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The Dems Say 'My Bad' and Keep the Keys
By Kevin Finn
Oct. 18, 2025
For the most part, conservatives (actual Americans) have championed the virtues of personal responsibility and the rule of law. Among the Left, however, responsibility has become a relic, replaced by a hollow ritual; the scripted apology, a vague nod to "responsibility," and then a return to the corridors of power. Scandals that would have once demanded resignation now evaporate into the ether, leaving voters to question the very meaning of accountability. Performative contrition has supplanted true reckoning, breeding cynicism and empowering careerists at the expense of the Republic.
The pattern is predictable and infuriating. For example, the obnoxious Democrat Katie Porter is gunning to replace Gavin Newsom. Resurfaced videos captured her brusquely terminating an interview and unleashing a profanity-laced tirade at a campaign aide. For a state reeling from skyrocketing crime and homelessness and a $20 billion budget deficit, Porter's volcanic temper evoked not leadership but the very elite entitlement conservatives condemn. Her response? A tepid "almost apology.” "I could have handled things better," she demurred, recasting her outbursts as the mark of a "fierce" warrior. No mea culpa for the damage done to public discourse, just a campaign shrug that the footage was "edited" or "taken out of context". As of now, Porter marches toward the ballot relatively unscathed. In a healthy state, such volatility might end a career. But in California it gets a pass.
In Virginia, contender for the state Senate, Democrat Jay Jones, offers a grimmer tableau. Leaked texts from September exposed his venomous threats against fellow Democrat and House Speaker Don Scott -- graphic visions of violence that chilled even bipartisan sensibilities. Jones mustered a weak apology, "I take full responsibility for my words," confessing the messages left him "sick to my stomach." Yet the Democrat machine issued no rebuke, no demand for him to step down. Jones continues to cling to his ballot spot, embodying the conservative critique: When threats of harm become mere "grave mistakes", the thin veneer of civility is eroded.
In November, 2024, Pennsylvania's Diane Ellis-Marseglia, Bucks County commissioner, ignited a firestorm by greenlighting the tally of 600 invalid ballots during a heated U.S. Senate recount, flouting the state Supreme Court's edict in a bid to tilt the scales. "Precedent doesn't matter anymore in this country," she scoffed. Conservatives saw this as the death knell for electoral integrity, echoing the lawless spirit that birthed January 6 investigations. Her follow-up? An "impassioned" boardroom apology: "The passion in my heart got the best of me... I made a mistake." Yet she retained her perch -- no Democrat ouster, despite GOP protests. Her defiance of judicial authority? Normalized as passionate zeal.
GrokIn Vermont, Democrat Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman turned advocacy into a joke in August 2024. He repeatedly foisted free menstrual products on lawmakers, a gesture denounced as mocking the gravity of women's health debates. His olive branch was a botched bid for equality: "I feel terribly sad that in this day and age, a man cannot talk about pure biology and making a space that has historically been very male dominated, more inclusive for women. Now, maybe, like many other issues, I’ve been out ahead of the curve, and maybe I was too far ahead of the curve and made people uncomfortable.”
I’ve got one word for that: Yikes!
The House awarded him a token slap on the wrist. This underscores conservatives' lament -- when mockery masquerades as progress, accountability withers.
While these episodes pale in comparison to others -- Russiagate, Benghazi, Hillary’s illegal servers, the Afghanistan withdrawal, the COVID response, etc. -- they nevertheless illuminate a profound disconnect. What passes for accountability in Democrat circles is less a mechanism of justice than a public relations sleight-of-hand. In theory, accountability demands answerability, a full, transparent dissection of one's actions and their ripple of harm.
As stewards of the public trust, elected officials must lay bare their transgressions, own the damage to institutions, colleagues, and citizens alike. The scrutiny from voters, the press, or legislative watchdogs must ensure decisions align with the common good. Representatives should be held responsible for their actions and decisions and face rigorous examination within the legislature to prevent abuse.
Conservatives revere this as the Founders' genius: a system where power answers to the people, mitigating the corruption that toppled empires. Yet these recent spectacles reveal that answerability devolves into empty platitudes -- "I could have handled it better" -- to placate the masses without probing deeper wounds. Ellis-Marseglia's "passion got the best of me" glossed over the attack on electoral faith; Jones's nauseating regret ignored the terror inflicted on a family. Such half-measures pervert discourse into "performative politics," where stances prioritize drama over depth, eroding substantive debate. No dissection of systemic failures, no vows of reform -- just enough contrition to reset the news cycle.
Worse still is the absence of enforceability. Ideally, missteps trigger tangible repercussions: resignation to restore honor, fines to sting the wallet, or hemorrhaged support signaling voter disgust. Power holders adapt or face ouster at the ballot box. Enforcement fosters self-correction and upholds norms. This electoral check compels leaders to prioritize constituents over cronies, echoing the republican virtue James Madison extolled in Federalist No. 51. But in performative purgatory, consequences evaporate. These Democrats soldier on with minimal polling dip or party support intact. Porter's campaign chugs along, Zuckerman's gavel falls unmolested. No fines for Ellis-Marseglia's court-jilting, no bench for Jones's bloodlust. Government drones bask in very low accountability for poor outcomes, ensconced in a performative politics circus where lobbyist cash shields the guilty. This enables career politicians to exploit the system. Burrowing into their sinecures while citizens bear the costs -- higher taxes, eroded borders, and a judiciary mocked.
The fallout for public trust is devastating. True accountability reinforces civic norms, deterring future recklessness by proving no one is above the fray. It rebuilds faith, reminding citizens that self-governance thrives on mutual reckoning. On the other hand, performative variants breed cynicism. Scandals evolve into "just politics," normalized as the cost of partisan warfare. Gallup's 2025 trust index reveals only 28% of U.S. adults expressing “a great deal” of support in institutions. But there is a significant shift in Republican confidence after Donald Trump replaced Joe Biden as President -- 37% of Republicans view federal institutions favorably, against Democrats' 28%.
Without enforceability, power ossifies, birthing a situation where Democrats like Porter or Zuckerman entrench themselves, adapting to echo chambers instead of voters. Elections turn into meaningless spectacles, with removals from office becoming increasingly rare, as career politicians manipulate the system to protect their positions.
We're seeing the results – the exodus of millions fleeing blue states for red refuges like Florida, where accountability -- via ethics probes and voter ID -- restores order.
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From American Thinker
Link:
https://www.americanthinker.com/arti..._the_keys.html
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