By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
McALLEN, Texas | It was a slow Wednesday night. Middle of the week blahs. All the footballs were stashed away in team lockers across the country. A mellow rain had come and gone. I was planning on a Big Date for the weekend.
And in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it was a handful of Republicans on a televised stage in what was billed as a party debate but actually was nothing more than a clown show. Republicans do this to us every four years.
This one, the first of several to be held by the GOP ahead of the 2024 presidential election, had a bit of excitement. Nursing home fighting words were exchanged, but nothing wildly-insulting or anything that would either elevate a candidate or demoralize another.
Yet, there they were: Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota; Tim Scott, senator from South Carolina; Chris Christie, ex-governor of New Jersey; Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida; Nikki Haley, ex-governor of South Carolina; Mike Pence, ex-Veep; Vivek Ramaswamy, just an ordinary businessman from Ohio and some other Nobody from somewhere.
As a ratings show, it underwhelmed.
There was, however, a shining moment for truth-in-politics. It came from Miss Haley, the only woman on the stage. She set the boys right about the President Joe Biden budget they so eagerly and often criticize.
She said this, from politico.com: [ Nikki Haley tried to cast herself as the fiscal hawk on the stage, attacking her former boss, Donald Trump, and other Republican candidates, who she said are responsible for ballooning federal spending.
She tore into the bipartisan, $2.2 trillion Covid relief package, the CARES Act, which Trump signed into law.
"You have Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Mike Pence - they all voted to raise the debt," she said. "Donald Trump added $8 trillion to our debt. Our kids are never going to forgive us for this."
"Look at the 2024 budget, Republicans asked for $7.4 billion in earmarks. Democrats asked for $2.8 billion," she said. "So you tell me who are the big spenders. It’s time for an accountant in the White House." ]
Truer words were never spoken at any sort of Republican gathering, whether at the secret ones where they mix the Kool-Aid or, well, in a very public national debate.
You know it and I know it.
Chalk one on the board for Nikki Haley...
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She's right. But it's too bad the Republicans are such a mess. No way they'd consider a woman as pres.
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