On March 11th, Adam Kinzinger cleansed himself. He tweeted that he wished he had voted to impeach Donald Trump, the first time. In fact, it’s the “biggest regret” of his now dead-man-walking career.

Thread (and admission): 1) I want to be honest, in congress I have only a few votes that in hindset, I regret. My biggest regret was voting against the first impeachment of Donald Trump.

— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 12, 2022

I don’t know what “hindset” is, but he regrets not joining Pelosi a year earlier. No Republican, including Liz Cheney, voted for that impeachment but now, two years later, with his political career auguring in at terminal velocity and nothing to lose, he wants you to know how much he hates Donald Trump. In short, he has principles now. Back in 2019? Not so much.

This change of heart has nothing to do with principle. It has everything to do with his abundant and present sophistry.

Since January 6, 2021 (when Kinzinger apparently hid under his desk), Kinzinger has demonstrated an unyielding ability to act like a jilted teenage lover, a son left out of the dad’s will, the kid not picked for a pick-up basketball game. He’s angry with everyone he thought “loved him.” I don’t know what switch was flipped in the mind of this Lt. Colonel of the Air National Guard, but he’s broken like a china doll. Shattered into pieces.

Anyone who’s paid attention to the Star Chamber/January 6 Commission knows that Kinzinger is a broken man. I don’t know what broke him. He claims that he was “ready to use his gun” on January 6. He stayed hidden in his office presumably behind or under his desk for six hours. Maybe hiding in his office long after the riot had dissipated and after the cold sweats were gone, broke him. Maybe it was after being tapped for his piety to Pelosi’s hunt for political heads and later bawling his eyes out while sitting on the select committee. Maybe that did it. Kinzinger didn’t attend Pelosi’s day of remembrance/political theater on January 6, 2022. He couldn’t attend. He was on baby duty. Maybe both dad and baby had a good cry together. It might have been that. In any event, Kinzinger is broken.

In recent weeks, Kinzinger has been pushing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. That suggestion is, of course, lunacy. Everyone knows it’s political sophistry. Kinzinger is soon out of work, so one wonders — why doesn’t he just volunteer to ride a Ukrainian fighter in that no-fly zone? Talk (particularly blustery war talk) is cheap.

On March 12, Kinzinger tweeted at Dan McLaughlin. McLaughlin mused on Twitter that Kinzinger was soon to be no more politically relevant than navel lint. Kinzinger replied with some impressive incoherence that Kinzinger, through some likely sobs and chest heaves, thought salient.

I don’t agree. Regardless though, do you really think I care, or that drives me anymore? People need truth not more -chameleon into whatever box- for a pointless job. Pointless if you have no more compass

Kinzinger’s tweet reads like a jilted teenager who wants the world to know that he really, really doesn’t care, but he would care, if he wanted to care. It’s remarkable how people who “don’t care” seem to engage in a lot of…caring.

His final heave of anguish was addressed at McLaughlin but collaterally bagged on RedState. Yes – RedState. Kinzinger’s future political horizon will top out at a seat on his HOA but he wanted to debase RedState before the door hits him his way out.

Just because you collapsed at the feet of Donald and let a great publication turn into Redstate, don’t put that on me. Your conscience is your battle, I’ve listened to mine

— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 13, 2022

Welcome back to RedState Mr. McLaughlin. In the eyes of a man who cries over his memory of hiding his office for six hours, you’re still here.

In any event, in 10 months, RedState and McLaughlin will still be here. Kinzinger won’t.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece was edited post-publication to correct a misspelling and to clarify that Dan McLaughlin was one of the bloggers who founded RedState and helped make it into the site it is today.)