senator was allowed to drag his obsession of the Covid era, taking down Anthony Fauci, back into the open for a hearing necessitated by . . . ?

Who the hell knows. Epstein? Iran?

Probably not those. Rand Paul is a walking example of the Overton Window that is the Republican Party in 2026, the beyond-weird scion of a beyond-weird old crank, who now seems "centrist" because he thought the Epstein files needed to be revealed, and starting an unprovoked war with Iran at the urging of Netanyahu was a mistake. But when it comes to conspiracy theories swirling around Covid, Paul makes RFK, Jr. seem grounded in the real world by comparison.

And Paul has had it out for Fauci for years, wanted him in prison, actually took the time to write a book to advance his loony theories--with Fauci on the cover.

Paul's problem here is that he can't set anything in motion that would send Fauci to prison for past behavior because Biden pardoned him prophylactically, figuring something like this might happen. So Paul needs a new crime, post-pardon.

How about perjury?

So here's the plan--have the CDC release the diary Fauci stupidly kept on a government server during the pandemic, flag the pages where he expressed personal doubts about the things he was saying contemporaneously while he was testifying before Congress, then haul him back into a hearing so he can decide which position to support, and THERE YOU GO: no matter what he says, it's contradicted by either prior testimony or the diary. An 85 year old lifelong government servant goes to the joint. MAGA is energized once more.

But Fauci retained a lawyer who apparently went to an accredited law school and took Con Law. He simply invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in response to every question. They threw out the lawyer. Fauci didn't back down. They asked him what color tie a senator was wearing. He didn't back down.

Finally, showing the class act the Republicans have become (Nelson Rockefeller, where are you when we really need you?), the expletives started to fly.

"Who the f*ck do you think you are," asked Senator Bernie Moreno, statesman from the Great State of Ohio. His daughter is in a running legal battle alleging domestic violence against her and Moreno's granddaughter by an ex-husband. That ex is running for Congress in Ohio, as a Republican. Bernie has nothing to say about the matter--MAGA fealty runs deeper than blood, it seems.

"Do you feel like you're in deep sh*t? Moreno went on, taunting Fauci like a Soviet interrogator at a show trial. Fauci stuck by his position that he wasn't answering questions.

So far Comey's been indicted, and they tried with Letitia James and Lisa Cook. The papers said Gavin Newsom is under FBI investigation.

This is your Republican Party, desperately trying to crank out some red meat for the morons who elected them after polling showed those morons aren't that jazzed about going to the polls in November. Meanwhile, oil's back over $100 a barrel, the Iran War risks turning into a global conflict as Ukraine attacks Iranian ships carrying arms across the Caspian Sea to Russia, millions are losing health care while the feds casually drop a subsidy this week that will mean folks on Medicare will pay more for prescription drugs, there's an explosive diarrhea epidemic sweeping the north because we've lost regulatory control over the food chain.

But the most important thing at the moment is to taunt an octogenarian into saying something that might result in the huge win of seeing the little old guy in leg irons and cuffs on Fox News.

We are an unserious country, which has serious consequences for those stuck living here.