Ruh roh! In this morning’s first “great moments in walking it back” story, CNN ran an article yesterday headlined, “
Pennsylvania Democratic official apologizes for comments about ignoring election laws.” She must have realized it’s not the pre-2020 world anymore.
I am sure you will recall Bucks County, Pennsylvania’s arrogant, hyphenated Democrat Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia who, while counting illegal votes that the state’s Supreme Court forbade be counted, infamously sneered “People violate laws any time they want.” To drive the stake deeper into her own shriveled heart, she pompously added, for absolute clarity, as though she were the center of the universe, “For me, if I violate this law, it’s because I want a court to pay attention to it.” Then, to clamp shut her own coffin lid, she snidely tossed in for good measure, “precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country.”
The feckless county commissioner was practically daring Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court to do something about it.
Ms. Ellis-Marseglia rapidly became a woman on a deserted political island. On Monday, following national fury, Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro distanced himself from the debacle saying, “to be clear: any insinuation that our laws can be ignored or do not matter is irresponsible and does damage to faith in our electoral process.” The same day, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered all counties (meaning Bucks County) to comply with its previous rulings over undated ballots. Some of the justices blasted Bucks officials for “upending the rule of law.”
In Sunday’s C&C, I observed that Ms. Ellis-Marseglia had placed herself in the crosshairs of potential criminal prosecution as an insurrectionist or worse, an election interferer. There’s no evidence she’s yet been charged but apparently, for some reason, Ms. Ellis-Marseglia has experienced a significant heart change.
At yesterday’s board meeting, Ellis-Marseglia faced a fiery crowd and international news coverage. She began by apologizing. She first apologized that people misunderstood her comment and took it out of context. When that non-apology landed with a thud, Ellis-Marseglia groveled a little further, seeking empathy and blaming her controversial comments on
her passion for public service. “The passion in my heart got the best of me, and I apologize again for that," she said.
Internet: 1, Rebellious County Commissioners: 0.
NYT preps its resistance public-health narrative; House outlaws male ogling women in restrooms; arrogant Bucks County official walks back outrageous defiance, View ladies leashed in real time; more.
www.coffeeandcovid.com