Medievalist Kimberley Strassel, of the Wall Street Journal, is engaging yet another CounterReformation war. On the Achilles heel of the most corrupt, self-dealing, crony-coddling administration in American history, she's up in arms over Democrats' resurrection of earmarks, crucified 10 years ago by impolitic Republicans.
In the funniest column I've read in some time, Ms. Strassel has declared the return of "the swamp." Earmarks she deplores as "Pork. Logrolling. Sleaze. Bridges to nowhere." Say it again, Kimberley. Make me smile. Traditional American governance is back.
The following is meant pejoratively, and I'm not sure why: "Next time West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is the one vote standing against a radical legislative proposal," writes Ms. Strassel, "Mr. Schumer will have the means to threaten or entice him into submission." Her point being? (Put aside that boring, dour Chuck Schumer is not known as a huckster of radical legislation.)
I'll say one thing for Kimberley — she's unafraid of promoting frothy, demagogic malarkey, further writing that there could be no more dangerous moment in congressional history to reintroduce earmarking. This something of a polemical embarrassment she supports by sobbing about our "dysfunctional" Congress — yes, and we know why — wrapped up as it is in eleventh-hour budget bills. "Those 'omnis' are already a disgrace of riders, pet projects, tax giveaways and wasteful spending," she cries. "Imagine what they’ll look like with earmarks in the mix." Not sure, but I'm eager to see them, if they can wake politico malcontents from their slumber.
But Kimberley's main thrust is that of catapulting congressional Republicans to their customarily feigned, outraged opposition. "The question is whether the GOP will succumb," she intones in knee-bending worship of these Trumpian corruption-okaying jackasses. "Let Democrats own earmarks," she implores. "Let them define themselves as the party of self-dealers," which "can help put the GOP back in congressional power."
And then they can finish the job of converting the U.S. into a Putinlike banana republic of autocratic ugliness, Tea Pot Domism, and unbounded hopelessness.