Is it possible that Steve Scalise changed his mind because the weight of his earlier support was seen as a repudiation of Trump? I'm looking for Republican heroes in the 118th Congress. Which voices should be amplified? Who can stop the train at the end of the tunnel? Thanksgiving is coming.
The only 'solution' to a Republican majority House seemingly insistent on a ('for all intensive purposes') infinite (vice inDEfinite) recess is a Democratic majority House
First Ukraine and now Israel. I’m feeling like we now have two fronts in WWIII. Aren’t most nations involved in some way? Pro... Anti... Support... Blockade... Rally...
I don't understand why you say there are "five" non-voting ("unable to vote") GOP conference members. The Wikipedia page you link to shows three GOP "Republican House Cause Affiliation" members out of the total of six non-voting members. What am I getting wrong?
You don't need a handful of Republicans bolting for Jeffries. You need a couple of handfuls of Democrats voting for Bacon or Fitzpatrick, because they make reasonable concessions to Jeffries.
Evidently the republicans had no stomach for yet another speaker whose behavior on sexual abuse is questionable. I do not equate what Jordan did with Hastert but in some ways it is almost worse. Hastert had an addiction/compulsion/mental problem whatever, what the hell was Gym thinking.
Thank you, Charlie. I have no answers, only thoughts and wishes.
Eliot Cohen nailed it. We are in a terrible place in the world. Trump, who says extraordinary often horrific things, may become President again. How could we get to such a place? One day he is friends with Netanyahu , the next he praises Hezbollah.
No group or individual who states that terrorism is justifiable should be tolerated in this world. People being what they are, I expect there will always be wars. But punishing people who have done nothing--that can never be right. I would like the Palestinian people to have medicine and water, I don’t want children in hospital to die. But then I can only begin to feel the anger and despair of the Israelis which causes a father to be glad his eight-year-old daughter is dead. He thinks if she were captured by Hamas her life would be so horrific it would not be worth living. Hearing him tore my soul. How can they not be in the extremes of anguish? How could the Israelis not want to crush those responsible? As for Hamas--the Israelis are welcome to them. They don’t deserve a second thought. But take the time to think about inflicting the same pain on a family who might really have wished to live anywhere in the world but Gaza and had no choice in the matter. Yes, Hamas is their government, but by popular vote? Should all the people be considered evil? I so badly wish there were an answer to this catastrophe. I would like Palestinian civilians or at least children to be given safe passage. But how do you determine if an adult might work for Hamas? In a situation worsened by intelligence failure this does not seem possible.
Remember when we left Afghanistan and were told that intelligence could be adequately accessed over the horizon? That in country intelligence work was not necessary? It didn’t work so well for Israel, and they have about the best intel capabilities in the world. Supposedly Hamas went dark. Without electronic signals it becomes tough to get information. They may have worked in small cells of people thus lowering the possibility of leaks and greatly increasing the chances that a leaker will be easily identified and killed. The technique has been tried by terrorists before. (Russia--19th century. Dostoevsky fictionalizes the story in his novel The Possessed. The point is these things could only be discovered through embedded agents. We really need to think this over. Doubtless more info is forthcoming on the intelligence front, so I should hold my fire until then.
I am also despondent about the attention span, or lack thereof, in the US. We seem to have all but forgotten zUkraine. Remember, their civilians are being taken out knowingly by Putin. It was not the idea of the Russian people to go to war. It was just Putin’s egotistical desire to rule everything that had ever been zRussia. You can’t go back. Otherwise the Mongol Hordes could return to kick Putin out. Right? Perhaps that thinking is too far outside the box. I feel sorry for those being drafted into a war not of their own making. Putin is not a true elected leader. He decides the percentage by which he wishes to win, and that is what he gets (I should be referencing all sorts of people including Masha Gessen, Anne Applebaum, Bill Browder, David Remnick and dozens of other astute historians). We must stop Putin from pursuing his megalomaniacal plans. The Ukrainian people should be getting our support too, and at levels commensurate with Israel. The two-faced stance of most House Republicans on this issue is absolutely incredible, not to mention short-sighted. If Putin wins in Europe, guess who will support Israel’s enemies and win in the Middle East? Putin.
All the complaining about Hammas behavior is enabling denial. Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians are being ignored. If you’re focused on your enemy’s behavior, you’re losing.
I have a question. Instead of being Pilot and washing their hands of this mess, why don't the Dems align themselves with a centrist Republican? Then begin working for the people instead of the party?
How about why don't the centrist, non MAGA Rs align themselves with Democrats to find a Speaker and begin working for the people instead of Trump's party?
Is it possible that Steve Scalise changed his mind because the weight of his earlier support was seen as a repudiation of Trump? I'm looking for Republican heroes in the 118th Congress. Which voices should be amplified? Who can stop the train at the end of the tunnel? Thanksgiving is coming.
What is the line that the Republican caucus is unable to pick a Speaker between now and next November? I’m starting to think that this could happen.
.
The only 'solution' to a Republican majority House seemingly insistent on a ('for all intensive purposes') infinite (vice inDEfinite) recess is a Democratic majority House
.
Exactly. Democrats can’t save the Republicans from themselves.
If Jordan and Trump win in 2024, will you leave the country?
And from the NYT: "BREAKING NEWS
Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana withdrew from consideration for the speakership, leaving the House leaderless and the G.O.P. in chaos."
This just in: "UPDATE: Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 · 5:05:24 PM PDT · Joan McCarter In a conference meeting this evening, Scalise dropped out of the race for speaker. “I just shared with my colleagues that I'm withdrawing my name as a candidate for the speaker designate,” he told reporters. He says he will remain as Majority Leader." https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/12/2198940/-Scalise-s-bid-for-speaker-on-shaky-ground?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_3&pm_medium=web
They are all totally worthless!
First Ukraine and now Israel. I’m feeling like we now have two fronts in WWIII. Aren’t most nations involved in some way? Pro... Anti... Support... Blockade... Rally...
RE: Speaker Race, Jim Jordan
Seems the GOP is true to form - can't accept an election loss.
Holy sh!t, Charlie. The emotion in your Morning Shot was palpable. Probably your best soliloquy to date.
I don't understand why you say there are "five" non-voting ("unable to vote") GOP conference members. The Wikipedia page you link to shows three GOP "Republican House Cause Affiliation" members out of the total of six non-voting members. What am I getting wrong?
Can anyone please explain "big mad" to me? It is just what it sounds like (those reps are really mad?) or is it an acronym?
Exactly!
You don't need a handful of Republicans bolting for Jeffries. You need a couple of handfuls of Democrats voting for Bacon or Fitzpatrick, because they make reasonable concessions to Jeffries.
Evidently the republicans had no stomach for yet another speaker whose behavior on sexual abuse is questionable. I do not equate what Jordan did with Hastert but in some ways it is almost worse. Hastert had an addiction/compulsion/mental problem whatever, what the hell was Gym thinking.
Thank you, Charlie. I have no answers, only thoughts and wishes.
Eliot Cohen nailed it. We are in a terrible place in the world. Trump, who says extraordinary often horrific things, may become President again. How could we get to such a place? One day he is friends with Netanyahu , the next he praises Hezbollah.
No group or individual who states that terrorism is justifiable should be tolerated in this world. People being what they are, I expect there will always be wars. But punishing people who have done nothing--that can never be right. I would like the Palestinian people to have medicine and water, I don’t want children in hospital to die. But then I can only begin to feel the anger and despair of the Israelis which causes a father to be glad his eight-year-old daughter is dead. He thinks if she were captured by Hamas her life would be so horrific it would not be worth living. Hearing him tore my soul. How can they not be in the extremes of anguish? How could the Israelis not want to crush those responsible? As for Hamas--the Israelis are welcome to them. They don’t deserve a second thought. But take the time to think about inflicting the same pain on a family who might really have wished to live anywhere in the world but Gaza and had no choice in the matter. Yes, Hamas is their government, but by popular vote? Should all the people be considered evil? I so badly wish there were an answer to this catastrophe. I would like Palestinian civilians or at least children to be given safe passage. But how do you determine if an adult might work for Hamas? In a situation worsened by intelligence failure this does not seem possible.
Remember when we left Afghanistan and were told that intelligence could be adequately accessed over the horizon? That in country intelligence work was not necessary? It didn’t work so well for Israel, and they have about the best intel capabilities in the world. Supposedly Hamas went dark. Without electronic signals it becomes tough to get information. They may have worked in small cells of people thus lowering the possibility of leaks and greatly increasing the chances that a leaker will be easily identified and killed. The technique has been tried by terrorists before. (Russia--19th century. Dostoevsky fictionalizes the story in his novel The Possessed. The point is these things could only be discovered through embedded agents. We really need to think this over. Doubtless more info is forthcoming on the intelligence front, so I should hold my fire until then.
I am also despondent about the attention span, or lack thereof, in the US. We seem to have all but forgotten zUkraine. Remember, their civilians are being taken out knowingly by Putin. It was not the idea of the Russian people to go to war. It was just Putin’s egotistical desire to rule everything that had ever been zRussia. You can’t go back. Otherwise the Mongol Hordes could return to kick Putin out. Right? Perhaps that thinking is too far outside the box. I feel sorry for those being drafted into a war not of their own making. Putin is not a true elected leader. He decides the percentage by which he wishes to win, and that is what he gets (I should be referencing all sorts of people including Masha Gessen, Anne Applebaum, Bill Browder, David Remnick and dozens of other astute historians). We must stop Putin from pursuing his megalomaniacal plans. The Ukrainian people should be getting our support too, and at levels commensurate with Israel. The two-faced stance of most House Republicans on this issue is absolutely incredible, not to mention short-sighted. If Putin wins in Europe, guess who will support Israel’s enemies and win in the Middle East? Putin.
All the complaining about Hammas behavior is enabling denial. Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians are being ignored. If you’re focused on your enemy’s behavior, you’re losing.
I have a question. Instead of being Pilot and washing their hands of this mess, why don't the Dems align themselves with a centrist Republican? Then begin working for the people instead of the party?
How about why don't the centrist, non MAGA Rs align themselves with Democrats to find a Speaker and begin working for the people instead of Trump's party?