Yesterday, both houses of Congress passed an historic 1.9 trillion Covid relief bill that seeks to alleviate some of the pain that Americans have been enduring throughout the pandemic of the last year. It’s popularity among Americans is about 70%, which in America means it’s incredibly popular. And yet, not a single Republican in either chamber voted in favor of it. That means that they voted against a bill that, based on the percentages, their constituents actually want and need. And yet, all I could think of was, how long would it be before Republicans start taking credit for what’s in the bill? The answer: immediately. One of the senators from my own state, Mississippi, helped write an amendment called the RESTAURANTS Act, which was intended to help struggling restaurants. Then, he voted against HIS OWN AMENDMENT and against the bill altogether. But he touted the bill as a positive, while failing to mention that he voted against it. The smart thing to do from a political perspective is to make each of these GOPers pay a political price whenever any of their constituents receive aid from the package by pointing out that their senators and representatives voted against it. Hammer it home. Run advertisements on TV and the web. Campaign on it. And as the benefits continue on for the next 6 months or more, continue to point it out. This is what you call a meatball in baseball–a middle-middle fastball that is begging to be hit for a home run. Let’s hope the Dems are ready to hit.
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