“…how drastically the GOP has changed on what was once a pillar of its foreign policy platform (i.e., funding pro-Western governments fighting back against Russian aggression). Now, the primary opposition to financially backing Ukraine in the United States is coming solely from the GOP…”
The anti-Ukraine caucus sickens me. These are traitors to freedom and everything the USA stands for. They are selfish, cowardly, petulant little men. And I hope they burn in hell.
“The resolution passed the House 335–91, with more Democrats than Republicans voting for it.”
AND more Republicans voted for it than against it, 126 for, 90 against. Yep and if you weren’t picking that the Republicans would end up voting with Dems, then ask yourself why not?
I’m guessing that when we get to November, the Rs will try to “sell” their next shutdown fiasco as a “Home for the Holidays “ effort.
The Ds need to hammer them for being incapable of keeping their word on anything. They have acted, and likely will continue to act in utter dad faith. The Looney Tunes caucus lost on the debt limit agreement, and, like Trump, they are incapable of accepting any defeat as legitimate. So they are dead set on reneging and sabotaging what they could not muster the votes to defeat.
Republicans don’t suppose Ukraine because Democrats support it. It’s that simple. Nothing Biden or democrats say will change this simple fact. It’s sad and I don’t know how to effect such a situation when the default thought process is “if my enemies support a cause I will not.”
The first step is getting them to stop seeing their neighbors and other Americans as “enemies.” I get that is easier said than done, especially when a group is stoking the flames of domestic terrorism within their ranks.
I am continually amazed at the fragility of their egos and propensity for being petulant, whiney people. You’d think they would hit bottom eventually, but I can’t see an end.
Agree completely. That being said I also have 0 idea how you fix it. I believe it can’t be solved by democrats because by definition they won’t listen to democrats. It has to come from republicans and I don’t see how that happens either because that type of message doesn’t resonate with republicans. Maybe huge electoral loses but once again I don’t know how to make that happen either
If (when) a Motion to Vacate the Chair is made, I have to think the Democrats have no choice - and it's an unpalatable choice, at that - but to support Kevin McCarthy. Otherwise, the business of the House just grinds to a halt...again.
But if Speaker McCarthy subsequently does anything that is tantamount to stabbing Democrats in the back, he's out at Speaker!
Couldn't they demand some kind of concession(s) from him up front, in exchange for promise to vote against a motion to vacate? Don't you imagine some kind of attempt at horse trading like that is already going on in the background?
Maybe that's wishful thinking. But it would be so nice to see the Burn-it-Down Gang outmaneuvered by actual skilled politicians. A Coalition of the Grownups. Stranger things have happened.
They might but doubt it. The chaos is the republicans problems. When your enemy is digging a hole you, you let him continue to dig the hole and you definitely don’t stop him from digging the hole
By dint of zip code, Matt Gaetz is my Representative. I apologize and promise to try even harder.
Meanwhile there were so many images of him in the news this past week that I finally realized what had been nagging at me. Does anyone else think that he has begun to look like Jack Nicholson's Lucifer in "The Witches of Eastwick"?
He has an extremely punchable visage. I sometimes stare at his face trying to pin down what’s so stomach turning. Then I realize I’m being a masochist just by looking too long.
It takes a 2/3 vote to expel a member of the House of Representatives. It has happened only five times in US history and 3 of the 5 were in 1861 for supporting the Confederacy.
I found it sad that the biggest problem for some normie/moderate Republicans was that this vote required bipartisan support. The whole notion that somehow negotiation and compromise with the minority is somehow a betrayal of principles is just bizarre.
Democrats should not support McCarthy so long as impeachment is on the table. All he would have to do is bring the issue to the floor for a vote. He promised he would but then didn't when he realized he could not satisfy the Clown Caucus demands because the motion to open the inquiry would suffer a bipartisan defeat. If he would allow Jeffries to bring the continuation of the impeachment inquiry to a vote it would be stopped with a bipartisan vote... just as it would have been stopped in the first place.
If he won't end the inquiry then Democrats should let him cook in his own fat.
Then Democrats should demand that they return to the agreement that McCarthy made with the administration in May as the starting point of negotiations.
The thing about voting for Mike Lawler or any “normie” Republican is that even if they are normie, it’s still a vote to keep Republicans in charge of the House. And 90% of them shouldn’t be in charge of a broom.
I think he meant that a citizen voting for a "good Republican" is a vote for this dysfunction because the normies have been steamrolled by the crazies over and over again.
Methinks "the primary opposition to financially backing Ukraine in the United States" is coming solely from Trump. He's the reason they've embraced Putin and are antagonistic toward Ukraine. It isn't a policy position, but a demonstration of their fidelity to Trump and those who love him, democracy be damned. Just like Jan 6th - democracy be damned. Just like stealing immensely sensitive state secrets and refusing to give them back - democracy be damned.
Should be the new GOP motto: Trump or bust, democracy be damned."
I wish a fund for Ukraine could be set up separately from the Congressional budget process, and let Americans vote with their dollars - and make donations a tax credit. A big old “Go Fund Me - Ukraine”.
“…how drastically the GOP has changed on what was once a pillar of its foreign policy platform (i.e., funding pro-Western governments fighting back against Russian aggression). Now, the primary opposition to financially backing Ukraine in the United States is coming solely from the GOP…”
The anti-Ukraine caucus sickens me. These are traitors to freedom and everything the USA stands for. They are selfish, cowardly, petulant little men. And I hope they burn in hell.
“The resolution passed the House 335–91, with more Democrats than Republicans voting for it.”
AND more Republicans voted for it than against it, 126 for, 90 against. Yep and if you weren’t picking that the Republicans would end up voting with Dems, then ask yourself why not?
The key point to consider is tat the maga faction in the house is 90 not a dozen.
I’m guessing that when we get to November, the Rs will try to “sell” their next shutdown fiasco as a “Home for the Holidays “ effort.
The Ds need to hammer them for being incapable of keeping their word on anything. They have acted, and likely will continue to act in utter dad faith. The Looney Tunes caucus lost on the debt limit agreement, and, like Trump, they are incapable of accepting any defeat as legitimate. So they are dead set on reneging and sabotaging what they could not muster the votes to defeat.
Republicans don’t suppose Ukraine because Democrats support it. It’s that simple. Nothing Biden or democrats say will change this simple fact. It’s sad and I don’t know how to effect such a situation when the default thought process is “if my enemies support a cause I will not.”
The first step is getting them to stop seeing their neighbors and other Americans as “enemies.” I get that is easier said than done, especially when a group is stoking the flames of domestic terrorism within their ranks.
I am continually amazed at the fragility of their egos and propensity for being petulant, whiney people. You’d think they would hit bottom eventually, but I can’t see an end.
Agree completely. That being said I also have 0 idea how you fix it. I believe it can’t be solved by democrats because by definition they won’t listen to democrats. It has to come from republicans and I don’t see how that happens either because that type of message doesn’t resonate with republicans. Maybe huge electoral loses but once again I don’t know how to make that happen either
If (when) a Motion to Vacate the Chair is made, I have to think the Democrats have no choice - and it's an unpalatable choice, at that - but to support Kevin McCarthy. Otherwise, the business of the House just grinds to a halt...again.
But if Speaker McCarthy subsequently does anything that is tantamount to stabbing Democrats in the back, he's out at Speaker!
Couldn't they demand some kind of concession(s) from him up front, in exchange for promise to vote against a motion to vacate? Don't you imagine some kind of attempt at horse trading like that is already going on in the background?
Maybe that's wishful thinking. But it would be so nice to see the Burn-it-Down Gang outmaneuvered by actual skilled politicians. A Coalition of the Grownups. Stranger things have happened.
I'd assume that the deal is already made, and the continuing resolution was the quid and the support of McCarthy as speaker was the quo.
They might but doubt it. The chaos is the republicans problems. When your enemy is digging a hole you, you let him continue to dig the hole and you definitely don’t stop him from digging the hole
By dint of zip code, Matt Gaetz is my Representative. I apologize and promise to try even harder.
Meanwhile there were so many images of him in the news this past week that I finally realized what had been nagging at me. Does anyone else think that he has begun to look like Jack Nicholson's Lucifer in "The Witches of Eastwick"?
He has an extremely punchable visage. I sometimes stare at his face trying to pin down what’s so stomach turning. Then I realize I’m being a masochist just by looking too long.
Thanks for a Sunday column.
Good update
Thx for being on it
“Democrats in both chambers are now preparing for an up or down vote on Ukraine aid.”
That’s why Gaetz is going after McCarthy; the Kremlin caucus will demand a Speaker who will never allow such a vote on the House floor.
Can the House impeach Gatez, Jordon and the Freedom Caucus for incompetence and mismanagement of our government?
It takes a 2/3 vote to expel a member of the House of Representatives. It has happened only five times in US history and 3 of the 5 were in 1861 for supporting the Confederacy.
Thanks for the Sunday special edition!
I found it sad that the biggest problem for some normie/moderate Republicans was that this vote required bipartisan support. The whole notion that somehow negotiation and compromise with the minority is somehow a betrayal of principles is just bizarre.
Democrats should not support McCarthy so long as impeachment is on the table. All he would have to do is bring the issue to the floor for a vote. He promised he would but then didn't when he realized he could not satisfy the Clown Caucus demands because the motion to open the inquiry would suffer a bipartisan defeat. If he would allow Jeffries to bring the continuation of the impeachment inquiry to a vote it would be stopped with a bipartisan vote... just as it would have been stopped in the first place.
If he won't end the inquiry then Democrats should let him cook in his own fat.
Then Democrats should demand that they return to the agreement that McCarthy made with the administration in May as the starting point of negotiations.
The thing about voting for Mike Lawler or any “normie” Republican is that even if they are normie, it’s still a vote to keep Republicans in charge of the House. And 90% of them shouldn’t be in charge of a broom.
Sure, but since the odds of a Dem speaker are exactly zero, why not consider the various unpalatable options?
I think he meant that a citizen voting for a "good Republican" is a vote for this dysfunction because the normies have been steamrolled by the crazies over and over again.
The Freedom Caucus is doing a good job for Putin. He admires their work in undermining our government.
They probably have him on speed dial..
Methinks "the primary opposition to financially backing Ukraine in the United States" is coming solely from Trump. He's the reason they've embraced Putin and are antagonistic toward Ukraine. It isn't a policy position, but a demonstration of their fidelity to Trump and those who love him, democracy be damned. Just like Jan 6th - democracy be damned. Just like stealing immensely sensitive state secrets and refusing to give them back - democracy be damned.
Should be the new GOP motto: Trump or bust, democracy be damned."
The phone call went like this….
Trump: “Vladimir I got my people to get what you wanted removed from the budget. Yes sir. Thank you sir.”
I wish a fund for Ukraine could be set up separately from the Congressional budget process, and let Americans vote with their dollars - and make donations a tax credit. A big old “Go Fund Me - Ukraine”.