“About 100 lobbyists and government officials, including nearly 20 lawmakers from California, Texas, and Washington … [gathered] on the island of Maui in Hawaii this week despite restrictions in their home states barring large gatherings because of new outbreaks of the novel coronavirus.” — Newsmax, 11/16/20

 

You can’t make this stuff up. We know hypocrisy doesn’t stick to Democrats — who without double standards wouldn’t have any standards at all — but with covid they’ve raised their typical duplicity to outrageous levels.

You’ve heard the stories: a maskless Gavin Newsom hanging out with lobbyists at the upscale “French Laundry” eatery in Napa Valley, while California remains locked down; an unmasked Nancy Pelosi getting primped at a hair salon during San Francisco’s rigid shutdown of salons and other small businesses; cnn White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins, who ragged President Trump for not wearing a mask, caught on camera ripping her mask off as soon as the press briefing ended and walking through a crowd.

 

 

Then we have Dr. Anthony Fauci himself, socializing while sitting in Nationals Park stadium with his mask pulled down. When called on it, he insisted to The New York Post:

I had my mask around my chin. I had taken it down. I was totally dehydrated and I was drinking water, trying to rehydrate myself. And by the way, I was negative covid literally the day before. So I guess people want to make a big event. I wear a mask all the time when I’m outside. To pull it down to take some sips of water and put it back up again, I guess if people want to make something about that, they can. But to me, I think that’s just mischievous.

Translation: do as I say, not as I do, folks. Move along.

Meanwhile, Democrat politicians are using covid to avoid actually showing up for work. As House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R, CA) tweeted on 12/3/20: “For months, House Democrats have used an unconstitutional scheme to allow members to vote from home. It’s called shadow voting. Maybe if we renamed Congress ‘The French Laundry,’ Democrats would show up.”

As abc-27 representative Malcolm Kenyatta (D, Philadelphia) lectured Republicans after a gop rep tested positive: “One of the most important jobs we have as elected officials is to keep the people … safe and the way we do that is by modeling the good behavior we want to see.”

Tell it to the Democrats, who are the biggest super-spreaders of both covid and hypocrisy around:

 

Mayor Steve Adler (D, Austin)

Do As I Say

• “We need to stay home if you can… This is not the time to relax… We may have to close things down if we’re not careful.” — Mayor Adler, addressing Austin residents, Facebook video, 11/8/20. Almost a month later, on 12/2/20, The Austin American-Statesman broke the story that Adler had actually made that video while vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
• “Days before Thanksgiving, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans to ‘avoid all travel to Mexico’ because of the spiking coronavirus infections. On Nov. 19, the week after Adler’s return, health officials raised [Austin’s] alert level to Stage 4, which included a recommendation that all people avoid travel that is not necessary.” — The Austin American-Statesman, 12/2/20

Not As I Do

• Two days before his “stay home” video, Adler hosted a 20-guest wedding for his daughter and then boarded a private jet to Mexico with multiple wedding guests where they vacationed for a week. Austin was then under “Stage 3” restrictions, that people should avoid gatherings of more than ten people.
• “I regret this travel… [M]y fear is that this travel … could be used by some as justification for risky behavior. In hindsight … it set a bad example for which I apologize.” — Mayor Adler, Austin American-Statesman report via Twitter, 12/2/20

 

Mayor Muriel Bowser (D, D.C.)

Do As I Say

• “For D.C. residents returning to the District after traveling to any place other than Maryland, Virginia, or a low-risk state… limit daily activities and self-monitor for 14 days upon their return…” — “Mayor Bowser Issues Updated Travel Guidance,” Office of the Mayor, 11/6/20
• “Delaware is on the mayor’s list of high-risk states that would require self-quarantine after visiting.” — nbc News, 11/10/20

Not As I Do

• “D.C. Mayor Bowser & staff attended Joe Biden victory speech in Wilmington, DE Saturday … Bowser staff says the trip was ‘essential travel’ exempted under Mayor’s order.” — Mark Segraves, nbc reporter, on Twitter, 11/9/20, as reported by The Hill. Bowser, who posted a non-socially-distanced group photo from her trip at Facebook, did not self-quarantine after her visit.

 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D, NY)

Do As I Say

• “My personal advice is you don’t have family gatherings.” — Gov. Cuomo, 11/18/20 conference call with reporters, quoted in The New York Post, 11/23/20
• “This year, if you love someone, it is smarter and better to stay away.” — Gov. Cuomo, governor.ny.gov, 11/19/20
• “I have a conversation with my mother about Thanksgiving, several conversations about Thanksgiving. [She said,] ‘We have to get together for Thanksgiving.’ Mom, we can’t get together for Thanksgiving.” — Gov. Cuomo, quoted in The New York Post, 11/23/20
• “We’re going to be alone physically but we are spiritually together celebrating in a way that is even deeper than just the proximate location of sitting next to someone.” — Gov. Cuomo, press conference, YouTube, 11/23/30

Not As I Do

• “The story is, [on Thanksgiving] my mom is going to come up and two of my girls.” — Gov. Cuomo, wamc radio interview shortly after declaring he’d be “alone physically,” National Review, 11/23/20. After being called out for hypocrisy, Cuomo canceled the visit.
• “A maskless Cuomo was caught on camera meeting with Democratic Savannah [GA] Mayor Van Johnson… Cuomo was seen hugging Johnson … without masks on despite the fact that the New York governor is a strong proponent of forcing everyone to wear masks.” — Lifezette, 7/28/20
• “Cuomo’s [July] visit to Georgia took place though Georgia was one of the 22 states on New York’s travel advisory list … [requiring travelers to] quarantine for 14 days after they arrive in New York, but Cuomo did not quarantine…” — The Daily Caller, 11/24/20

 

Mayor Bill de Blasio (D, NYC)

Do As I Say

• “My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the nypd to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period.” — Bill de Blasio, on Twitter, 4/28/20

Not As I Do

• “Marching … during today’s East Harlem Pray and Protest, I felt the urgency and pain of this moment — but also confidence that change will come because of the spirit of this movement and because in this city we affirm that Black Lives Matter.” — Bill de Blasio, on Twitter, 6/14/20. De Blasio posted photos of himself with large groups of protesters.

 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D, CA)

Do As I Say

• “‘Wearing masks in public should be mandatory. Period.’” — Sen. Feinstein press release, advocating withholding funding to any states that refuse to mandate mask wearing, Feinstein.senate.gov, 7/17/20
• “I write to urge you to implement a mandatory mask policy for all airport and airline employees and passengers as cases of coronavirus continue to surge.” — Sen. Feinstein, letter to faa and ftc, Feinstein.senate.gov, 6/29/20

Not As I Do

• “Senator Dianne Feinstein has been branded a ‘hypocrite’ after being pictured walking inside a [Dulles] airport terminal without a face covering on — just months after she called for a national mask mandate for all airlines and airports.” — The [UK] Daily Mail, 9/29/20
• “Sen. Dianne Feinstein … chatted with her aides maskless in the corridors of a government building before entering a [11/17/20] hearing, video showed.” — The Daily Signal, 11/18/20

 

Mayor Michael Hancock (D, Denver)

Do As I Say

• “I’m asking, I’m urging, I’m pleading with everyone. Please stay home.” — Mayor Hancock, virtual news conference, YouTube, 11/20/20
• “As the holidays approach, we all long to be with our families in person, but with the continued rise in cases, I’m urging you to refrain from travel this Thanksgiving holiday. For my family that means canceling our traditional gathering…” — Mayor Hancock, email to Denver city staff, 11/18/20, quoted at 9News Denver, 11/25/20
• “Pass the potatoes, not covid… Host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners. Avoid travel…” — Mayor Hancock, on Twitter, 30 minutes before he boarded a plane to Mississippi via Houston to visit family for Thanksgiving, kusa, 11/25/20

Not As I Do

• “I apologize to the residents of Denver who see my decision as conflicting with [my] guidance to stay at home for all but essential travel. I made my decision as a husband and father, and for those who are angry and disappointed, I humbly ask you to forgive decisions that are borne of my heart and not my head.” — Mayor Hancock, five hours after his “avoid travel” tweet, quoted at 9News Denver, 11/25/20

 

Mayor Jim Kenney (D, Philadelphia) 

Do As I Say

• “People need to really be mature about this. They need to stay home. They need to stop congregating.” — Mayor Kenney, npr, 3/29/20
• “For months, [Mayor] Kenney and city health commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley have pleaded with residents to … avoid indoor situations where it would be easier to contract and spread covid-19.” — nbc-10, 8/31/20

Not As I Do

• “I guess all your press briefings and your narrative of unsafe indoor dining don’t apply to you. Thank you for clearing it all up for us tonight.” — Marc Vetri, Philadelphia chef and restaurateur, after photo of maskless Mayor Kenney in a Maryland restaurant appeared on social media, nbc-10, 8/31/20. Indoor dining was banned in Philadelphia on March 16.
• “I know some are upset that I dined indoors at a restaurant in Maryland yesterday. I felt the risk was low because the county I visited has had fewer than 800 covid-19 cases, compared to over 33,000 cases in Philadelphia.” — Mayor Kenney, on Twitter, 8/31/20
• “A photo of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney surfaced over the [11/14/20] weekend showing [him] drinking beer at a bar in Old City, on the eve of his announcement that indoor dining … will once again be on lockdown… The mayor’s office confirmed … that he ‘intentionally patronized several restaurants this weekend,’ and plans to continue doing so ‘to support [restaurants] before the restrictions go into effect this Friday [11/20/20].’” — Broad + Liberty, 11/18/20

 

Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl (D, L.A.)

Do As I Say

• “This is a serious health emergency and we must take it seriously.” — Supervisor Kuehl, calling outside dining a “most dangerous situation” before voting to ban it in L.A. County’s 31,000 restaurants, Fox11, 12/2/20

Not As I Do

• “L.A. County Supervisor Dines at Restaurant Hours After Voting to Ban Outdoor Dining.” — Fox11, 12/2/20. Kuehl ate at Il Forno Trattoria in Santa Monica.

 

 

Mayor Sam Liccardo (D, San Jose)

Do As I Say

• “Cases are spiking, in part because we’re letting our guard (and masks) down with family & friends. Let’s cancel the big gatherings this year and focus on keeping each other safe.” — Mayor Liccardo, on Twitter, 11/25/20

Not As I Do

• On 11/26/20, Liccardo attended a Saratoga, CA Thanksgiving gathering of eight people from five households, defying state laws permitting only three households to gather outdoors, as reported by The San Francisco Chronicle, 12/1/20
• “I apologize for my decision to gather … contrary to the rules. I understand my obligation as a public official to provide exemplary compliance w/ public health orders, & not to ignore them. I commit to do better.” — Mayor Liccardo, admitting the truth even though his office earlier claimed he dined “at home,” on Twitter, 12/1/20

 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D, Chicago)

Do As I Say

• “Getting your roots done is not essential.” — Mayor Lightfoot, telling women to stay away from salons because of covid, quoted in The Chicago Sun-Times, 4/6/20
• “One of the biggest challenges we face now … [is] people are still having gatherings like weddings and funerals.” — Mayor Lightfoot, quoted at The Washington Free Beacon, 11/13/20
• “You can’t party like it was February [pre-pandemic].” — Mayor Lightfoot, issuing a stay-at-home advisory, telling Chicagoans not to attend any event with more than ten people, msnbc, 11/13/20

Not As I Do

• “I’m in the public every day. And candidly, my hair was not looking the way it did. I thought maybe I’d do it myself, but I knew that would be disaster.” — Mayor Lightfoot, after maskless photos surfaced of her getting her hair done when all salons were closed, The Chicago Sun-Times, 4/6/20
• “[E]verybody was wearing masks … Yes, there are times when we actually do need to have the relief and come together and I felt that was one of those times. That crowd was gathered whether I was there or not. This has been a super hard year on everyone.” — Mayor Lightfoot, defending a post-election celebration; photos show many in the crowd were maskless, msnbc, 11/13/20

 

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D, CA)

Do As I Say

• “[P]ut aside your ideology… put aside any consideration except this: lives are in the balance. Lives will be lost unless we do more than we’ve ever done.” — Gov. Newsom, pushing ever harsher covid restrictions in CA, The [San Jose] Mercury News,12/3/20
• “Masks work.” — Gov. Newsom, on Twitter, 12/6/20

Not As I Do

• “Newsom apologized after he was caught dining with lobbyists … all without masks, at a crowded table for 12 in a swanky restaurant in Napa Valley. He initially claimed the meal at the Michelin-starred French Laundry, where some prix fixe plates go for $450 per person, took place outdoors. But photos emerged showing the space had a roof, three walls and another wall with sliding glass doors.” — bbc News, 12/3/20

 

Gov. Ralph Northam (D, VA)

Do As I Say

• “Wearing a mask could literally save someone else’s life.” — Gov. Northam, on his mask order for Virginia, The Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/22/20

Not As I Do

• “Gov. Northam was seen not wearing a mask while outside and around members of the community while visiting Virginia Beach.” — nbc12, 5/23/20
• “The Governor … was outside today and not expecting to be within six feet of anyone… He wanted to check beach enforcement and make sure they were following the rules…” — Northam’s office, pretending the governor expected Virginia Beach to be deserted on Memorial Day weekend, quoted by nbc12 on Twitter, 5/23/20

 

 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA)

Do As I Say

• “Nancy Pelosi Calls for cdc to Mandate Americans Wear Masks Amid Surge in Coronavirus Cases.” — cnbc, 7/28/20

Not As I Do

• “Pelosi visited a San Francisco hair salon … for a wash and blowout, despite local ordinances keeping salons closed amid the coronavirus pandemic [since March]… In security footage … [Pelosi] is seen walking through ESalonSF in San Francisco with wet hair, and without a mask over her mouth or nose. The stylist doing her hair can be seen following her wearing a black face mask.” — Fox News, 9/1/20
• “It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can’t work.” — Erica Kious, salon owner, Fox News, 9/1/20
• “It was clearly a setup. I take responsibility for falling for a setup by a neighborhood salon that I’ve gone to for years. And that’s really what it is. I think that they owe, that this salon, owes me an apology for setting me up.” — Nancy Pelosi, press conference, nbc News, 9/2/20
• “On the same day that [Pelosi] described the pandemic as an ‘emergency of the highest magnitude,’ a photo was posted of the lavish dining room being prepared [for a Pelosi dinner to welcome first-term Democrats] in the Capitol. The speaker, 80, had told an nbc reporter that [the dinner] was safe, and that there was advanced ventilation for the meal and a Capitol physician had signed off on it.” — The [UK] Independent, 11/14/20
• “Speaker Nancy Pelosi canceled a planned dinner for incoming first-term lawmakers after backlash against an event that would have crammed dozens of people into an indoor, poorly ventilated space.” — The Hill, 11/25/20

 

Gov. J. B. Pritzker (D, IL)

Do As I Say

• “I’ve been calling for a national mask mandate for some time. Think about the states around us and the fact that they don’t have mitigations and many of those states, and that has an effect on Illinois where we do have a mask mandate.” — Gov. Pritzker, nbc Chicago, 11/11/20

Not As I Do

• “[A]s the governor makes regular public pleas for Illinoisans to be ‘All In’ during the extended stay-at-home fight to slow the spread of covid-19, Mrs. Pritzker has been out of state … spending time at their $12 million equestrian estate in Wellington (FL), just down the horse trail from Bruce Springsteen, Bill Gates, and Billy Joel…” — Patch, 5/7/20. Florida does not have a mask mandate.
• “[T]here’s no getting around the ironic, political intrigue of Illinois’ first lady quietly spending time out of the public eye at one of the family vacation homes while so many non-billionaires financially and emotionally struggle under her husband’s newly extended coronavirus stay-at-home order, the second-longest in America.” — Patch, 5/7/20
• “Pritzker joined protesters in Chicago to commemorate Juneteenth on June 19. Photographs from the event show Pritzker marching in the midst of the crowds… Pritzker’s decision to join protesters came though both the state of Illinois and Chicago had entered Phase 3 … mandat[ing] that non-business or social gatherings be limited to less than ten persons.” — The Daily Caller, 9/1/20

 

 

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D, NY) 

Do As I Say

• “Wear a mask.” — Sen. Schumer, on Twitter, 10/28/20

Not As I Do

• “A maskless Chuck Schumer … stood on a sidewalk in New York City … and ranted about President Donald Trump holding a ‘super-spreader’ event at the White House where many people in attendance did not wear masks…” — cns News, 10/5/20
• “Now we take Georgia, then we change the world! Now we take Georgia, then we change America! — Sen. Schumer, screaming maskless in close contact with crowd gathered at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, post-election, The Washington Times, 11/9/20

 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D, MI)

Do As I Say

• “If you don’t live in these regions … think long and hard before you take a trip into them … we’re asking everyone to continue doing their part. Don’t descend on [Michigan’s Upper Peninsula] from all regions of the state.” — Gov. Whitmer (D, MI), press conference, The Detroit News, 5/26/20. Whitmer and husband Marc Mallory own a $400,000 vacation home in the Upper Peninsula, where a photo of a car registered to Mallory surfaced during this time frame.
• “We know that congregating without masks … is the worst thing to do in the midst of a global pandemic… [W]e have limitations on the number of people that can gather and that we’re taking this seriously.” — Gov. Whitmer, criticizing Trump rallies three weeks before joining a protest in Highland Park, AP, 6/22/20

Not As I Do

• “This morning … there was a gentleman on hold who wanted his boat in the water before the weekend … [T]here is no chance this is going to happen [because of Gov. Whitmer’s covid restrictions]… [O]ur office personnel had explained this to the man and he replied, ‘I am the husband to the governor, will this make a difference?’” — Tad Dowker, owner of NorthShore Dock, The Detroit News, 5/26/20
• “My husband made a failed attempt at humor last week when checking in with a small business that helps with our boat and dock up north.” — Gov. Whitmer, damage-control press conference, wxyz-tv, 5/26/20
• “My husband did go up to our place in Antrim County [in the Upper Peninsula] and rake some leaves and came home. He was there. We did not pile all into the car to go and enjoy our second home…” — Gov. Whitmer, 9&10 News, 5/26/20
• “Gov. Gretchen Whitmer … participated … in a [George Floyd] march … with hundreds of people who did not follow social distancing rules. Whitmer drew criticism after she stood shoulder to shoulder with some march participants…” — The Detroit News, 6/4/20. Three days before, Whitmer issued an executive order mandating that people must remain six feet apart.

 

 

Gov. Tom Wolf (D, PA)

Do As I Say

• “Large gatherings of more than 25 prohibited.” — Gov. Wolf, orders for the “yellow phase” of covid restrictions, governor.pa.gov, 6/4/20
• “We Pennsylvanians are in a fight for our lives. The enemy is a deadly virus set on destroying us… Still, … some have decided to surrender to this enemy. These are … business owners who have chosen to serve their customers by putting them in harm’s way [by staying open]. These folks are choosing to desert in the face of the enemy, in the middle of a war.” — Gov. Wolf, quoted in The [Middleton, PA] Press & Journal, 5/11/20

Not As I Do

• “After calling business owners ‘cowardly’ for wanting to end strict lockdown orders … Wolf joined a large gathering of non-socially-distanced Black Lives Matter protesters in the state capital of Harrisburg. Photos show Wolf congregating with a large crowd, which is prohibited under the yellow phase…” — Breitbart, 6/4/20
• “Here in Schuylkill County [PA], there are still plenty of businesses that can’t open their doors to customers… Thousands of people have been forced to unemployment… This is all because of rules Wolf ordered to curb the spread of the Chinese virus in Pennsylvania… Clearly, they don’t apply to … liberals [like Wolf] trying to prove they’re not racists by joining a street protest.” — Coal Region Canary, 6/4/20

 

Anyone believing these people are motivated by a desire to protect citizens needs to get his head examined. Their motivation is a lust for control. Democrats don’t follow the rules they make — because to them, rules are for suckers. In their minds, rules only exist so they can wield power over you. It’s how they roll.

 

Cartoon ©2020 Pat Cross patcrosscartoons.com. Photo credit: Fauci Shutterstock/Alex Brandon/AP; Feinstein Screengrab Recount Video; Liccardo ©2021 Shutterstock/Josie Lepe/AP; Pelosi Screengrab CBS This Morning Video; Schumer ©2021 Shutterstock/Jessie Wardarski/AP; Wolf ©2021 Shutterstock/Mark Scolforo/AP