The House GOP’s Antagonism Caucus
Plus: Why the Trump Tape Matters for the Mar-a-Lago Case
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WILLIAM SALETAN: The House GOP’s Antagonism Caucus.
ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, the House of Representatives passed legislation to raise the national debt ceiling. The bill, which imposed spending restraints and other changes sought by conservatives, was a compromise worked out between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Everything in the bill, other than the debt-limit increase, was a concession to House Republicans. Despite this, 71 Republicans, nearly a third of the House GOP, voted against the legislation. More Democrats than Republicans voted for it.
Why did so many Democrats support the bill? And why did so many Republicans reject it? Those two questions are perversely related. On the Republican right, there’s a cluster of lawmakers who voted no—or who urged their colleagues to vote no—in part because Democrats endorsed the bill. To these lawmakers, anything the other party supports is suspect.
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KIMBERLY WEHLE: Why the Trump Tape Matters for the Mar-a-Lago Case.
ON WEDNESDAY, news broke that Special Counsel Jack Smith has obtained an audio recording of a July 2021 meeting at Donald Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club in which the former president acknowledges having a classified document about a potential attack on Iran. He then reportedly goes on to suggest, for about two minutes in total, that he would like to share the document with those present at the meeting, but is aware that he cannot declassify documents after leaving the White House. Although the actual recording is not public, “multiple sources” described it to CNN’s reporters. It seems to be, as Charlie Sykes put it, a “smoking tape”—about as close to a smoking gun as prosecutors could hope for because it goes directly to Trump’s state of mind.
🚨OVERTIME🚨
Happy Friday! It’s good to be home again and on my own WiFi. (PSA: Do not rely on a tethered phone on I-66 in the rural parts to upload Twitter videos!) The country was beautiful and I can’t say I miss the 90 degree D.C. area heat. The dogs are happy to be home, too.
Since it’s getting hotter… Here’s Wirecutter’s review of the best ice cream sandwiches. Though not an “ice cream sandwich” this Ohioan prefers a good Klondike bar.
Que RICO! The Georgia investigation is expanding to his activities in other states.
Inside the meltdown at CNN… A must-read Tim Alberta #longread at The Atlantic.
Disney judge recuses… After it was discovered a relative owns 30 shares of Disney stock.
The Last Defense of DeSantis’s Anti-Vaccine Campaign… Goes Poof. And his right-wing cheerleader pundits have gone silent, pretending it’s not really happening.
Starlinking the Ukrainians… The Pentagon is making sure they’re satellite connected for the offensive.
DO NOT CONGRATULATE 2.0… First it was Putin, and now… North Korea?
MTG backtracks… After arranging to give January 6th footage to disgraced journalists and insurrection truthers, she reneged on pledges the footage should be public, as it may result in more democracy-hating losers ending up in the clink. Too bad!
Parents and students vs. Disney fearmongers… After a teacher was investigated for playing Strange World, parents and students showed up: “You need to listen to us when we say that the rainbow in our classroom is not indoctrinating us, seeing two girls together in a Disney movie is not brainwashing us, and your policies are not protecting us from anything.”
Behold, the future of the GOP: TPUSA types named Morgonn telling you why Chick-Fil-A is “no longer the Lord’s chicken” on a video taped inside of a car. All because they had the temerity to hire a diversity officer.
Let Ron DeSantis… Identify however he wants.
What an ejection… Actually looks and sounds like in Major League Baseball.
Priorities… Prince Harry’s Visa documents might be released as they are “of immense public interest” says a conservative think tank.
That’s a whoopsie… The state of Maryland under Larry Hogan’s tenure let a domain expire, and now a bunch of license plates link to a casino webpage.
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