Washington DC has its own special season. Spring is full of cherry blossoms, summer is full of tourists, and my personal favorite is the “Principles Be Damned” festival, held every four years.
It’s that magical time when a new president takes office, and we witness the spectacular phenomenon of discovering that everything politicians have been shouting about for four years has actually been perfectly fine all along.
This winter is no exception. Here are some useful transformations we’re heading towards:
Supreme Court “reform”
Democrats have spent four years persuading Mr. Biden to go ahead with a plan to pack the Supreme Court, or at least replace conservative justices with liberal ones. They have even created a whole world of “watchdogs” to tarnish the court’s reputation and bring about those reforms.
Their sudden memory loss begins within 40 days. Only the most radical Republicans will fly the flag and be smeared as “anti-democrats” by the remnants of the media establishment.
presidential order
Remember when Republicans thought Biden’s executive orders were a stroke away from full-on Stalinism? Notice how quickly “unconstitutional overreach” turns into “bold executive leadership.”
Meanwhile, Democrats, who have been treating Biden’s $400 billion student vote-buying plan as if it were a second coming of the New Deal, believe that bypassing Congress is basically a goose-step into a fascist state. You will suddenly realize that.
senate filibuster
“I’ve made it very clear that I think we should abolish Roe’s filibuster and get to the point where we only need 51 votes.” — Kamala Harris, 2024
“The filibuster has deep roots in racism and should not be allowed to serve its purpose…It is an evil tool used to defeat legislation that is supported by a majority of Americans. .” — Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 2022
Don’t be surprised if Sen. Warren suddenly endorses racism and evil measures this January.
government spending
The national debt is currently $95,000 per American. And who cares? It’s just Rand Paul and which party is out of power.
The same Democrats who treated the Treasury like a casino ATM will suddenly channel their inner Milton Friedman. What about that $31 trillion debt they ignored when funding gender research in Pakistan? It’s a crisis now.
Meanwhile, after years of agonizing over the debt ceiling, Republicans rediscover the secret formula for reducing debt by increasing spending, using some kind of leveraged debt, and applying magic coupons. Dew. So don’t worry!
“Justice” category
Get ready for the fastest transformation since Bruce Jenner. The moment the Justice Department investigates a Democrat, it will go from being a “defender of democracy” to a “threat to our country.” (Yes, that can take a while.)
Bonus quote:
“The president needs to undergo an aging test!”
“Hey, how can the president take so many vacation days and pretend to run the country?”
“Of course, the president and his staff need to be protected by executive privilege.”
“Wow, the president’s kid belongs in prison for that, motherfucker.”
The list goes on, but you get the gist. By the spring, these exchanges of positions will be complete, and both sides will act as if they were in exactly the same position as they are now.
In Washington, principles aren’t really principles at all, they’re just a passing topic waiting for the next administration. And that may be the only honest thing about politics.
Ken LaCorte writes about censorship, media malpractice, uncomfortable questions, and honest insight for people who want to know how the world really works. Follow Ken on Substack
