I was reading two separate stories early this morning, and it struck me that they were actually related. The first is about the debt ceiling—a problem no one in the GOP wants to own but everyone will eventually have to address. Speaker Kevin McCarthy cobbled together exactly 217 against 215 votes, for a bill that slashes government spending across the board. It will go nowhere in the Senate—Democrats there
The concern that I have is that because they know just how fucked they'd be in a fair and honest election, they will double down on their efforts to rig as many elections as they can... be it by voter bans (excuse me, "cleaning up the voter rolls"), gerrymandering ("redrawing districts to reflect demographics") or draconian voter ID laws and banning absentee / early voting ("preventing voter fraud")... and of course the always favorite closing down of polling places - after all, if they can't vote, they can't vote the wrong way.
As someone who, unfortunately, knows many a MAGA cult member, trust me. They do not understand, or choose not to understand, what the debt ceiling issue actually IS, and are all for what McCarthy is doing. Because, you know, all these people on welfare/Medicaid, etc are what is dragging us down. Tax breaks for the wealthy are absolutely fine with them. They will continue to vote against their own Interests to "own the libs" because they simply cannot get past Hunter Bidens laptop. It's very sad.
Do most Americans really support modest cuts to which programs exactly? Do they really want the massive income tax cuts for the wealthiest to continue? The budget deficits are not a spending problem they are an insufficient and unfair tax problem. The idea that there is anything in Republican positions to compromise with is a fallacy.
I continue to believe that the Administration (Biden/Yellen) will, after letting McCarthy twist in the wind for a few more weeks, pull the 14th Amendment argument and raise or eliminate the debt ceiling unilaterally. Yes, it will lead to a court fight, possibly ending at the SCOTUS, but it will prevent the worst effects of a default. Not to say that there won't be a shock to the markets and possibly a credit downgrade (as happened in 2012); there will. But pulling the rug out from under McCarthy will be worth it.
Here is an idea for the “Less-extreme” GOP members in the House, and maybe in the Senate. Seven Steps to avoid disaster and set our country back on the rails:
For those who have a remnant of a conscience and haven’t yet sold their soul, there is a way out. First, reconnect with your spine.
Second, find others like you in the House.
Third, call for a vote on McCarthy. Thanks to the “Loss of Freedom Caucus” it only takes one of you to call for the vote.
Fourth, be absent for the first roll call vote.
Fifth, when they go around a second time to pick up the stragglers, vote for Rep Jeffries.
Sixth, immediately call a press conference and declare that you are leaving the Republican Party. If you don’t feel good about joining the party of sanity (Democrats) then become Independent.
Seventh, when asked with whom you will caucus……say Democrats. And watch the insane howl and the weak-hearted drop.
My worry is that religion will carry them through, bricks and all. Where I’m from, a not-insignificant amount of voters legitimately believe Trump was sent by God. He’s nearly on par with Jesus, himself. With so many Republican policies tied in with Christian “values,” to deny the Republicans is to deny God. Even if they don’t always agree with what is done or said, even when they express doubt in party direction, they will hold their noses and support it. Nobody wants their friends/family/neighbors to suspect they would vote against God’s will.
It sounds dumb, but that’s pretty much how it is in rural Ohio right now. Hopefully this is a rare situation.
"...he isn’t trying to solve the nation’s problems. He’s trying to solve his party’s problems." He may not even be trying to do that much. It would fit my opinion of Kevin McCarthy that the only thing he is trying to do is hang onto his "speakership." His party, the economy, the country, and everything else can go hang as long as he gets to stay speaker.
I do not think cutting off the most vulnerable in our society, namely the young and old, the poor is the way to go with budget cuts. In fact, I support Biden's attempts to get more money out of the super wealthy who skip country as far as it goes to hide their money in countries that are friendly to tax dodgers. In fact, I think that our congress ought to pass a bill that one cannot have dual citizenship in countries that help hide money, like St. Kitts and Nevis, where Billionaire Harlan Crow likely hides his money. https://theintercept.com/2023/04/25/clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-citizenship-st-kitts/
In fact, old Harlan Crow has got to go! Let him be given a choice of citizenships, and there are probably a lot of others. If they leave they keep their money, but it won't be welcome here, and there should be protections to ensure that they cannot give campaign contributions. I think if anything the IRS should have even more money since they are the bureau that is best suited to fund our government. Make the rich pay their fare share and then we can see about bringing down the debt ceiling.
Jay, would you please speak into the US debt and how not paying them may be unconstitutional? Thom Hartman (Substack the Hartman report) lays out his thoughts. Specifically: 11. Section 4 of the Fourteenth Amendment, declaring that, ‘The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, ...shall not be questioned,’ is confirmatory of a fundamental principle, applying as well to bonds issued after, as to those issued before, the adoption of the Amendment; and the expression ‘validity of the public debt’ embraces whatever concerns the integrity of the public obligations.
“The Joint Resolution of June 5, 1933, is a direct violation of §4 of the Fourteenth Amendment, expressly limiting the delegated powers of Congress, and making the public debt of the United States inviolable at the hands of Congress.”
But but but. Gerrymandering. We in NC failed in our attempt to keep the NC Supreme Court in sane hands and I fear we will lose seats in 2024. What’s to be done? There are reliable progressive and voting rights groups here, but, sad to say, Democrats need more support from the party.
Is it ever possible for the house Dems to form a coalition with moderate Rs to force a vote and approve a clean "debt" limit increase? Would McCarthy even allow that vote?
Loved this, Jay. So true. Especially like your phrase "stick to their guns" by the Guns Over People demagogues. (I'm not dignifying this group of professional political thugs as a legitimate party.)
The concern that I have is that because they know just how fucked they'd be in a fair and honest election, they will double down on their efforts to rig as many elections as they can... be it by voter bans (excuse me, "cleaning up the voter rolls"), gerrymandering ("redrawing districts to reflect demographics") or draconian voter ID laws and banning absentee / early voting ("preventing voter fraud")... and of course the always favorite closing down of polling places - after all, if they can't vote, they can't vote the wrong way.
As someone who, unfortunately, knows many a MAGA cult member, trust me. They do not understand, or choose not to understand, what the debt ceiling issue actually IS, and are all for what McCarthy is doing. Because, you know, all these people on welfare/Medicaid, etc are what is dragging us down. Tax breaks for the wealthy are absolutely fine with them. They will continue to vote against their own Interests to "own the libs" because they simply cannot get past Hunter Bidens laptop. It's very sad.
Do most Americans really support modest cuts to which programs exactly? Do they really want the massive income tax cuts for the wealthiest to continue? The budget deficits are not a spending problem they are an insufficient and unfair tax problem. The idea that there is anything in Republican positions to compromise with is a fallacy.
I continue to believe that the Administration (Biden/Yellen) will, after letting McCarthy twist in the wind for a few more weeks, pull the 14th Amendment argument and raise or eliminate the debt ceiling unilaterally. Yes, it will lead to a court fight, possibly ending at the SCOTUS, but it will prevent the worst effects of a default. Not to say that there won't be a shock to the markets and possibly a credit downgrade (as happened in 2012); there will. But pulling the rug out from under McCarthy will be worth it.
Here is an idea for the “Less-extreme” GOP members in the House, and maybe in the Senate. Seven Steps to avoid disaster and set our country back on the rails:
For those who have a remnant of a conscience and haven’t yet sold their soul, there is a way out. First, reconnect with your spine.
Second, find others like you in the House.
Third, call for a vote on McCarthy. Thanks to the “Loss of Freedom Caucus” it only takes one of you to call for the vote.
Fourth, be absent for the first roll call vote.
Fifth, when they go around a second time to pick up the stragglers, vote for Rep Jeffries.
Sixth, immediately call a press conference and declare that you are leaving the Republican Party. If you don’t feel good about joining the party of sanity (Democrats) then become Independent.
Seventh, when asked with whom you will caucus……say Democrats. And watch the insane howl and the weak-hearted drop.
My worry is that religion will carry them through, bricks and all. Where I’m from, a not-insignificant amount of voters legitimately believe Trump was sent by God. He’s nearly on par with Jesus, himself. With so many Republican policies tied in with Christian “values,” to deny the Republicans is to deny God. Even if they don’t always agree with what is done or said, even when they express doubt in party direction, they will hold their noses and support it. Nobody wants their friends/family/neighbors to suspect they would vote against God’s will.
It sounds dumb, but that’s pretty much how it is in rural Ohio right now. Hopefully this is a rare situation.
"...he isn’t trying to solve the nation’s problems. He’s trying to solve his party’s problems." He may not even be trying to do that much. It would fit my opinion of Kevin McCarthy that the only thing he is trying to do is hang onto his "speakership." His party, the economy, the country, and everything else can go hang as long as he gets to stay speaker.
I am still hoping that Biden takes one of the paths that Paul Krugman offers. https://www.berkshireeagle.com/opinion/columnists/by-paul-krugman-a-few-ways-out-of-the-debt-ceiling-mess/article_71f201b3-ad3c-5e5a-bdb8-ba518b0b67f2.html
I do not think cutting off the most vulnerable in our society, namely the young and old, the poor is the way to go with budget cuts. In fact, I support Biden's attempts to get more money out of the super wealthy who skip country as far as it goes to hide their money in countries that are friendly to tax dodgers. In fact, I think that our congress ought to pass a bill that one cannot have dual citizenship in countries that help hide money, like St. Kitts and Nevis, where Billionaire Harlan Crow likely hides his money. https://theintercept.com/2023/04/25/clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-citizenship-st-kitts/
In fact, old Harlan Crow has got to go! Let him be given a choice of citizenships, and there are probably a lot of others. If they leave they keep their money, but it won't be welcome here, and there should be protections to ensure that they cannot give campaign contributions. I think if anything the IRS should have even more money since they are the bureau that is best suited to fund our government. Make the rich pay their fare share and then we can see about bringing down the debt ceiling.
Jay, would you please speak into the US debt and how not paying them may be unconstitutional? Thom Hartman (Substack the Hartman report) lays out his thoughts. Specifically: 11. Section 4 of the Fourteenth Amendment, declaring that, ‘The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, ...shall not be questioned,’ is confirmatory of a fundamental principle, applying as well to bonds issued after, as to those issued before, the adoption of the Amendment; and the expression ‘validity of the public debt’ embraces whatever concerns the integrity of the public obligations.
“The Joint Resolution of June 5, 1933, is a direct violation of §4 of the Fourteenth Amendment, expressly limiting the delegated powers of Congress, and making the public debt of the United States inviolable at the hands of Congress.”
Thank you.
This chaotic group of clunky malfeasance cannot even find unanimity within the plot of their evil comic pages...
As you have indicted, may they Wile E Coyote themselves into singed-hair irrelevance.
But but but. Gerrymandering. We in NC failed in our attempt to keep the NC Supreme Court in sane hands and I fear we will lose seats in 2024. What’s to be done? There are reliable progressive and voting rights groups here, but, sad to say, Democrats need more support from the party.
I am extremely concerned that they are all nuts enough to actually do it, to crash the economy.
Is it ever possible for the house Dems to form a coalition with moderate Rs to force a vote and approve a clean "debt" limit increase? Would McCarthy even allow that vote?
Loved this, Jay. So true. Especially like your phrase "stick to their guns" by the Guns Over People demagogues. (I'm not dignifying this group of professional political thugs as a legitimate party.)
The GOP has got to disenfranchise women. You heard it here first.
I await the great awakening, this is not going to be pretty.