Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks says he will challenge Electoral College results

Commentary

Mel Brooks claims no relation. “Alabama? What, are you a mashugana?”

Mo Brooks is a Republican Congressman from Alabama. While he is not as funny as his namesake, Mel Brooks (or, for that matter, Albert Brooks), he is definitely laughable.

(Just to get this out of the way upfront – for you 50’s sitcom aficionados, Rep. Brooks is not the grandson of our revered, sardonic TV teacher Connie Brooks, better known as “Our Miss Brooks.” Our Mr. Brooks’ lack of brains and sense of irony confirms that.)

But, you ask, why am I even mentioning the Honorable Mr. Brooks? Because this week he announced that he will challenge the tally of Electoral College votes when Congress officially certifies the results of the presidential election on Jan. 6.

While the move is unlikely to succeed, it has generated praise from the defeated, lame-duck president, Donald John Trump (seen above with Congressman Brooks).

Brooks told USA Today that he wanted to “reject the count of particular states” like Georgia and Pennsylvania that had “flawed election systems.”

He went on to say, “In my judgment*, if only lawful votes cast by American citizens are counted, Donald Trump won the Electoral College.” The large numbers of mail-in ballots in key states, the majority of which broke for Biden, were “illegal,” he claimed.

(*Although the irony of only questioning mail-in ballot in states that Trump lost apparently escaped him, due to lack of space, I have decided not to opine any further on Congressman Brooks’ judgement.)

When asked whether his challenge is garnering support in Congress, Brooks told USA Today, “…double figures” of House lawmakers had come to him in support of the proposal.

Brooks did not specify whether “double figures” meant 10 or 99. Ten, of course is plausible as anyone who follows Republicans in Congress can easily count 10 nut case Representatives on the fingers of one hand (or is it two hands?) – here’s 8 without even trying: Louie Gohmert, Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, Lee Zeldin, Devin Nunes, Joe Wilson, Virginia Foxx, Kevin McCarthy – too bad the new Congress is sworn in on January 3 or we could add Steve King and Ted Yoho to the list.

With no due respect to Representative Brooks, isn’t the Electoral College bad enough? Do we really have to pile on with this nonsense as well?

And speaking about bad enough, does anyone reading this remember, in their lifetimes, a worse time in America? Sure, there are contenders: 9-11, Vietnam, Jim Crow, the Cold War, the ’50’s fear of nuclear annihilation, McCarthyism, WWII, Jerry Lewis movies. But eventually the country rallied and overcame the adversity. Do you see any sign that we can, and will, overcome the adversity, the polarization, the divisiveness, we’re facing now?

What we’re currently experiencing is not just depressing, it is outrageous; we are watching a fundamental attack on democracy by people who should know better; Mo Brooks’ challenge to the Electoral College vote is just a ridiculous side show.

As I read through the never-ending attempts to discredit the election, as I watch the antics of clowns like Rudy Giuliani, as I view Trump’s 46-minute taped screed about how he “won” the election, as I hear few, if any, Republican office holders support the election results and abandon the lunatic in the White House, all I can think about is this: it’s time for some movie remakes.

Let’s start with “Seven Days in May.” Call it “Seven Days in December.” But with a major plot twist — rather than one rogue officer, General James Mattoon Scott, (the Burt Lancaster character channeling Curtis LeMay) attempting a coup, it would be the story of an insurrection against the government of the United States led by an entire major national political party, supported by 75 million duped and misguided citizens.

Or maybe this: a remake of the great 1976 film by Paddy Chayefsky, “Network.” It can be called “Cable News,” with Rachel Maddow, taking over the Howard Beale role screaming at the camera, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

Can there be anything more apropos for this day and age?

Well, maybe. How about a film called the “Manchurian Voter,” in which 75 million Americans are brainwashed into believing Donald Trump is the greatest president in American history and vote to keep him (and his progeny) in office forever?

I can’t wait for Oscars night!