There are several old pithy sayings about danger from the elected branch of our government. Right now, the ones that apply would have been Twain’s:”The citizen is only safe when Congress is not in session.”

That theoretically happened last Friday, when Members were permitted to return to their Districts and raise money to support their return to town. There was plenty of action to report with some of our elected members staying in their offices on The Hill to pursue issues more directly related to an election that is scheduled to happen next year. There are a couple political brands competing for attention and approval, though in August a lot of it seems like re-runs.

That popped up yesterday. A fellow named Devon Archer spent four hours talking to some of them yesterday. There was the usual reference to things smoke by themselves and moving walls. We are familiar with the words and rhetoric since someone somewhere has been both smoldering or moving for several years. The startling thing about it all is that all the hearings and accusations seem to have been lifted from one candidate and placed on another. Or both.

There was nothing particularly new about Mr. Archer’s conversation yesterday, since most of it, or at least the innuendo part have been in discussion for years. The other news features more about the activity of warships and rockets across the Pacific than we are used to. There is the long smoldering relation with the North Koreans jammed into the strengthened relation between the Chinese and Russians. You could follow that Belt and Road thing around the globe, and that is an issue in its own right with the interlocking companies and financial relations. The Chinese are rightly proud of what they have accomplished, even if it looks a little ominous from the exterior.

But the fact that there is reporting on the old business activities associated with a family name- a “brand,” if you will suggests that both the titular leaders of the political streams are now considered “dispensable” in the quest for power next year. So, this break for the Height of Summer may provide some elements of entertainment. There will be an odd mixture of activities overseas tailored to play well on the flatscreen, but hard news of real things will be scarce for a few weeks.

We are confident they will come up with some things to occupy us in the meantime. But we are taking a stand-off approach to all of it. We have a pleasant day ahead in this place, humidity down with the temperature. We are determined to enjoy it.

Copyright 2023 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com