Not only not ready for prime time but not ready for reality.

The Senate chamber has had its surprising events over the years. Among the most notorious:

On May 22, 1856, the "world's greatest deliberative body" became a combat zone. In one of the most dramatic and deeply ominous moments in the Senate's entire history, a member of the House of Representatives entered the Senate Chamber and savagely beat a senator into unconsciousness.

The inspiration for this clash came three days earlier when Senator Charles Sumner, a Massachusetts antislavery Republican, addressed the Senate on the explosive issue of whether Kansas should be admitted to the Union as a slave state or a free state. In his "Crime Against Kansas" speech, Sumner identified two Democratic senators as the principal culprits in this crime—Stephen Douglas of Illinois and Andrew Butler of South Carolina. He characterized Douglas to his face as a "noise-some, squat, and nameless animal . . . not a proper model for an American senator." Andrew Butler, who was not present, received more elaborate treatment. Mocking the South Carolina senator's stance as a man of chivalry, the Massachusetts senator charged him with taking "a mistress . . . who, though ugly to others, is always lovely to him; though polluted in the sight of the world, is chaste in his sight—I mean," added Sumner, "the harlot, Slavery."

Representative Preston Brooks was Butler's South Carolina kinsman. If he had believed Sumner to be a gentleman, he might have challenged him to a duel. Instead, he chose a light cane of the type used to discipline unruly dogs. Shortly after the Senate had adjourned for the day, Brooks entered the old chamber, where he found Sumner busily attaching his postal frank to copies of his "Crime Against Kansas" speech.

Moving quickly, Brooks slammed his metal-topped cane onto the unsuspecting Sumner's head. As Brooks struck again and again, Sumner rose and lurched blindly about the chamber, futilely attempting to protect himself. After a very long minute, it ended.

Bleeding profusely, Sumner was carried away. Brooks walked calmly out of the chamber without being detained by the stunned onlookers. Overnight, both men became heroes in their respective regions.

Surviving a House censure resolution, Brooks resigned, was immediately reelected, and soon thereafter died at age 37.

But in general the Senate Chamber veers between boring, solemn, and august. Rare are the occasions when it might pass for a high school standup comedy night. But in these exciting times of fringe voices shouting out for extremist ideas, mockery is coming back. In fact, Sumner's description is a pretty good one for the fobbish Green New Deal (a "noise-some, squat, and nameless animal") put forward by the socialist wing of the Democratic party and debated yesterday in the Senate before being resoundingly rejected with not a single vote of support. Not only not ready for prime time but not ready for reality.

Senator Mike Lee took the opportunity to have some fun.


Double click to enlarge.

I think we can all agree that, despite all the wailings and gnashing of teeth and incontinent worries about a coming civil war arising from incipient socialism, that despite all that, if we can have the following picture as an integral part of a Senate debate, then we have a strong, robust and vibrant democracy still capable of having fun while making important points.

Click to enlarge.