Despite their brilliance winning the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses Grant went too easy on the Confederacy at war’s end. (Photos credit: The Weekly Opine)

History can guide us

Following the shellacking voters administered to Republicans in the midterm election, Democrats have a golden opportunity. The pivotal question is, can Democrats be trusted to avoid missteps such as the Union made after the Civil War?

On Tuesday, House Democrats foolishly squandered an opportunity to move forward a resolution calling for the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. ELEVEN Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, did not show up to vote on the resolution. But on Wednesday, all 214 Dems (plus four Republicans) successfully voted to advance the Epstein discharge petition. This forces a House vote on the Epstein Transparency Act II.

During his second inaugural address, President Lincoln offered a peace pipe to the South, famously stating, “With malice toward none, with charity for all.” Lincoln’s compassion for Confederates, saying “Rebels welcomed back as citizens of the United States” proved tragically misguided when he was assassinated five weeks later. As outlined in the terms of surrender, the Confederate army was paroled and allowed to return home with no prison sentences and their sidearms intact. Barely a slap on the wrist.

After last week’s dominant victory, Democrats should not make Lincoln’s mistake. If the Democratic-controlled Congress goes easy on the Trump administration and enablers (including MAGA voters) who participated in the commission of staggering levels of crime and corruption, it will encourage rogue behavior in the future.

The only thing that can stop Democrats from aggressively legislating, and also holding Republicans accountable, is Democrats. (Photo credit: The Weekly Opine)

Slippery slope

After Lincoln’s accommodation, the South continued with 2nd class treatment of African Americans. Rights remained largely non-existent for freed slaves. What had been defeat on the battlefield, over the slavery issue, became victory in the war’s aftermath as the South laid the foundation for a century of institutionalized Jim Crow.

Founded in 1865 in rural Tennessee, the Ku Klux Klan by 1870 had spread to all southern states. The Klan evolved into a resistance mechanism against Reconstruction policies intended to equal the playing field for Blacks. White supremacy, intimidation and violence were the KKK’s hallmarks.

In the 21st Century the Tea Party, racist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, and the MAGA movement picked up the KKK torch. These descendants of the KKK adhere to white supremacy, undergirded by ignorant evangelical beliefs that foster racism, misogyny and homophobia.

Which begs the question: Is it rational to expect life-long haters to suddenly set aside their hate? Should we welcome into the fold people who, for the last decade, revealed their depravity? Olive branches will not alter the deep-seated hatred percolating in the minds and hearts of MAGAs. Niceties will, however, give them time to simmer undercover – as did vanquished Confederates – while plotting to undermine democracy.

After the Civil War, offering insight that likely applies to millions of MAGAs, a Confederate soldier said, “You may forgive us, but we won’t be forgiven. There is rancor in our hearts. We hate you.” It’s unlikely a peace pipe will undo hate that’s so deeply embedded.

Today, some politicians, along with some voters who handed Democrats a knockout victory, argue for leniency. “Let’s move on” they say, wanting to get on with traditional governing without prolonging the country’s divisiveness. But history tells us leniency doesn’t work.

On social media, cable news, and probably inside barbershops and beauty salons, the debate is on. Should Dems focus primarily on policy, for example, eliminating costly tariffs, ending the war in Iran and restoring healthcare and SNAP benefits for millions of Americans? Or should Congress also allot resources to hold accountable those who caused unprecedented government corruption? Corruption, after all, rivaled affordability as voter’s top issue.

This might be “last call” for Democrats if they screw this up. (Photo credit: The Weekly Opine)

Resources aplenty

Some folks argue Democrats should not waste resources chasing down Trump administration corruption. However, the resources reality is a positive one.

In the now Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, there are about 20 standing committees. Among them are Appropriations, Armed Services, Budget, Foreign Affairs, Judiciary, Oversight, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Ways and Means. Some focus on drafting legislation, approving budgets, passing laws and so forth. Others, such as Oversight and Judiciary, focus on making sure laws and rules are being followed. The Senate has similar committees.

Democrats have an influx of personnel at their disposal. As of right now, Dems picked up eight Senate seats and 36 House seats. That’s 44 more Democrats in Congress. And 44 more support staffs to handle the workload. Plenty of bodies to do the work.

The question regarding holding folks accountable is, if not now, when?

Lawyer Up

The House Oversight Committee’s job is to hold wrongdoers accountable. Incoming chair Robert Garcia (D-Ca.) tweeted “Lawyer up” on election night, a not subtle warning to corrupt grifters associated with the Trump administration that the gig is up.

Here are four priorities, as outlined by Garcia:

· Investigate the Trump crime family.

· Investigate corporate corruption.

· Investigate DHS and ICE abuses.

· Investigate the Epstein files coverup.

Particularly the last two are urgent. The ICE agents who’ve murdered people should quickly be brought to justice. And Epstein survivors deserve long overdue justice before their abusers die.

There are numerous, credible allegations Trump raped teen girls. Pete Hegseth committed war crimes, then held press conferences bragging about blowing up Venezuelan fishing boats. Marco Rubio, as did Hegseth, went on TV this week nervously claiming Trump gives the orders and he just follows orders. (Rubio once threatened to court-martial Sen. Mark Kelly and Sen. Elissa Slotkin after they advised service members not to follow illegal orders.)

RFK Jr. committed perjury during his Senate confirmation hearing.

Stephen Miller, architect of Trump’s fascist, gestapo-like rounding up of innocent human beings, has likely committed human rights violations. Greg Bovino and Tom Homan sent immigrants to U.S.-based concentration camps, where some died due to inhumane conditions.

Elon Musk committed millions of felonies by stealing hundreds of millions of American’s personal Social Security data and handing it over to 3rd parties.

For many of us, it’s unfathomable to allow these people to go about their lives without immediate consequences. However, some folks still prefer to “go high,” putting a decade of Trump corruption in the review mirror and, like the Union did after the Civil War, welcome politicians and MAGAs back, almost as if they did nothing wrong.

Anyone who voted for the photo on the right deserves to be shunned. (Photos credit: [L] The Weekly Opine, [R] CNN headshot, The Weekly Opine)

What to do about repentant MAGAs

Should we embrace MAGAs who say they’ve found the light?

I cannot trust anyone who claims to be a Christian yet spent a decade aligned with Trump’s unbridled corruption, bullying, and plain cruelty. We should be forever suspicious of self-described patriots who chose Project 2025 over the Constitution.

What about your MAGA neighbor, who for a decade proudly displayed a Trump flag and a “Don’t Tread on Me” sign (a Confederate slogan). If your neighbor embarrassingly admits supporting Trump was a big mistake, should they be invited to your holiday shindig? (No.)

For me, reconciliation is not possible with people who dismissed another person’s misfortune, only becoming enraged when high costs and losing healthcare arrived on their doorstep. MAGAs didn’t care when hard times hit people of color or anyone in a blue state, or LGBTQ people. But when the chickens came home to roost, Trumpers cried foul and had the temerity to blame Joe Biden.

Have you seen MAGAs interviewed at Trump rallies? These people are not dealing with a full deck. They are in a cult. And my view is not to waste time trying to rehabilitate them. Nonetheless, former MAGA podcaster Rich Logis founded the organization Leaving MAGA to help people quitting MAGA feel safe and supported. Good for Logis, and hopefully he is successful because MAGAs are disturbed people.

Corrupt MAGA politicians and their cronies enthusiastically embraced ruining other people’s lives, including hundreds of thousands of preventable American deaths and millions projected to die worldwide due to Trump policies, most notably gutting USAID.

Where mercy is not given, mercy should not be received.

Eschew them. And lock some of them up.

WHAT’S NEXT?