190 Comments
Nov 16Liked by Jay Kuo

I don't get paid time off a week before thanksgiving, and I don't leave work incomplete before the end of the day let alone before a long holiday. But, I'm also not a republican.

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Nov 16Liked by Jay Kuo

Faces or Feces? Kind of hard to tell these days.

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Nov 16Liked by Jay Kuo

I was in the military; so was my husband. I can guarantee that NO ONE successfully applies for travel expenses using a flimsy, personal excuse like “crossing state lines to get an abortion.” Talk about a made-up BS story! Tuberville never served in the military, btw . . .

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I hate to be a conspiracy theorist, but this all seems to be part of a plan. The GQP are putting on a show for the cult members. Limp along, make headlines, investigate the President about things he did when he WASN'T president, etc. etc. If the senate republicans wanted to end this nonsense they could; why won't they? Because, right now, nothing else is getting accomplished; no other nominations are getting done, no judges, no vacant cabinet positions, nothing. The goal is to end up with trump back in the white house, and then they have nothing to worry about.

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Nov 16Liked by Jay Kuo

Do these morons realize how weak, disorganized and vulnerable all this makes the country look to the rest of the world? Why would any of them trust us to do anything well??

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Nov 16Liked by Jay Kuo

"Jelly on leopard toast." THAT is a good one.

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I do not agree with the language choice of “moderate” versus “far right” republicans. They are all far right. Some are insane and some are certifiably insane, but they are all far to the right of most Americans. If you persist in using this description, you must defend and define it so we can respect how you use it. Otherwise, you are playing into their hand by allowing for the possibility that a Republican exists who holds moderate views. Look at the party platform for 2020: Whatever trump says or wants is what we stand for. How in God’s name is this moderate?

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Nov 16Liked by Jay Kuo

Great explanation of the mess. Seeing my tax dollars wasted in such a manner makes me sick and angry. Again, the only way to rid ourselves of these radical do-nothings is to vote them out.

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Nov 16Liked by Jay Kuo

Thank you again for keeping us all informed.

The saddest item to which you draw attention is the difference in motivation, determination, and courage between the far-right extremists and the more moderate traditionalists. Cheney, Kinzinger, and Meijer are all gone. Buck (!) is leaving. The desire to remain in office at ANY price, no matter what a travesty they make of that office, is more compelling than any sense of duty, moral obligation, or even personal legacy in the eyes of history.

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"Moreover, most Republican congressmen are more at risk from an ideologically motivated primary challenge than from a Democrat in the general election. Commitment to ideological principle at the expense of legislative accomplishment is the safest strategy for Republican officeholders."

As I have noted earlier Jerry Taylor of the Niskanen Center hit the nail squarely on the head in his assessment of the Republican party, as can be seen in the quote above discussed within one of my earlier essays.

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Nov 16Liked by Jay Kuo

Regarding the Senate Republicans' 'strategy' for making Tuberville object to every individual military appointment AGAIN reminds me of the common definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. The same holds true for House Republicans and their unending Speaker saga and CRs. I think a bunch of kindergartners would do a better job.

I understand the Republican senators might be unhappy with the threat to be primaried but it seems they have greater support than Tuberville does and after all, they'd be saving the military so why not plow ahead? Or better yet, can't they censure him and move on?

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Two quick things Jay:

- Could you briefly explain the Senate rule that allows 1% of the Senate to hold the rest hostage on critical votes? What is the rule, what does it cover, what possible value did it ever have, and why the GOPs aren't happy to take that weapon away so their lord can do more damage if he is reelected.

- Couldn't the likes of The Lincoln Project spend a relatively small amount of money to shine a bright light on Tuberville's attack on the military and safety of the United States amongst his voters, and promise to primary him if he doesn't relent? And then do the same for Rand Paul? There has got to be more voters in favor of US military and their own personal safety than there are hard core "stop all abortions at any cost" zealots.

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Well said, Jay.

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You know, I suppose we should actually be concerned about the state of the GOP majority in the House, but to quote a notorious notable: "I really don't care. Do U? "

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What was the definition of insanity Again?

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Again and again and again...I parse this battle within the GOP as class struggle. It's the suits vs the petite bourgeoisie. The suits capitulated to Trump and in doing so signaled one thing loud and clear: they are afraid of the working class. Afraid to confront them, afraid to understand what they want and would like more than anything for them to disappear. Instead the suits themselves are disappearing, quitting the field to the opportunists and grifters, leaving the GOP a hollowed out tomb of ambition and stupidity.

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