Since elected to represent the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina, Democrat Congressman Joe Cunningham has worked hard to maintain his LOWCOUNTRY OVER PARTY persona.  His vote in support of H. Res. 660, a resolution to establish procedures for open hearings as part of the investigation into potential misconduct by President Trump, removes any doubt as to whether Joe Cunningham is a textbook liberal Democrat that will fake moderation when politically useful.   

 Clearly, Cunningham voted for Hillary Clinton. This fact alone should repel any republican, libertarian, or independent conservative from voting for Joe in 2020.  Cunningham needs cross-over voters to win reelection.  In 2018, without Trump on the ballot, Cunningham barely beat Republican candidate Katie Arrington 50.6% to 49.2%.  To his credit, Joe ran a slick campaign while picking up much needed local, prominent Republican endorsements. Arrington’s campaign was weak at best.  In 2016, the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina voted for Trump 53.5% to 40.4%.  There is no reason to doubt that Trump will meet or exceed the 13 point spread in the 1st District of SC in 2020.

 Given the political reality along the beautiful coast of the great state of South Carolina, it would have been politically advantageous for Cunningham to vote against H. Res. 660.  So why did he vote in favor of a resolution that is shot through with bitter venom and unstable hatred for the President of the United States?  After all, Joe’s campaign ads in 2018 depicted him as an independent thinker – a defender of South Carolina’s coast – a cool dude floating in the middle of the ocean to demonstrate his deep connection with the people of the Lowcountry as well as the sea turtles.  Apparently that connection is now lost at sea.

 Wearing his moderate mask, Float’n Joe issued a statement crafted to disguise the fact that the entire Trump / Ukraine phone call investigation is as much a high crime and misdemeanor as Joe urinating in our ocean while filming his look at me, I have a bachelor’s degree in Ocean Engineering, commercial.

 Here’s what Float’n Joe had to say for himself. 

 “Today’s vote was not a judgment or conclusion on whether or not President Trump should be impeached. Instead, this vote brings much needed transparency into the process and makes sure the American people can see and hear the facts. There were two choices in this decision – to keep this investigation behind closed doors or bring it out into the open for the American people to see. I chose the latter.

 I refuse to prejudge the outcome of this investigation and will withhold judgment on whether the President should be impeached until hearing all the evidence. This process is too important to be conducted behind closed doors, and today’s vote helps bring these investigations into public view for the American people to see for themselves. As I have said from the beginning, I will not allow politics to play a role in my ultimate decision. I will follow the facts wherever they lead, keep an open mind, and do what is in the best interests of this country and the people of South Carolina.”

Congratulations to the staffer that put this statement together.  Well done.  You almost pulled it off.  However, there are a few problems.  In life, there are always more than two choices.  A third choice for the congressman would have been to be an adult, stand up straight, and announce in a loud, vigorous voice that you are voting against H. Res. 660 because the entire investigation up to this point has been contaminated so severely by Adam Schiff that any so-called evidence gathered would be inadmissible in every single honorable court found in these United States.  For greater effect, Float’n Joe could have sounded his air horn off again to let everyone know he was making an important point.

 Then there’s even a 4th choice.  Joe could have voted ‘present’.  And there’s a fifth choice.  Joe could have missed the vote entirely.  No doubt, the 4th and 5th choices would have been a very squidgy move.  At least, by voting YES for H. Res. 660, Float’n Joe has shown the 1st District of South Carolina that even though he faked fighting hard against the current for 10 months, he has finally drifted into the Washington D.C. swamp.  He now is a co-conspirator.  He now is a fraud.  He now is part of the Clinton / Pelosi / Schiff swamp where scheme after failed scheme to overthrow the Trump Administration are hatched like tadpoles from slimy-covered eggs.  He has shown that in 2020 – Float’n Joe has got to go!