As Immigration and Customs Enforcement terrorizes cities and literally murders people, a tycoon-funded Democratic think tank is criticizing those saying lawmakers should reduce the agency’s funding — all while Democrats provide enough congressional votes to keep ICE flush with cash.
This may seem like an exaggeration — but that’s what’s happened in the last two weeks:
- ICE murdered a Minneapolis woman and then murdered another person in the same city yesterday morning.
- Meanwhile, the Searchlight Institute — bankrolled by real estate moguls and run by former John Fetterman staffers — pumped out a memo criticizing those calling for abolishing ICE. The memo declares that the past “furor over ‘defund’ diverted attention from other reforms . . . sucked all the oxygen out of efforts at reform” and then concludes that “Democrats should embrace an aggressive plan to rebuild ICE.” As polling data show a plurality of Americans now want ICE abolished, Searchlight insists that cause is “at odds with the American public.”
- Days later, congressional Democrats provided enough votes to continue funding ICE. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries refused to whip votes against the measure.
It’s difficult to come up with the right metaphor to describe this dynamic. I usually revert to the Cheeto lock: authoritarianism is at the door, Democrats should be a thick Kryptonite Lock keeping it closed, but are instead a flimsy Cheeto.
But at this point, that metaphor understates what’s happening. The Harlem Globetrotters-Washington Generals comparison is more apt.
MAGA are the high-flying Globetrotters posterizing everyone on the court. The Democratic professional class — politicians, pundits, think tankers, and operatives — are the Washington Generals, paid a lot of money to be pantsed.
And somehow — even as this all reeks of staged kayfabe — many rank-and-file liberals lobotomized by social media and cable TV remain…
Auteur: David Sirota
