So Many Rabbit Holes... #1

Apparently, I blinked and when I opened my eyes I saw that Elizabeth Warren had apologized for her insensitivity to Native Americans.  Let me just summarize this situation the way I see it:

When Elizabeth was a child, her mother told her she had some Native American blood.  I imagine it was a point of pride.  So when it came to indicating her heritage, Warren later included Native American.

Scott Brown, who is an idiot, had nothing else to run on against Warren in 2012, so his oppo researchers learned that she had included this detail when applying for a job at Harvard.  It was such a moronic attack, and given that Warren was running on intelligent and important issues, that she easily won.

Of course, idiot-in-chief Donald Trump, who can't resist the opportunity to mock a woman, began the highly insulting (to Native Americans) taunt of "Pocahontas" when referring to her.  Popular with his really ignorant base, who thought it was really clever and hilarious, the taunt became a standard line.

Circus showman Trump promised $1 million to charity if a DNA test "shows you're an Indian."  Sick of the taunts and knowing how hard it is for Trump to part with a penny, she took him up on it.  Which SHE WOULD NOT HAVE DONE IF SHE DID NOT BELIEVE SHE WAS PART NATIVE AMERICAN.

Now, the test found "strong evidence" that Warren has a Native American ancestor, which should have been solid enough proof that her claim was valid.  But not only did Trump turn it around to his ugly needs, but the Native American community joined in.

Elizabeth Warren has been a hero for working class Americans and minorities throughout her life and her political career.  Instead of recognizing this for the manipulative attack that it is, the argument became over whether she had the right to claim Indian heritage without the proper "blood quantum" amount.  Which term was brought into use by the federal government in the first place, and not by Native American tribes.  Into the weeds, and through to the rabbit hole.

Meanwhile, the media has taken this on, as though Hillary's emails had never led to the election of Donald Trump and mea culpas all around.  No more talking about raising the working poor by taxing the wealthy, or about regulating Wall Street.  Now she can count on at least one question by some imbicile about her heritage.

Shortly after the test results hit, I tuned in to a talk show on NPR.  The guests were Native American and they were all having a go at Warren, postulating about the meaning of "blood quantum" and whining about how Warren had insulted their heritage.  Then a caller -- a Native American woman -- said that Elizabeth Warren had been a strong and uncompromising voice for women and minorities, and this silly misstep wasn't going to make her less of a Warren supporter.  Before I could let out a cheer, the moderator asked the geniuses in the studio another question about tribes and blood quantum identity TOTALLY IGNORING THE CALLER'S COMMENTS.

Are we so gullible that we will continue to turn on our own, so desperate to be politically correct that we don't recognize the virus in the messaging?  Once again, republicans have been able to toss in the grenade and watch as Democrats jump in after it.

When I first heard the comment that Warren should not run for president because she had too much baggage, I thought my head would explode.  Baggage???  Warren is the most straightforward and honest person in politics.  Period.  The only baggage she has been carrying has been that thrust on her by the media, who once again is passing it on for the Fox News crowd.

We have got to stop this.  Tweet MSNBC and CNN whenever they start to wander toward those rabbit holes.  Remind them that their job is to talk about real issues, not rumors and questionable or false attacks.  Write letters to the editor and make phone calls.

We lost an amazing if imperfect candidate in 2016.  She would have been as good a president as Barack Obama, an amazing if imperfect president.  We have lost members of Congress and solid candidates because republicans know how to avoid the issues with really ugly oppo research and we continue to chase after it.

Meanwhile, there is a pussy grabber in the White House, one who openly mocks Native American dignity as he attacks a U.S. Senator, locks up children and lies about immigrants.  And waiting backstage is our former attorney general, also a former member of the KKK, who is contemplating a run to retake his Alabama Senate seat in 2020.

Let us not get distracted.  Not again.