As RedState reported this morning, the Texas Democrats who fled to Washington, D.C. in order to stop an election integrity bill aren’t having a good week. After initially receiving non-stop plaudits, including a reception with the vice president, a COVID outbreak has struck the group and others who have interfaced with them, including a White House official and a Nancy Pelosi staffer.

In the midst of all that, one of the derelicts decided now would be a great time to announce her 2022 Congressional run. State Rep. Michele Beckley put out a maximum cringe video fearmongering about the “fabric” of our nation being at risk.

The very fabric of our nation is under attack, and I’m running for Congress to save it.

Join us: https://t.co/r6xjeWtAPi pic.twitter.com/Zg5AGB7qdj

— Michelle Beckley (@BeckleyforTX) July 20, 2021

What’s so hilarious about this are the examples shown in the video. According to Beckley, the great threat to our democracy that she is running to stop are 24-hour voting and drive-thru voting. You know, those stalwart foundations of our republic, enshrined by the founders and protected by those who truly care for the sanctity of our elections. Faux moral panic, anyone?

Of course, the rest of the ad is just as bad. It shows Beckley donning her “vote” pin and rainbow bracelet as she hobbles out the door, presumably to get to work except she’s currently in the process of refusing to work. Other shots of Martin Luther King Jr. and January 6th are interspersed. At one point, she shows pictures of her opponent with Donald Trump. The voice-over by Beckley talking about evil Republicans just really rounds out how badly made the ad is. Whoever put this thing together should never be hired again.

It’s really hard to express how awful the timing is on an announcement like this. When you’ve fled your state to illegally avoid working for the people who elected you (yes, Texas can arrest these members under the law), it’s probably best to let things settle down for a few months after you get back before rushing to ask for your next promotion. Instead, in the middle of her delegation creating a super-spreader event, this tone-deaf campaign kick-off gets released.

As to her chances, Beckley is running in suburban TX-24. It’s an R+2 district, and given the headwinds that Democrats are facing in 2022, she’s likely in for a loss. But I suppose she didn’t want to miss the chance to raise her profile and do some fundraising.