I receive regular emails from West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito. As a former congressional press secretary/speech writer for Congressman Harley O. Staggers, Jr. (1983 – 1993), I appreciate the intent and messaging spin.

I was thinking/hoping that a new six-year term would invite the Senator to be more of a genuine statesperson, moving beyond her daddy’s embezzlement conviction and the more recent made-for-television grouping of her and other female Republican senators in a made for television framing of women supporting Brett Kavanagh and his friend Chris “Squi” Garrett. As I recall, Squi and Brett liked to drink beer, lift weights, and were a bit horny to the detriment of female peers.

I was eager to read what the recently re-elected Senator would agree to from her professional spin folks. In short, “rioters” attacked and vandalized the Capitol, people were injured, and a Capitol Police officer died (a side note: he was beaten to death with a fire extinguisher).

“Thankfully, my staff and I are safe, but days later, my heart is still heavy.” Cue the old South, “Be still my beating sorrowful heart” music, as we cut to, this is something you would see in “Venezuela or Beirut,” but not here. Check the Hispanic and Muslim fear boxes (nicely played).

Segue to a “mob mentality causes permanent damage to our republic,” rifting to a variant of good people on both sides, saying, “We saw it this summer across the country as rioters burned cities and vandalized businesses. We saw it this week at the Capitol. Both are wrong.

”Nicely played, not so subtle racism. Blacks burn stuff down. Republicans just tear shit up and act crazy. Perhaps, people of color are tired of state-sanctioned murder. As for white folks, they are pissed because…well, because they are privileged white folks.