The new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, known as “MAGA Mike” to both supporters and detractors, weighed in on the most pressing issue for the Congress and our national security: providing aid to our allies.
Democrats voting against the poison pill bill will have to get out ahead of oppo messaging very early. "Yes, I voted against this dangerous, bad-faith bill. When the ill-preprared, inexperienced Speaker has a bill that actually addresses Israel's needs along with those of our other threatened allies, of course it will have my enthusiastic Yes vote."
From what I read, the additional funding for the IRS is already bringing in more than three times its cost to date. For once I agree with McConnell (never thought I’d say that, I can’t stand the man), that aid to Ukraine now to help them defeat Putin’s war of aggression is money well spent if it stops Putin from expanding his attempt at empire-building into NATO countries.
Is this being shared widely so that there is a move by MAGA voters to realize the implications and they MIGHT understand and say 'oops, maybe don't do this' to their House members? Is that way too wishful thinking?
I believe that Putin is behind the attack on Israel by Hamas. I saw a video where the Hamas leader went to Russia just after the attack and bragged about it on Russian state television. Newsweek ran article a couple of days ago that stated the Hamas leader called Russia it's "closest friend". Not only does the attack take attention away from Russia's war on Ukraine but the MAGA trump/Putin lovers can use the excuse that Israel needs the funds immediately and Ukraine funding can wait. This is exactly what Johnson is trying to pull now.
Mark in Colorado, Read today’s Hartmann Report, you hit the nail on the head with the Pascal quote. Hartmann really runs with that line of thought as it applies to Mike Johnson.
It is important to recognize that Johnson's proposal is completely in line with radical evangelical reading of the Book of Revelations. These fanatics are literally trying to use US foreign policy to enact their vision of the Apocalypse.
When do we get government back. One that governs. George Santos gets to stay, defund the IRS that admittedly can’t handle complex returns since ever. How about every congress person go through the audit that the former FBI director and assistant director and then let’s see what these mofo’s have been getting away with
Why do people seem "shocked" that the republicans would do this? They do it all the time. Here they get to pander to the wealthy, help putin by dumping aid to Ukraine, and get talking points if democrats vote against the bill for aid to Israel. You can see it now on faux news - "Democrats hate Israel and want them to lose the war!" Same song, different dance.
I don't see Johnson backing down. The GOP House caucus knows exactly who and what he is, and they voted him in as Speaker.
Those who paraded as non-Magas refused a collaboration with Democrats to address crucial foreign policy concerns and national security. Why would they now break their unity to vote against the new Speaker.
McConnell is a diminished figure...his power has faded, Republicans don't need his donor dollars...they understand the show-and-gridt that floods their campaign with small dollar contributions.
I don't see a way out of this inferno that results in anything like the aid package supported by the Senate.
I wish the Biden administration would simply use a portion of the frozen Russian assets to fund the war in Ukraine. It would eliminate a crucial GOP wedge and talking point.
I'm no so sure; bullies are cowards and Johnson is just a bully. A shutdown with several major crisis' is not easy to maintain. I also wouldn't count Mitch out just yet either, he has several defense contractors lining his PAC's pockets. They are not going to like dumping aid to Ukraine. Right now the republicans in purple districts are sweating.
I think Johnson believs he has the full caucus support to do what he's doing. Even if there's a degree of performance, it's clear that barring a sustained revolt by a portion of members (who've shown negative courage this far), a reasonable package won't be supported.
I'm not counting McConnell out, but he simply does not command power as he once did. He can't even control Tuberville, so defense contractor donor dollars are less relevant to today's GOP.
I'm not at all sure that Republicans in purple districts are worried. They should be, but we shouldn't rely on assumptions at this dangerous juncture. The outcome of Virginia's elections will tell us whether we're in greater or less danger than we think.
We'll have to wait and see about Johnson, I don't think he has the balls.
He's not trying to control Tuberville, do you really think Tuberville, or any of them, care if a service member gets an abortion? Tuberville is marching to trumps orders, he's holding the military promotions open so trump can install loyalists. It's kind of obvious at this point. Make no mistake, if trump wins in 2024 he's not leaving.
And who exactly made the results of the Virginia election the arbiter of future success or failure? Do we ignore all the wins we have had up to this point? Let's not forget Youngkin's administration purged 3,700 legal voters from the rolls. He claims this number is accurate after saying it was only 270. He also said all but 100 have been restored. Yeah, right. Classic republican voter suppression.
We don't have to wait to see what Johnson will do. We've seen what he will do.
Again, I understand what Tuberville is doing and why...the point is that the McConnell of the past would easily have dispensed with him. He doesn't have the power to stop him today.
There have been wins when abortion is squarely on the ballot, but Democrats stayed home in Louisiana and handed a gubernatorial win to a Maga Republican.
Virginia has been a barometer for the direction of the country. You don't have to agree, but assuming that democracy will prevail is unsupported by the dire state of school boards across the country, and the GOP trifectas at the state level.
I hope your more optimistic take prevails, but I believe that most every race that is competitive will be very tight in 2024. I'm extraordinarily concerned about turnout, especially with GenZers.
Believe it or not there is a lot of movement from Gen Z. I have seen several posts and they are fired up and ready. These people have spent their entire lives practicing shooting drills and surviving mass shootings. Their main concern is guns and climate. President Biden has set up committees for both and they are promising to reward him. Kamala Harris has spent the last 2 months visiting colleges and universities urging them to register to vote and if I am not mistaken she is making a couple more visits this month. 35,000 young people registered to vote in 2 days after Taylor Swift urged them to register. David Hogg has also set up a PAC to support people under 35 running for state offices.
I have a 15 year old son, who's a HS freshman, I don't have any choice BUT to be optimistic. But I'm also a pragmatist, and when Youngkin was elected it was doom and gloom in 2022; we were suppose to lose the house and senate - Red Wave! Well we did "lose" the house, but we kept the senate. The only reason we lost the house was Gerrymandering. Some of which has been undone.
Someone should remind MAGA Mike and his fellow travelers, that they are being paid $176,000 and enjoying the finest health care in existence, to advance, not obstruct, the interests of all Americans at home and abroad. "Politics", according to my Webster's Unabridged, is "the science and art of governance", not the science and art of adolescence.
This is probably too far out there, but: Is Johnson's brand of Evangelicalism tied in with the End Times belief? Those are the folks who wanted the Jews to return to Palestine per prophecy, but the prophecy then continues with Armageddon which wipes out the Jews and everyone but said Christian believers.
If so, could the poison pill be there to try to forestall aid to Israel, as not being in line with the prophecy, without actually SAYING so, which would be political suicide.
This is scary, indeed. As Olear said, we don't know for sure that Johnson is a "True Believer," but based on his actions so far, it appears as if he is. 😱
Susan, read Greg Olear (on substack) on Johnson and that exact topic: how will he deal with the world from his very narrow perspective? It will answer your question. Today’s article. Beautifully written. I’ll try to get back here with the link. Sometimes, I can’t find a comment again. Oy.
Yes. They do. But, they turn on people on a dime. Can that not be exploited? Either MAGA Mike or Trump could be filling the diplomatic and military leadership positions with people who will be loyalists to either a Christofascist agenda, or just a Fascist-fascist agenda!
It's funny to me that they could simply use his own speech in political ads against his actions:
“Now, we can’t allow Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine, because I don’t believe it would stop there, and it would probably encourage and empower China to perhaps make a move on Taiwan.”
Mike Johnson and extreme right is playing to its uneducated base. I attempted to explain to someone on another forum how pulling funding for the IRS would actually increase the debt. Here was the response: "your right! There's nothing you could show me that would make me believe that giving this gov, which has already spent 34 trillion more than its taken from taxpayers, more money or 87000 more agents will help to solve any debt problems. But hey you have fun with your fantasy fixes."
This kind of thought process I can't wrap my head around. People are so attached to their ideologies they won't even entertain factual information.
Democrats voting against the poison pill bill will have to get out ahead of oppo messaging very early. "Yes, I voted against this dangerous, bad-faith bill. When the ill-preprared, inexperienced Speaker has a bill that actually addresses Israel's needs along with those of our other threatened allies, of course it will have my enthusiastic Yes vote."
You need to go to Washington and give them some advice. We have to win back the House and Senate.
How is this one statement better than anything the Dems have messaged in the past 40 years? They really need better PR.
From what I read, the additional funding for the IRS is already bringing in more than three times its cost to date. For once I agree with McConnell (never thought I’d say that, I can’t stand the man), that aid to Ukraine now to help them defeat Putin’s war of aggression is money well spent if it stops Putin from expanding his attempt at empire-building into NATO countries.
The CBO just released its estimate, and the defunding of the IRS will mean 26+ billion less in revenue. So there’s a net loss on the move.
Is this being shared widely so that there is a move by MAGA voters to realize the implications and they MIGHT understand and say 'oops, maybe don't do this' to their House members? Is that way too wishful thinking?
Because of their media choices, MAGA will never even hear about it, let alone realize it.
Friends with MAGA or MAGA-cusp or once enamored are finding when they now expose/explain some are being heard and minds changed. Some. They’re trying.
I'm not sure that, once elected, MAGA Representatives really give a crap about what their constituents think--not even the far rightwinger ones.
Oh they don’t. It’s the voters tho who, if they’ll listen, may vote differently.
Fingers and toes crossed!
I was just thinking that the MAGA right has made McConnell look reasonable.
I believe that Putin is behind the attack on Israel by Hamas. I saw a video where the Hamas leader went to Russia just after the attack and bragged about it on Russian state television. Newsweek ran article a couple of days ago that stated the Hamas leader called Russia it's "closest friend". Not only does the attack take attention away from Russia's war on Ukraine but the MAGA trump/Putin lovers can use the excuse that Israel needs the funds immediately and Ukraine funding can wait. This is exactly what Johnson is trying to pull now.
The usual performative antics. No attempt to actually GOVERN.
Just as predicted, the moment they got back to work, House Republicans started playing games with national security and human lives abroad.
And that has to be part of the messaging, for sure.
Reverse Robin Hood-ism will keep MAGA Mike in office. He is the POISON PILL in our democracy.
“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when the do it from a religious conviction.”
-Blaise Pascal, French mathematician and physicist, 1623-1662
Mark in Colorado, Read today’s Hartmann Report, you hit the nail on the head with the Pascal quote. Hartmann really runs with that line of thought as it applies to Mike Johnson.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thomhartmann/p/can-we-stop-maga-mike-and-the-gop-114?r=1knhs2&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Michael G. THANK YOU for that link to Thom Hartmann...just read the column. Loved it and Mr. Hartmann's writing and subscribed!
I read him, too!
I read him too!
Amen!
It is important to recognize that Johnson's proposal is completely in line with radical evangelical reading of the Book of Revelations. These fanatics are literally trying to use US foreign policy to enact their vision of the Apocalypse.
When do we get government back. One that governs. George Santos gets to stay, defund the IRS that admittedly can’t handle complex returns since ever. How about every congress person go through the audit that the former FBI director and assistant director and then let’s see what these mofo’s have been getting away with
Why do people seem "shocked" that the republicans would do this? They do it all the time. Here they get to pander to the wealthy, help putin by dumping aid to Ukraine, and get talking points if democrats vote against the bill for aid to Israel. You can see it now on faux news - "Democrats hate Israel and want them to lose the war!" Same song, different dance.
I don't see Johnson backing down. The GOP House caucus knows exactly who and what he is, and they voted him in as Speaker.
Those who paraded as non-Magas refused a collaboration with Democrats to address crucial foreign policy concerns and national security. Why would they now break their unity to vote against the new Speaker.
McConnell is a diminished figure...his power has faded, Republicans don't need his donor dollars...they understand the show-and-gridt that floods their campaign with small dollar contributions.
I don't see a way out of this inferno that results in anything like the aid package supported by the Senate.
I wish the Biden administration would simply use a portion of the frozen Russian assets to fund the war in Ukraine. It would eliminate a crucial GOP wedge and talking point.
I'm no so sure; bullies are cowards and Johnson is just a bully. A shutdown with several major crisis' is not easy to maintain. I also wouldn't count Mitch out just yet either, he has several defense contractors lining his PAC's pockets. They are not going to like dumping aid to Ukraine. Right now the republicans in purple districts are sweating.
I think Johnson believs he has the full caucus support to do what he's doing. Even if there's a degree of performance, it's clear that barring a sustained revolt by a portion of members (who've shown negative courage this far), a reasonable package won't be supported.
I'm not counting McConnell out, but he simply does not command power as he once did. He can't even control Tuberville, so defense contractor donor dollars are less relevant to today's GOP.
I'm not at all sure that Republicans in purple districts are worried. They should be, but we shouldn't rely on assumptions at this dangerous juncture. The outcome of Virginia's elections will tell us whether we're in greater or less danger than we think.
We'll have to wait and see about Johnson, I don't think he has the balls.
He's not trying to control Tuberville, do you really think Tuberville, or any of them, care if a service member gets an abortion? Tuberville is marching to trumps orders, he's holding the military promotions open so trump can install loyalists. It's kind of obvious at this point. Make no mistake, if trump wins in 2024 he's not leaving.
And who exactly made the results of the Virginia election the arbiter of future success or failure? Do we ignore all the wins we have had up to this point? Let's not forget Youngkin's administration purged 3,700 legal voters from the rolls. He claims this number is accurate after saying it was only 270. He also said all but 100 have been restored. Yeah, right. Classic republican voter suppression.
We don't have to wait to see what Johnson will do. We've seen what he will do.
Again, I understand what Tuberville is doing and why...the point is that the McConnell of the past would easily have dispensed with him. He doesn't have the power to stop him today.
There have been wins when abortion is squarely on the ballot, but Democrats stayed home in Louisiana and handed a gubernatorial win to a Maga Republican.
Virginia has been a barometer for the direction of the country. You don't have to agree, but assuming that democracy will prevail is unsupported by the dire state of school boards across the country, and the GOP trifectas at the state level.
I hope your more optimistic take prevails, but I believe that most every race that is competitive will be very tight in 2024. I'm extraordinarily concerned about turnout, especially with GenZers.
I wish you well.
Believe it or not there is a lot of movement from Gen Z. I have seen several posts and they are fired up and ready. These people have spent their entire lives practicing shooting drills and surviving mass shootings. Their main concern is guns and climate. President Biden has set up committees for both and they are promising to reward him. Kamala Harris has spent the last 2 months visiting colleges and universities urging them to register to vote and if I am not mistaken she is making a couple more visits this month. 35,000 young people registered to vote in 2 days after Taylor Swift urged them to register. David Hogg has also set up a PAC to support people under 35 running for state offices.
I have a 15 year old son, who's a HS freshman, I don't have any choice BUT to be optimistic. But I'm also a pragmatist, and when Youngkin was elected it was doom and gloom in 2022; we were suppose to lose the house and senate - Red Wave! Well we did "lose" the house, but we kept the senate. The only reason we lost the house was Gerrymandering. Some of which has been undone.
This nightmare has to end
This country is in such frightful turmoil. Please remember this in the voting booth!!
This man is a danger to all our civil rights. He is a Christian ideologue.
Someone should remind MAGA Mike and his fellow travelers, that they are being paid $176,000 and enjoying the finest health care in existence, to advance, not obstruct, the interests of all Americans at home and abroad. "Politics", according to my Webster's Unabridged, is "the science and art of governance", not the science and art of adolescence.
I read that as, "the science and art of obsolescence." Thinking both work?
As President Biden likes to remark, “Good luck in your senior year.”
I love Joe Biden. Just saying.
This is probably too far out there, but: Is Johnson's brand of Evangelicalism tied in with the End Times belief? Those are the folks who wanted the Jews to return to Palestine per prophecy, but the prophecy then continues with Armageddon which wipes out the Jews and everyone but said Christian believers.
If so, could the poison pill be there to try to forestall aid to Israel, as not being in line with the prophecy, without actually SAYING so, which would be political suicide.
https://open.substack.com/pub/gregolear/p/the-revelation-of-mike-johnson-the?r=4tv99&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I found you! Read this.
This is scary, indeed. As Olear said, we don't know for sure that Johnson is a "True Believer," but based on his actions so far, it appears as if he is. 😱
THANK YOU. Brilliant analysis. And thanks for introducing me to Olear.
Woah, this is chilling. Thanks for the link.
Susan, read Greg Olear (on substack) on Johnson and that exact topic: how will he deal with the world from his very narrow perspective? It will answer your question. Today’s article. Beautifully written. I’ll try to get back here with the link. Sometimes, I can’t find a comment again. Oy.
Very interesting.
MAGA Mike is 2 seats away from leading our country. We need to hope the MAGAs get rid of him.
I think they see him as one of them.
Yes. They do. But, they turn on people on a dime. Can that not be exploited? Either MAGA Mike or Trump could be filling the diplomatic and military leadership positions with people who will be loyalists to either a Christofascist agenda, or just a Fascist-fascist agenda!
It's funny to me that they could simply use his own speech in political ads against his actions:
“Now, we can’t allow Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine, because I don’t believe it would stop there, and it would probably encourage and empower China to perhaps make a move on Taiwan.”
It is odd how he talks that way but then acts… actually, never mind. It’s expected from them.
Mike Johnson and extreme right is playing to its uneducated base. I attempted to explain to someone on another forum how pulling funding for the IRS would actually increase the debt. Here was the response: "your right! There's nothing you could show me that would make me believe that giving this gov, which has already spent 34 trillion more than its taken from taxpayers, more money or 87000 more agents will help to solve any debt problems. But hey you have fun with your fantasy fixes."
This kind of thought process I can't wrap my head around. People are so attached to their ideologies they won't even entertain factual information.
And the idea that their orange god contributed the bulk of that 34 trillion in debt breaks their brains.
They don't even acknowledge it. They don't acknowledge that the tax cuts cut revenue as well.