The elevation of Donald Trump to the candidacy for President in 2015-2016, was a low-water mark for what was formerly known as the “Party of Lincoln.”

Climbing on board the ill-fated—for the country—Trump train divorced the party from its exalted past of representing the equality of man.

In its former life the Republican Party was the party of unity after the Civil War. Having ended slavery it fought a long battle against the racism and exclusion that embodied the Southern Democrats for nearly a century.

Now we see almost exactly the diametric opposite. The core of the party centers around personalities that are denying the existence of Trump’s ongoing, slow motion—and thankfully just as inept and incompetent as his administration—coup attempt against the properly elected administration.

There is a principle that what you give your attention to will persist. This is popularly embodied in the old Cherokee fable of the two wolves.

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Trump-backing Republicans have now descended far below their low-water mark prior to the 2016 election, feeding the voracious wolves of fear, hatred, racism and stupidity. By taking actions excising Liz Cheney from her leadership position because of her refusal to forward Trump’s Big Lie that he actually won the 2020 election, and attempting to block a full Congressional investigation into the insurrection of January 6th, the party has firmly glued itself to Trump’s backside.

Central crazies, Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene addressed an “America First” rally in Arizona yesterday. Aside from the comedy of protesters heckling Gaetz with the Beatles’ lyric, “She was just 17, you know what I mean,” these two sitting members of Congress were addressing a gathering themed by the motto of the Ku Klux Klan.

The corruption and rot within the ranks of this party have created a desperation that has it pandering to the voting block of white supremacists in order to hold on to some semblance of power.

The KKK, and every faction like it, always was and still is the embodiment of treason against the United States—no matter what party holds the reins of government. Now we see the remnants of the Republican Party, fully cleaved from its noble history, feeding this wolf by every available means.

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is the remedy for these members and folks like Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell and others of the Trump faction. They simply don’t belong in Congress. The Duma maybe…