Damn how I wish I were more shameless than I am. Maybe I could take an on-line course. If I do, my goal would be to outdo these two recent spit-takes from RepublicanWorld.

First, there was this one from the wattled Sith Lord, Mitch McConnell. “My warning, if you will, to corporate America is to stay out of politics. It’s not what you’re designed for. And don’t be intimidated by the left into taking up causes that put you right in the middle of America’s greatest political debates.”

When asked to define the activities that executives should avoid, he responded, “I’m not talking about political contributions.”

That’s … well, pretty damn rich … from a guy who has personally pulled in something like $4.5 million from corporations and corporate tycoons staying in politics … in just the last five years. A guy who was a key figure in pushing through Citizens United and someone who has coordinated over $400 million in mostly dark money contributions from corporations to various Republican PACS.

But for some reason I like this next one even better. Try to follow this.

Republicans are gathering soon for their annual spring retreat in — where else? but Florida. The state where the Republican governor is making a big, everything-and-the-hog-trough stink about the woke-hippie-commie-cancel culture-socialist- Hollywood elite-job-killing idea of “vaccine passports”. You know, a card or app for proving you’ve been vaccinated and therefore less of a risk to everyone else.

Talk about outrageous Big Brother BS! Where do these freedom-hating libruls get this stuff?

So … it was amusing in the usual gob-smacking way to read a release the Republican National Committee sent out to attendees of the upcoming spring break, or whatever. .

“Proof of a negative COVID-19 test result is required in order to receive your credentials for the weekend. If you or members in your party fail to fulfill this requirement, you will be denied entry to the 2021 RNC Spring Retreat.”

If you tried to compile a digital book of all the utterly without-shame things Republicans have said over the last 20 years you’d quickly deplete the world’s known supply of terabytes.

But the combination of “vaccine passports” and corporations and a comment Dr. Fauci said the other day convinces me that actual companies, gigantic, large and small are going to have to fill a leadership role to put an end to this pandemic that Republicans refuse to accept. Fauci conceded it simply wasn’t possible for the government to require vaccination (i.e. proof of vaccination) as criteria for returning to work, attending sports and entertainment events, filling bars and restaurants. The political blowback was too predictable.

Proof of vaccination as a requirement for returning to the office, flying on a plane or attending a concert or a football game was something that was going to have to come from businesses … of all types and sizes.

And I’m thinking it actually might.

At the current rate of vaccination, the country should hit the 70% threshold for “herd immunity” by the Fourth of July. At that point airlines, concert and sports venues, and even bars and restaurants would be on not just safe financial ground to restrict access to the fully vaccinated, but such a requirement would likely spur on attendance by responsible (i.e. vaccinated) people who might otherwise still be reluctant to wade into a plane/office/concert hall/mosh pit packed with resistant idiots.

I ask you, what would your reaction be to bars, restaurants or businesses putting up signs saying “Proof of COVID Vaccination Required for Entrance”? I know my wife, The Lovely Mrs, would be far more likely to walk through those doors.

That 70% threshold is of course imperiled by the 49% of Republican men who, getting their science information from Sean Hannity, Alex Jones and the ghost of Rush Limbaugh, are saying they will “never” get a COVID shot. That all-too familiar stone age thinking poses the possibility of extending all the tedious COVID protocols long past the point where they would otherwise be necessary.

This then is where “the marketplace” comes in. If these gibberish-infused gentlemen (and their wives, albeit in smaller numbers) find themselves denied access to airlines, hotels, bars, restaurants, sports events, Ted Nugent concerts or even the office they used to work in, their attitude is likely to change, and very quickly.

So fine, corporate America, do as Mitch says and stay out of politics. Instead, just do what’s best for your bottom line.