Artist statement by Scott Feinblatt:
Under the current regime, it is difficult to think of GOP congressmen as anything but petty thugs. Naturally, there are a few who have occasionally gone against the grain of egregious practices like shuttling a major tax bill through before anyone has had a chance to read it [thank you for your sensibility, Sen. Corker], but generally speaking, the collective behavior of the Grand Old Party has made it look like a goon squad. The jury is out on whether shame, fear, or a sense of accomplishment dominate the spirits of the 30-plus Republican congressmen (so far) who have recently announced their retirements. It seems likely that they are either trying to get away from the national embarrassment that they have grown to placate while they still vaguely remember the meaning of the word “integrity,” or they are trying to renege on their deals with the Devil (and hope no one remembers). Whatever the case, a hearty do svidaniya [Russian for farewell] to OC’s GOP congressmen Darrell Issa and Ed Royce, your captain and comrades will surely miss your votes.
Award-winning investigative journalist Nick Schou is Editor of OC Weekly. He is the author of Kill the Messenger: How the CIA’s Crack Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb (Nation Books 2006), which provided the basis for the 2014 Focus Features release starring Jeremy Renner and the L.A. Times-bestseller Orange Sunshine: The Brotherhood of Eternal Love’s Quest to bring Peace, Love and Acid to the World, (Thomas Dunne 2009). He is also the author of The Weed Runners (2013) and Spooked: How the CIA Manipulates the Media and Hoodwinks Hollywood (2016).