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If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

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Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

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Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Un-fucking-believable – How Is This Not Dereliction of Duty?

Un-fucking-believable – How Is This Not Dereliction of Duty?

by | 203 Comments

This post is in: 

How is this not dereliction of duty?

(The Hill)

House Republican leadership told members they can leave Washington on Thursday after the conference failed to make any progress on funding the government ahead of the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline.

But they advised lawmakers to be on call and ready to return to Washington if needed.

House GOP leadership had informed members that votes were expected on Friday into Saturday as discussions over government funding continued. But those plans were scrapped by Thursday afternoon after the House GOP conference faced a number of setbacks in its effort to avert a government shutdown.

The announcement from GOP leadership came shortly after a coalition of conservatives tanked a procedural vote to consider a Pentagon funding bill, marking an embarrassing loss for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as he looks to unite his conference around the appropriations process.

It also came as enough conservative opposition emerged to block a revamped proposal for a short-term stopgap funding measure that leadership unveiled Wednesday night.

They really do want to burn the country down – they simply don’t care, as long as they can win the election.

I think I need some bunny pics.  Open thread.

Reader Interactions

203Comments

  3. 3.

    SiubhanDuinne

    an embarrassing loss for Speaker Kevin McCarthy

    Poor Kevin. Poor, poor, pitiful Kevin.

    🎻. <—— (enlarged for detail)

  5. 5.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    The simple fact is too many of their voters don’t want the government to function. This is what they were sent for. This is what we pay them for.

  6. 6.

    trollhattan

    Believe their oath of office contains something about “defending the Constitution of the United States” only their version is “defending what The Federalist Society says is the Constitution of the United States.”

    Anything else is just noise.

  7. 7.

    eclare

    People like MTG do not want to govern and don’t care.  They want clicks and soundbites and money.  And she is prob safe in her seat for decades.

  10. 10.

    WaterGirl

    Surely there are enough Republicans who don’t want to crash the economy, and until now they have been too cowardly to stand up.

    Bueller?   Bueller?

  11. 11.

    Old School

    Presumably it’s people not involved directly in the House Republican squabbling, so they can still hold a vote next week with plenty of time.

    (Of course, it’s likely anything the Republicans agree on between themselves is unlikely to be satisfactory to the Senate and/or Biden.)

  12. 12.

    MattF

    Everyone knew this would happen, right? The last two Republican Speakers— both of them smarter and more capable than McCarthy, ended up retiring permanently from politics.

  13. 13.

    JML

    @WaterGirl: They don’t actually believe that it will crash the economy. they have no ability to understand the destruction that’s possible, because they’ve always been bailed out before.

  14. 14.

    FastEdD

    Capo board meeting last night was about a “parents’ rights” rule before the school board requiring teachers to notify parents if a student has discussed LBGTQ issues, in private, with a teacher. Brutal. Half the speakers said that teachers, and students, must out gay kids by law. The other speakers stood up for themselves. It is sad when kids have abusive parents and no one to confide with. Some parents want rules to require that the school district perpetuate the abuse. The so-called parents were mostly the “Moms For Liberty” nutjobs who want to do away with public schools entirely.

  15. 15.

    Tom Levenson

    This isn’t a dereliction of duty, nor is it a clever election ploy.

    This is what failure looks like, and it is being depicted as such pretty widely in normie media as well as at places like this joint.

    It’s bad, and it’s a measure of the health of our politics (ICU time), but recognizing those facts doesn’t mean that mean we should ascribe to the GOP more competence or strategic insight than they have.

  16. 16.

    bbleh

    @WaterGirl: I think some of them don’t want a shutdown, because (1) they remember what happened the last two times, and (2) they have constituents (donors) who would be really annoyed if a shutdown turned into a recession (which it wouldn’t necessarily at first but very possibly could if it went on for long).  But they’re not the ones throwing tantrums; I think they’re more likely to be vulnerable purple-state Reps.  Meanwhile, the ones throwing tantrums are not as vulnerable politically and actually see nihilistic ODD-type performance as a net asset for them, and they may be right.  And Qevin is too incapable and/or scared to do what needs to be done to circumvent them.  So there we are.

  17. 17.

    trollhattan

    @MattF: ​
    And Kev’s too stupid to retire voluntarily (“The Speaker, me wants it, wants it, my Precioussss!) and so when he gets the boot it’s going to be a Big McCarthy Surprise.

    OTOH if he does retire, imagine what hairball Bakersfield will hack up as replacement.

  18. 18.

    dmsilev

    No, it’s McCarthy admitting that he doesn’t have any leverage over at least one cluster of lunatics. And they know it.

    If McCarthy had any self-respect, he’d pass a clean CR with the help of Democratic votes, then pull a John Boehner and nope on out of the House and enjoy watching someone else try to manage the shitshow.

  19. 19.

    Immanentize

    I personally am very surprised that there are not 3 republicans (maybe from NY?) Willing to get all the sweet perques possible by switching to Democrat.

    I know, I know, it’s a cult.

  20. 20.

    Alison Rose

    On the flip side, here’s someone doing his job:

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a lawsuit against Heartbeat International (HBI), a national anti-abortion group, and RealOptions Obria (RealOptions), a chain of five crisis pregnancy centers in Northern California. The lawsuit alleges that the two organizations used fraudulent and misleading claims to advertise an unproven and largely experimental procedure called “abortion pill reversal (APR)”. The procedure is touted by HBI and RealOptions as a safe and effective way to “reverse” a medication abortion — in reality, it has no credible scientific backing, and has potential risks for patients who undergo it. Given the lack of credible scientific evidence supporting APR’s safety and efficacy, it is crucial that pregnant patients are provided with accurate information before deciding whether to undergo this experimental procedure. Attorney General Bonta’s lawsuit, filed today in the Alameda County Superior Court, seeks to block HBI and RealOptions from falsely advertising APR as safe and effective.

    “Those who are struggling with the complex decision to get an abortion deserve support and trustworthy guidance — not lies and misinformation,” said Attorney General Bonta. “And let me be clear: the evidence shows that the vast majority of people do not regret their decision to have an abortion — more than 95% of patients who undergo an abortion later say they made the right decision. HBI and RealOptions took advantage of pregnant patients at a deeply vulnerable time in their lives, using false and misleading claims to lure them in and mislead them about a potentially risky procedure. We are launching today’s lawsuit to put a stop to their predatory and unlawful behavior. I urge any Californian seeking information related to reproductive care to visit our Reproductive Rights website, which lists programs and resources that can provide the accurate, timely, and reliable help they need.”

    There’s a little more at the link. I will just note that it’s not a “struggle” or “complex” decision for everyone, but I understand the point he’s trying to convey here, and I appreciate this move very much!

  25. 25.

    jimmiraybob

    “How is this not dereliction of duty?”

     

    Duty and loyalty to who and what?

    They know nothing of the US Constitution and, if measured using the yardstick of “what would Putin do?”, it all makes pretty good sense.

  26. 26.

    bbleh

    @dmsilev: OR pass it and then dare them to try to vote him out (and maybe cut a deal with some Dems on the side to vote “present.”)  It’s not entirely clear to me that the crazies would actually go through with a Motion to Vacate, because they would be squarely blamed for it by over 400 of their colleagues, pretty much all the media, and most of the country.  But then again, they may have morphed from ODD to suicidality; I dunno.

    And of course the other possibility is pure Kabuki: the whole show from Motion to Vacate through votes with Dems voting present could be arranged among all the parties ahead of time, allowing each to benefit with their own constituents: the crazies Stood Tall, Qevin Became Speaker Today, and the Dems saved the economy.  Nobody loses face, everybody gets talking points, and no donors are upset.

  27. 27.

    trollhattan

    Here’s a test: from this top-ten, descending order, list of most dangerous to pedestrian cities, can you find anything they have in common? You may look at your neighbor’s paper.

    Fort Lauderdale, FL
    Jackson, MS
    Macon, GA
    Memphis, TN
    Albuquerque, NM
    Little Rock, AR
    Victorville, CA
    Pompano Beach, FL
    North Charleston, SC
    Baton Rouge, LA

    https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article279599154.html#storylink=cpy

    Victorville, I want to see you after class.

  28. 28.

    Redshift

    Sorry, no bunny pictures. I never got to tell people a couple of weeks ago thanks for all the good thoughts for my bunny Joe, but unfortunately he didn’t get better, and we had to say goodbye.

  30. 30.

    Dangerman

    Sure, let’s have a shutdown just as Covid appears to be coming back for a return engagement. I’m sure that will go over well with the non paste eaters. Assholes.

  31. 31.

    Ocotillo

    @Alison Rose:

    because too many of their voters think this is how you govern. Ugh.

    For younger people, it has become the norm.  Whether it’s hostage taking over the debit limit or funding the federal government, if the Klown Kaucus holds the House, it is this way every, friggin’ time.

  35. 35.

    Alison Rose

    From NYT live blog of Zelenskyy’s visit to DC:

    Despite Speaker McCarthy’s tough talk in public questioning military aid for Ukraine, he was not aggressive with Zelensky during their small closed-door meeting at the Capitol on Thursday, according to other lawmakers in the room.

    Yeah, because his tough talk is all bullshit posturing for the crazies. I know Zelenskyy wouldn’t do this because he is a statesmen, but God I wish he might ask McCarthy, “So why are you letting all this idiotic assholes lead you around by the balls?”

  39. 39.

    Alison Rose

    @trollhattan: Many years ago, one of my brothers, who is an auto mechanic up here in the North Bay, had to go down to Victorville for some kind of special training for a few days. When he got back, I asked him what it was like, and he said the cost of living was massively better but someone could give him a free house and he still wouldn’t want to live there.

  46. 46.

    Ken

    At least the Republicans deliberately caused the previous shutdowns. This time they appear to be lurching into a shutdown out of complete incompetence.

  47. 47.

    rikyrah

    MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) posted at 0:43 PM on Thu, Sep 21, 2023:
    What is Rupert Murdoch’s legacy? https://t.co/guwJqUi2QN

    Darryn M. Briggs (@darryn_briggs) posted at 0:57 PM on Thu, Sep 21, 2023:
    1) Insurrection.
    2) The worst pandemic response of any developed nation.
    3) Growth of public distrust in science.
    4) Lurch toward authoritarianism.
    5) Profit-driven “news”
    6) Pacification of domestic terrorism
    7) Exacerbation of racial discord
    8) Mollification of police killings
    (https://x.com/darryn_briggs/status/1704917775997702637?t=tmlcTqnxraPQiUaadIw-Kg&s=03)

  49. 49.

    Yarrow

    @Tom Levenson:

    This isn’t a dereliction of duty, nor is it a clever election ploy.

    This is what failure looks like, and it is being depicted as such pretty widely in normie media as well as at places like this joint.

    It’s bad, and it’s a measure of the health of our politics (ICU time), but recognizing those facts doesn’t mean that mean we should ascribe to the GOP more competence or strategic insight than they have.

    QFT. Thank you for saying this.

    Imo, the title of this post is not helpful.

  58. 58.

    Scout211

    Dare we say  .  . . Republicans in disarray?

    Added:  And Nancy Smash love from the other side of the aisle? Sweet!

    The defeat marked yet another public embarrassment for Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Republicans as Washington barrels toward a government shutdown. Then, they left town for the week.

    “We are very dysfunctional right now,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said, adding that the failure proves that GOP leaders “obviously can’t count” votes, unlike Democrats. “Speaker Pelosi, love her or hate her, she put something out there and they’d rally around it.”

    McCarthy had vowed that the House would work through the weekend to find a solution to the crisis, with votes expected through Saturday. Now, they’ve canceled votes for Friday and the weekend, telling members they’ll get “ample notice” if any votes are scheduled.

    Moderate Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who is facing a tough re-election bid next year, has been describing the GOP dysfunction as a “clown show” and warned that pragmatists would work with Democrats to keep the government funded.

    “For my colleagues, they have to come to a realization: If they are unable or unwilling to govern, others will. And in a divided government where you have Democrats controlling the Senate, a Democrat controlling the White House, there needs to be a realization that you’re not going to get everything you want,” he said.

    “And just throwing a temper tantrum and stomping your feet, frankly not only is it wrong — it’s pathetic,” Lawler added.

    Dereliction of duty?  They think their main duty in congress is to gather donations and campaign for re-election.  You can’t do that in Washington DC, people!  They gotta go home. It’s their duty!

  59. 59.

    bbleh

    @Tom Levenson: @Yarrow: you mention normie media, and I agree: headlines are about “Republicans” failing to do things, not “Congress,” and there’s a lot of pictures of McQarthy standing in a crowd looking frazzled.

    When I saw they were leaving town, I figured at least half the reason was to get the story off the front pages.

  60. 60.

    Martin

    I suspect looking at this through the lens of politics 10-20 years ago is a mistake. This is not a failure. This is part of a campaign where a subset of the US population went from majority to minority and will not accept their minority status, and are going to probe how much pain the new majority will tolerate at the hands of the minority. We’re now reliably 8 years into this campaign (probably longer) and since we are choosing to fight rather than capitulate, the pain being inflicted will just increase.

    The media operates as if they are completely oblivious to this dynamic.

  61. 61.

    Alison Rose

    @Scout211:

    “Speaker Pelosi, love her or hate her, she put something out there and they’d rally around it.”

    Damn right. My favorite story in three acts from a couple years ago was 1) a tweet from a reporter saying Henry Cuellar said the Build Back Better Act would not pass if it came up for a vote that night and that he wouldn’t be supporting it; 2) a tweet from another reporter, quoting the first one, and saying that she saw Pelosi talking to Cuellar on the floor; 3) another reporter tweeting an hour later that Cuellar now says he would vote for the bill.

  62. 62.

    Dan B

    @FastEdD: There Moms for Liberty seem to believe that punishing kids for being LGBT+ is a healthy thing to do.  As a gay guy who came of age when homosexuality was invisible and having lived through AIDS it’s personal.  They want people like me erased.  Kids are much more vulnerable.  They need safe spaces and trustworthy adults.

  63. 63.

    MattF

    @Martin: And, considering abortion as a prime political issue for that minority, ‘pain’ is not simply a figure of speech. It’s going to hurt. It’s going to get worse before it gets any better. And that’s being somewhat optimistic.

  64. 64.

    eversor

    I don’t think burning the country down is about winning elections.  It’s more “give us what we want (Christian theocratic oligarchy) or we will burn the house down with both us in it.

    It’s possible to negotiate with a bomber as they do not want to die.  It’s not possible to negotiate with a suicide bomber as they are willing to.

    The problem the GOP has is that their establishment are bombers.  But they don’t want to go down with it.  Their Christian and Libertarian wings are suicide bombers because that’s the only way to get what they want.

  68. 68.

    Martin

    @MattF: Jan 6 was part of the pain. Gun violence is part of the pain. Stochastic terrorism will be part of the pain.

    How much will we endure before we give them what they want? Tearing your hair out over a government shutdown kind of gives them what they want. We have to come to expect this is going to happen, and worse – especially as we get closer to trials, to potential disqualification of Trump from the ballot, or from GOP loss in 2024. They aren’t going to just suddenly see the light. They’re too invested. They’re going to have to be defeated in some way.

  69. 69.

    jonas

    Ignorance. Corruption. Incompetence. Dereliction of duty.

    All badges of honor worn proudly in today’s GOP.

  71. 71.

    scav

    They’ve clearly all got doodles of Liz Truss on their econ crib notes and kiss them for luck when they think no one is looking.

  72. 72.

    Geminid

    @Immanentize: There are Democratic candidates already gunning for those purple district Republicans in New York. Democratic leaders can’t guarantee a party switcher the nomination, and they know better than to try. New York’s Republican Representatives are gonna have to sink or swim on the Republican ballot line, and the ones in purple districts will almost certainly sink. And Albany Democrats are making another try at gerrym- I mean, redistricting. They may succeed this time.

    But there could be a few Republican Reps from elsewhere who might be fed up enough to bolt the party. They might not make it into the next Congress, but some like Don Bacon (NE) are ready to retire anyway. Plus, David Valadeo (CA) and Dan Newhouse (WA) both voted to impeach Trump and still managed to win reelection. They are in jungle primary states and are probably as likely to win reelection as an Independent as they are as a Republican, maybe even more. Up the Central Valley from Valadeo, John Duarte is in a similar position. He barely squeaked in as a Republican and is unlikely to win again as one. He needs some separation from this horrible caucus.

    But like I’ve said here before, if the prospective retirees and the jungle primary Reps bolt, they might not neccesarily help elect Jeffries as Speaker. They might offer Democratic leaders the plan Don Bacon floated at the beginning of this Congress. That would be to elect as Speaker a retired Republican Congressman like Tom Reed or Charlie Dent. He would basically be a caretaker who made sure neccesary legislation made it to the House floor, so the Democrats and the “Independent Republicans” could pass it.

    If this came to pass, it could be a durable framework, good for the remainder of this Congress. The Democrats would have the opportunity to pass critical bills and maybe some modest intiatives too. They could tell voters next year, “We did the best we could with a minority, now vote more of us in so we can really help our nation.”

    Then, come January  2025, I expect Hakeem Jeffries would be elected Speaker with a majority of at least 15 members. But I think he’ll have that even if Kraven McCarthy somehow hangs on for another 15 months.

    The Independent Republicans would get their very own office. They could sip bourbon with Speaker Reed and talk about golf courses, grandkids, future employment plans and the like. And they could chuckle at the sound of 200 some Republicans snarling at each other next door.

  79. 79.

    Citizen Alan

    @Maxim: I was nearly in Valadeo’s district but the kitchen in the apartment I looked at was too small. So I’m currently in Tom McClintock’s district and hoping the bastard has a stroke or something. I just checked wiki and was shocked to see McC is only 67. I’d have guessed he was pushing 80.

  80. 80.

    Brachiator

    @Geminid:

    But like I’ve said here before, if the prospective retirees and the jungle primary state Reps bolt, they might not neccesarily help elect Jeffries as Speaker. They might offer Democratic leaders the plan Don Bacon floated at the beginning of this Congress. That would be to elect as Speaker a retired Republican Congressman like Tom Reed or Charlie Dent. He would basically be a caretaker who made sure neccesary legislation made it to the House floor, so the Democrats and the “Independent Republicans” could pass it.

    I’m really not seeing Republicans helping Democrats. Aside from typical GOP dishonesty there is a huge gap between Republican and Democratic Party views of what the government should do.

    Then again, I don’t understand the deep details of Congressional politics. The Senate would also have to go along with this.

  82. 82.

    Scout211

    Does TFIG ever know how to read the room?

    WASHINGTON ― Coup-attempting former President Donald Trump demanded that House Republicans use the looming threat of a government shutdown to “defund” the federal criminal prosecutions against him.

    “Republicans in Congress can and must defund all aspects of Crooked Joe Biden’s weaponized Government that refuses to close the Border, and treats half the Country as Enemies of the State,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform late Wednesday. “This is also the last chance to defund these political prosecutions against me and other Patriots.”

    . . .

    The House has the power, at any time, to pass a bill that would remove funding for the special counsel investigating Trump, but has failed to even consider such a measure. A failure by Congress to pass an appropriations bill by the end of the month will lead to a partial government shutdown, including the possible furlough of federal workers.

    “Use the power of the purse and defend the Country!” Trump wrote.

    At least one of his top congressional allies took notice. Within an hour of Trump’s post, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) posted an image of it on the social media site X, still commonly known as Twitter, with the comment: “Trump Opposes the Continuing Resolution. Hold the line.”

    It’s always all about him.

  85. 85.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @WaterGirl:

    What a terrible font!

    When I was a little girl, my grandmother would sometimes take me to a local (Oak Park) tearoom for lunch or dinner. They typed up new menus every day, and all the enclosed letters were clogged with fibres from the typewriter ribbon, so lower-case e printed as lower-case o. This led to such delicacies as Roast Boof, Boots, and Coffoo Ico Croam.

  86. 86.

    trollhattan

    @scav: Liz Truss, my god the woman woke up one day thinking it’s 1980 and this Laffer fellow has some SUPAH ideas on how to grow the stuffing out of the UK economy. And now Sunak is staring at them chanting “Did you really think we said 2030? I said we’d think about 2030 and act some time after we’re done thinking. Also gas boilers, whatever those are.”

    Automakers: I say, what?”

  87. 87.

    Scout211

    @Citizen Alan: Hi Citizen Alan! :waves from McClintock’s district further north:

    We can’t get rid of the idiot and every time the district borders change he stays in my district.  He’s an odious idiot and he does nothing in congress. Ugh.

  89. 89.

    Roger Moore

    I will say two related things I’ve said before:

    1. Going to their district is part of a legislator’s job.  How many times have the same people now complaining about Representatives heading home complained about a legislator spending so much time in Washington they only maintain a house in their district to keep up appearances?  You can’t have it both ways.  Either they’re supposed to spend a lot of time talking to their constituents and knowing what’s going on in their district, or they’re supposed to be in legislative sessions non-stop.  You can’t reasonably complain about each one in turn.
    2. Going home to their districts means it’s a perfect time to let them know what you think about the job they’re doing.  Those people unfortunate enough to live in a House Insanity Caucus district should do their best to let their “Representative” know you’re not happy with them stonewalling appropriations.
  94. 94.

    Ken

    @SiubhanDuinne: This led to such delicacies as Roast Boof

    Hmm, perhaps. But I am reminded of a Cheers joke where Cliff and Norm found this great restaurant with really low prices. Cliff said the menu had some misprints, like “Roast Bef”, but Norm corrected him — legally they can’t call it beef, because it doesn’t come from a cow….

  95. 95.

    Roger Moore

    @Redshift:

    I’m so sorry.  I had to say goodbye to my beloved cat a few weeks ago, and my eyes are still getting misty writing about it.  It’s so hard to say goodbye, even when you know it’s the right choice.

  97. 97.

    Geminid

    @Brachiator: I am not saying this scenario is likely. I think its more likely than a Jeffries Speakership during this Congress.

    There surely are differences between how Republicans as a whole and Democrats as a whole see government. But there are still a lot of differences within this Republican Caucus, as we heve been seeing. I think one of the biggest differences is political pragmatism. The Freedom Caucus is a lot of things, and one is that they are anti-pragmatic politically. They know they are screwing their colleagues who have to run in purple districts, but they do not care. They seem intent on continuing on this path for the rest of this Congress and McCarthy can’t stop them. If this Caucus dysfuntion continues or gets worse- a real possibilty- I think bolting this caucus could be a logical move for a few Republicans.

    Like I said, I do not think this is likely, but it’s a possibility and I won’t be surprised if it happens.

  98. 98.

    Yarrow

    @Martin:

    Tearing your hair out over a government shutdown kind of gives them what they want.

    Yes. This. The headline of this post especially is not at all helpful.

  104. 104.

    bookworm1398

    So tell me if I understand correctly. In previous shutdowns the military was not affected because they passed a separate bill just for them. But this time the military will be affected.

    So what happens? I assume troops don’t come home from Syria, they just stay there and don’t get paid? Will they still be able to pay local suppliers for food and things? What are we looking at here?

  106. 106.

    tobie

    Don’t these MAGA reps have constituents who depend on Social Security? Stupid question. They just don’t care.

  108. 108.

    Alison Rose

    @Roger Moore: Oh, I’m so sorry! In a few weeks, it’ll be three years since my previous kitty passed, and I still miss her every day, even with my current one sleeping next to me right now. But what WayOfCats said was very true, that we have infinite slots in our hearts for our companions, because even while I still mourn for Zoe, I have endless love and joy from Briery.

  109. 109.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    I think a great solution for the crazy caucus is for them to demand that the states they represent send the government back every single penny of objectionable budget money sent to their states. Why not? They can show their constituents that they are serious about cutting all wasteful government spending in their state. Itemize it and send it all back, done! I wish someone on the Democratic team in D.C. would put a proposal like this together and present it to the crazy caucus. They need to quit focusing on cutting everything across the board and instead to focus on what they have the ability to do.

    Put their money where their mouths want it to be and let their constituents see what life on those terms is like…lol

  112. 112.

    Lyrebird

    @eversor: ​
     

    That’s… quite a chair.

    Just showed the picture to the lead gamer in the family, for fun.

    Thank you for explaining the other night why my former burner phone is bulging. Noone I’d asked before knew, and I hadn’t been aware that it’s probably a fire hazard.

  113. 113.

    gene108

    @Alison Rose:

    This feels like yet another IOKIYAR situation, and they’ll get away with it, because too many of their voters think this is how you govern. Ugh.

    When voters are okay with the low standards Republican politicians set for themselves, we’re sort of stuck with this.

    In theory, politicians putting on a clown show would anger voters and voters would vote them out of office. It used to work to some extent.

    Mark Foley’s sex-capades became a national embarrassment for Republicans, in 2006, and was one reason they lost the House. That just doesn’t happen anymore. Likely Republican voters don’t seem to care convicted (in Brazil) criminal George Santos is in good standing with the party.

  114. 114.

    JMG

    The Democrats should go to McCarthy with the following offer. Put a continuing resolution on the floor (spending levels in accordance with the debt limit agreement) and it passes. When the crazies come for you, we’ll supply the votes to keep you Speaker. He’d have a MAGA primary challenger in about an hour and a half, but he’d still have the job he wants for some reason.

  116. 116.

    Geminid

    @Yarrow: I certainly wouldn’t tear my hair out over a shutdown. This is not like the debt ceiling matter, where the economy could potentially have been derailed by a bad outcome. This economy might take a hit because of a shutdown, but the private sector is going strong enough to absorb the blow, I think. Most state and local governments are doing well too. Their revenues  are strong, and they are still spending money from the American Recovery Act.

    And my understanding of the debt ceiling compromise is that after a couple weeks, funding would resume but with a 2% cut in authorization, which would be tolerable (At least I think this is true but if it’s not someone will correct me).

    I’m actually licking my chops over the prospect of a shutdown. Virginia’s entire General Assembly is up for election this November, and this state is unusually reliant on federal spending. A shutdown engineered by Congressional Republicans will hurt Republican state candidates some, and maybe a lot. This may be only a silver lining, but it’s a bright one for me and I don’t see the cloud as being very dark anyway.

  119. 119.

    Baud

    @Jackie:

    I’m not the hugest Lincoln Project fan, but at least they’re not liberal Democrats who let the New York Times dictate their talking points.

  120. 120.

    Roger Moore

    @JMG:

    McCarthy knows what he would need to do to keep the government funded; he doesn’t want to do it.  The Republicans scream about how the Crazy Caucus is doing them in, but they won’t lift a finger to stop it.  If any of the faux moderate Republicans wanted to light a fire under McCarthy, they could threaten a motion to vacate if he refuses to bring a clean CR to the floor.  None of them will do it because they’re all putting party before country.  Even the so-called moderates would rather shut down the government than push a CR that requires Democratic support.

  121. 121.

    mainsailset

    So, simultaneously McCarthy is answering the press by saying that he’s having too hard a time passing things to have time to allow Zelensky to speak in front of a joint Congress.

  122. 122.

    Bill Arnold

    @jonas:

    All badges of honor worn proudly in today’s GOP.

    Say that they are not real Americans, that they are enemies of the USA, that they are not patriots, that they do not give a shit about life, etc. Things that will sting a little, inside.

  128. 128.

    Old School

    From a profile of Mark Milley in The Atlantic:

    It would be nearly a year before Dunford retired and Milley assumed the role. At his welcome ceremony at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall, across the Potomac River from the capital, Milley gained an early, and disturbing, insight into Trump’s attitude toward soldiers. Milley had chosen a severely wounded Army captain, Luis Avila, to sing “God Bless America.” Avila, who had completed five combat tours, had lost a leg in an IED attack in Afghanistan, and had suffered two heart attacks, two strokes, and brain damage as a result of his injuries. To Milley, and to four-star generals across the Army, Avila and his wife, Claudia, represented the heroism, sacrifice, and dignity of wounded soldiers.

    It had rained that day, and the ground was soft; at one point Avila’s wheelchair threatened to topple over. Milley’s wife, Holly­anne, ran to help Avila, as did Vice President Mike Pence. After Avila’s performance, Trump walked over to congratulate him, but then said to Milley, within earshot of several witnesses, “Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded.” Never let Avila appear in public again, Trump told Milley. (Recently, Milley invited Avila to sing at his retirement ceremony.)

  130. 130.

    wjca

    @Roger Moore: Going to their district is part of a legislator’s job.

    Assumes facts not in evidence.  To wit:

    1. That when they “leave town” they actually go home to their district.  (Side question: Does Tuberville going home to Florida count?)
    2. That, if they do actually go to their district, they allot any time to talking to (non-donor) constituents.

    Some of them doubtless do.  But I’m betting that lots of them have other priorities.

  133. 133.

    gene108

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:

    I think a great solution for the crazy caucus is for them to demand that the states they represent send the government back every single penny of objectionable budget money sent to their states. Why not?

    A lot of what they object is shit like SNAP and WIC payments, Obamacare subsidies, etc.

    It’s all abstract on paper, until looking into what Republican run states get back from the Federal government in excess of what they pay, and a lot (most?) of it is support for poor people.

    In Mississippi and Alabama the poorest demographic has traditionally been African Americans, who I think those Republican state governments would be happy to keep even more downtrodden.

  134. 134.

    wjca

    @JMG: The Democrats should go to McCarthy with the following offer. Put a continuing resolution on the floor (spending levels in accordance with the debt limit agreement) and it passes.

    If, and only if, it’s a 12 month continuing resolution.  Let the crazies shut down the government next year, a month before the election, if they want.  But not until then.

  135. 135.

    scav

    @Roger Moore: Pish.  If they’re going “home” to visit “who they represent”, they’ll be haunting sequential boardrooms and corporate retreats for weeks.

  137. 137.

    Dan B

    @Old School: Tifg has repeatedly demonstrated that he has zero empathy and zero morality.  He mocks the disabled, pows, women, etc. And now we can add wounded veterans to the list.

  138. 138.

    Geminid

    @Old School: I think Mark Milley will write a book not too long after he retires, and I will want to read it, or at least reporting on it. It will of course be his side of various stories, but I can read critically.

    Trump and his people have really run Milley down, and he has not been in a position to tell them off. Once Milley is, I don’t think he will pull any punches.

  139. 139.

    WaterGirl

    @Yarrow: i am curious.  How is the title not helpful?

    I think Tom’s description correct, but I still think it’s dereliction of duty, whether they are such failures that they can’t do their duty, or if it’s deliberate.

  143. 143.

    Scout211

    @wjca:  That, if they do actually go to their district, they allot any time to talking to (non-donor) constituents.

    I was about to reply with the same point.  My odious congressperson, Tom McClintock has a large district in size but not is number of constituents in the eastern central part of California.  You may know where he will be in person if you are a Republican voter who is on a donation list or you might be invited to a fundraising dinner if you are a large donor but if you are neither one of those, he is a ghost.

    My guess is that this is true for a majority of congresspersons.  None of them want to be caught on camera being confronted by an angry constituent with a beef.  But more importantly, they don’t want to waste their time and effort if they aren’t getting a donation or a vote from a constituent.

    That’s what their staff and interns are for.

  144. 144.

    Alison Rose

    Zelenskyy speaking at the National Archives:

    Zelensky, a master communicator, talks about a telegram he saw in the archives from President Lincoln to one of his generals in which he urged him to “hold on with the grip of a bulldog.” He says Lincoln’s words reflect how Ukrainian soldiers fight “in our battle for every inch” of land.

    That is *chef’s kiss* right there.

  149. 149.

    Geminid

    @Dan B: He’s probably discussed the project in general terms with an agent or writer. Milley may be one to use more of a co-writer than a ghost writer. He is an intelligent man with advanced degrees, and he may well be a capable writer himself. And there are some very unusual elements in this story that he will want to tell in his own words. Milley might just end up working with a good editor.

  150. 150.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud:

    but at least they’re not liberal Democrats who let the New York Times dictate their talking points.

    Curious.  Which liberal democrats do that?  They need a stern talking to.

  152. 152.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @WaterGirl: Eric Adams, from my outside perspective, seems to be one. You’d think he’d know better than to listen to that rag, being from New York and all.

  157. 157.

    eversor

    @Scout211:

    Think creatively.  These fundraisers are not by invite only but it’s usually 1000 a dinner on the low end.  That’s, not all that much really it’s chump change.  There’s nothing stopping anyone from crowd sourcing 1000 bucks to crash one these dinners and create a scene.  It will make the news.  If it works and you get more people in on the concept there’s nothing stopping anyone from raising 10k for the fancier dinners and really causing a fucking scene.

    Sure, they can throw you out.  Hell they probably will.  But being kicked out of a 1000 dollar or a 10000 dollar fund raising dinner is a lot more news worthy than being hurled out of a town hall.  You’re also pissing off the right people!  Shit we have enough retired people here who’s careers aren’t in jeopordy if they cause a scene and enough people in general to crash a fundraising dinner.

  161. 161.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Martin:

    I think you are accurately describing a social trend.  I don’t think it applies to the decision making dynamic happening now.  It’s how incompetent assholes like this got their positions.  What’s happening right now is what Tom said.  There is no strategy.  An incompetent coward is failing to lead a bunch of squabbling children, and exactly like the debt ceiling negotiations he won’t go to the Democrats to bail him out until the absolute last second, when he’ll have no leverage.  The abuse part plays out when their voters look for whoever screams “Fuck the libs!” loudest and elect them regardless of any other factor.

    @Scout211:

    President Donald Trump demanded

    Prediction:  The overwhelming majority of House Republicans do not give the slightest fuck what Trump wants, and if it even makes it that far this demand will be the first bargaining point to disappear without a trace when McCarthy negotiates with the Dems.

    Because remember, there is no scenario where McCarthy does not have to negotiate with the Dems.  We hold the Senate and Presidency.  The bill he can’t even get from his own caucus would be toilet paper as soon as it passes.

  163. 163.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @WaterGirl: I think of him as quintessentially liberal, that is to say a capitalist.

    Virtually all Ds are socially liberal, so I tend to not factor the social aspect in applying that label to Democrats.

    The biggest issue I associate with him is opposition to police reform, police being our primary tool to protect capital investment. He’s a liberal from my vantahe point

    ETA: It is from this point of view that I have argued here several times that Democrats as a whole are the conservative liberal party and Republicans are radical liberals.

  164. 164.

    Roger Moore

    @Scout211: ​

    My guess is that this is true for a majority of congresspersons.

    I actually doubt that. A lot of politicians get into politics because they love pressing the flesh; it’s part of the job they genuinely enjoy. Not all of them, of course, but a surprising number would go to public events even if they weren’t in office. Almost any time I’ve gone to a big public event, there’s a line of politicians waiting to give speeches, and my representative has been toward the front of the list. If it’s for something that covers multiple districts, I usually hear from the other districts’ representatives, too.

  166. 166.

    Geminid

    @WaterGirl: I kind of envy you. Representative Budzinski stays busy when she’s in Washington, but when she’s home in Springfield she stays busy talking to people in the 13th CD. You will have many opportunities to meet her.

  167. 167.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Frankensteinbeck: Our political conversation, and here I basically just mean Republicans, have distorted that and several other words beyond recognition.

    I recognized this when I answered, which is why I saw fit to provide an explanation.

    ETA: I suspect this is why members of the strident left make a point to throw a neo- in front of liberal whenever they refer to these traits. I avoid that because that’s a particular ideology and I don’t have Mayor Adams body of work and opinions in front of me to make that judgment.

  168. 168.

    bbleh

    @wjca: @JMG: concur re 12-month at agreed-upon levels at a minimum, but I’d push for more.  Toss in some goodies Dems really want and that wouldn’t make “moderate” Republicans revolt.  If McQarthy wants his chestnuts pulled out of the fire, he needs to go further than he already agreed to (before he reneged).

    And if necessary, do it all as a show, per 26 above. Let him publicly stand heroically against it, and also stand against the nihilism of the crazies, but agree For The Good Of The Nation.  Blah blah blah this is the day McQarthy became Speaker blah.

  170. 170.

    Roger Moore

    @Dan B: ​

    Being head of the military probably involves a lot of writing.

    Or dictating to a subordinate who’s expected to polish the wording. Plenty of great generals have been poor writers who depended on their staff. Just as an example, Napoleon was actually pretty bad at writing and depended on Berthier to convert his ideas into functional orders. Berthier’s death shortly before the Waterloo campaign was a big reason the French army made such a hash of it.

  173. 173.

    WaterGirl

    @Geminid: I actually haven’t heard a peep out of her, haven’t even heard anyone locally even say her name since she’s been elected.

    But then I don’t read the right-wing rag that is the CU News Gazette.

    It’s okay.  As long as she’s working hard for us, I don’t need to see her.

  175. 175.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Roger Moore: ​

    Going to their district is part of a legislator’s job.

    Sure it is, but right now is a less than optimal time for that part of their job, don’t you think?

    I bet they had plenty of recesses over the summer. Right now they need to be in D.C.

    Going home to their districts means it’s a perfect time to let them know what you think about the job they’re doing.

    You really think they’ll be more available to the general public this weekend than they were during the week? Color me skeptical.

  176. 176.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @WaterGirl: Democrats are deliberative, averse to risky actions, while they act to help people they move incrementally. This is what I see in the Democrats that makes me label them conservative. This is also a major portion of what I like about the party. It is not a sleight.

    I don’t think I have to explain what makes the Republicans radical, not here.

    Eta: I’d also like to know the nature of your disagreement, please.

  178. 178.

    Geminid

    @WaterGirl: Like many first term Representatives, you have look up “Nikki Budzinski” to get news about her. I found that out with Sharice Davids. Once Davids was sworn she hardly ever made the national news. But if I looked her up I would find plenty of reporting on her by local and state news sites.

    Rep. Budzinski does have an office in your city (or cities; I’m not sure how that Champagne-Urbanna thing works). Sometime when you are out and about maybe you could stop by and learn about the Farm Bill.

  179. 179.

    PAM Dirac

    @NotMax:

    They’ll be classed as essential and see minimal to no change, with the possible exception of paychecks.

    You see details of contingency plans here.

  180. 180.

    eversor

    @Roger Moore:

    Not in the modern military.  High ranking officers and even most senior NCOs are going to hold a masters.  For an NCO you can do it without it.  For an officer it’s not.  Plus there are a lot of PHDs.  All of these fuckers can write.  While they are great word smiths if you piss them off though they will revert to sailor talk and yelling in a nano second.

    They also are used to chosing their words wisely.  Because of classification, political issues, and not wanting to make the news they are masters of the craft.

    One of Trumps fuck-ups was not realizing Mattis wasn’t just known as Mad Dog.  He was known as Warrior Monk.  He was equal parts aggressive and scholarly.  Anybody even remotely associated with the military knows this.  It’s not just shooting guns, driving fast, and throwing hand grenades.  Even for elite units that’s not really the full job.  The military is much more educated than our society as a whole.  And when they (we but I’m out) aren’t deployed you are constantly training and in school.  Trump of course is too stupid to know this and to lazy to have figured it out.

  182. 182.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @gene108:

    I know… then let them actually do it and let the fallout from it rain down on them. While they are against helping the poor their actual goal is to take the money away from blue states because their assistance to the poor makes them look bad. Make them give it up and watch them crumble because they will be reviled as the monsters they are.

    Hell, apportion the money sent back to the blue states so the can run outreach/assistance programs for the poor in our new third-world states…lol!

  183. 183.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Formerly disgruntled in Oregon: Better than ceding the term to Republicans, who are not conservative in any meaningful sense that I see.

    ETA: To be fair, my focus would be more on denying the supposed conservatism of Republicans and I would probably only pair the word with liberal when prompted specifically to broadly differentiate the two parties’ approach to capitalism. As I did here.

  187. 187.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Formerly disgruntled in Oregon: Here, for example, the conservative aspect manifests in working within an existing program, taking the time to study the potential outcomes and anticipate as many unintended outcomes as is feasible, including appropriate funding, etc.

    Tell me that doesn’t sound like how Democrats operate.

  190. 190.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Geminid: I gladly and often apply that reactionary label to Republicans. I’m more likely to do so toward their social and pokicy making approach (to the extent they have a policy making approach).

    Again, my goal here was to differentiate between their approaches to economic liberalism, aka capitalism.

    Their radical version of capitalism threatens to fully supplant our democratic republic.

  191. 191.

    WaterGirl

    @Geminid: Yeah, there would only be one office, in either Champaign or Urbana.  Day-to-day, it’s effectively just one city.

    But we have separate governments, and if you’re paying attention the cities have different flavors.

  193. 193.

    Yarrow

    @WaterGirl:  It’s not helpful for a variety of reasons. It’s a hair on fire headline for something that isn’t a hair on fire incident. The added profanity for emphasis makes it seem like it’s something unprecedented. It’s not; they’ve done it before. It’s been clear this was coming. It’s not remotely unbelievable.

    The title doesn’t say anything about the subject. The reader doesn’t know if this is something involving TFG, Biden, the military (the word “duty” made me think that), something at the local animal shelter, or any number of other things. It’s a lot of OMG! and little information.

    The title leads one to think the subject must be a really big deal. As stated above, it’s bad but it’s not unexpected or unprecedented. The title doesn’t fit the actual subject. It’s misleading at best and Boy Who Cried Wolf -ish at worst. Not everything has to go to 11. Outrage fatigue is a thing. It overwhelms and demoralizes. It’s not something without consequences.

    As for the content of the title, as Tom Levenson said, it’s not dereliction of duty; it’s failure. A better title would have leaned into this giant Republican failure. Let’s focus on that. They are failing. That’s bad for the country in the very short term, but hopefully good for the country long term.

  195. 195.

    wjca

    @Geminid: Milley may be one to use more of a co-writer than a ghost writer. He is an intelligent man with advanced degrees, and he may well be a capable writer himself.ū

    Typically, even mid-level officers (major, lt. colonel,  colonel) will have advanced degrees.  For a general or an admiral to have a doctorate isn’t all that unusual.  Granted, probably not a STEM field**, but not something irrelevant either.

    ** Although engineering and computer science PhDs are increasingly common.

  196. 196.

    kalakal

    @Roger Moore: Ah yes, died after mysteriously falling out of a window. Putin really is trying to recreate the Czarist empire in all its habits.

     

    @The Kropenhagen Interpretation:

    Our political conversation, and here I basically just mean Republicans, have distorted that and several other words beyond recognition.

    A guy I used to work with was a libertarian nitwit who liked to call himself a “Classical Liberalism”.

    When he jumped on the “Dems want to  defund the police” bandwagon I told the historical ignoramus exactly what a Classical Aka Manchester Liberal was and inquired as to why he wanted the police to be funded in the first. It’s all slogans they don’t even fucking understand.

  197. 197.

    wjca

    @Geminid: Another good label might be “reactionary.” I remember it still being used in the 1960s, and I think it was more common in the decades before that. But “reactionary” seems to have gone out of fashion.

    It was a rebranding exercise.  They figured out that “reactionary” was toxic, and so relabeled themselves as “conservative.”

    Which proceeded to make that label more toxic than it once was.  Not to mention leaving us without a way to talk about a significant chunk of the population who are neither progressive (on most issues) nor reactionary.

  199. 199.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @kalakal: When he jumped on the “Dems want to defund the police” bandwagon I told the historical ignoramus exactly what a Classical Aka Manchester Liberal was and inquired as to why he wanted the police to be funded in the first. It’s all slogans they don’t even fucking understand.

    My father, deep in the right wing echo chamber since the early 90s courtesy of right wing radio, would tell you the police and army are essentially the only valid functions of the government.

    Trying to logic through any of it won’t work, anyway. It’s all just an evolving excuse for a coalition of people who have at least one issue where they’re an unrepentant asshole.

  200. 200.

    Geminid

    @wjca: I thought “reactionary” was a pejorative word, used by liberals to describe more conservative Republicans in a negative wat. At least, that’s how I remember it.

  201. 201.

    BruceFromOhio

    I called Max (OH-07) Miller’s office in DC, and noted to the staff member that “a shutdown would be really bad and the Congressman is on the Finance Committee and should know better” right when a recruiter was calling me back about an opportunity.

    Later I will try chicken bones and a pentagram for a winning lottery number.

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