US House Of Representatives

Republican Party Committing Suicide, Except For Asa Hutchinson And Chris Christie!

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It is beyond all sanity that just about ALL Republican Party leaders and office holders are rushing to the defense of Donald Trump, and interfering with a local New York investigation into his financial wrongdoings!

Only at this point do we see former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who has just announced his Presidential candidacy, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who is expected to announce his Presidential candidacy soon, willing to back away from Trump, and indicate they would not support the idea of his becoming President again via the Presidential Election of 2024!

To see former Vice President Mike Pence condemn the indictment by the Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is shocking, as well as the outrageous statements of Senator Lindsey Graham, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, and a multitude of others, who clearly think the rule of law does not apply to a former President who abused the Constitution and undermined civil order in the nation!

Republicans, Guns, And The Culture Wars

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After the latest of tragedy after tragedy involving gun massacres in schools, shopping malls, churches, synagogues, supermarkets, movie theaters, holiday parades, and innumerable other locations, causing a mounting death toll and scarring the lives of survivors, including children who cannot feel safe, what do Republicans say?

They claim there is nothing that they can do, while accepting massive donations from the gun industry and the evil National Rifle Association!

Repbulicans are more concerned about:

limiting school curriculums and libraries;

on barring drag shows and drag queens;

on use of “proper” pronouns being used for those who are transgender individuals;

censoring art, such as the Statue of David by Michelangelo;

encouraging antisemitism;

promoting racism;

taking away rights of women over their own bodies;

and claiming to promote “freedom” while endorsing the violence of January 6 Insurrectionists who are in Washington DC Jails!

Individuals in Congress, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, James Comer, Jim Jordan, and a multitude of others who refused to support the results of the Presidential Election of 2020, and continue to support Donald Trump and his hateful promotion of continued bloodshed and violence, now, will not support any action against the scourge of gun violence.

Law enforcement supports such legislation, as it affects their daily safety!

Such members of Congress should be prosecuted and expelled as seditionists and traitors!

MAGA House Republicans Visit Criminal Insurrectionists In DC Jail!

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The MAGA House Republicans, who are beyond the pale in their behavior, visited criminal Insurrectionists who were engaged in the January 6, 2021 US Capitol attack a couple of days ago.

Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and about 20 others, claimed these insurrectionists were “political prisoners”, and complained about their jail conditions.

But two Democrats who went with the Republicans to monitor the situation–Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett of Texas and Congressman Robert Garcia of California–made clear that the conditions of the DC jail are far superior to the general jail and prison conditions in most American states, and particularly in southern states.

These same MAGA Republicans also are pressuring, illegally, that Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg testify about the “Stormy Daniels” case against Donald Trump, which seems likely to lead to an indictment.

This is totally illegal, for Congress to intervene in local investigations and prosecutions.

The fact that MAGA Republicans are still willing to back Donald Trump no matter what the circumstances is a development that is very worrisome.

And the fact that Donald Trump is still seen as the favorite for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2024, even over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, is horrifying and a sign that American democracy is under dire threat!

Marjorie Taylor Greene Promoting Secession Of “Red” From “Blue” States!

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Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a true whacko, is promoting the idea of secession of “Red” states from “Blue” states.

She is clearly crazy, as she fails to realize that Blue areas are found in most states that are not rural–meaning urban and suburban areas–and so called “Blue’ States contribute much more to the national economic system than do so called “Red’ States.

The so called “Red” states are mostly rural, and in 2022, they are the poorest, most dependent on the redistribution of income primarily coming from wealthier, more urbanized and suburbanized “Blue” states.

The poorest states are almost completely “Red” states—West Virginia, New Mexico, Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Wyoming, Montana–with only New Mexico and Maine being “Blue” states based on state government control.

What makes America the nation that it has become is the diversity of America–the industry, the universities, the culture of varying groups who live in cities and suburban areas—not the isolation of “Red” rural America, which lives, in many respects, in the 19th century, while “Blue” America represents the 21st century!

California Open Senate Seat Requires Having A Senator Who Will Have Longevity!

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Now that it is official that Dianne Feinstein is retiring from the Senate at the end of 2024 at the age of 91, it is urgent that the open Senate seat have a Senator who will have the opportunity to build seniority over time for the Golden State.

So Congresswoman Katie Porter (49), seen as a junior Elizabeth Warren in the sense of copying her strategy and tactics toward corporate monopolies; and Congressman Adam Schiff (62) who has compiled a wonderful record in more than twenty years in the House and was on the committee for the first Donald Trump impeachment trial, should be seen as sensible alternatives.

What is not sensible is that long term Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who has been in the House of Representatives since 1998, and has the distinction of being the only member of either house of Congress to vote against the authorization for use of military force against terrorists resolution (AUMF) after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, be elected to the Senate seat.

The question is why this author feels this way, and the answer is Lee will be past 77 if she took over the seat in January 2025, making her the oldest first Senator in history to have a full term. She has said she would only serve one term, but the concept of electing Lee is just one of ego, as this author sees it.

If however, Feinstein was to retire sooner, it would be perfectly fine for California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint Barbara Lee to fill the seat, but with the understanding that she would not seek a full term in office.

Lee is a wonderful legislator, but what is needed is the potential of a new US Senator who could gain seniority if reeelected in the future. But my admiration for her as stated in an earlier article on History News Network on March 4, 2022 still stands! And if Lee chose to remain in the House of Representatives, and facing easy reelection every two years, that is perfectly fine!

Party Loyalty Should Be Secondary To Loyalty To Democracy!

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It is extremely infuriating to discover that almost all Republican office holders are unwilling to state that loyalty to the nation is more important than party loyalty!

Considering the criminal behavior of Donald Trump, and the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection, it is beyond belief that many office holders continue to deny what happened, and even those who are so called “critics” of the former President are unwilling to state that if Trump is the Republican nominee in 2024, that they would refuse to support and vote for him.

This shocking attitude has recently been expressed by New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. And former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan first said he would back Trump if he ends up the nominee in 2024, but then walked it back, stating he would not pledge to support Trump, but believed he would not be the party nominee. This is not encouraging, the need of Hogan to walk back what sounded like party loyalty was more important than loyalty to democracy!

At this point, it seems as if only the two Republicans who served on the House January 6 Committee, former members of Congress Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, are committed to opposing Trump completely.

It also seems that former Arkansas Governor and potential Presidential contender Asa Hutchinson might be in this camp, but still not for certain, and Republicans who hold office, and are not running for President, who would seemingly refuse to support Trump would be limited for now to Utah Senator Mitt Romney and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski!

This is all very wearying, the refusal of most Republicans to put country above party!

Civil War Emerging In The Republican Party, And Democrats Can Watch And Enjoy!

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Joe Biden hit a grandslam homerun this week in his State of the Union address.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was unable to enforce the idea that his MAGA Republican caucus behave properly, as they boored, jeered, and yelled “Liar” at President Biden, when he stated that Republicans were promoting a “sunset” on Social Security and Medicare, which is totally true.

McCarthy seemed totally hapless and he knows that if he makes too much of an issue of bad behavior, he could be pushed out of the Speakership, already angering members of his party for saying that the US Capitol police offer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt on January 6, 2021 was doing his job, a rare moment where McCarthy did the right thing.

And the Republican Senate caucus is bitterly divided, with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell repudiating what Senators Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin have been promoting–the end of Social Security and Medicare.

Scott and Lee have been demoted from a committee due to their battling to replace McConnell, who gained two thirds of the Republicans remaining loyal to him in the leadership struggle for the Senate minority leadership.

This is a situation in both houses of Congress where the Democrats can watch, enjoy and eat popcorn, lol! 🙂

The Upcoming California Senate Race 2024

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In 2024, California will have a US Senate race as Dianne Feinstein will be retiring, even though she refuses to address the issue until the Spring.

There is no possible way that Feinstein, who will be 90 in June, will run again, as there are many signs that she is in early stages dementia, and should not have run in 2018 at age 85. She seems often to be unaware of events around her and to have major memory problems regarding what she has been told by her staff or others. It is simply pride and stubbornness that has prevented her from resigning in dignity.

The refusal of older members of Congress to retire when in their 80s is a sign of ego winning out over reality, as for instance, Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley winning reelection at age 89 in November 2022. Yes, Grassley is still able to do pushups and other exercises, and for now, seems fit mentally, but the idea of a Senator being in office until past age 95 is ludicrous, and if he survives until the end of 2028, he will be the oldest ever Senator except for South Carolina Republican Senator Strom Thurmond, who was clearly in dementia, but remained in his Senate seat, being guided in every way by his staff, until past age 100!

California Governor Gavin Newsom has indicated that if a vacancy was to occur by Feinstein’s leaving earlier, that he would appoint an African American woman as her replacement, with the likely choice being California Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who has been in the House of Representatives since 1998, and will be 77 this summer.

That is fine for the short term, but the idea that Lee plans to run for the open seat in 2024 when she would be past 78, and be serving until past 84, is NOT a good idea. She has said she would only serve one term, but who can say that would be fulfilled, as ego could come in the way, and she could decide to run again for a second term until age 90!

Barbara Lee has had an admirable record in the House of Representatives, but she should NOT run for a full term, and instead continue her service in the lower house, unless she is appointed, and then agrees NOT to run for the full term!

Instead, California has a choice of three Congressional members who have served well–Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Ro Khanna, all decades younger, and capable of gaining seniority and serving, in theory, for an extended period of years!

The “Gang Of Eight” And The Chinese Balloon Incident

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The Chinese Balloon incident this past week, with President Biden ordering it be shot down over the Atlantic Ocean off South Carolina after being mapped over Montana, Missouri, and the Carolinas during the week, is an example of proper reaction in a way that does not threaten the safety of people or locations over land.

It brings to attention the so called “Gang Of Eight”, which are given special access to intelligence information regarding any danger to national security.

They include:

Congressman Mike Turner of Ohio (R), Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Congressman Jim Himes of Connecticut (D), Ranking Member

Senator Mark Warner (D) of Virginia, Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Senator Marco Rubio (R) of Florida, Vice Chair

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R) of California

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D) of New York

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) of New York

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky

Hopefully, the members of this group will avoid politics on this issue, but already there has been strong criticism of the tactics used by Joe Biden by Turner and Rubio, a regrettable situation.

Potential Republican Presidential Nominees Who Would NOT Support Donald Trump!

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With the Presidential campaign of 2024 beginning, the question arises whether there are ANY potential Republican Presidential contenders who would refuse to endorse Donald Trump, were he to win the Republican Presidential nomination next year.

Many Republicans have made criticisms of Trump in some form, and a number plan to run and compete, but the issue is IF any of them lose the nomination to Trump, would they support and endorse him at the end of the process.

There is no certainty of any active Republicans willing to go so far as to refuse to support the party nominee if Trump is that nominee.

But on paper, the following, none certain to run, would likely NOT support him:

Senator Mitt Romney of Utah
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson
Former Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming
Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois

This author and blogger would have added sitting New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to the list, but it turns out that even with their likely candidacies for President, and their strong criticisms of Trump in recent times, that they have said that they WOULD support Trump, were he the nominee of his party!

This is stunning, as it takes Sununu and Hogan off a short list of Republican political figures who have the guts and courage to overlook party, and do what is good for the nation!

Trump recently stated that he wished to torch the Constitution, and what else needs to be known as to the threat to American democracy than that utterance!

And yet Sununu and even Hogan, as well as many other Republicans who opposed and criticized Trump in the past and present, are still letting party win out, and would support Trump if he was the nominee of the Republican Party!

Realize one thing about the short list given above, that all but Romney (who would be 77 and a half at election time in 2024, and is considering running for reelection to the Senate), are FORMER officeholders!

And despite Liz Cheney stating she would do everything possible to stop Trump, will she actually run against him or form an independent party candidacy?

And Kinzinger seems highly unlikely to mount a campaign either.

And Hutchinson is an unknown, and is unlikely to be a serious contender in any case.

So fundamentally, it seems likely that no significant Republican will stand in the way of Trump, ultimately, and many will even show that party loyalty matters more than principle!

So the Republican Party is hostage to a very dangerous, authoritarian Fascist threat in Donald Trump, but the leading alternative seems to be a person of similar authoritarian tendencies, who is much younger and smarter, and therefore, even MORE dangerous than Trump would be!

This is in reference to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis!