Miss me with the lionizing of born again republicans

Like Cassidy Hutchinson.

“Enough”, is right. That’s the name of Cassidy Hutchinson’s recently released tell-all about her time in government service to Trump world. But I say enough of the stroking her and parading her like she took a break from feeding hungry children in Appalachia and donating bone marrow just to throw herself on a grenade in Afghanistan and save a platoon of soldiers. Seriously. Enough.

I thought a book tour and the obligatory appearances on CNN and MSNBC would pretty much be the course of her extended fifteen minutes. But now I’m seeing her really getting the star treatment - being booked on Colbert and the tonight show, among others. I get that she’s an attractive young woman and that the David vs Goliath thing is an effective click and view getter. But I beg of you, media, can you please cut me a break with the ongoing ticker tape parade?

Cassidy Hutchinson’s actions — testifying truthfully under oath to the 1/6 committee — appear heroic only because there are so many (men) who were around her who had actual authority and influence, who are, and have been COWARDS on the day of 1/6, and since.

We are so STARVED for anyone in public service actually upholding the constitution because we have been groomed and gaslighted by years and years of rotten politicians talking out of both sides of their mouths. Hutchinson was a 25 year old aide to Trump Chief-of-Staff Mark Meadows. That’s old enough to know who it is you’re working for. She knew who and what Trump was. She had a degree in Poly Sci and American Studies, so she knew what kind of ideology she was signing up with. She interned for Steve Scalise and Ted Cruz (Ted effing Cruz, for Pete’s sake). She wasn’t just some innocent waif wandering the hallways of power.

She chose to serve in a rotten, corrupt republican administration. Maybe she didn’t know the full extent of how rotten and corrupt, but I bet she would still be proudly serving, except for 1/6. She just had to draw a line at people beating cops with American flags, and literally taking a dump and smearing it in the halls of Congress. Bully for her. She chose to tell the simple truth about what she saw and heard on that one day. But we need to seriously raise the bar on the “hero” appellation.

Some in the media tried to do this ‘hero of the people’ thing with Liz Cheney. I admire someone like Liz Cheney for what she did on the 1/6 committee. But Liz Cheney spent her entire time in government promoting hurtful policies and supporting horrendous politicians.

I also am glad that mooks like Bill Barr, Anthony Scaramucci, James Mattis, Mark Esper, Mark Milley, Rex Tillerson, John Bolton, Chris Christie (etc, etc, you get the idea — there’s a whole buttload of them) found it within themselves to come out WELL AFTER THE FACT and tell us what a rotten POS Trump is. But for these people to all be capitalizing on their late-found “courage”; for them to be receiving kudos and acclamation as if they put themselves at risk when the truth is, they kept their silence until they were certain all risk had passed… miss me with all that.

I’m afraid that this rush to make heroes out of aides like Hutchinson comes out of the same mindset that tries to “both-sides” the two parties to death. The media tries to find a counterpoint for every extreme they find on one side. That’s why they try (with a straight face, mind you) to compare Donald Trump to Barack Obama, as if they are two politicians who simply happen to appeal to different tastes. When you point out little things like the stochastic terrorism of people on the right who brandish assault rifles in Christmas cards and wear assault rifle lapel pins, they will try to find something someone said on the left that comes to the same level of playing with fire.

Always looking to appear “balanced” and “objective”, they avoid pointing out that the corruption resides largely on one side - the blatant ongoing fraud being perpetrated by Rep. Santos, or the still unfolding allegations of indecent behavior against Rep. Gaetz, or the n. ever answered accusations of covering up sexual abuse by Rep. Jim Jordan, etc. (there is much, much more).

It’s this stupid adherence to maintaining the false equivalence illusion that has Democrats always falling over themselves to do more, say more, be the bigger people, do the right thing first, take the high road, go high when they go low, look for bipartisan solutions, eject a valuable, competent Senator like Al Franken before any investigation or hearing. The media’s stupid adherence to the illusion of ethical balance has them trumpeting Cassidy Hutchinson. “See?”, they’re saying — “an example of an ethical person. And she’s a Republican!” Whoop de damn do.

Now, show me a republican politician, associate or operative who blows the whistle while risking an upcoming election. Show me one who speaks out when they are still in the active employ of the culprit they’re flipping on, and still enjoying the fruits of their status and position. Show me one who has everything to lose by speaking out, and nothing to gain except their good name and a clear conscience. Show me that and I will stand and applaud them right along with you.

But people like Cassidy Hutchinson? When they come forward, they have no job to go back to. Their term of service is over. They are not campaigning for an imminent election. The option of speaking out against their former bosses is, if not the most promising avenue to gain monetarily, then at least its no longer a threat to their current way of making a living.

After the Trump administration was clearly DONE, she came forward when she was subpoenaed and testified truthfully under oath. That’s good. Good for her. Kudos. But people — that’s all she did. I’m just saying if that’s worth a rich book deal, a turn as a beloved celebrity and hero status for life, then our values need a real upgrade.