America’s Three-Ring Circus Issues Bipartisan Censure To Its Biggest Clown

Just how embarrassing is Al Green to Congress, and to America? Even ten Democrats voted to censure the Texas Democrat for his cane-waving attempt to hijack Donald Trump’s speech in Tuesday’s joint meeting. The rest of the Democrats then attempted to hijack the censure by singing a civil-rights anthem in honor of its most uncivil member.

Send in the clowns! As Steven Sondheim once lamented, don’t bother … they’re here. They’re all here:

The Republican-controlled House on Thursday voted to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, for disrupting President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday. 

The vote was 224-198, with 10 Democrats joining all Republicans in voting in favor of the censure resolution. Green voted present. As the vote proceeded, Green sat by himself along the center aisle.

Following the vote, Green will need to stand in the well of the House chamber while Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., reads the censure resolution to him. Starting in Trump’s first term, Green, an outspoken progressive, has repeatedly introduced resolutions to impeach Trump, and has threatened to do so again this year.

Yes, because the civil-rights movement was all about [checks notes] acting like a jackass and attempting to bring Congress to a halt in order to stop a duly elected president from speaking, at the invitation of Congressional leadership. What exactly do House Democrats think they are “overcoming” with this demonstration? Decency? Manners? Robert’s Rules of Order?

However, let us be fair here. It’s not all House Democrats. It’s, er … [checks notes again] ten less than all House Democrats. Who were the ten Democrats? One might assume that they were red-state Dems concerned about their standing in the midterm election next year. Instead, the ten represent a mix of constituencies, some from deep-blue states. Jake Sherman tweeted the list out after the vote:

• Ami Bera (Calif.)
• Ed Case (Hawaii)
• Jim Costa (Calif.)
• Laura Gillen (N.Y.)
• Jim Himes (Conn.)
• Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.)
• Marcy Kaptur (Ohio)
• Jared Moskowitz (Fla.)
• Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.)
• Tom Suozzi (N.Y.)

Good for them, and I mean that seriously. It lends more weight to the censure, which is necessary for proper order and decorum in Congress, where weighty issues should be discussed and debated seriously. Yelling ad hominem insults from the floor doesn’t count, much like Al Green’s entire tenure in Congress. 

Don’t expect this to provide too many disincentives to Democrats, however. Even apart from the nonsensical use of the civil-rights anthem We Shall Overcome to Green’s appalling behavior, House Democrats didn’t even wait a few moments before disrupting Congress again:

The argument is predominantly between Ryan Mackenzie and House Democrats. Joyce Beatty and Ayanna Pressley are the most active Dems.

Mackenzie keeps saying that the democrats are “embarrassing” https://t.co/V0ZuWdFoOX

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 6, 2025

Don’t bother … they’re here!

And they’re also on social media, which is a big part of the incentive structure for the toxic clown show on Capitol Hill. Republicans have been guilty of this in the past as well, but Democrats are organizing on their unhingedness. This video just dropped last night, based on (I believe) the Mortal Kombat video game, which dates back to 1992. In this attempt at hipness, a handful of House Democrats promote themselves to voters as … well … um … something?

JUST IN: House Democrats release new “choose your fighter” skit to entice their base.
pic.twitter.com/to1Q1MCNh9

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 6, 2025

Is this for real? Yes it is, unbelievable though it may be. Rep. Sulhee Jessica Woo posted it to her Instagram last night. It includes House Dems AOC (natch), Lauren Underwood, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, Judy Chu, Jasmine Crockett, and Susie Lee. 

It’s tough to tell which entry is the most cringeworthy, but my money’s on Chu. Actually, I take that back; the deepest cringe belongs to whoever thought a 33-year-old video game makes these Beltway elites look cool and with-it. It hits all of the Buscemi marks from this 30 Rock clip:

In other words, it’s an utter circus on Capitol Hill, and Democrats want to be the clowns. And as long as that’s true, voters are more likely to make Republicans the ringleaders. Even when they’re clowns, Republicans at least do a better job of hiding it. Mostly.