California’s Political Weather: Heatwave With a Chance of Earthquakes

By Colleen O’Connor

Did you feel the jolts?  Hear the rumblings?  And rush to grab your get-away bag?

If not, you must have slept through the last 24-hours.

This afternoon’s scheduled final vote confirming Ketanji Brown Jackson, as the first black woman and public defender ever to be a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, is its own earthquake.

Deeply felt in California and the rest of the county, the aftershocks will reverberate for eons. The “strike-dip” fault lines cleaving both the Republican and the Democratic parties are already apparent. Just watch the rumblings of the 2022 and 2024 election cycles.

But, California is experiencing yet another earthquake; oddities in any April, in any year.

Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House and most powerful politician in California, if not the country, tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, her office announced.

More alarming, “Pelosi was at the White House on Wednesday alongside President Biden for the signing of a Postal Service reform bill, an event that also put her in close proximity to other party leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.).”

She is asymptomatic and probably triple dosed with vaccines, and will quarantine.

But, that is not the “Big One.”  Just a pre-shock.

This mornings press about Pelosi’s planned journey to Taiwan, the first by a serving House Speaker since 1997, is the really “Big One.”

“Pelosi will arrive in Taipei on Sunday following a visit to Japan, according to reports Thursday in both Taiwan and Japan, including by Fuji News Network, which cited people it did not identify.”

Sunday marks the 43rd anniversary of the United States signing into law the Taiwan Relations Act, which guarantees “a U.S. commitment to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.”

More than an anniversary marker, Pelosi’s visit rattles the military Richter scale. (Think: Ukraine).

For more clarity and fear (surrounding territorial fissures) from Taiwan:

“Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen would welcome the show of diplomatic support at a time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raised concern that China may follow through on its oft-repeated threat to take control of the democratic island by military force.”

From the Chinese government – considering Pelosi’s visit more than just an insult, they responded forcefully.

“If she does visit, China will take strong measures and the consequences will be borne by the U.S.,” Zhao said, without giving details on what those steps would entail.”

“Last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed China’s commitment to a peaceful resolution over Taiwan, saying that the dispute over the democratically ruled island was “not comparable at all” to Ukraine.”

However, the Chinese actions and playbook, are identical to those used in the mainland’s “repatriation” of Hong Kong.  So, too, are the attempts at “regime change” and menacing flyovers, naval excursions, and threatening pronouncements.

For even greater emphasis, Minister Yi reiterated Beijing’s stance that Taiwan was an “inalienable” part of China and warned that any U.S. efforts to condone “separatists” would lead to “unbearable consequences.” Some China-favored editorials have even called for shutting down the air space over Taiwan to prevent Pelosi’s plane from landing.

Pay attention and get that “go-to” bag.

In the immortal words of Bette Davis, “It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”