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Political theater extends back to the Greeks. William Shakespeare wrote about politics in “Coriolanus” and other plays. A personal favorite of mine was “Fiorello!”, a 1959 musical about New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.

What happened in Newark last week was political theater at its worst. New Jersey Democrat Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez (son of former Senator Robert Menendez), La Monica McIver along with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka attempted to conduct an “oversight” visit at a federally contracted building used by ICE to detain undocumented immigrants, including people charged or convicted of crimes. According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, the group had not asked to tour the facility and “that as a bus carrying detainees was entering the facility, ‘a group of protestors,’ including two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility.”

Only Mayor Baraka was handcuffed, arrested and later released. Baraka was charged with trespassing, which he denies. I’m sure it is only coincidental that Baraka is one of six major Democrats running for governor of New Jersey. The incident got him free publicity.

The members of Congress claimed they were exercising their “oversight” responsibilities, which apparently included alerting the media and informing a crowd of demonstrators, some carrying signs.

On the social media site “X,” Acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba denied Baraka’s assertion that he was leaving when agents arrested him: “The Mayor of Newark … committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey, this afternoon. He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state … NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.”

Where have we heard that one before?

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of Public Affairs for DHS, gave the agency’s version of even ts after the group of Democrats got through the gate: “...Representatives Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson Coleman and multiple protestors are holed up in a guard shack, the first security check point.

“Members of Congress storming into a detention facility goes beyond a bizarre political stunt and puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and detainees at risk. Members of Congress are not above the law and cannot illegally break into detention facilities. Had these members requested a tour, we would have facilitated a tour of the facility.”

We can expect to see more stunts and “grandstanding” like the one in Newark because that’s all that Democrats seem to have in their little toolbox.

Mayor Baraka might make better use of his time working on Newark’s deplorable public schools where “Nearly 70% of students in grades 3-9 are falling short of meeting literacy benchmarks, around 82% aren't meeting math standards, and 93% of fifth graders are below grade-level in science,” according to Chalkbeat Newark.

It’s sad to see a once great political party descend into irrelevancy. Democrats are stuck in the mire of bad ideas that go back more than six decades – from claiming Republicans want to do away with Social Security, to denouncing the rich, raising taxes and increased spending on failed government programs. All they have left is their defense of criminals, open borders and the ultimate election loser: biological men in women’s sports.

In “Fiorello!,” one song seems to sum up the cynicism many feel about modern politicians:

“Politics and poker, politics and poker

Playing for a pot that's mediocre

Politics and poker, running neck and neck

If politics seems more predictable

That's because usually you can stack the deck!”

Many good Broadway plays and films have been created over the years with politics as their central theme. If what happened last week in Newark was a play, it would have closed before opening night in New York due to bad reviews.

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Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I've Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America" (HumanixBooks).

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