As U.S. Sen. Rick Scott runs for Senate Republican Leader, he is laying out his vision for animating Washington.

The Naples Republican released a video that splices together cartoon clips while deriding Washington norms. He asserted leaders for both parties in Washington should be drummed out.

“What if I told you there’s a magical place,” Scott says in narration, “where they can print money and you never have to pay your bills? A place where spending money you don’t have is good, term limits are bad and border security doesn’t matter?”

The video starts panning over a hand-drawn map of the U.S., turning the focus from Florida to a built-up Washington. It then splices to images of cartoon dollar bills falling from the sky.

Clips, which come chiefly from a Compass Classroom video on how industrial economies work, illustrate Scott’s words about a comic ineptness in Washington. It also shows images of Bugs Bunny, while mocking the status quo in Congress.

“It’s a place where they don’t care about crime or inflation. And where you can invent your own truth. Here it is! It’s called Washington,” Scott said, “and it’s time to throw the old leaders of both parties out!”

Scott released the video along with an extensive statement on his agenda as a candidate for leader.

He said his policy agenda would focus on issues directly important to Americans.

“How do we stop inflation and reverse it so a working family can afford a decent dinner? How do we secure our border so illegal aliens aren’t free to wander around our country and murder a young college woman out for a jog in Georgia? How do we turn things around and punish and stop crime instead of letting it get out of control and destroy our communities?” Scott said.

“Senate Republicans should be leading the way on these things, but we aren’t.”

Scott has long been critical of Republican leadership, and in 2022 became the first lawmaker to challenge Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as caucus leader since the Kentucky Republican first won that position.

Scott lost that contest, but quickly put out feelers after McConnell announced earlier this year he will step down from leadership.

The video put out by Scott suggests he doesn’t just want to take over from McConnell and keep moving in the same direction. He wants a dramatic shift in how Senate Republicans do business.

“I believe it is because we have two Republican Parties in America. One is in Washington. It’s a tired, old, Republican party led by establishment insiders,” Scott said.

“It is out of touch, not only with our problems but with our people. It cuts deals with (Senate Majority Leader) Chuck Schumer. It has secret votes and secret agendas. It’s the ‘go along to get along’ crowd. It’s yesterday’s Republican Party and it hasn’t made a dent in our problems in years.

Scott has long closely allied himself with former President Donald Trump, including endorsing him for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. The Florida Republican now has echoed the rhetoric of his fellow businessman-turned politician.

“I’ve got some really good news: There is another Republican Party, a real Republican Party outside of Washington,” Scott said. “It’s the one Washington Republicans ignore. It’s the one that respects working people and their families and their beliefs. It’s the one that’s tired of being sold out, tired of being thrown under the bus, tired of the Washington status quo. It’s the one that supports Donald Trump, instead of undermining him all the time.

“These old establishment Republicans have had their day. It’s time for a change and a fresh, new approach. We can fix all of our country’s problems. I’m confident about that. But first, we Republicans need to clean up our own house in Washington. More of the same won’t cut it. That’s why I am running for re-election to the U.S. Senate and for Republican Leader.”

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Metro Nashville Police Department will participate in a 250-mile journey to Washington D.C.

The MNPD said they’re participating in 2024′s Law Enforcement United’s fundraiser Road to Hope.

Each year the fundraiser honors the fallen and supports Concerns of Police Survivors and other organizations who benefit the law enforcement community.

The journey is completed in three days and ends in Washington D.C. and helps commemorate national police week each year.

MNPD said Team Nashville has raised $10,000 for the cause.

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In my church, we have Seasons of the Church Year, which means most Sundays have a specific theme or intention for the specific season. So, the four Sundays leading up to Christmas are the Season of Advent, when we wait with anticipation for the joys of Christmas. The period before Easter is the Season of Lent, when each Sunday is marked by an attitude of repentance. We have now entered into the Season after Pentecost, which this year extends until November 24th.

That’s a long time, and, since I like to be honest with you, I must admit that it can get kind of boring. There isn’t much flash associated with this season. There aren’t spectacular feasts like Christmas or Easter. The Sundays of this season don’t have much of a theme other than being normal, ordinary Sundays at church. And that, my friends, is why I say the Season after Pentecost is marked by a boredom that makes it easy to check out and return when things get more interesting.

We don’t talk much about how our religious patterns and practices can sometimes be dreadfully boring. Perhaps we are afraid of being sacrilegious if we ever dare to tell the truth about how boring it can be to hear 30 verses of Scripture that seem to have very little to do with being human in the 21st century. You don’t even have to be religious to admit how appealing it is to avoid boredom and boring things. We are an overstimulated people, saturated by entertainment, content, and a general busy-ness that keeps our minds from ever being able to slow down and be bored.

Here’s the secret, though. Being bored isn’t the terrible fate we’ve made it out to be. The late author David Foster Wallace said, “It turns out that bliss – a second-by-second joy and gratitude at the gift of being alive, conscious – lies on the other side of crushing, crushing boredom.” As a writer, he understood that allowing himself to be bored and less occupied mentally eventually gave way to a creative joy that he couldn’t access any other way.

Boredom: the secret to writing the great American novel! Boredom: the secret to fostering dreams in a world full of nightmares. Boredom: a key that unlocks a deeper level to life! Let’s get back to the boredom of religion. Perhaps embracing the boredom of normal, everyday religious life would allow you to see the beauty that you have discounted because it doesn’t come to you with flash and excitement. It’s all well and good to meet God with songs of praise and the loudest organ you’ve ever heard. It’s a different thing entirely to embrace the boredom of your religion as an invitation to go deeper, to find the buried treasures overlooked by a need to be stimulated and satisfied.

It’s the same with non-religious life. When is the last time you let yourself stop and allowed your mind an opportunity to wonder and explore? When was the last time you let your boredom become a launching pad for a new interest or new hobby you would never have embraced before? Being bored spurns creativity. It gives birth to new ideas, new insights, and new experiences. So, embrace the boredom of your religious practice and your everyday life. Let your brain rest from all the stimulation and see how rich your daydreams can become!

Chris Adams is the Rector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Washington.