"...Onimous sign for Trump..."

[Pototan]

Last edited Sun Jan 5, 2025, 12:45 AM - Edit history (1)

I've been reading reports of the effects of the Speaker's fight in the House with many MSM outlets referring to it as a Trump "victory". I watched the whole thing, live (2:00 AM on Saturday, Jan 4th here in the Philippines) and I thought it was chaos. To have to hold the vote open for an hour to get 6 holdouts and flip 3 more votes to re-elect a Speaker with no other candidate from within his own caucus is far from a "victory". The opposition to Mike Johnson seems quite organized to me. It is no coincidence that the 6 holdouts and 3 opponents add up to the exact number needed to call for a vote to vacate the Speaker's chair and only 2 or 3 Republican members voting for someone else prevents Johnson from serving as Speaker. Those renegades sent a message and although most of the MSN either ignores that message or diminishes it, I read the message loud and clear. Since I still subscribe to the Boston Globe, I was heartened to read an article that captures my interpretation, so I have linked it here. 

Speaker Mike Johnson’s bid to retain his job was in trouble as three hard-right conservative members within the razor-thin Republican majority in the House voted against him. The revolt threatened to plunge the chamber into the same chaos of two years ago, when Republicans were unable to choose a speaker for four days in a foreshadowing of the dysfunction to come.

Some last-minute maneuvering Friday helped Johnson pull out a first-ballot win and allow new House members to be sworn in and get to work. But the drama in performing the most perfunctory task of governing doesn’t bode well as Republicans grapple with balancing the slimmest House majority since the 1930s with approaching deadlines on government funding and increasing the nation’s debt limit.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/03/nation/mike-johnson-reelected-speaker

[PJMcK]

1. Don't hold your breath

Republicans as evil as they are, hold the levers of power.

We're fucked.

[Bluetus]

3. Is a bad sign.

It tells me that this time around they view this as their one and only chance. With people like Gaetz gone, we may see the Republicans hold together 100% on everything. The thought process could be that if they have any cracks in their caucus it will be disastrous for their party.

They could f*** around with all sorts of chaos when Biden was president and Schumer ran the Senate, but if they do that while Trump is president, it will be an epic fail for them

[PJMcK]

4. Your optimism is respectable

But I think you're dead wrong.

Trump will whip the Republicans on line EVERY TIME, just as always.

The United States was a great country. We'll see what happens next.

[KPN]

14. I'm feeling along your lines. What keeps me positive is

knowing from experience that people living in 3rd world countries as well as communist Poland in the 70s seemed to be able to live reasonably happy lives. Life is partly just about attitude, even in an oppressive system.

[Bluetus]

23. I think you replied to the wrong post

I said I think they will be more unified than the talking heads are saying.

I don't necessarily see that as Trump "whipping Republicans on line". I think it is more likely that people like Muek, Bannon, Theil, Leo, Vance and other neo-Nazis will set a direction and whip the rest of the Republicans under the argument "This is the moment we've been fighting to see for over 50 years. Don't be the one who F***s it up now that have all the levers of power." When Trump sees the parade forming, he'll race t the front.

[Pototan]

6. Three Dozen Republicans

have already defied Trump.

The "burn it down" caucus is more committed to not raising the debt ceiling and not passing a budget with Democratic votes, than kowtowing to Trump. I believe that because they already did that in December.

In addition, the "moderate wing" of Republicans from swing districts in Blue States will not extend the tax cuts without a Salt exemption. Add to that the promise of not taxing tips and Social Security and there is no way of getting the Tax proposal to comply with rules concerning a reconciliation bill with the Cooperate Tax cuts Trump has promised his benefactors.

Ya, I'd say it's ominous and it proves it's easier to bullshit than to govern.

[Pototan]

9. This version of Republicans can't stick together

They can fool enough people to win elections about half the time since 2010, but they have yet to prove they can govern.

[Johonny]

25. Yeah, many of these people are there to be heard from

They are influencers, not politicians. They are more interested in Jan 6th hearings than any agenda. Voting no gets them in the news. They are good at playing opposition. This is why last time round when Trump rolled out Covid rules, they rallied against them. It is going to be like that. Any policy that they can get likes and follows being against, they will be against. They have no real agenda but me, me, me. Which is Trumps main agenda as well.

[brush]

27. Not quite. Bills have to start or go thru the House and rethugs have such a narrow...

majority that on most bills, they'll need Democratic help and Minority leader Jeffries is well aware of that.

Let's see what happens. If trump, with his immunity for 'offical acts', turns things into a fascist dictatorship, all bets are off then as he'll be able to ignore the House and Senate.

[Bluetus]

2. They got all but 1 lined up in a couple of hours

That is much better than most people were predicting here. I said several times last week that they would elect Johnson quickly without drama and that is exactly what happened.

It is ominous. If they are able to do that on regular legislation, we are screwed.

[GiqueCee]

5. "Onimus"? Don't they mean...

... "Ominous?" Nothing ominous enough for the most despicable excuse for a human being ever to defile the Oval Office and disgrace this nation.

[Pototan]

7. Type-O corrected on edit

Thank you

[Yavin4]

8. The Republicans will pass everything that they want.

Nothing will stop them.

[Pototan]

19. Except that they can't get along with each other

They refuse to compromise. And not just with Democrats, but they also can't compromise with each other.

[Yavin4]

24. They will do whatever Trump or Musk tells them.

That's the reality of our current situation.

[not fooled]

10. And Thune has scheduled the Senate for more time in session than usual

in order to move the red don/musk agenda and nominees through.

It's hard work dismantling a country and selling it off.

This is their endgame after decades of plotting. I'm p*issed that I stayed in the country (moved to a blue state and bought a nice house) after Biden was elected; I didn't think it would come to this. Now I have to uproot again and emigrate. Should have realized they weren't going to stop until they brought their evil plans to fruition.

[KPN]

13. They think it's the end game. Maybe it is, maybe it

isn’t. Unless my three adult kids can emigrate — which I doubt they can financially — I and my wife probably aren’t going anywhere — so hoping the latter.

Hope it works out for you. I’d be interested to hear where you go and why, so please keep us in the know.

[Pototan]

16. Well, I'll tell anyone who's interested

I'm 72 years old; my wife is 69. She's Filipina and we've been married 22 years. We have no children.

Her family has land in the Central Philippines consisting of 10 Hectares, including farmland (about 25 acres). We planned 15 years ago to build our custom dream house on the property. I did not leave the United States three years because of Trump or MAGA, but I really don't miss it that much because of him and them.

I have all the comforts of home. My money goes 5 times as far, the weather is great, and I live among the friendliest people in the world. I do go back to Boston for about 2 weeks a year, but I'd much rather be here than there, especially during the next 4 years.

[usonian]

11. Those "holdouts" probably were waiting for the price to be right.

It’s a money feast, IMNSHO.

[KPN]

12. Good stuff! Thanks for sharing. I happen to

also subscribe to the Boston Globe, but obviously missed that piece.

Grew up on the south shore and have never lost those roots even almost 50 years later. The Globe is a great rag!

[Pototan]

15. I grew up on the North Shore

but worked for about 15 years at the IBEW 103 offices in Dorchester until I retired to the Central Philippines.

[stopdiggin]

17. I don't see anything particularly significant here

other than the razor thin margin of majority. (but then we already knew that)
The fact that they found the votes (in a very thin pile) was fairly predictable with Trump's endorsement. What this means going forward ... Probably not a great deal. But - anyone's guess I suppose.

The fact is - the party doesn't have anybody 'waiting in the wings' - that is going to be a peacemaker, or more palatable to the 'nay' crowd.

[Pototan]

18. This vote wasn't just about choosing a Speaker

It is about Trump's influence on the House. Let's remember that Trump's isn't at 100% obedience or victory in Republican Primaries. Massie beat a Trump primary opponent. Kemp and Rothlisberger won big in Georgia. Other Republican Congressmen have pledged to their constituents never to increase the debt ceiling or fund an unbalanced budget.

They may have stood down in begrudgingly selecting Johnson for Speaker, who had no opponent in the Repuke caucus, but 99% compliance with Trump on key issues isn't good enough because 99% of 220 still falls short of a majority.

[stopdiggin]

22. I see a numbers game - plain and simple. (which, again, was completely transparent before ... )

Difference being I think that's about all that it is - without need for extrapolation or making it 'symbolic' of anything.

[Pototan]

29. I know that you and I understand the math and politics

Last edited Mon Jan 6, 2025, 09:17 AM - Edit history (1)

of all this.

But I doubt that the "average American voter" understands.

Almost everything everybody posts here at DU are understood by the average DUer.

So, when I post obvious stuff to us, it is a way of suggesting how to explain the politics of all this to those friends and acquaintances that may be less informed than us. I know that I've gotten some insight from this site on how to explain some complex issues in a more convincing way.

[Strelnikov_]

20. Agree

This was about getting a Speaker so the tally could go on.

[EndlessWire]

21. I feel that

the only reason Donald backed Johnson is that he needs him to get past any potential blockade of the inauguration. Yes, there is still a potential objection that could be voiced by Dems. Probably not, due to Dems being frozen, but still it's there. Once past the inauguration, Johnson can be thrown under the bus at the whim of Rump.

There is no way Johnson can be seen as an effective leader. They are making a big deal of a "first ballot" win, but we all know some backstage promise or threat was made, and that was the only way Johnson got in. They had to hold the results until that was done. So, that wasn't much of a victory.

[SARose]

26. I think MAGA Mike

will be gone soon. He isn’t going to hold his caucus together.

Cheeto man has already undercut Thune by insisting on 1 huge package rather than two.

If the Dems can hold it together in both houses and one huuuuggggee unwieldy policy bill is put up for a vote I believe there are several Republicans in both houses who will pull a John McCain. We are talking about billions of dollars for this one item. Where in the world are they going to get offsets?

I think too many conservatives will balk at getting rid of the debt ceiling, too.

In other words, I believe this will be a shit show to infinity and beyond. Popcorn ready!

[Pototan]

28. Didn't 36 Republican members of the House

vote against putting too many issues into one bill? Didn't they want separate votes for each item?

This Trump tactic is exactly what they all preached against.