SAY WHAT? - Oh dear. Even though they've spent the last furious year shrieking "Fuck Joe Biden" at the guy they revile as a decrepit, Nazi, grooming, socialist pedophile, the sleepy old man evidently hurt the poor MAGA cultists' fragile feelings the other night in Philly with his "earthquake of truth" speech correctly labeling them "a threat to this country" and "semi-fascist," but why he bothered with "semi" is beyond us. Standing before a red-lit Independence Hall, Biden noted this was where the Constitution was written, "where we set in motion (this) extraordinary experiment of self-government with three simple words: 'We, the People.'” But now "equality and democracy are under assault," he warned. "Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic." In his truth-telling, Biden noted, "Too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal," like the spectacle of the former Mobster-In-Chief still out here babbling that the Jan. 6 thugs are "very much in my mind" and if he's re-elected he would "look very, very strongly" (he still doesn't know any other adverbs) at pardoning them all from his prison cell.
Anyway Biden's speech just told it like it is - except for suggesting fascism isn't native to our country - much like Harry 'Give-'Em-Hell' Truman: "I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.” Still, frail MAGA folks had a hissy fit, taking to their fainting couches to nurse their exploding heads and call Biden mean, divisive, "horrifying" and per Rick Scott, "a raving lunatic." Trump toady Kevin McCarthy - "my Kevin" - huffed Biden should apologize "for slandering tens of millions of Americans as 'fascists.'" Tucker raged about the Marine honor guard and “blood-red Nazi" lighting: "It's totally immoral." Cracker J.D. Vance sputtered that Biden "spoke about his fellow citizens as if they were sewer rats,” which sounds about right. A MAGA comment: "God help us all." A non-MAGA response: "God won't save you from Dark Brandon" - who was, it's true, a fave meme. "I'm here to eat ice cream and stop malarkey," read one above a fiery-eyed Biden, "and I'm all out of ice cream." Given that those ranting about incivility had minus zero moral ground to stand on, people didn't seem worried about losing the sanctimonious Nazi vote. "Dear insurrectionists and fascists," one wryly offered, "I'm so sorry I offended you." But really, not: We reap, we sow. Dan Rather: "It seems a lot of people are unhappy that they got the shoe, and it fits."
Republicans: "Fuck Joe Biden!!!!"
Biden: "Fuck you too!"
Republicans: "What?!?"
(Abby Zimet has written CD's Further column since 2008. A longtime, award-winning journalist, involved in women's, labor, anti-war, social justice and refugee rights issues. Email: [email protected])