Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

In my day, never was longer.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

I’m sure you banged some questionable people yourself.

Take your GOP plan out of the witness protection program.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

This fight is for everything.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Saving nickels, saving dimes

Saving nickels, saving dimes

by | 85 Comments

This post is in: 

More craziness from the Republican candidate in the Mississippi race:

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith accepted a donation from Peter Sieve, a businessman in Washington state known for his white supremacist views, just days after a video published by Bayou Brief surfaced in which she says she would be “on the front row” if a supporter invited her to “a public hanging.”

#Zieve donated $2,700, the max donation an individual can make, to Hyde-Smith’s campaign on Nov. 14. Progressive newsletter Popular Info first reported the donation, which came three days progressive blogger Lamar White published the video on the Bayou Brief on Nov. 11.

Give to the Democrat Mike Espy here:

Goal Thermometer

There are more postcards to write at Postcard Patriots for this race and two others, SoS in Georgia and LA.

You can also give to John Barrow running for SoS in Georgia.
Goal Thermometer

You can give to Gwen Collins-Greenup, running for SoS in LA.

Goal Thermometer

Reader Interactions

85Comments

  1. 1.

    Martin

    We really need to make sure that “Things have changed in the south.” doesn’t go down the memory hole of clueless and dangerous conservative ideas. Roberts should have to wear that every day until he’s in the ground.

  3. 3.

    gwangung

    @germy: Saw that last night. Gave me a little chuckle when I posted it against some diehard anti-Pelosi twits.

    Very pragmatic on AOC’s part. (And it’d be what I say or do).

  6. 6.

    MazeDancer

    PostCards for Mike need to be in the mail by last pick-up tomorrow.

    Or as Kamala said to Picard, “Light years away”.

    PostCards for Gwen and John you can do over Thanksgiving. With the right group, can be a fun thing while waiting for the turkey to finish.

    Have to say, watching Cindy Hyde-Smith’s nausea inducing Bull Connor review was more than a little triggering for this child of the South.

    They must be stopped. What could be more inspiring for contributions and stepping up and using one of the best tools we have to get voters to the polls – PostCards – than stopping racism?

    Donate. Get a few addresses. You’ll be thankful you did.

    PostCardPatriots.com

  7. 7.

    The Dangerman

    Saving nickels, saving dimes

    BOO Bayou?

    Can’t we hire a whole pile of these “real Americans ” to come rake our Forests? The real manly men can rake the cliff areas.

  8. 8.

    Anon

    Off-topic: I just learned that my abuser boyfriend from when I was 18-19 is dead. Dee ee ay ee, dead. I feel a thrill of relief and even gladness every time I think about it.

  9. 9.

    Jay C

    I realize that it’s probably an inaccurate stereotype, but the notion that the average Republican voter in Mississippi is going to either know or care about Cindy Hyde-Smith’s dubious donors is, IMO, naive. That she has the magic rune of approval (R) by her name is likely to be the main determining factor for their votes, despite any other factor.

  10. 10.

    The Moar You Know

    Off-topic: I just learned that my abuser boyfriend from when I was 18-19 is dead. Dee ee ay ee, dead. I feel a thrill of relief and even gladness every time I think about it.

    Congrats. It seems to happen to a lot of them, unfortunately never soon enough.

  11. 11.

    Amir Khalid

    @Anon:
    Since you don’t seem to be mourning his death, I won’t offer you condolences. I think it’s quite understandable to feel relieved and happy that he has passed. I hope you have no guilt about these feelings.

  12. 12.

    WaterGirl

    @Jay C: This is likely to be about turning out Democrats and Independents and people who would be appalled by these stories, as opposed to convincing hard-core Rs to vote for a D.

  15. 15.

    TenguPhule

    @Martin:

    Roberts should have to wear that every day until he’s in the ground.

    What makes you think the ground would have him?

  16. 16.

    Yutsano

    @Jay C: @WaterGirl: I forgot where I saw the calculation, but if Espy gets at least 18% of the white vote in Mississippi he’ll win. Something like this can push independents and even some moderate Rs into his column. But oh man a visit from Barack would do wonders here.

  17. 17.

    TenguPhule

    What’s the matter with NC?

    Chickenpox has taken hold of a school in North Carolina where many families claim religious exemption from vaccines.

    Cases of chickenpox have been multiplying at the Asheville Waldorf School, which serves children from nursery school to sixth grade in Asheville, N.C. About a dozen infections grew to 28 at the beginning of the month. By Friday, there were 36, the Asheville Citizen-Times reported.

    The outbreak ranks as the state’s worst since the chickenpox vaccine became available more than 20 years ago. Since then, the two-dose course has succeeded in limiting the highly contagious disease that once affected 90 percent of Americans — a public health breakthrough.

    The school is a symbol of the small but strong movement against the most effective means of preventing the spread of infectious diseases. The percentage of children under 2 years old who haven’t received any vaccinations has quadrupled since 2001, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    sigh.

  18. 18.

    MazeDancer

    Gwen Collins-Greenup has a remarkable story.

    She’s been in public service for about 20 years. And she and the GOP “incumbent” both got about 20% of the vote, thus, a runoff.

    Her campaign had a budget of under 2K. And the LA Dems didn’t want her. But their guy lost. Gwen used good old-fashioned shoe leather.

    The GOP “incumbent” had been appointed in the Spring because the actual SoS had to resign due to sexual harassment charges.

    Learned about Gwen from the person who ran “Rock the Midterms” site and now has RocktheRunoffs.com. And started emailing and phoning Gwen, to no avail, right away. But RocktheRunoffs badgered Gwen into getting an ActBlue account. (I did a little email pushing, too)

    Eventually, bought a voter list at the LA SoS site. Strangely, the single best online voter list site have ever seen. Our list is Women Dems who voted in 2018 in Jefferson Parrish. Which is in Cedric Richmond’s district. 3.3k names, 30 bucks.

    Despite their nicely organized online purchasing, we want a Dem running the election show in Louisiana. My parents lived in New Orleans for 20 years. (Big time GOP.) Let’s just say corruption is not unknown in LA. Gwen is a lawyer and a preacher.

  19. 19.

    Mnemosyne

    @gwangung:

    It’s pretty much the least surprising announcement ever, but it still makes me happy. AOC is smart enough to realize that Pelosi is much more open to progressive causes than the more conservative Democrats trying to replace her. She is, after all, a lifelong San Francisco liberal no matter what the dead-enders try to claim.

    @Anon:

    Phew! It must be a relief to have that weight off your mind. You’re probably going to still have some feelings to work through and process, but it’s going to be a LOT easier now that he’s no longer a potential threat.

  20. 20.

    Ridnik Chrome

    @Martin:

    We really need to make sure that “Things have changed in the south.” doesn’t go down the memory hole of clueless and dangerous conservative ideas.

    “Dangerous”, yes. “Clueless”, no. Roberts knew exactly what he was doing.

  21. 21.

    TenguPhule

    GOP
    ✔
    @GOP
    Worth noting after recent comments: Retired Adm. William McRaven was reportedly on Hillary Clinton’s short list for Vice President in 2016.

    He’s been critical of @realDonaldTrump— even dating back to the 2016 campaign.

    He’s hardly a non-political figure.

    1,508
    7:19 AM – Nov 19, 2018

    Republicans continue to stand by their man to the bitter end.

  22. 22.

    TenguPhule

    Zeke Miller
    ✔
    @ZekeJMiller
    The White House has named the turkey pardon candidates “Peas” and “Carrots” per the WH website

    Since Trump never eats any vegetables, this was a good idea to try and keep him from eating them.

  23. 23.

    TenguPhule

    Glenn Kessler
    ✔
    @GlennKesslerWP
    Trump resurrects a Four-Pinocchio claim from the campaign! He did not predict bin Laden before 9/11. His 2000 book had a single, offhand reference to OBL. CNN had already run in 1999 a report that OBL was planning an attack the US –> https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/12/07/trumps-claim-that-he-predicted-osama-bin-laden/?utm_term=.116b49125187 …

    Donald J. Trump
    ✔
    @realDonaldTrump
    Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!..

    1,066
    5:35 AM – Nov 19, 2018

    Day ending in Y.

  25. 25.

    TenguPhule

    @Jeffro: I’m so old I remember when Republicans on cable news would lose their shit at the idea of attacking a military officer for speaking their mind.

  27. 27.

    Jeffro

    Btw file this under “everything Trumpov touches turns to shit” – even quiet Ben Carson can’t escape the touch of Shit Midas: Detroit Board of Ed votes to rename Ben Carson High School.

    Not that y’all care, GOP, but seriously – you’re even getting your blessed NAMES TAKEN OFF OF PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDINGS JUST FOR ASSOCIATING WITH THIS IMMORAL MORON.

    Please let them re-name it after Obama, pleeeeeease FSM?!?

  28. 28.

    TenguPhule

    White House vs Acosta. Round 2.

    CNN and the network’s chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta have asked a federal judge for an emergency hearing after the White House sent Acosta a letter saying it planned to suspend Acosta’s press pass again, just hours after the same judge ordered the White House to temporarily restore Acosta’s credentials Friday. Unless the judge extends that 14-day order, it will expire at the end of the month.

    In light of the White House’s unexpected action, the network’s lawyer requested an expedited schedule which would allow the judge to enter a more lasting preliminary injunction against the White House. The renewed confrontation represents an unusual escalation in the court battle between Trump, on the one hand, and CNN and Acosta, both regular targets of the president’s wrath for reporting on his administration.

    In the letter, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and Bill Shine, assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications, told Acosta that his behavior at a Nov. 7 news conference “violated the basic standards governing [news conferences], and is, in our preliminary judgment, sufficient factual basis to revoke your hard pass.”

  29. 29.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @TenguPhule:
    So being critical of Trump at some point in the past means someone can’t be “non-political”, if such a thing is possible? That’s a pretty low bar. I don’t think McRaven had any control on being on a “shortlist” for Clinton, either.

  30. 30.

    TenguPhule

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??:

    So being critical of Trump at some point in the past means someone can’t be “non-political”, if such a thing is possible?

    It means he is an enemy of the people, where people are defined as Trump or one of his minions.

  32. 32.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    It means he is an enemy of the people, where people are defined as Trump or one of his minions.

    Wouldn’t that also technically make him an enemy of the state?

  33. 33.

    TenguPhule

    If this is anything other then symbolic, I want all of their scalps. No, I’m not being metaphorical.

    Sixteen dissident Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority.

    Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (Calif.) both in an internal caucus election Nov. 28 and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case.

    The whip needs to be cracking. We do not need this shit.

    The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with four races still undecided.

    All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one. If the current leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats — a 16-seat majority.

    That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. One of the 16 signers, Ben McAdams (Utah), is now trailing Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) and might never cast a speaker vote.

    Not signing the letter is Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio), who has publicly opposed Pelosi and is now mulling a run against her. Fudge said Friday she would not make a final decision on whether to run until next week at the earliest.

    Another five Democrats — Rep. Conor Lamb (Pa.) and Reps.-elect Jason Crow (Colo.), Jared Golden (Maine), Mikie Sherrill (N.J.) and Abigail Spanberger (Va.) — have made firm statements saying they would not vote for Pelosi but did not sign the letter.

    14 Democratic votes are the maximum that can go maximum stupid without endangering the Speakership.

    Get on the phone and blister their fucking ears. These assholes can hang together with the rest of the caucus or they will damn well HANG SEPARATELY and this is not hyperbole.

  34. 34.

    sm*t cl*de

    @TenguPhule:

    Retired Adm. William McRaven was reportedly on Hillary Clinton’s short list for Vice President in 2016.

    If that word “reportedly” were doing any more work, it would be singing “Pick a Bale of Cotton”.

  35. 35.

    geg6

    @Anon:

    That’s how I felt when I found out the guy who raped me died. At first, I was appalled at myself (oh, that liberal empathy!). And then I kind of did a little dance and laughed and cried and laughed some more. It’s weird how it makes you feel, but ultimately, it feels good.

  36. 36.

    TenguPhule

    Ned Price
    ✔
    @nedprice
    Trying to imagine if Trump had been POTUS in August 2010, when CIA first briefed the Bin Laden lead to the WH. The odds Trump could’ve made it to May 2011 without Tweeting, talking on a non-secure line, boasting at a rally, or telling the Russians in the Oval are about nil.

    Donald J. Trump
    ✔
    @realDonaldTrump
    Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!..

    1,006
    6:26 AM – Nov 19, 2018

    Its going to be one of those days.

  37. 37.

    TenguPhule

    @sm*t cl*de:

    If that word “reportedly” were doing any more work, it would be singing “Pick a Bale of Cotton”.

    Well played. Now I need to get a snort full of tea out of my nose.

  38. 38.

    tobie

    @TenguPhule: What is up with the water in New York? Three of the 16 pledging to oppose Pelosi come from the state: Brindisi (just elected), Max Rose (just elected) and Kathleen Rice (re-elected). Rice’s district is not a swing district, so there’s no excuse for this.

  40. 40.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @TenguPhule:
    I don’t get it. If they’re worried about losing election in two years, I doubt voters are going to remember or give a shit about this vote. These morons have either bought into R framing re: Pelosi or they’re asshole true believers with a dash of misogyny.

  41. 41.

    TenguPhule

    @tobie: I have no idea. The letter just came out with 16 Democrat signatures on it. If this is just theatre, its annoying but livable. But all of them better fall into line fast because we don’t need this shit.

  43. 43.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @TenguPhule:
    Would calling their offices telling them to cut this shit out, have any effect?

    Tim Ryan is my congressman and the only time I called his office, to thank him for voting against ACA repeal, the man answering the phone sounded annoyed that he had to take my call. Granted, he could have been having a bad day, but that doesn’t excuse acting that way towards a constituent.

  46. 46.

    MazeDancer

    Would calling their offices telling them to cut this shit out, have any effect?

    Absolutely. It’s like any vote your rep might have. You get to express an opinion.

    Also, anyone who wrote PostCards for Abigail Spanberger who now feels betrayed by her stupidity, here is her transitional mailing address. Feel free to send her a PostCard and set her straight.

    Abigail Spanberger
    P.O. Box 3121, Glen Allen, VA 23058

  47. 47.

    Barbara

    @TenguPhule: Until they have a candidate for speaker who could get a majority I view this letter as an opening salvo in the effort to get something else.

  49. 49.

    jl

    I heard Trump this morning and I finally understood how lucky we are to have him as president. He said so himself. Trump could have caught bin Laden sooner than Obama and done health care reform better too, handled the economy better than Bill Clinton, won WWII better than FDR and Eisenhower, established the post-WWII international order than Truman, done social insurance and solved the Depression better than FDR, tamed Robber Barons better than Teddy Roosevelt, he is more popular than Lincoln, he could have solved the Civil War better than Andrew Jackson(!?), established precedents for lasting democratic governance better than Washington. Hamilton was never president, but Trump could have done the money better too. For example, all the money would have pix of Trump on them.

  51. 51.

    jacy

    @MazeDancer:

    Arduon — the douchebag who is acting Sec State is actually running on a platform of blocking automatic and same-day voter registration. That WHY he says people should vote for him. Gosh, but I hate living in the South.

  52. 52.

    jl

    Trump is also a philosopher. Few people know this. What can we really, really, know? Only philosophers think about things like that. Is the earth flat or a globe-like thingy? Do bears shit in the woods, do we really know that’s true? Is the sun hot? Is it shiny because of nuclear fusion due to the immense gravitation, or because it is burning clean coal (which has been washed right after they take it out of the ground), or because it is reflecting the greatness and glory that is Trump?

    Does Trump have an asshole? If so, where is it? If there is one, what comes out of it? So much we just don’t know.

    Trump is innovative and revolutionary in his thinking. For example, if a known bald face liar tells me stuff over and over again that will get him out of trouble, I never would have thought of believing him. Trump pushed the envelope of what we know, can know, should know, will know!

  53. 53.

    FlipYrWhig

    @jl: You can tell how well he’d handle all those crises because of how well he’s handled hurricanes, shootings, walking on inclined surfaces, and the prospect of getting wet.

  54. 54.

    Mnemosyne

    @Barbara:

    Their supposed candidate for Speaker, Marcia Fudge, declined to sign their letter.

    I’m assuming that some wheeling and dealing will be going on behind the scenes to change these votes, and I’m guessing that the Republicans are calling them to try and get them to switch parties, too.

  55. 55.

    jl

    WP ate my second peon (sp???) to Trump, But the critics and losers on this blog need to know, so I am posting it again. Or maybe the Deep State is censoring the truth about Trump in the internet.

    Trump is also a philosopher. Few people know this. What can we really, really, know? Only philosophers think about things like that. Is the earth flat or a globe-like thingy? Do bears shit in the woods, do we really know that’s true? Is the sun hot? Is it shiny because of nuclear fusion due to the immense gravitation, or because it is burning clean coal (which has been washed right after they take it out of the ground), or because it is reflecting the greatness and glory that is Trump?

    Does Trump have an a hole? If so, where is it? If there is one, what comes out of it? So much we just don’t know.

    Trump is innovative and revolutionary in his thinking. For example, if a known bald face liar tells me stuff over and over again that will get him out of trouble, I never would have thought of believing him. Trump pushes the envelope of what we know, can know, should know, will know!

  59. 59.

    TenguPhule

    @Gravenstone:

    Funny how no one seems to be mentioning W and his merry band of morons actively intervening to let OBL slip away at Tora Bora….

    Everyone knows Clinton was immediately followed by Obama. //s

  61. 61.

    jl

    @TenguPhule: Is that link an actual news report, or some BS ‘Democrats in Disarray’ ‘analysis’ thinkpiece? It seems to be some entry in something called the ‘Power Post’. It quotes some of the moderate to center-right, who Dems oppose Pelosi, spouting BS.

    I read things that look more like real news reports that Fudge is in talks with Pelosi, the majority of the new progressives have a deal to support Pelosi, and Abigail Spanberger has been putting out conflicting statements, so maybe looking for a way to get out of her unwise pledge.

    If the negotiations between Pelosi and Fudge work, there is no credible candidate. Moderate and center-righters have challenged Pelosi before and failed. I read a news report that Tim Ryan nobly offered his ass up as an alternative, and it seems to have made such a huge impact, and been such a great success, that I didn’t see it mentioned in the Power Post link.

  62. 62.

    Mnemosyne

    @Gravenstone:

    W is only useful to them working behind the scenes as he did to get the Kavanaugh nomination through. He’s always been a dirty trickster at heart, so he prefers that anyway.

  63. 63.

    Mnemosyne

    @jl:

    There are 16 House Democrats who signed a letter saying they would not vote for Pelosi. Seems like a pretty dumb move on their parts, but they went and did it. Images of the letter are online.

  64. 64.

    Haroldo

    @MazeDancer:

    I’ve been calling Seth Moulton’s office. They are polling. They are also saying, ‘The Congressman feels it’s time for new leadership.’ Telling them that the effective result of this nonsense is electing a Republican Speaker is not a bad tack to take. It might register.

  65. 65.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @Mnemosyne:
    W is still a piece of shit, for helping push Kavanaugh through, even if Trump is worse in other respects.

  66. 66.

    TenguPhule

    @jl:

    Is that link an actual news report, or some BS ‘Democrats in Disarray’ ‘analysis’ thinkpiece? It seems to be some entry in something called the ‘Power Post’. It quotes some of the moderate to center-right, who Dems oppose Pelosi, spouting BS.

    Its not a think piece any more. Letter just came out with their fucking signatures on it opposing Pelosi as speaker.

  68. 68.

    tobie

    Tim Ryan’s big backer in the media was Krystal Ball, who formed some PAC with him after her own cable career seemed to crash and burn. Out of curiosity I just checked out her twitter account. She’s all-in on Ojeda. My, oh my.

  69. 69.

    TenguPhule

    @jl: If exactly 16 Democrats abstain from voting for Pelosi in January, Republicans retain control of the House Speakership.

  70. 70.

    jl

    @Mnemosyne: I understand that, and didn’t deny it in my comment. I posted link with various lists of the positions of those who will be in the new Congress a few days ago. I just noted that I am not sure that link is an actual news report, and as an analysis it seems incomplete and inaccurate to me.

  71. 71.

    Haroldo

    @Barbara:

    Until they have a candidate for speaker who could get a majority I view this letter as an opening salvo in the effort to get something else.

    Yeah….a Republican Speaker.

  73. 73.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @Mnemosyne:
    Funny how that works. I imagine that conservatives in the Dem party would tend to be men anyway.

    I despise Tim Ryan, who I only voted for in the general because he has a D after his name. I left the race in the primary blank. He had no credible/sane challengers. He needs to accept the fact that he’s a backbencher and always will be. He’s never going to be anything other than a US Congressman in a safe district due to Ohio Republican gerrymandering.

  74. 74.

    Miss Bianca

    @TenguPhule: y’know, I hate to have to say this, but the only thing that is going to wake some of these anti-vaxxers up is if kids start dying in significant numbers again from some of these “harmless” diseases. And maybe not even then.

  75. 75.

    Aleta

    Using the all-purpose ‘message of change’ as the reason for their particular ambitions is such bs.

    “We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus,” they wrote. “However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change.”

    A senior Democratic aide, speaking on condition of anonymity to freely discuss the developments, highlighted the fact that 94 percent of the House Democratic caucus did not sign the letter.

    Dems won on specific messages that they don’t mention, since it wouldn’t support their publicity campaign for themselves. Anti-discrimination, competency, toughness and politically intelligent fight skills, for example.

    Their slogan ‘message of change’ could just as easily serve the idea that their sexist, self-serving operation should be drummed out of Congress.

  77. 77.

    TenguPhule

    @Aleta:

    highlighted the fact that 94 percent of the House Democratic caucus did not sign the letter.

    Unfortunately we need 96% of them to vote for Pelosi or Republicans keep the speakership.

  80. 80.

    jl

    @TenguPhule: Saw the letter. Seems like mostly the usual moderate, center-right, and generally confused, suspects who have opposed Pelosi before, and failed. The way I read it, it is not a pledge to vote against her on the floor, but a general promise to ‘vote for new leadership’. Exactly when, how and where is unspecified.

    Fudge’s name is not on it, and she’s not mentioned. No mention of an alternative candidate, though the non-entity Tim Ryan signed it I don’t see any big names from the new progressives in Congress, but then, I read a news report that they have made a deal with Pelosi. Did these goofballs even think of trying to deal with the new progressives? Did they have anything at all to offer? I doubt it.

    So, far, it looks to me like this is a rerun of previous moderate, center-right, and confused goofball failed attempts to unseat Pelosi.

  81. 81.

    TenguPhule

    @jl:

    So, far, it looks to me like this is a rerun of previous moderate, center-right, and confused goofball failed attempts to unseat Pelosi.

    The difference is that this time their votes actually matter. We had enough of a margin for their errors last round.

    This time every vote counts.

  82. 82.

    Fair Economist

    @TenguPhule: If 16 Democrats vote *for* the Republican we have a Republican Speaker. If they abstain we still have Pelosi (abstainers don’t count). If they vote for Fudge or don’t vote at all, we have a hung Speaker vote (give or take a vote or two, as some elections are still not settled).

    Pelosi can be elected Speaker with up to about 35 abstentions, depending on how the remaining races shake out, as long as the abstainers actually vote “present”. She has to have more votes than McCarthy, and a majority of Representatives who don’t vote “present”. Absent and non-voting members count for setting the size of the majority. This seems odd, but is important to prevent the possibility of a “coup” when members are absent.

  83. 83.

    TenguPhule

    @Fair Economist:

    If they abstain we still have Pelosi (abstainers don’t count).

    If they abstain the Republicans have a one vote majority.

    Right now we’re projected to have a 16 vote majority on our side.

Comments are closed.