The Screaming Moderate

McCarthy's big baby steps

5/31/2023

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy has never been a favorite of mine though of all the options to be elected Speaker, I thought he was the best one. Of the options, he was the least ideologically crazy.

Being President of the United States or Speaker of the House can, for most, be a growing experience. The responsibilities of the job tend to slap you in the face when you are stepping into them.

McCarthy, thanks to the importance and ramifications of failure on the debt limit increase, is having a huge growth spurt. He’s not only winning on doing the right and only thing to do (raise the limit) but he may be growing out of the extreme leverage his right wing caucus laid on him with their deal to simplify the way to get rid of a Speaker.

Not only does it appear that McCarthy will prevail on the compromise he made with President Biden, the Freedom Caucus overnight began calming itself over its knee-jerk plan to hold a vote to rid them of McCarthy because of what it sees as his betrayal of “conservative” principles.

It’s clear that McCarthy seems to have the votes and support on his side (not overwhelmingly). That’s not something his skeptics (me included) thought would happen. His clear craven need for the power of being Speaker, for the moment anyway, seems to have transformed into a craven, no-choice but to support the debt limit increase.

He also apparently will not lose his job over this issue, which was one of the key levers of power the rightest-wing Republicans were threatening yesterday.

It also should be a lesson that he can lead rather than follow.

That doesn’t mean he’s there yet, but he’s taking more than baby steps so far.

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15 minutes I’ll never get back

5/11/2023

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I watched the forum with former President Trump for 15 minutes before I turned it off. My wife and I returned to our behavior when Trump was on TV before: yelling at the screen, calling out his lies and BS.

I did read stories about his performance.

He again said the 2020 election was rigged
He took credit for putting on the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, but wouldn’t take a precise position himself on abortion
Called Jan. 6 a “beautiful day.” That’s the day men convicted of seditious conspiracy led a storming of the Capitol, resulting in a few deaths, many injuries of police, and hundreds of arrests
Clearly said he would pardon at least most of those who attacked the Capitol if he is elected president
Claimed he did not try to get the Georgia 2020 election results reversed, even though he’s caught on tape saying that.
Attacked a victim of sexual abuse, displaying the same behavior toward that woman that a jury convicted him of this week and assessed a total of $5 million in damages to her.

And more.

But why bother? He is never going to change. Never.

Paraphrasing Ronald Reagan in a 1980 debate with President Jimmy Carter who had just run through a series of things, some wrong, about Reagan's positions on health care:

"There he goes again."

And then I went to read a book.

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DeSantis runs right to get ready for presidential run

5/9/2023

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered at the moment the strongest opponent for the Republican presidential nomination against former President Donald Trump, has about completed his agenda in the state of Florida – an agenda most consider establishing his platform and crowning achievements to position him for his presidential run.

DeSantis is new to presidential politics but not new to politics. He has passed a right-wing agenda in Florida that is hard to square with what a majority of the country prefers. While his agenda will be very tantalizing to Republican primary voters, most pundits question how it will play favorably with a general election audience.

Among the items that DeSantis passed in Florida:

A six-week abortion ban. This goes far beyond the 15-week ban that the state enacted just a year ago. Six weeks is earlier than many women know they are pregnant. Even with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the woman, this ban makes Florida one of the most anti-abortion states in the country.

Extension of the death penalty. Florida is now the state with the lowest threshold for the death penalty. DeSantis signed a law allowing juries to recommend capital punishment with an 8-4 vote rather than a unanimous vote. He also signed a law making child rapists eligible for the death penalty, flying in the face of a Supreme Court ruling.

Gender identity, pronouns. This is an expansion of DeSantis’ “don’t say gay” law. It bans teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity, through the 8th grade. Teaching those areas is likely not in any school curriculum but it puts teachers in the position of questioning even answering student questions in a general way. This and other laws passed that affect teaching makes it difficult for teachers to even touch upon certain subjects, a regression of teaching openness that has existed for years. Teachers are left with a no-win choice: risking breaking the law or being true teachers, as they trained for.

Concealed Carry. Florida residents now may carry guns without a permit. This in the same state that had been moving toward gun safety measures after the murder of 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Fla., just five years ago.

Election changes. In the especially self-serving category, another bill changes Florida law and allows DeSantis to run for president without resigning as governor. Job security to the max.

Not only is DeSantis establishing a platform that restricts rights, he secretly has been using agents form his Department of Law Enforcement to enforce his agenda.

The unit was established to protect the governor and investigate major crimes. Recently, though, they were enlisted in laying the groundwork for a politically charged operation, ordered by DeSantis, to fly border-crossers from San Antonio (yes, the city in Texas, not Florida) to Martha’s Vineyard (yes, the one in Massachusetts, not in Florida).

Florida also has passed a bill that bans transgender people form using many bathrooms and changing areas that match their gender identity on penalty of criminal trespass charges.

This all on top of banning books, banning certain high school musicals from being performed and more.

That, briefly, makes up DeSantis’ agenda for his presidential campaign. Often, GOP candidates will take right-wing positions to secure votes in a primary and then back off them when it comes to the general election. How DeSantis backs off these positions, though, boggles the mind.

When taken as a whole, DeSantis is creating in Florida an environment that bans books, stymies teachers ability to teach, pushes one culture on everyone, takes away women’s rights, takes away LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more) rights, frees citizens to carry a concealed weapon without a permit or certification they are capable to, etc. etc. and so forth.

DeSantis vs Trump. Quite a choice: a dictator-wannabe who uses the system to control people and limit their rights under the Constitution and a dictator-wannabe who ignores the Constitution to control people.

And people wonder why an 80-year-old president might be the preferred choice?

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DeSantis descending?

4/20/2023

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Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis seems to be learning what it is to be even an “almost” candidate for President.

His poll numbers are falling; immediately after meeting with GOP congressmen in Washington, another Florida House member endorsed Trump. DeSantis had asked folks to hold off endorsements until he’s in the race. And it’s not a good look when elected Republicans from your own state endorse your opponent.

A few of the other challenges DeSantis has at the moment:

Donald Trump
Key items in the agenda he is passing through his legislature are opposed by a majority of Americans (abortion, gun control, iron hand over teachers, among others).

Anything, of course, can happen before the primary season begins but for the guy who was predicted to knock off Trump for the nomination, DeSantis isn’t looking too good.

And, that’s against a guy who is the first ex-president to be indicted and arrested; this month is facing a civil trial in which he’s accused of rape; and who just saw Fox, which was a key reason his message got out, settled (lost) a defamation suit over its on-air personalities repeating Trump’s lies about a fixed election.

DeSantis, who is trying his hardest to make “woke” a word that will carry him to the White House, in recent weeks widened his war on the First Amendment, spoke of his desire to weaken libel laws and would make it easier to sue media outlets for defamation.

Last year, he pushed through a series of bills that banned teaching critical race theory and blocked discussions of gender preferences in his state (the “Don’t Say Gay” bill). His moves have led schools across the state to pull hundreds of books off library shelves out of fear that teachers and librarians could face prosecution.

Among his other claims to fame, he has shepherded legislation:

Passing a wide-ranging tort reform bill that makes it harder and more expensive to sue insurance companies and businesses. Even Donald Trump labeled it a “bailout.”
Allowing permitless carry, meaning you can carry a concealed weapon in the state without a permit or training.
After signing into law a 12-week ban on abortion, he upped the ante and signed another bill prohibiting abortion after just six weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions. This is before many women even know they are pregnant. He signed this bill at night and released it had happened after 11 p.m. (Not exactly wanting credit, I guess.)
His Republican-led senate is considering a house bill that would require every K-12 school to have a policy saying it’s “false” to ascribe to anyone a pronoun that does not correspond with their birth sex, even in cases where the parents are fine with it.
And his weird war with Disney World continues. Other states are saying they’d be happy to host Disney if they want to move the thousands of jobs to their state. This one seems an unforced error that DeSantis keeps making.

DeSantis’ strategy so far has been to not take on Trump directly. Of course, DeSantis isn’t a candidate yet and that may or not be smart. It definitely allows Trump’s campaign to define DeSantis to primary voters that the governor wants to take away from Trump.

And, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a former close advisor to Trump, is making noises about not only getting into the primary battle, but promising he will take on Trump directly, something it seems few Republicans are willing to attempt for fear of the Trump bloc of voters in the GOP.

Of course, it’s too early in the nomination battle to make any fact-based predictions, but it’s generally agreed that DeSantis is demonstrating he is not yet ready for prime time.

Nationally, more than 60 percent of voters favor abortion rights and a clear majority support gun reform, two issues that DeSantis is way out front on.

Unclear how he walks that back for a general election.

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A national trial separation?

4/11/2023

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A week or so ago, Cong. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Crazytown) called for a national divorce between the country’s red (Republican) and blue (Democratic) states. Truth is, it feels like we’re going through a trial separation already.

For example:

Tennessee Republicans expelled two young Black Democratic state legislators from the chamber because the pair protested on the floor and used a bullhorn to support protestors outside who were calling for the legislature to pass gun control measures after the killing of three nine-year-old’s and three adults at a Memphis school days before. The Republicans did it, basically, because they could. A 60-ish White woman who joined the pair in the protest was not expelled (Republicans said she never used the bullhorn).
The most recent (at least as of my posting this blog) mass shooting was in Louisville, Kentucky, where a young man wielding a just legally purchased AR-15. At an emotion-filled press briefing at noontime today Dr. Jason Smith, chief medical officer at University of Louisville Health, said he was “weary” of the gun injuries and death he’s seen and that his hospital needed do nothing different to handle this week’s shooting because they handle so many shooting victims every day. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenfield called on the Kentucky legislature to allow the state’s cities to deal with gun violence on their own.
A Texas federal judge, Matthew Kacsmaryk, ruled that an abortion pill, approved two decades ago by the Federal Drug Administration after a vigorous study, and in safe use since then, suspended that approval citing rhetoric used by the Pro-Life community and not basing his decision on the science. The judge has worked for First Liberty Institute, a Christian conservative legal group and while there he submitted an amicus brief for a Supreme Court case about a Washington law mandating pharmacies to provide contraceptives. The pro-lifers shopped for that judge because they knew how he’d rule. Judgement not by facts and science but by beliefs and fiat.
In Florida, the legislature is passing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda – actually what some say will be his presidential campaign’s platform - to, among other things, ban gender studies at the college level, limit the use of transgender pronouns in K-12 schools, and extend a ban on teaching about gender and sexuality from third up to eighth grade. The majority Republican legislature also passed a bill that bans trans student athletes from playing in the sport of the gender and legalizes genital inspection when someone has determined an athlete’s gender is in question. And DeSantis signed a bill that, as of July 1, permits residents to carry concealed guns without a permit. There’s more, but let’s leave it there for now.

All these things are about authoritarian control and U.S. politics. What’s good in Florida for DeSantis, for example, likely could help him in Republican primaries for the presidential nomination and sink him in a general election. It’s hard to see him dancing to a middle-of-the-road position in a general election after all the things he’s doing to, uh, for Florida.

Dr. Smith said it best (and I’m sure you’ll see him featured prominently on the news today) when he said he is “weary” from the gun-related injuries he’s had to handle. Louisville’s was the 146th mass shooting this year, already. We haven’t even reached the middle of April.

The Republican Party, and some Democrats, fealty to the gun lobby is past its expiration date. The country wants action on guns. It has wanted it for a very long time. Soon it will show up more in election results.

Same with abortion. Many top legal minds are saying that Texas ruling will be overturned (but with some hesitation because of the makeup of the Supreme Court of the United States). The abortion pill has been used by hundreds of thousands of women, since it was approved by the Federal Drug Administration yet the judge said it is a danger to women.

The country, by a good majority, supports abortion rights. We witnessed some of that effect in last year’s mid-term election when the GOP failed to gain much of a majority in the U.S. House.
Many news outlets used the phrase “civil war” to describe Cong. Green’s call for a “national divorce.” An incendiary phrase.

Still, pay attention to what’s going on around the country, not just in Washington. Red-state governors are feeling emboldened to call for and support no further limits on guns, to end the choice that women had for 50 years when it comes to abortion, and to limit voting rights. Blue-state governors are buying the abortion pill to stockpile it while the court cases continue and trying to protect against guns and protect voting rights.

That’s all happening right now.

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Trump indictment timing

3/31/2023

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I have what I’ll call “mixed emotions” about the Manhattan indictment against former President Donald Trump.

I think, of course, that if a prosecutor has the evidence that he/she is convinced will result in a conviction, charges must be brought.

I also wish that the month-long recess announced for the Grand Jury earlier in the week had happened before this indictment was brought.

Why? As many have noted, the Manhattan case is likely the weakest of the potential cases against Trump because it involves, probably, charges that will be lesser than the other investigations might bring.

The “he slept with a porn star” case is the easiest to joke about and belittle as a violation of marriage vows not a violation of the law. A few weeks of the kind of attention Trump and his cohorts will bring to the case – and among his most solid of supporters – will demean the case even more.

Of course, this case is not about his sleeping with a porn star but what he did illegally to cover up that affair, whether from his wife or/and the voters.

The potential charges down the road – inciting an insurrection, trying to change election results and more – obviously have a more serious impact. Everything about the Manhattan case is being belittled already and, to be the cynic that I can be, is being used by those who were backing away from Trump as an easy road to defend him, and try to win back his supporters.

Take the Fox News talking heads. According to news reports, each of them was assailing the Manhattan prosecutor and supporting Trump on the indictment last night. Why? Well a few months ago we might have thought it was because they truly support Trump. But we now know that they supported him on the “fixed election” scam because it meant good ratings and happy viewers. In other words, it was about the money it meant for the network and its star employees. This case is an “easy” one to rally to Trump’s defense, but is it because they truly believe that or are we back to clicks and likes? I know where my vote goes.

For those Trump supporters who are elected officials, it also is an easy one to defend him to get back in his good graces. Trust me, he isn’t about to shun any support on this case and point to his elected supporters as denizens of the Washington swamp. This charge focuses Trump on the prosecutor, not his fellow Republicans who have had it with him.

Even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a likely Trump opponent for the 2024 presidential nomination and a Harvard trained attorney, is offering to violate the Constitution and refuse to extradite Trump (a Florida resident) if he refuses to surrender. (The extradition clause: “A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.”)

Even my blue-collar college education allows me to understand that clause. I don’t need a Harvard diploma for that.

But DeSantis, who has been meekly marking the differences between himself and Trump lately, now will protect Trump from the Constitution, in another effort to appeal to Trump supporters.

It truly is amazing how some elected (and appointed) officials who took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution can so easily violate it. Makes ya wonder what other laws they feel they can violate.

There also are reports that this indictment may include more than a couple of dozen charges (each check Trump wrote to his former fixer Michael Cohen can be a separate charge, for example).

In any event, if there is a case to be made – and we’ve yet to see the indictment – of course no one is above the law. And anyone who’s talked to me about Trump since his ride down the Golden Escalator, knows my views of him.

From a strategic point of view, I’d just have preferred the Stormy Daniels case was a backup player to the other, far more serious potential crimes.

Trump and his sycophants will keep pointing to the “silliness” of the charges. And of course, they say that before any of us know the actual charges.

Prosecutors, based on their oath and responsibilities, don’t always have the option to be strategic from that point of view.

They have to follow the law.

As does a current or former President of the United States.

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Dribs, drabs .. or drips? You make the call

3/7/2023

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The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Trump on the stump. Former President Trump appeared on home turf this weekend when he spoke for two hours(!) to his homies at CPAC, an organization that has morphed from conservative Republicans to crazy people. The two hours consisted of riffs we’ve all heard before and a couple of new ones. ("I am your retribution!") But, according to CNN’s ace fact-checker Daniel Dale, Trump was up to his old tricks/lies (read for yourself: https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/03/06/exp-fact-checking-donald-trumps-cpac-speech.cnn). And he visited the site of the Ohio train derailment. While he didn’t toss bottles of Trump-branded water to the citizens, of course he promised he would send some. (Reminder: He never misses a commercial opportunity.)

Dirty little non-secrets. The Fox News channel was exposed via discovery in the Dominion billion-plus dollar defamation lawsuit when a bunch of texts were uncovered showing that the talking heads at Fox (Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and others) knew all along that the Trump camp was lying about the “fixed” 2020 election. In text after text it was clear they didn’t believe any of it but they still talked about it nightly to ensure good ratings. Of course, Fox is apparently not covering that lawsuit on air so its viewers, dominated by Trump voters, aren’t hearing the facts from Fox so they aren’t believing them. And with the new majority on the Supreme Court there are efforts being made to have the court override New York Times v Sullivan which has guided libel and defamation claims for nearly 60 years. Plus, Carlson last night started airing some of the thousands of hours of Jan. 6 tape Speaker of the House McCarthy gave him exclusively. Of course, what you saw, according to news reports, was people inside taking pictures like tourists. And none of them injuring law enforcement or doing millions of dollars of damage to federal property. Nor, I’m guessing, much mention of the hundreds charged with crimes from that day. Plus, Tucker has much more to come. (Fox: News You Should Lose.)

Newspapers continue suffering. The above item regarding the Sullivan case is particularly scary because local newspapers keep going out of business or are cut to the bone by venture capitalists. As regional and local papers die, the readers are the real losers because many of the issues closest to them are not covered. Transparency and accountability disappear.This was dramatically demonstrated in a kind/sorta good way last week. The last New Jersey reporter on Capitol Hill was laid off by the Newark Star-Ledger’s owner, NJ Advanced Media, which cited cost savings. As a tribute to his decades of fair reporting, his layoff was protested when New Jersey U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and 12 more in the state’s congressional delegation sent off a letter asking the news organization to change its decision. That’s a tribute to the reporter, Jonathan Salant, a veteran of more than 40 years, and his fair-handed coverage. As more and more politicians outright lie about things and there are fewer local and regional reporters around to shed light on them, the country loses big time. One more institution targeted to end.

Not to mention, but let’s .. Ron DeSantis. Florida’s governor, and soon -to -be presidential candidate Ron DeSantis is on a national tour promoting his new book which is a best seller, likely, similar to other politicians’ books, because a political organization spent thousands of dollars to buy copies to give away to donors. DeSantis’ presidential campaign kickoff includes not just a national book tour (which takes him – surprise! -- to several important primary states) but a planned session by the Republican-dominated Florida legislature which is on the cusp of passing much legislation DeSantis wants primarily so he can point to his “success” as a non-MAGA MAGA Republican. The legislation includes many education measures aimed at things like gender studies and diversity programs in state universities, expanding a prohibition on teaching sexual orientation and gender identity through the 8th grade and banning the use of preferred pronouns in K-12 schools. (opponents call that last bill the “don’t say they” bill.)

All that, and more is so DeSantis can campaign to the MAGA faithful that he is governor of the “wokest” state in the country and what he did to Florida, he can do to the entire country. By the way, there is one more bill about to be voted on in Florida and that would repeal the “resign to run law.” If passed that means if DeSantis shouldn’t become president, he can campaign without stepping down as governor.

Talk about rigging an election!

Is Biden too old to run again? I don’t know. For me, yes but if he’s the Democratic candidate and DeSantis or Trump lead the GOP side, I’m voting for age. I think a lot of people are in that category, in fact. Biden could announce he’s not running again and that would set up Vice President Kamala Harris as a leading Democratic candidate. Many don’t think she’s up to the job, though she has many attractive positives to offer as a candidate. She did give an excellent speech on Ukraine and Putin, and clearly put the time into practicing it because her delivery was the best seen from her. Problem overall with Biden not running is it doesn’t leave a lot of candidates who can take on Trump or DeSantis successfully. (Crazy and totally unlikely idea: Biden announces he's running and is allowing the Democratic convention to select the vice presidential candidate and, because he needs to demonstrate his loyalty, endorse Harris as that candidate.)

In Florida, don’t say bad things about the governor. Disney was taught that lesson some months ago when it came out against DeSantis’ efforts to remove rights from the LGBTQ community. The two latest moves are noteworthy: An appointee to DeSantis’ new oversight board in control of Disney’s special tax district called homosexuality “evil” last year AND passed along a (need I even say) baseless conspiracy theory that tap water could be making people gay. Plus, there is a bill making it through the Republican-led legislature that would require bloggers who write about elected officials to register with the state – a violation of the First Amendment that even the current court (I think) would find unconstitutional. Even Newt Gingrich called it “insane” and said it was an “embarrassment” that a Republican introduced it. For the record, the state senator who is sponsoring it is Jason Brodeur, who represents the Orange County area.

Finally, a third party?? Let’s hope not. Donald Trump benefited from a GOP primary including as many candidates as possible in 2016. His supporters are hoping the same develops this presidential cycle. It’s pretty much a given that Trump has a solid 35 percent or so of the Republican vote. The more candidates, the stronger that 35 percent is. Now there are battle lines forming, also, among those who think the time is perfect for a third-party candidate. The argument there is, who would that candidate siphon votes from? Trump? Biden? Since Trump has that assumed 35 percent of the Republican base, any votes siphoned from Biden helps Trump or whoever the GOP candidate becomes) Also, Trump won the presidency in 2016 without a majority of the popular vote. He could do that again with a third party involved.

(Sensing an anti-Trump vibe? For the record, I oppose vehemently another Trump presidency, as I did his first. The man, whether he planned it or not, is in position to, with another term in office, destroy the country by stomping on the Constitution and eating away at the rights it give us all. No question he would become the fascist leader he aspires to. DeSantis promises to do for America what he did in Florida – another danger because he, too, has limited rights for citizens, not expanded them. Both put our country’s future at risk.

And that’s just how it is.)

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Was it her or me?

2/17/2023

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Stick with me on this.

We have our morning routine here. Whoever is up first prepares breakfast.

For me, Cheerios with fruit. For my wife, fruit with oatmeal or granola. Then, we each have a cuppa. She stays upstairs to read the papers and eat; I go downstairs so I can have music (classical in the morning) and a fire, depending on the temp.

When I go to get my second cup, I add yogurt to my cereal and return downstairs to read the papers and eat. Typically, after two cups and cereal, I then go get ready for the day. When ready, I return to the coffee pot and have a third cup, if there’s enough left over.

Still with me? Good, because I think it’s worth it. But you be the judge.

So, I go into the kitchen to pour my third cup and … no coffee pot in the coffee maker. This is a bit unusual to say the least because there are only two of us in the house. So, though this would be totally out of the ordinary, I figure Chris took the pot with her for more coffee. Which she never does.

I look around more carefully. I think, maybe I put the pot in the sink to wash it. But nope, no pot (coffee). I think, “if I were a coffee pot where would I go?” Yes, I honestly had that thought which I admit is an odd enough thought to have (and admit) but that's what I thought.

So, I open the fridge and there on the top shelf is the half and half I use and put in the fridge after each use. (I know you're a step ahead but let me at least get to the punchline.). Next to the half and half -- the coffee pot! (I do not drink iced coffee).

I go to Chris and I say, “Something odd just happened and, I’m sure I know who did it, but I figured I’d check.” I tell her about the pot in the fridge. She laughs. I say, there are only two of us in the house, and I think I know who did it. She laughs more.

Yeah, I couldn’t lay it on her because we both know that I’m Mr. Magoo, especially as I get older.

She said, now that's a blog post.

And, it is.

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We've got a lot to cover

2/8/2023

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For the one or two readers who may have noticed, I haven’t posted in a while. Seems, every time I was about to post something Cong. George Santos (R-Never Never Land) told another lie or there’d be yet another round of voting for Speaker of the House, making whatever I was going to say inoperative. So, as CBS News anchor Nora O’Donnell annoyingly says every night, “we’ve got a lot to cover”:

Best Meme of the State of the Union. Cong. Marjorie Taylor Greene cupping her mouth as she screamed “liar” in the middle of President Biden’s State of the Union Address. Also, for wearing a white fur coat, as she continues to show her ever-day woman image to the country. The cyber-universe universally said she was dressed like Cruella de Vil. Also, as her debut as a candidate for Vice President on a potential Donald Trump ticket?

Best Trap Laid at the State of the Union. President Biden for sucking in the “ready to attack at any opportunity” caucus of Republicans when he said some in the GOP caucus want to cut Social Security and Medicare. The Taylor Greens and others jumped out of their seats to exclaim they didn’t want to do that nor have they said they would!!! Biden smiled, and said he loved a good conversion and was glad that issue was settled.

Most Uncomfortable Seat at the State of the Union. New House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whose face ranged from stoic to smug to shushing members of his caucus, as he tried to figure out his post-speech spin to explain their rude outbursts in a positive way.

Best Spin Post-Speech. McCarthy for calling his out of his control caucus “enthusiastic” in their beliefs.

Best (and Only) Republican rebuttal to the State of the Union. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders who parried Biden’s speech by focusing on the culture wars, not policy. She called Biden “the first man to surrender his presidency to a woke mob that can’t even tell you what a woman is.” Another tryout for Number 2 on a Trump ticket?

Most Annoying Word to Creep into the English Language. Woke. I get it. I get the meaning. When I hear it, though, it’s like fingernails on a glass window. It’s also a short cut to having anything to back up what you’re saying. But, get used to it, it’s one of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ favorite words.

Best Balloon Pop Ever. The United States blowing China’s spy balloon out of the sky.

Funniest Reaction to the Balloon Popping. Chinese Leaders saying it was their property and the United States should return it!!!! Wonder if they would then reimburse us for the plane, pilot time and bomb?

A few “do you ever wonder or imagine”:

Did you ever wonder if certain Republicans put Cong. Santos up to make themselves look better?

Did you ever wonder if DeSantis looks good to many because he isn’t Trump?

Did you ever imagine Biden or former Vice President Pence would get caught with classified documents they shouldn’t have had?

Did you ever wonder why Biden doesn’t give as his reason for having the classified documents that he’s the President (now, anyway)? (Can you name any President who would have used that excuse? Right.)

Did you ever imagine we’d be wowed by podcasts? I mean, we did (do) have radio which pre-television was the primary electronic entertainment system. For those younger folks not familiar, radio has existed for decades and you listen to it but don’t watch it. Remind you of anything?

Did you ever imagine former President Trump would get caught having classified documents he shouldn’t have had? (Oh, wait…)

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House GOP in turmoil

1/6/2023

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(This is being posted prior to noon on January 6th when the House is scheduled to return to the business of electing a Speaker. Anything can happen anytime.)

The multi-day debate and voting over electing a Speaker of the House could be destined for failure for Kevin McCarthy no matter how many days he delays pulling out of the election.

The nuttiest right-wingest folks, who number five, don’t seem to want him under any conditions. Yet, the House remains in session heading into even more unsuccessful votes today.

Those people who really oppose McCarthy do not want a solution. They just want to “make a point,” and, more importantly, appeal to their supporters and raise money. They don’t really care if there is a functioning House. They don’t even care about governing. Their aim is the most limited government possible.

So, whether it’s McCarthy or someone else, who isn’t one of them, they aren’t likely to vote in favor of anyone.

Already, they apparently have negotiated McCarthy down to a place he claimed he wouldn’t go --- that it will take only one person to make a motion to vacate. They already have apparently won at least two seats on the all-powerful Rules Committee but they are holding out for more.

That motion to vacate has been used once in history, in 1910. when it failed. If such a motion - which is a vote to fire the Speaker - is made it would take, if all members are present, 218 votes to pass. If this should happen, crazily (but we’re in crazy territory already), and if it passed, it would put us right back where we are now. Where are we?

Constituents are not being served as they should be and what’s at stake may be their Social Security checks and other matters that literally are key to their survival. I haven’t heard a word mentioned about that on the floor so far, though maybe I missed it.

Also, there is one Republican member whose mother passed away and the funeral is Saturday. Another GOP member's wife gave birth and he hasn’t been home to visit. And, already, there is at least one GOP member who will be going home to Colorado after today for a non-emergency medical procedure, which will lower the majority vote needed to elect a Speaker.

Any way – McCarthy doesn’t have the votes. Five in his party say they will never vote for him and it only takes five to stop him. The media makes a lot over the fact that he has lost nine times in votes this week. Temper that by the fact that for a while they didn’t even have the votes to adjourn and the only business the House can take up is electing a Speaker. They can do nothing else until that is resolved. So, they keep doing it.

My guess is they won’t elect him today either, unless lightning strikes somewhere or someone. The deal being discussed reportedly will not satisfy the five, so they need to be dealt with.

This is the ugly part of politics. Members operating for only personal, not substantive reasons. McCarthy has never been the ideological type. He has been easily swayed when it’s in his personal interest to sway.

Interestingly, one might argue that he may be the “best” among the GOP to be speaker for that reason. Maybe a President can sway him too? Doubtful if it's not in his personal interest to be swayed. And I mean personal interest.

If for some reason McCarthy can’t nail down the votes really soon – and that seems unlikely – and he pulls out, those five will still need to be dealt with. And while McCarthy’s number two -- Steve Scalise – reportedly is liked by the various factions in his party, it’s hard to imagine we won’t be in the same predicament again.

Those five still will want rules changes that make them more powerful.

There is another way – that will never be taken – and that’s for moderate Republicans to join with Democrats to elect a compromise candidate. And that candidate can be someone not in the Congress to take (some) of the politics out of it.

Let’s believe that can happen for a second. Wow! That simple act might possibly be the one to end the ugly partisanship and the Congress can return to doing the people’s business, not their selfish business.

Okay, second's up.

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