Do you know how you can tell that a politician is out of touch?
They do things like Rhett Marques did on Wednesday, when he labeled U.S. Representative Shomari Figures a “socialist,” talked about “radical socialism” and criticized Figures for not voting for a silly Trojan horse resolution “condemning socialism.”
People can’t afford to eat or buy gas, data centers are popping up in every community, rural hospitals are the only things closing faster than family farms, and Marques is out here talking about a fake socialism purity pledge.
A pledge that wasn’t even a serious thing.
First, it didn’t just condemn socialism. A nearly identical resolution last November did that—and Figures voted in favor of that one. This one also included a provision that confirmed support for the wholly unpopular and unconstitutional SAVE Act.
That SAVE Act provision was included, of course, as a poison pill to ensure that Democrats wouldn’t vote for the resolution, thus giving Republicans, who are desperate for any attack, cover to publicly condemn their Democratic opponents.
Because they’re children playing a dumb game. And we’re the ones left winning the dumb prizes.
Look around you. Think about your lives. Think about the problems and issues that keep you up at night. Think about the things that truly affect the communities in which you live, work and raise your kids.
Are any of them affected in the least by a stupid vote over a meaningless resolution?
Of course not.
This is how desperate and out of touch Republicans are at this point. Lawmakers on the right—especially the ones from red states, like Marques—have hitched their careers to a hunk of orange rock that is dragging them to the absolute bottom. Trump’s favorability ratings are now upside down in almost every state and getting worse.
But the ever-loyal MAGAs, like Marques, who have steadfastly refused to condemn any of his deplorable actions or speak out against his harmful policies, are now stuck. Stuck with an idiotic, deadly war that no one wanted. Stuck with unaffordable prices on everything from groceries to power bills. Stuck with a mounting health care—and health care costs—crisis. Stuck with a data center conundrum that is only getting worse. And stuck with a tax policy that is absolutely crushing the working class.
It’s embarrassing.
Because Shomari Figures is working circles around the guy trying to help the voters whom Marques thinks are dumb enough to fall for this charade.
Just last week, Figures introduced legislation that would reverse Trump’s order to import 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef. Trump’s decision undercuts American cattle farmers and does very little to ease the cost of beef for consumers.
On Monday, Figures called for hearings on the imported beef issue in an effort to pressure Trump to reverse the harmful policy and direct assistance to American farmers. Because, for some reason, these America-first guys don’t seem to be putting American farmers first.
Figures also sponsored legislation that would have provided up to $15 billion to American farmers who have been negatively affected by Trump’s tariffs and his bipolar implementation of those tariffs. Family farms across the country have been closing at an alarming rate since Trump implemented those tariffs, prompting our trade partners to retaliate and cut off trade with American farmers.
I suppose Figures could have saved himself some time and just made up a resolution calling on Congress to support comprehensive restrictions on data centers but included a provision denouncing the drinking of beer at football games. Then he could have posted on social media about how Marques must be “pro-data center” because he didn’t support the resolution.
But that’s not what good representatives do. They don’t play games, not when the people they represent are hanging on by a thread.
And really, that’s what makes me so angry about this situation. You have people genuinely hurting in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. They need help and competence. Their entire lives are on the line.
And Republicans are playing games. With zero ideas for how to actually help.
Of course, why would we ever expect the folks who broke it to be capable of fixing it?
The fact is there’s only one group of candidates offering solutions and fixes for so many of our farmers and people in general. It’s the same group that always fixes the economy after Republicans wreck it.
You might try voting for those folks.
