After yesterday’s humiliation of having the opposition to Kevin McCarthy’s election as Speaker of the House grow by the third rejection, the inability of McCarthy and his supporters to whip the necessary 218 votes to adjourn today, thus forcing him to endure three more rejections as the same 20 opponents chose a new candidate to vote for unanimously, while also losing one of his own voters who became “present,” demonstrates as clearly as anything that no matter what happens, the dumbest candidate for Speaker this century is not going to achieve his lifetime goal. As of this evening, he counts it a victory that he was able to obtain a two-vote majority to adjourn the House and avoid a seventh humiliation until tomorrow.
"All Donald Trump ever did was come along and toss a lit match into the fireworks factory."
I take your point in terms of the " kindling" already historically in place......but I want to disagree a bit.
He did toss the lit match but , in my opinion, it wasn't all he ever did. He also projected onto our entire society his embedded dysfunction, his bullying ego, his all consuming self -absorption, his absurd stream of conscious word salad, his incredible inability to govern. He was deeply ignorant and devoid of any concept of public service or of the common good. His black holes as a person caused people caught in a pandemic to die, and others to lose their lives during and after the violent insurrection he generated.
With no chance of intervention we were trapped and held hostage for four years by an extremely sick person. Even now I have PTSD seeing his face and hearing his voice.
Yes, he lit a match on the detritus of a long past, but then he circled the fire with his own inflammatory self. He did tremendous new damage to us all.
Absolutely yes, Carol. Trump was an attention-starved child who got what he wanted--the biggest starring role in history--but then he wanted more, and more, and more, and he started to throw bigger and bigger tantrums. Pretty soon those who had grabbed him when they'd been waiting for the perfect guy started to realize that their chosen guy was out of control. You are right that he did a great deal of damage, some permanent--like the harm to the planet ;over the years of rolled back regulations--some that will be generations in even a beginning of a turnaround, like the hundred of young, inexperienced, and ultra-right judges on federal benches across the country. But all those were specific parts of the Federalist/Opus Dei agenda long before Mr. Trump came into play. This entire event from when none of us even knew who the Federalists were up until today has been, honestly, the best co-ordinated installation of CRAZY into public life I've ever seen. I read that this kind of gun-slinger atmosphere was a lot more common a couple of hundred years ago.
that was a pretty brilliant, highly concentrated break-down of Everything That Happened. applause.
I remember that documentary (pretty sure it was HBO) showing the reactions of folks in the White House (mostly Ben Rhodes and Samantha Power) to TFF's "victory." I remember Obama saying things like "maybe we came too soon," etc. thing is, the only correct time for That Miserable Party would have been "Sometime In The FUTURE," which of course means never. they remind me of those notorious drunken interviews that Faulkner (far and away the greatest American novelist, so don't misunderstand my opprobrium here) used to give in the '50s during which he'd say dumb shit like "they deserve their full rights but please go slow, go slow," by which he meant a few hundred years.
it always galls me when people (including, I'm sorry to say, Democrats as well) affect a "deeply respectful" tone and lower their voices solemnly when they mention The Sacred Name Of Reagan. he was a prick. I well remember him inventing those memes--they weren't called "memes" then--like the "Welfare Queens." and I remember him saying shit like "if we can put a man on the moon, we can get rid of welfare cheats in California." so not just "fuck him too," but "fuck him first thing."
this is an ugly thing to say, and I'm not especially proud of it, but I was really, really happy when he got shot. what can I say? I was a mere child of...something like 33. I like to think I've mellowed, but that's a test I just might fail as badly as I failed my Elementary Calculus midterm (I got a 23).
James Garner, who had to deal with Reagan when he was an officer in SAG, had a two word memory of Reagan: "amiable dunce." I once met him when he was governor, and Garner was right, but I also have to say that when you were engaged with him, he made you feel like you and he were the only two people in existence. That was what "got" people.
I do have to admit that when he got shot, my first thought was "Finally! One of their side who actually deserves it gets it."
Two words ‘Tip O’Neill’! Ronnie would have been a one term occupier of the WH without his fellow ‘schmoozer’ Tip. The Speaker realized that he had to take the bitter with the sweet In order to pass legislation which provided for the commonweal of the working class!
They’ve always been cuckoo bird crazy and virulent racist xenophobic shitstains. But now they show their ugly on a public stage. It’s in your face scream until it all burns lunacy.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I always wondered what happened to Canter. I didn’t like him but was surprised to see him go. But that the tea party nuts destroyed the Repub party, well, no doubt whatsoever. That slightly tanned President was such an affront to the Nixon nuts, the Reagan reprobates, and the Bush (plural) bushwackers, that souls were sold wholesale if only they could forever be spared another democrat/socialist (read nig…) in the WH ever again. HRC was white enough but, damn, she was an evil Dem who had been hanging with the man. Chump was attracted to revenge politics like the proverbial moth. I have watched the racist boldness morph into Hitleresque machinations. There is no “stop” for them with a tanned female sitting so close to the throne. And then there is GREED.
And judging by the "news" (Faux & Wash.Examiner) they really hate Kamala & want her gone, dont they? So many little "rumors" that the Pres. is dumping her etc. I hope not. I really enjoyed the Senate's version of a new Congress. It appeared everyone got along AND enjoyed themselves. Quite a contrast from the SH** show in the House. (popcorn or not)
One definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and to expect different results. Once the GOP let the looneys in the front door, this was bound to happen as the looneys learned to game the system. The looneys don’t care about the future or keeping the country going, they just want to burn the house down instead of just rearranging the furniture. The next two years is going to be a shitshow in the House and all the great plans of the GOP are going to die, but unfortunately the rest of the country is going to suffer because of it.
actually, I've known plenty of toddlers who were definitely more rational and exponentially nicer. but you DID say "spiteful, angry toddlers," didn't you?
I don't know if we have any klan members here in Louisville. Most of the people I know in Kentucky are liberals. All the sheets here are covered in peace signs, and rainbows. We do need some teachers though, and I know I learned a lot this morning when I read this post this morning.
thing is, I can well understand why a lot of hose sociopaths "don't trust" McCarthy, as he's a perfect likeness of someone who is desperately ambitious to BE something without a clue as to what he might DO when he IS that something. but that's really no different from any of the rest of them.
they're trying hard to burn the place down but they don't have any reason to. except possibly the knowledge that the only power they have is going to be to fuck things up for the rest of US. I suppose that could seem like it's going to be fun for a week or two, but the thrill of being a spoiler gets old very quickly. and what's true of the House is that it has historically attracted a lot of weirdos...the sort of weirdos who won't have any problem at all with screwing everybody (including themselves) on the debt ceiling thing. the other stuff is pretty vile, but it's not as devastatingly consequential as the debt ceiling.
I think the slang term is actually 'peckerheads', not peckerwoods, otherwise, well done as usual.
Do you think this will end when all of these clowns realize they won't get paid until they're sworn in and can we do anything to make sure it doesn't get backdated to Jan. 3?
On a serious note, one hopes that Jack Smith is taking full advantage of all attention being on the center ring to get his ducks solidly in line. The (figurative) shooting can't start too soon.
A terrible question just occurred to me. Is whoever is elected speaker stuck with everything to which McCarthy agreed or was that just a personal deal for him?
I was wondering the same thing. but my assumption is that anyone those cretinous goons agreed to serve would, almost by definition, have to agree to those giveaways.
"All Donald Trump ever did was come along and toss a lit match into the fireworks factory."
I take your point in terms of the " kindling" already historically in place......but I want to disagree a bit.
He did toss the lit match but , in my opinion, it wasn't all he ever did. He also projected onto our entire society his embedded dysfunction, his bullying ego, his all consuming self -absorption, his absurd stream of conscious word salad, his incredible inability to govern. He was deeply ignorant and devoid of any concept of public service or of the common good. His black holes as a person caused people caught in a pandemic to die, and others to lose their lives during and after the violent insurrection he generated.
With no chance of intervention we were trapped and held hostage for four years by an extremely sick person. Even now I have PTSD seeing his face and hearing his voice.
Yes, he lit a match on the detritus of a long past, but then he circled the fire with his own inflammatory self. He did tremendous new damage to us all.
yes to all
Doubt that TC would argue with a syllable, I don’t
Absolutely yes, Carol. Trump was an attention-starved child who got what he wanted--the biggest starring role in history--but then he wanted more, and more, and more, and he started to throw bigger and bigger tantrums. Pretty soon those who had grabbed him when they'd been waiting for the perfect guy started to realize that their chosen guy was out of control. You are right that he did a great deal of damage, some permanent--like the harm to the planet ;over the years of rolled back regulations--some that will be generations in even a beginning of a turnaround, like the hundred of young, inexperienced, and ultra-right judges on federal benches across the country. But all those were specific parts of the Federalist/Opus Dei agenda long before Mr. Trump came into play. This entire event from when none of us even knew who the Federalists were up until today has been, honestly, the best co-ordinated installation of CRAZY into public life I've ever seen. I read that this kind of gun-slinger atmosphere was a lot more common a couple of hundred years ago.
Allow me to add, the three federalist puppets he nominated to SCOTUS were reek havoc for generations to come!
Right, Louis. How could I forget that horror show?
Brava Carol!
That would look nice on his tombstone.
And the world is watching another
FUBAR in the USA. Putin's probably
rolling on the floor laughing at our
dysfunctional House. I'm not amused.
He’s not only rolling on the floor laughing, he’s patting himself on the back for a job well done
Yup.
that was a pretty brilliant, highly concentrated break-down of Everything That Happened. applause.
I remember that documentary (pretty sure it was HBO) showing the reactions of folks in the White House (mostly Ben Rhodes and Samantha Power) to TFF's "victory." I remember Obama saying things like "maybe we came too soon," etc. thing is, the only correct time for That Miserable Party would have been "Sometime In The FUTURE," which of course means never. they remind me of those notorious drunken interviews that Faulkner (far and away the greatest American novelist, so don't misunderstand my opprobrium here) used to give in the '50s during which he'd say dumb shit like "they deserve their full rights but please go slow, go slow," by which he meant a few hundred years.
it always galls me when people (including, I'm sorry to say, Democrats as well) affect a "deeply respectful" tone and lower their voices solemnly when they mention The Sacred Name Of Reagan. he was a prick. I well remember him inventing those memes--they weren't called "memes" then--like the "Welfare Queens." and I remember him saying shit like "if we can put a man on the moon, we can get rid of welfare cheats in California." so not just "fuck him too," but "fuck him first thing."
this is an ugly thing to say, and I'm not especially proud of it, but I was really, really happy when he got shot. what can I say? I was a mere child of...something like 33. I like to think I've mellowed, but that's a test I just might fail as badly as I failed my Elementary Calculus midterm (I got a 23).
James Garner, who had to deal with Reagan when he was an officer in SAG, had a two word memory of Reagan: "amiable dunce." I once met him when he was governor, and Garner was right, but I also have to say that when you were engaged with him, he made you feel like you and he were the only two people in existence. That was what "got" people.
I do have to admit that when he got shot, my first thought was "Finally! One of their side who actually deserves it gets it."
thanks for that, Tom. I feel a little less wicked.
Two words ‘Tip O’Neill’! Ronnie would have been a one term occupier of the WH without his fellow ‘schmoozer’ Tip. The Speaker realized that he had to take the bitter with the sweet In order to pass legislation which provided for the commonweal of the working class!
Damn, would we have had Alexander Haig…
Saint Ronnie was a puppet controlled by his $$$$$ man Annenberg, whom he made an Ambassador!
They’ve always been cuckoo bird crazy and virulent racist xenophobic shitstains. But now they show their ugly on a public stage. It’s in your face scream until it all burns lunacy.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I always wondered what happened to Canter. I didn’t like him but was surprised to see him go. But that the tea party nuts destroyed the Repub party, well, no doubt whatsoever. That slightly tanned President was such an affront to the Nixon nuts, the Reagan reprobates, and the Bush (plural) bushwackers, that souls were sold wholesale if only they could forever be spared another democrat/socialist (read nig…) in the WH ever again. HRC was white enough but, damn, she was an evil Dem who had been hanging with the man. Chump was attracted to revenge politics like the proverbial moth. I have watched the racist boldness morph into Hitleresque machinations. There is no “stop” for them with a tanned female sitting so close to the throne. And then there is GREED.
And judging by the "news" (Faux & Wash.Examiner) they really hate Kamala & want her gone, dont they? So many little "rumors" that the Pres. is dumping her etc. I hope not. I really enjoyed the Senate's version of a new Congress. It appeared everyone got along AND enjoyed themselves. Quite a contrast from the SH** show in the House. (popcorn or not)
Beautifully said. TC. Thank you.
It's like the days after the first wave of the French Revolution when the new leaders took to killing each other.
a beautiful parallel.
On a roll tonight. Can almost hear the square wheels in Congress roiling down the tracks between office chambers and the Capitol chamber.
One definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and to expect different results. Once the GOP let the looneys in the front door, this was bound to happen as the looneys learned to game the system. The looneys don’t care about the future or keeping the country going, they just want to burn the house down instead of just rearranging the furniture. The next two years is going to be a shitshow in the House and all the great plans of the GOP are going to die, but unfortunately the rest of the country is going to suffer because of it.
Where is old Buckley, flippin in his grave, I’d wager
he was an asshole anyway. check out his famous debate with James Baldwin...whatta prick!
So, so, so many things to love about your blog.
You have held a mirror to the current Know Nothings and their knuckledragging
approach to govern. They simply can't. They haven't the brains of Terrie Schiavo.
They are spiteful, angry toddlers incapable to legislate let alone show one fucking ounce of empathy to this not in the billionaire class.
actually, I've known plenty of toddlers who were definitely more rational and exponentially nicer. but you DID say "spiteful, angry toddlers," didn't you?
I don't suppose we could get you to teach a few Middle School History Classes here in Kentucky, could we.
The klan controlled parents would storm that’s school!
I don't know if we have any klan members here in Louisville. Most of the people I know in Kentucky are liberals. All the sheets here are covered in peace signs, and rainbows. We do need some teachers though, and I know I learned a lot this morning when I read this post this morning.
Karma sure is a bitch, isn't she?! LOL 😂
Pretty much sums it up. Too bad the country as a whole will suffer as the GOP self-destructs. Otherwise it could be an entertaining reality show.
thing is, I can well understand why a lot of hose sociopaths "don't trust" McCarthy, as he's a perfect likeness of someone who is desperately ambitious to BE something without a clue as to what he might DO when he IS that something. but that's really no different from any of the rest of them.
they're trying hard to burn the place down but they don't have any reason to. except possibly the knowledge that the only power they have is going to be to fuck things up for the rest of US. I suppose that could seem like it's going to be fun for a week or two, but the thrill of being a spoiler gets old very quickly. and what's true of the House is that it has historically attracted a lot of weirdos...the sort of weirdos who won't have any problem at all with screwing everybody (including themselves) on the debt ceiling thing. the other stuff is pretty vile, but it's not as devastatingly consequential as the debt ceiling.
Bravo TC! An encyclopedic collection of the actions of those who have driven the gop into the deepest recesses of Dante’ Inferno!
Are the gop imploding? One can only hope! But that won’t rid the world of racists and fascists!
I think the slang term is actually 'peckerheads', not peckerwoods, otherwise, well done as usual.
Do you think this will end when all of these clowns realize they won't get paid until they're sworn in and can we do anything to make sure it doesn't get backdated to Jan. 3?
On a serious note, one hopes that Jack Smith is taking full advantage of all attention being on the center ring to get his ducks solidly in line. The (figurative) shooting can't start too soon.
A terrible question just occurred to me. Is whoever is elected speaker stuck with everything to which McCarthy agreed or was that just a personal deal for him?
I was wondering the same thing. but my assumption is that anyone those cretinous goons agreed to serve would, almost by definition, have to agree to those giveaways.
¥ep. The more I read yesterday, the more I think you're right.