37 Comments

This is an opportunity for the Biden Administration and Democrats to shine.

The comparison and contrast between the Biden and Trump handling of the documents "scandal" has been commented on and the differences are stark.

So far, Republicans have just been consistently hypocritical on the matter. So, yes, endless hearings will be done in the House.

BUT if Biden and the Democrats act with transparency and fully cooperate then the contrast with the Republicans and Trump will become self evident to any fair minded voters.

Above all, if the motives and explanations are made transparent, and efforts to rectify the matter made, the whole investigation will be over quickly and responsibility assigned, then Republicans will be gorging on a nothing burger for the next two years.

Obviously, this is true ONLY if the classified documents are unrelated to Hunter Biden. If they are then this is worse than what Trump did.

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Jan 14, 2023·edited Jan 14, 2023

Nine to seven balance between the parties on the real committee, thirteen to five on the bogus one: that alone is telling. Pretty bold for a majority of only four, too. It's a good thing that they only have a little less than two years to waste, and Taliban Caucus and facilitator reputations will go up in flames. This will make the Benghazi committee look almost serious in comparison.

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I think the committee name "Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government" is too long and unwieldy. Perhaps we could shorten it to CDPA (Committee Demonstrating Performative Assholism)

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As a wisconsinite I have a certain amount of hope for Gallagher…that said he has been a severe disappointment in the past. In non-Trumpy times he could have been the real future. So much for all of that I suppose.

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founding

Joe,

Thanks for the reporting.

Per the non-suit jacketed (but jackbooted) Gym Jordan's Personal Pant Snake Subcommittee:

Q - "...the new subcommittee of 13 Republicans and 5 Democrats. Unlike the now-defunct House January 6th committee, the minority party is not expected to boycott."

By your number stated of Dems on that committee, it seems as if they are self-boycotting. Aren't 12 Dems able to sit on that show committee?

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My answer to Jordon would be a simple one, "When you sit down for your subpoena, I'll sit down for mine. Until that time, stuff it."

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Agreed!

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Hi Joe Can you address or explain why the weaponisation subcommittee has 13 Republicans & only 5 democrats? Seems awfully unbalanced considering the China committee has 9 & 7 & also considering the very small house margin.

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What was the reasoning of the NAY votes on forming the China committee?

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founding

I have to believe that most voters are tired of the performative chaos caucus already. It will result in those who voted for democracy and against the election-deniers in the last election not going back to the GOP for at least one more cycle. It might also persuade some more of them to abandon the GOP if this is all they're willing to do.

Just wait until they move to modify Social Security and see the baby-boomers react.

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founding

Of course Gymmy Jordan will chair both the Judiciary Committee and the bullshit sub-committee. The spotlight is his oxygen, and vitriol his stock in trade. He needs both positions to slake his addictions.

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Seeing to the health of the judicial system is surely one of the most important tasks of our government. The fact that the Republicans are giving the chair to the excretable Jim Jordan tells you all you need to know about what a menace the party is to our democratic and constitutional system.

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founding

Yep. Very on point.

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founding

I think the word you were looking for to describe Gymmy was "execrable." But "excretable," especially when describing something foul, disgusting and poisonous that a body needs to be rid of, works too.

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I don't want to hear the g00d r3pUb11c4ns talkin about Trump being "tough on CHY-NA". Hundreds of State Dept vacancies, now this commission. TPP withdrawal day 1

Great newsletter

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Is there a committee to investigate Jim Jordan’s role in the wrestling scandal?

I also appreciate the comments of James Ackerman!

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Thanks Joe. Nice you'll be back for TNB!

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You know, I'm kinda glad Jordan is the one leading the quixotic committee because the f*ckers who lead the Benghazi investigations all got burned by it in the end. Jordan's fall will be even sweeter to watch

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founding

If that is the outcome, we will all celebrate. But right now all I'm feeling is dread at the next couple of years. I don't know how others feel, but I can't express how sick to death I am of this circus. The idea of 2 more years of it makes me want to crawl into a hole or at least find some good series to binge watch and stay away from the news.

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Jan 12, 2023·edited Jan 12, 2023

How much high drama that House Republican investigative committees produce is this country's electorate willing to stomach?

Jordan's base will gobble that stuff up gleefully, no doubt.

How about the rest of us, especially independents?

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Wittes in Dog Shirt Daily makes that point too. Tend to buy it, calling it the Rep Sachs-Goldman thesis

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Hillary was a terrible candidate in 2016, but she didn't lose because of those hearings.

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Agree with the first part. While the hearings weren't the only thing against her, I believe they were a significant part of why she lost. Another one is her apparent reliance on "first female President" as her main platform point. While it would have been historic, it is a point that she should have let others make.

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To her credit, Hillary put in a bravura performance against that kangaroo court of a committee, and made them look like the dunces that they were. It still didn't help her though -- mud sticks, even if there's no more to it than dirt and water.

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If she had won in 2016, then the Republicans would not have lost the House nor the Senate. Hillary is for Republicans and Non-Aligned voters what Trump is for Democrats and Non-Aligned. The Republicans have never grasped that. If they had the ability to think outside the box, then they would have been able to see that an HRC presidency would have been the ultimate GOTV machine for Republicans. The difference between HRC & DJT, though, is the end goal--HRC wanted power, and DJT wanted attention.

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HRC would have been a competent President, and there wasn't much better on offer. I'm a Center-Right Independent, I never liked her much, but I'm still proud of my vote for her.

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All politicians want power. Every President is a GOTV machine for the other party. I'm not a big fan of Hillary but she probably would have been an ok president, a bit like Biden in lack of inspiration.

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Sure, I'll buy that hurt too, but even the prosaic "visit the key swing voters" more. Blocking and tackling. With fractions of a percentage point being decisive gotta work all the angles...

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And not counting on debate viewers to see Trump as a horrible candidate. She needed to fight back. While I appreciate her "I won't lower myself to his level" stance, she shouldn't just stand there and take it. She needed her staff to anticipate his antics and prepare her with zippy comebacks. She struck me as a lazy candidate.

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They hurt I think, but in an election determined by a few ten thousands of votes in a handful of states... They hurt her, and set her up for the Comey fiasco. 🤷‍♂️

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Did they get burned, really? Hillary Clinton didn't get elected President so perhaps they got all they could have wished from it.

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Considering both Chaffee and Gowdy had higher aspirations than just laying into Hillary, yeah, I think they got burned in the end.

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If these are the priorities that Republicans believe Americans are focussed on the rout they will face in 2024 will be historic.

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Let's hope so but I do worry that this new committee would be more accurately named the Select Subcommittee for the Creation and Distribution of Misinformation, or "The Big Lie 2.0" for short.

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It's only purpose is to create content for Fox and associated media by attacking the daily Demon Democrat.

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founding

But it won’t. Not when the vast majority of (R)s in ruby red states see being a republican as a part of who they are.

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