One would think that the blistering defeat that state Republicans suffered in the mid-term election would have been a sobering moment for the party - a time for many of its members to reflect on their messaging, and how they could work with Democrats to improve the lives of the residents of the commonwealth.
Instead, Republicans have doubled down on their past practices. Within days after losing the state house, members of the so-called GOP voted to impeach Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner. Todd Stephens (R., Montco) and Chris Quinn (R., Delco), alleged moderates who both lost their house seats to Democrats, joined their Republican colleagues in voting for impeachment (107 - 85).
Disregarding the 40 percent margin by which Krasner bested his opponent to win a second term as DA only last year, Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) issued the following statement in support of the action:
“By impeaching Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, we put ourselves on the record that we stand with the people of Philadelphia who have been living in fear for their lives and the safety of themselves and their families. We are standing up for those who do not have a voice, but long for safety and freedom from fear."
The subtext of those remarks is that the citizens of Philadelphia are incapable of determining their own destiny.
The Republican dominated state senate will hear the Krasner case in January. If there is one thing that Republicans like to do, it's to hold hearings and investigations. We saw that in the house panel investigating Krasner. We see it in the Republican dominated U.S. Congress, that wants to investigate Biden, Biden's son, Anthony Fauci, Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. And we continue to see it in the state senate's ongoing investigation of the 2020 election.
So yes, we did very well at the polls earlier this month, but as the previous remarks indicate, this is no time to let our guard down. There are important local races taking place next year, which will form the building blocks for the 2024 election. 2023 is just a month away, and after the new year, there will be plenty to do in all those local races.