Former President Bill Clinton claimed in 1992 that he didn’t inhale when he first experimented with marijuana. His assertion instantly became a punch line. Later, when Clinton tasted a hemp beer aboard Air Force One, a reporter joked the president “tasted but did not swallow.”
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, a COVID-19 social distancing fanatic, apparently missed the joke. He is trying, in all seriousness, the exact same I-didn’t-inhale defense this week following an NFL playoff game between the LA Rams and the San Francisco 49ers.
Garcetti was caught on camera Sunday at SoFi Stadium in LA posing maskless for photos with former NBA player Magic Johnson.
The mayor has imposed a severe mask mandate upon his city. In fact, in the weeks preceding the matchup between the Rams and the 49ers, the city’s public health officials issued several public service announcements instructing residents to wear masks at large gatherings such as NFL playoff games — even those taking place outdoors.
Almost no one obeyed the mask mandate at the Rams-49ers game, including even Garcetti. And at a press conference Wednesday to discuss health and safety protocols for the Super Bowl, which will also be held at SoFi Stadium, the mayor broached the topic of his own maskless photos with Johnson.
“I’ll take personal responsibility,” Garcetti said in reference to the photos, which were shared first on social media by the former Lakers superstar, “and if it makes you and everyone else happy, or even the photographs with people where literally I’m holding my breath for two seconds, I won’t even do that.”
Garcetti is quite literally trying the “I didn’t inhale” defense. It was stupid in the early 1990s, and it’s equally stupid now. Also, even if he is telling the truth (Har! Har!), since when does holding one’s breath count as an adequate alternative to wearing a mask? What is this lunacy?
Earlier, on Monday, a spokesperson for the mayor alleged that he “was wearing a mask at the game and removed it for a brief moment to take a few photos.” Yeah, sure. Whatever.
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom was likewise caught maskless at last week’s playoff game at SoFi Stadium. However, he took a different tack than Garcetti. Rather than concoct a supremely stupid defense, Newsom simply lied about it.
“You’re correct,” the governor said in reference to removing his mask at SoFi Stadium. “I was very judicious yesterday — very judicious. You’ll see the photo that I did take. Magic was kind enough, generous enough, to ask me for a photograph, and in my left hand’s the mask, and I took the photo. The rest of the time, I wore it as we all should — um, not when I had a glass of water — and I encourage everybody else to do so. And, uh, that’s it.”
He added, “I was trying to be gracious. I made a mis — I was trying to be gracious. I took the mask off for a brief second, but no, I encourage people to continue to wear them.”
This simply isn’t true. Broadcast footage and individual photos show the governor frolicking, maskless, in his private but well-packed viewing box.
At this point, “Rules for thee but not for me” may as well be the motto of California’s Democratic Party.
