What's Going on in the US House of Representatives?

[RLENT]

Here ya go:

“If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”

Representative Maxine Waters Calls for Political Violence | National Review

Does she know where this leads?

www.nationalreview.com

Most everyone remembers the reports of Press Secretary Sarah Sanders being chased out of a restaurant in Northern VA, but attacks during that time weren't just limited to Trump Cabinet members. People all over the country who dared to be seen with Trump T-shirts or MAGA hats were attacked, harassed and verbally assaulted. Vehicles with Trump bumper stickers were keyed or damaged, yard signs were destroyed or stolen. This was all over the news, so the claim that it's only MAGA that "trades in hate" has no basis in fact.

But Waters' hate-mongering wasn't just limited to Trump cabinet members and supporters:

“We got to stay on the street. And we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational. We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business,” she said.
Asked about the curfew put in place, Waters said, “I don’t think anything about curfew. Curfew means I want you all to stop talking. I want you to stop meeting. I want you to stop gathering. I don’t agree with that.”

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/19/politics/maxine-waters-derek-chauvin-trial/index.html

Not liking that "brute force" thing too much ... when it's the black lady representative from CA advocating it ?

Big surprise there ... NOT !

Apparently, the festering resentments are already there. Considering the chaotic situation that exists right now among the GOP conference, the use of strong-arm tactics by the Jordan team makes perfect sense. It looks like reasoning, back-scratching, deal making, and the team-play concepts have all failed with the petulant holdouts, so brute force is all that's left.

Results are what counts. LBJ was well-known for using this tactic to get things done in the Senate, and he was one of the most effective majority leaders ever. Since all else has failed, if that's what it takes to get a Speaker in place, so be it.

So basically cool with "brute force" and "strong-arm tactics" ... as long as it serves as a means to an end that you desire then ?

After all, what's a few death threats among frenemies ?

 

[Pilgrim]

You asked me. Let me ask you. In your opinion, who is MAGA?

Joe Biden and the Democrat party have over time expanded the MAGA label from just applying to Trump die-hards to pretty much anybody who votes Republican. Biden was quoted from a recent fundraiser saying "“Let there be no question: Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans are determined to destroy American democracy...". On the one hand, he claims that MAGA doesn't represent the majority of the party, but right now the vast majority of likely Republican voters support Trump as the 2024 nominee; the fact that they would vote for Trump makes them MAGA.

Even Hillary Clinton has gotten in on the shaming with her most recent obnoxious quote: "Because at some point maybe there needs to be a formal deprogramming of the cult members. But something needs to happen.”

Hillary Clinton says Trump supporters may need to be ‘deprogrammed’

In an interview on CNN the former senator and secretary of state also called the ex-president ‘an authoritarian populist’

www.theguardian.com

This represents a concerted effort by the Democrat party to label anyone who would vote for Trump for POTUS as a "deplorable" extremist (MAGA). So if Trump remains in the race and ends up getting the nomination, the choice will be between him and whomever the Democrat nominee is. Whoever dares to support Republican candidates and vote for Trump will be declared MAGA by Democrats and the media - guilt by association.

 

[Pilgrim]

Whataboutism at it's finest. Smh

That's not even close - did you even read the posts? A-Team asked specifically about what Maxine Waters said and I provided a couple of direct quotes.

 

[Pilgrim]

That said. the death threats Republicans are now receiving from other Republicans are far more serious. They are serious crimes with serious penalties that should be investigated and prosecuted.

I agree 100%. The FBI should investigate every one of these threats, regardless of party, race, religion, etc. Considering all the nut cases out there now and the animosity that exists in politics, any death threat should be taken seriously.

 

[Pilgrim]

What's True for One is True for All

In the news this morning, about 10 Republican names are being mentioned as declared or potential candidates for the US House speaker election. One of them is Tom Emmer (R-MN). Trump is making it known that he does not want Emmer to be speaker. That's probably enough to doom Emmer's bid. With the Republican majority razor thin, it only takes a tiny handful of Republican House members to vote against Emmer and thereby deny him the speaker's seat. With numerous Trump loyalists in Congress, that tiny handful of opposing votes certainly exists.

Considering that Emmer has always been a never-Trumper, it's no surprise that Trump and his supporters would be against him. The GOP is so bitterly divided that no member can get the necessary votes. They need to start looking outside the House for a candidate they can all get behind, not somebody like Liz Cheney. They should at least be united against the Democrats if they're not for one of their own.

Exclusive: A Dozen Republicans Oppose Tom Emmer Taking Speakership

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) will not receive the votes to become Speaker of the House, Breitbart News has learned.

www.breitbart.com

 

[Ragman]

That's not even close - did you even read the posts? A-Team asked specifically about what Maxine Waters said and I provided a couple of direct quotes.

There is a world of difference between verbal harassment and physical threats. Seems like it would be easy to tell the difference.

 

[RLENT]

Considering that Emmer has always been a never-Trumper, it's no surprise that Trump and his supporters would be against him. The GOP is so bitterly divided that no member can get the necessary votes.

#ETTD

They need to start looking outside the House for a candidate they can all get behind, not somebody like Liz Cheney.

Why not Liz Cheney ?

Must everyone bow and kiss Donnie's ring ?

What happened to the "big tent" ?

They should at least be united against the Democrats if they're not for one of their own.

They're too busy killing each other off to worry about the Dems ...

Exclusive: A Dozen Republicans Oppose Tom Emmer Taking Speakership

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) will not receive the votes to become Speaker of the House, Breitbart News has learned.

www.breitbart.com

Thanks for sharing that.

The comments to the article were hilarious !

#circularfiringsquad

 

[muttly]

There is a world of difference between verbal harassment and physical threats. Seems like it would be easy to tell the difference.

It’s not a “world of difference”.Telling people to create a crowd and get in their face to harass people may lead to an escalation to violence.

 

[Pilgrim]

There is a world of difference between verbal harassment and physical threats. Seems like it would be easy to tell the difference.

One would think so, but Waters and MAGA were part of a conversation about "trading in anger" that started with post #556.

 

[muttly]

Not liking that "brute force" thing too much ... when it's the black lady representative from CA advocating it ?

Big surprise there ... NOT !





So basically cool with "brute force" and "strong-arm tactics" ... as long as it serves as a means to an end that you desire then ?

After all, what's a few death threats among frenemies ?

The phrase “brute force” as political speech is much like the phrase “bare knuckle politics”. It doesn’t actually mean physical force. Neither does “strong-arm tactics”. It’s a figure of speech in politics.
I also don’t know why your post contained an unnecessary racial component to it. It looked like an ad-hominem along with the frenemies comment.

 

[muttly]

What Maxine Waters encouraged is wrong. I value civility and decorum and respect in our ongoing public debate. Water's comments undermine that.

That said. the death threats Republicans are now receiving from other Republicans are far more serious. They are serious crimes with serious penalties that should be investigated and prosecuted.

Definitely should be investigated. Nobody should be physical threatened. Do we know if they were threatened by only “other republicans”?

 

[ATeam]

Joe Biden and the Democrat party have over time expanded the MAGA label ...

That's about what the Democrats say MAGA is. My question was asked of you, Pilgrim. In your opinion, who is MAGA?

I'm asking out of curiosity and to further refine my own use of the word. Your input would be helpful. I want to come up with a definition of the term that MAGA people would accept.

 

[ATeam]

The GOP is so bitterly divided that no member can get the necessary votes. They need to start looking outside the House for a candidate they can all get behind, not somebody like Liz Cheney. They should at least be united against the Democrats if they're not for one of their own.

Do you have any names to suggest? If no one in the Republican caucus can get elected as speaker by the disunited Republicans, is it any different for anyone outside of the House? Ryan is a former Republican speaker. He has no chance. Gingrich? Same story. One Republican representative said Jesus Christ could not be elected by Republicans as their speaker. I don't think Trump could be elected either. Is there anyone who can unite this fractious and embittered group?

One thought comes to mind. The QAnon Shaman has spent time in the speaker's chair. Might he do?

 

[ATeam]

There is a world of difference between verbal harassment and physical threats. Seems like it would be easy to tell the difference.

verbal harassment and death threats are both verbal. The difference is a difference in degree. One is a serious crime. The other may or may not be a crime depending on the circumstances. And if it is a crime, it is less serious with lesser penalties.

 

[ATeam]

What happened to the "big tent" ?

Donald Trump drove, frightened or grossed most people out who did not agree with him. Donald Trump happened to the big tent. Few non-Trumpers remain and those who do are silent or stripped of influence.

 

[muttly]

In general, MAGA is for secure borders. Stopping the influx of illegal aliens.
They’re for keeping good paying jobs in this country.
They’re for energy independence with the main sources being oil and natural gas.
They’re for a strong nation defense, but are against being sucked into wars involving other countries border disputes and sending hundreds of billions to Ukraine.
They are concerned about the nation debt and want action on controlling the deficit instead of business as usual.
MAGA believes that Trump is the political leader with the best chance to implement those policies.
The biggest difference between MAGA and other Republicans is the spending and the position about being involved in foreign wars that aren’t pertinent to our national defense.

 

[ATeam]

Exclusive: A Dozen Republicans Oppose Tom Emmer Taking Speakership

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) will not receive the votes to become Speaker of the House, Breitbart News has learned.

www.breitbart.com

I read the article. While on the site, I scanned a few others as well.

All I can say is, wow!

A dozen Republicans immediately rise to torpedo his chance, but they have no one else to offer after Jordan crashed and burned in a humiliating defeat dealt to him by Republicans.

There are growing calls from House Republicans to strip Representative Granger of her committee chair because of her voting record. Pure retaliation with nothing positive about it. Brute force designed to keep only their close friends in power. No consideration for majority rule whatsoever. No respect for the fact that it was Republican leadership that put her in the committee chair in the first place. Retribution rules.

Some Republicans are calling for Gaetz to be expelled from the House.

One Republican House members said the caucus would have come to physical blows had they not taken time to go home to decompress.

Notwithstanding Jordan's collapse dealt by a caucus majority vote, seven House Republicans are pledging to do whatever it takes to make Jordan speaker. They deserve the name "kamikaze caucus," and their problem is they are targeting friendly ships. They made this truly insane statement:

Therefore, if the holdouts who refuse to vote for Speaker-Designate Jordan would be willing to “vote with the team” and elect him the 56th House Speaker, we are prepared to accept censure, suspension, or removal from the Conference to accomplish this objective. We remain proud members of the Republican Party, as nominated by our respective districts.
What unites us as Republicans is more important than our disagreements. We must now come together to elect Jim Jordan. We offer this sincerely and with the hope of unity with purpose. Our fidelity to Republican virtues and principles remains unwavering.

Jordan appeals for unity, saying; “Let’s get back to working on the crisis at the southern border, inflation, and helping Israel,” but the House Republicans don't seem to care.

The motion to vacate the speaker's chair was made with no plan whatsoever to replace McCarthy. Thus the self-induced, toxic intra-party chaos is not just continuing, it's getting worse.

The House Republican caucus is imploding before our eyes and there appears to be no way out, except with help from the Democrats.

Except that, there is a small group of nihilists in the Republican caucus who are perfectly content to let not just the party but the country to fail. The House is shut down. A government shutdown is looming. For them, things are going great!

 

[ATeam]

In general, MAGA is for secure borders. Stopping the influx of illegal aliens.
They’re for keeping good paying jobs in this country.
They’re for energy independence with the main sources being oil and natural gas.
They’re for a strong nation defense, but are against being sucked into wars involving other countries border disputes and sending hundreds of billions to Ukraine.
They are concerned about the nation debt and want action on controlling the deficit instead of business as usual.
MAGA believes that Trump is the political leader with the best chance to implement those policies.
The biggest difference between MAGA and other Republicans is the spending and the position about being involved in foreign wars that aren’t pertinent to our national defense.

Is it fair to say MAGA people are isolationists?

 

[Pilgrim]

That's about what the Democrats say MAGA is. My question was asked of you, Pilgrim. In your opinion, who is MAGA?

As we all probably know, the acronym stands for Make America Great Again - the Trump campaign slogan. It was enthusiastically adopted by conservative Republicans, and many middle-class Americans who supported Trump. Personally, I believe this group has expanded to other traditional political conservatives, even those who might prefer someone like Ron DeSantis or Gov Glenn Youngkin of VA. They would not vote for any Democrat party candidate under any circumstances, even at the lowest local level. It seems to me that MAGA Republicans believe in the following principles which include but aren't limited to:

• Lower taxes and limited government spending
• A strong military - peace through strength.
• A sensible America first foreign policy; Make our allies trust us and our enemies fear us again.
• Secure borders and limited immigration
• Energy independence and economic self-sufficiency; make things like semiconductors and pharmaceuticals in the USA. Maximize our production of oil and natural gas. Export our coal to China and Russia.
• 1st and 2nd Amendment rights are inalienable
• The traditional two-parent family is the bedrock of our society; thus, a return to Judeo-Christian values.
• Law and Order is mandatory for a functional society
• Education of our children should be controlled at the state and local level. Our children should learn to read and once again be proficient in math, English, technology and science. Disband the DOE.

This is just an off-the-cuff opinion, and no doubt there's some things I've left out.

 

[ATeam]

As we all probably know, the acronym stands for Make America Great Again - the Trump campaign slogan. It was enthusiastically adopted by conservative Republicans, and many middle-class Americans who supported Trump. Personally, I believe this group has expanded to other traditional political conservatives, even those who might prefer someone like Ron DeSantis or Gov Glenn Youngkin of VA. They would not vote for any Democrat party candidate under any circumstances, even at the lowest local level. It seems to me that MAGA Republicans believe in the following principles which include but aren't limited to:

• Lower taxes and limited government spending
• A strong military - peace through strength.
• A sensible America first foreign policy; Make our allies trust us and our enemies fear us again.
• Secure borders and limited immigration
• Energy independence and economic self-sufficiency; make things like semiconductors and pharmaceuticals in the USA. Maximize our production of oil and natural gas. Export our coal to China and Russia.
• 1st and 2nd Amendment rights are inalienable
• The traditional two-parent family is the bedrock of our society; thus, a return to Judeo-Christian values.
• Law and Order is mandatory for a functional society
• Education of our children should be controlled at the state and local level. Our children should learn to read and once again be proficient in math, English, technology and science. Disband the DOE.

This is just an off-the-cuff opinion, and no doubt there's some things I've left out.

This could be a long discussion with little fruit. I will say, I enthusiastically agree with "Disband the (federal) DOE," not for any social reasons, but because it consumes massive amounts of money without providing demonstrable benefits to students. American education may not improve if we disbanded DOE, but it would be no worse off either ... and probably better off.