Feb.26

electoral-vote.com

Dem 47

   

GOP 53

Right-Wingers Crap on Federal Employees

We've had to accept that we'll probably never be worth $400 billion. We just don't have the sort of mentality that, apparently, allows someone to throw millions of public servants' lives into disarray, and to cackle (and take another hit of ketamine) while doing it.

And it's not just Elon Musk. Many other right-wingers are joining in on the cackling (if not the ketamine). A few examples:

• Podcaster Charlie Kirk declared: "A lot of these people are less than desirable. They could not hold a job at your local Chipotle. In fact, your local Uber Eats driver, your local Chipotle worker, they're working their tail off every day, and God bless them. But the federal work—those are plushy jobs where nothing is done. These jobs never should have existed in the first place."
  
  
• Fox entertainer Laura Ingraham was offended by Democratic pushback against DOGE, and wondered: "How do you resurrect your party thought, by protecting red tape and the bureaucracy? By trying to gin up sympathy for federal workers who need to get real jobs in the real world like most of America. Ever heard of it?"
  
  
• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), whom you can always consult if you are trying to figure out the stupidest opinion on any given issue, said: "The bureaucracy is not a business. Those are not real jobs producing federal revenue. By the way, they're consuming taxpayer dollars. Those jobs are paid for by the American tax people who work real jobs, earn real income, pay federal taxes, and then pay these federal employees. Federal employees do not deserve their jobs. Federal employees do not deserve their paychecks."

It is quite rich that Kirk and Ingraham regard their jobs—you know, verbally masturbating their listenership, day in and day out—as useful, while dumping on the uselessness of federal workers. As to Greene, we must say that we agree with her, in part. We can definitely think of a federal employee, or two, or three, who should not be getting a paycheck. Though it's probably not the same federal employees as the ones she's thinking of.

On one hand, we understand entirely what is going on here. This is the logical marriage of the Ronald Reagan "government is the enemy" shtick and the Donald Trump "everything I do is amazing, and is targeted at the enemies of MAGA" shtick. On the other hand, we don't really understand at all. Greene is an actual politician, and Ingraham and Kirk are both very mindful of their contributions to GOP messaging. How it can possibly make sense, politically, to say such cruel, mean-spirited, petty things, we just can't see. First, there are the millions of federal employees who are being insulted. Then, on top of that, are their friends and family members. Then, on top of that, are all the people who believe in the dignity of work, and who might feel like they are themselves being crapped on, even if they do not work for Uncle Sam. Is there really some benefit in alienating all of these people?

And speaking of federal employees, we thought we'd share a couple messages we've gotten from readers who work for the government. As has been our habit recently, we are going to give them anonymity:

• Reader 1: I feel compelled to write this long screed because I am one of those ordered by the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs to send in my 5-bullet-point response to the Stinky Odor of Musk or risk termination! I only wish it had occurred to me to do what was suggested in "Which Inmate Is Running the Asylum?" Sadly, I saw it too late.
  
  What is relevant here is that the depth of darkness hanging over the VA, where I work, is corrosive. So, this is a plea to any veterans among Electoral-Vote.com readership to please write to your representative to say that this is going to impact your care. How can it not, when your doctors and nurses are so deeply affected by this malevolence? And trust me when I say that there is no more powerful voice to a member of Congress than that of a veteran.
  
  I speak not for myself, but for all my younger colleagues who are now looking over their shoulders, even as they begin to look for opportunities elsewhere. Remember that they elected to work at the VA for a smaller salary than they might have commanded in the private sector because they were vested in the well-being of veterans, and believed in the VA's mission. As did I. But don't cry for me, America! It is for them that I plead.
  
  I am at a stage in life—fortunately!—when most of my career aims have been achieved, and have reached an age when I work for my pleasure and not at the pleasure of anyone else (and certainly not TCF's!). And so, I do not fear termination, as it will mean more time with my wife (pray for that poor soul!), my kids, grandkids and dog. So, if this is my swansong as a physician, so be it. Or, as is said in Hindu scripture, "Asthu."
  
  Electoral-Vote.com has been my bulwark against depression in what I thought were the darkest times during TCF v.1. And it remains so in the even more Stygian darkness of TCF v.2. The amazing minds, skills, and knowledge of (V) and (Z)—not to speak of (Z)'s hilarious and sneaky snark—have made my day brighter, time and time again. As have the contributions of so many of your readers, who have illuminated my mind with their incredible insights and knowledge.
  
  In the dark times we live in, it is wise to remember that H.L. Mencken prophesied what is happening right now more than a century ago. To wit (with apologies for a truncated version of a much lengthier quote that appeared July 26, 1920, in The Baltimore Evening Sun):

  All the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre—the man who can most adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum.
  
  As democracy is perfected, the office of the presidency represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron... The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots. The demaslave is one who listens to what these idiots have to say and pretends to believe it himself.

  My take? Mencken described exactly what is happening now, even identifying his at-the-time theoretical protagonists: Demagogue = TCF, Idiots = MAGA Faithful, Demaslaves = McConnell and his rapidly vanishing ilk of GOPers who should know better.
  
  On a more hopeful note: The Republic will survive this abomination.
  
  My evidence?
  
  The world survived Hitler's conquest of Europe, because it was his stupidity—Operation Barbarossa anyone? Among so many others!—as much as Allied firepower that led to his eventual downfall.
  
  If so, then surely the world can survive TCF's conquest of America? Because his stupidity—how many examples do you need? Thank you, Electoral-Vote.com!—will lead to his downfall. 'Nuff said!
  
  I will end with this. Even if we are not in an actual war, this is no less than an existential fight for our hearts and minds. I take heart from the brave resistance fighters who braved death and torture to oppose Hitler. Surely we can do no less? Have hope, because I do. As the ancient Persian adage goes, "This too shall pass." Asthu!
  
  
• Reader 2: Today is Tuesday, and here is some added context from one federal household. This past weekend, my wife developed her five bullets. Everyone in her office seemed to have a unique strategy (e.g., overwhelm the AI with long-winded responses, or be snarky, or gush loyalty, etc.). Our strategy was to keep it brief, vague, and to avoid any toxic words like "science." In other words, keep her head down and fly below the radar. In the end, OPM said responses were optional, and my wife submitted nothing.
  
  Which brings me to my point: Absent any guidance or support for these five bullets, one thing became clear to us. It simply did not matter how any federal worker responded. This was entertainment.
  
  Your attention to federal workers has been giving us a welcome ray of sunshine. Much appreciated.
  
  And to D.E. in Lancaster, PA: Your letter to your congressman meant a great deal to us (all 4,377 characters of it; Sen. John Fetterman's loss). With your usual eloquence, you channeled your inner Joseph Welch. Thank you!

Thanks to both of you for your insight, and your kind words! If any reader would like to write to their representative, here is the House website that allows people to find the correct contact information, and here is the ACLU's advice for writing an effective letter.

If you're more interested in being rebellious, we'll tell you that the original e-mail address for bullet points has now been supplemented by 20 additional, numbered e-mail addresses. It was just hr@opm.gov, and now it's hr1@opm.gov, hr2@opm.gov, hr3@opm.gov, etc., up to hr20@opm.gov. If you click here, and you have a mail client that can handle html mailto: links, then it will create an e-mail that's pre-addressed to all 20 accounts.

In addition, if you would like a pre-written list of bullet points, using business-speak, reader B.B. in St. Louis has you covered:

 

And as long as we are on the subject of rebellion, 21 employees of DOGE, who were hired when the department was known as the United States Digital Service, quit in protest yesterday. In their letter of resignation, they explained that "we swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations. However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments at the United States DOGE Service," and added "We will not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans' sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services." They will be replaced quickly, probably by people who didn't need to shave during the first Trump administration, but every small headache for Elon Musk is a small win. (Z)