Republican Values: It's "Insanity" To Protect Lives

The moral and intellectual rot in the Trump Republican Party knows no limit.  While the COVID Delta variant is running rampant across many states, but especially in states won by the malignant former guy, some of his ambitious acolytes are putting their political careers ahead of public safety and health.

Here's just one example in Missouri, a state that's experiencing its highest COVID case total since January:

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said he will be filing a lawsuit on Monday to stop a mask mandate in St. Louis and St. Louis County.

Schmitt, a Republican, said in a tweet that he intends to file a lawsuit to "stop this insanity."

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, both Democrats, announced the new mandate Friday, saying it would take effect on Monday.

The joint announcement came as the fast-spreading delta variant is helping fuel an increase in COVID-19 cases in the area and the state. Missouri health department officials have issued six virus “hotspot” warnings, with the latest one forecasting the spread to continue from southwest and central Missouri up toward the St. Louis area.  [snip]

County officials accused Schmitt of using the May lawsuit to "increase his profile statewide." Schmitt is running to fill the U.S. Senate seat of Roy Blunt, who is retiring after his term.

Health orders in St. Louis County were upheld after multiple legal challenges last year, but state legislators passed a new bill limiting the power of local leaders when it comes to health restrictions. 

According to a release, House Bill 271 says "political subdivisions may only issue public health orders that directly or indirectly restrict access to businesses, churches, schools or other places of assembly for 30 calendar days in a 180-day period when the governor has declared a state of emergency."

The Republican- governed states of Missouri, Florida and Texas account for 40% of the nation's new COVID cases;  Missouri's vaccination rate is 40.7 percent, one of the lowest in the nation. Yet, to this sociopath Schmitt (who we would bet has been vaccinated), it's "insanity" to mandate masks in order to limit the spread of the virus!!  (Ed. aside: Never again should this party be labeled "pro- life," unless it's done satirically.)

Beyond making a political point, we strongly suspect Schmitt is less concerned about the fate of voters in St. Louis city and county, as they vote heavily Democratic.  But because being anti- mask and anti- vaccinations have become litmus tests for being in good standing in the Trump Republican Party, a particularly aggressive COVID variant is sweeping through the unvaccinated, including a high percentage of their voters in rural Missouri and elsewhere, thanks to sociopaths like Schmitt and his fellow Republicans. That's the insanity that needs to be stopped.

(Photo: Sociopath Schmitt/ Christian Gooden, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)