Ugh. What a disgusting creature.
No, not him.
“Here is Mike Johnson railing against Roe v. Wade, arguing that if women were forced to give birth to more “able-bodied workers,” Republicans wouldn’t try to cut Social Security and Medicare.”
DISGUSTING. Women are non-persons.
Here is Mike Johnson railing against Roe v. Wade, arguing that if women were forced to give birth to more “able-bodied workers,” Republicans wouldn’t try to cut Social Security and Medicare pic.twitter.com/RN5FPNlvon
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) October 25, 2023
⭐️
Open thread.
MisterDancer
Another piece of work from this screwed-up “party”. I really don’t have anything clever to add, except you’re spot on for calling him out.
zhena gogolia
As soon as I saw a picture of him I knew he was bad news.
Eyeroller
He means white women, of course. We could solve many worker-shortage problems by accepting more immigrants. The problem there, of course, is that most of those who want to come here are not white, or not white enough.
Jeffro
what a freak
if he lost the glasses, he’d look like that psycho who was gleefully talking about “we’re gonna be putting kids in cages again – can’t wait!” to some RWNJ podcaster a week or two ago. perfectly normal-looking on the outside, dripping with rot inside
hells littlest angel
It’s rotten motherfuckers all the way down.
HumboldtBlue
Where the fuck do these people come from?
Manyakitty
Beginning to wonder if he was an early test subject in that revolting Joshua Project that stuck us with Madison Cawthorne and Josh Hawley. Vomit.
Another Scott
Beware white guy politicians with good hair.
Cheers,
Scott.
WaterGirl
@Eyeroller:
I nearly added that when I created the post. But I was so angry, all I could manage was what I put up.
matt
Not only is he making a gross argument that reveals that he thinks of women as farm animals, he’s lying about Social Security.
Delk
He’s also an extreme homophobe.
Dangerman
Bullshit
ETA: But say it loud and proud Motherfucker. Go into the Retirement Villages filled with MAGATs and say you want to cut SSAM. Tattoo it on your forehead.
Citizen Alan
They are not human. They’re just not. I don’t think they have souls.
WaterGirl
@Delk: Seems to me that there’s a good chance that he’s in the closet.
Suzanne
He seems nice.
I never forget that Republicans and social conservatives want women to pop out their babies, serve them sexually, make them food, and take care of their homes. And that’s it.
Bupalos
Really bad sign for democracy if they can get this guy through.
I keep seeing statements about how this will be the last vote before “we go outside the box” or “try something else” and I think that sentiment continues to miss how the paralyzed chaotic status quo is pretty much best case scenario for Trumpist bombthrowers.
Bupalos
@Citizen Alan: ugh.
Anoniminous
It’s Forced Birthers all the way down
Albatrossity
Sadly, those same words could have been emitted from the facehole of just about every GOP politician these days
Xavier
Besides which, he’s lying about not wanting to cut social security. They live to cut social security.
lowtechcyclist
@matt:
This. In addition to being morally appalling, his argument fails on its own terms.
But I won’t even go into details on that because I don’t think that should be the focus here. Rep. Johnson, WOMEN AREN’T YOUR GODDAMN BREEDING ANIMALS. It’s that simple.
What a thoroughly loathsome, abominable excuse for a human being.
Danielx
He seems nice, if your tastes run to sociopathic autocrats.
TriassicSands
Well, Mikey is probably very fond of the idea of a slave labor force. If we could return to that, then we wouldn’t need Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. Or OSHA. Or labor laws. Think of the cost savings for corporations.
Yep, this is just the latest example of the best the Republicans have to offer.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Bupalos:
Why? It’s no secret the GOP is extreme these days. That’s why they’ve been underperforming in elections in the past few years. People don’t like what they’re seeing and voting accordingly
JPL
@lowtechcyclist: I hope that whoever nominates Jeffries says that. Only 4 need to vote no.
I am just sick.
hells littlest angel
“Able-bodied workers.” Is he saying he’d allow an abortion exception for the weak and unfit?
Geminid
People will be digging up more of Johnson’s unsavory actions and statements if he wins the Speaker vote. He’s had a low profile in his 6 years and 10 months tenure, but that ended last night.
JPL
@Geminid: Will that be before or after he shuts down the government?
Anyway
Ugh is right. He’s also against further aid to Ukraine.
Frankensteinbeck
@Geminid:
Which I suspect is the point. The only person the caucus can agree on is someone they only vaguely know who he is. Someone nobody hates, not someone everyone loves.
Omnes Omnibus
What make any of you think that he can get to 217?
Soprano2
@WaterGirl: In MO people are trying to get amendments on the ballot to restore abortion rights. Republicans are suing to try to force them to say that if it passes the state of MO will lose over $12 billion due to the loss of “taxpayers”, and they’re also claiming without evidence that it will cause the loss of Medicaid money. Of course, there is no mention of the savings of not paying for medical care for pregnant women, or paying for healthcare for the resulting babies, or any of that other cost savings. It’s gross.
SiubhanDuinne
@Manyakitty:
Never heard of the Joshua Project, so I googled it. Yikes!! Revolting is definitely the word.
trollhattan
“Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Führer!” seems dated, so I guess “Your wombs are all belong to us” is a passable stand-in.
Soprano2
@Bupalos: It was until Hamas attacked Israel. The bomb thrower’s problem is that now there’s something they actually want government to do (give money to Israel), but it can’t be done as long as the House isn’t in session. That threw a monkey wrench in their whole plan to shut down the government by other means.
smith
@Omnes Omnibus: Speaking for myself, I’m worried that when terminal fatigue finally sets in, the spinner will have stopped at someone like Johnson who will become Speaker basically by default. I guess we’ll see soon how close we are to that.
Manyakitty
@SiubhanDuinne: awful and deeply placed indoctrinated troublemakers salted through all levels of government. How do we survive this?
Manyakitty
@smith: I suspect we are there. Fingers crossed that Omnes is correct and we are worried about nothing.
J. Arthur Crank
@Omnes Omnibus:
Do you mean votes, or kicks in the nuts? The former seems difficult, but the latter seems easy (or at least it should be).
Anoniminous
@Omnes Omnibus:
Because there are 221 Republicans in the House.
lowtechcyclist
@Omnes Omnibus:
I have no opinion on that; my predictometer has been broken for ages now.
The point is that, at least for this moment, he’s the guy the House Republicans are rallying around, and he’s an abomination. We all know how bad the GOP is at this point, and damned if he isn’t worse.
Ohio Mom
@hells littlest angel: I cringe whenever I hear “able-bodied.” It is extremely ableist, a slur against all disabled people, a refutation of the belief that every person has worth.
Kent
If there are not more than 4 GOP Congressmen who oppose this creature then I don’t know what.
Surely there are more than four who don’t want him to be the face of the party and represent them in their purple districts.
way2blue
Frankly, I’ve never understood why men get a vote on any abortion issue.
But more to the point » Trump wants a House Speaker in place who will throw the election to him next year, That’s why, among other reasons, Emmer is out and Johnson is in the running. (Marcy Wheeler said much the same last night on her nitter / X née twitter feed.) And why the House Democrats might want to engineer Emmer as speaker (with nailed-down agreements about bills coming to the floor, et cetera)…
smith
Such great tacticians. They’ve spent three weeks calling attention to themselves, and their dysfunction, with plenty of opportunities for normies to make the connection between a government shutdown and their pathology. And then the government shuts down just before the holidays. And they expect political credit for that come election time?
Ohio Mom
When the day comes that Omnes is worried about something that might happen, I’m diving under the covers.
rikyrah
Because, of course. Evil , rotten clown
OzarkHillbilly
@HumboldtBlue: Misery. Arkansas. Oklahoma. Texas. You know, the usual hell holes.
TriassicSands
@smith:
That could happen. Exhaustion and the prospect of continuing to appear like a bunch of hapless fools could kick in and Republicans, whose standards for quality are already non-existent, will vote for George Santos if necessary. (OK, that might be too much even for them.)
montanareddog
@trollhattan:
More of a stand-in for “Kinder, Küche, Kirche” with these bozos
ETA: just noticed that it is a phrase that begins with 3 Ks – a combination with which they seem to have an affinity.
CaseyL
In the good news department, y’all might be interested to hear that Franklin, TN, soundly defeated a totally-MAGA mayoral candidate and alderman slate of candidates.
NOTE: I don’t know anything about what Franklin is like, politically. Maybe it leans Democratic/liberal anyway. But such a resounding defeat is good news!
Another Scott
@Omnes Omnibus:
RollCall.com:
128/221 = 57.9%
217-128 = 89. He’s only 89 votes short.
He has Joementum.
;-)
Cheers,
Scott.
sdhays
@smith: Terminal exhaustion is a good way to express it. I’m skeptical that we have finally arrived there since we still have a while before the CR runs out.
montanareddog
@Ohio Mom:
That is exactly what they believe – if a person is not an economically-exploitable drone, then they are the literally worthless in their deranged worldview.
TriassicSands
@Ohio Mom:
I suppose some people’s theme song is “Don’t Worry Be Happy.” That might be a way to live longer, but that could just mean more years under fascism.
On the other hand, there isn’t anything we can do about this debacle. Democrats aren’t going to get to choose which incompetent fascist Republicans designate to run for Speaker, so for the time being all they can do is continue to vote for Jeffries.
In the unlikely event the GOP ever designates someone who isn’t 100% toxic, then the Democrats can consider whether they want to help put an end to the circus. Unfortunately, if they put someone across the finish line, they will have some responsibility for what follows. Can any Republican be trusted?
All we can do is hope that this on-going clown show has an effect on the 2024 elections.
Anyway
@montanareddog:
but but All Lives Matter
sdhays
@TriassicSands: One would think that they’re accustomed to appearing as hapless bozos since that’s what they are. Before the Motion to Vacate, they weren’t exactly exuding competence.
Tony G
Are women human beings? Views, apparently, differ.
smith
@montanareddog: Except, of course, their own precious selves, whose worth is obviously preeminent regardless of their economic utility.
Bill Arnold
Hurricane Otis unleashes a ‘nightmare scenario’ Category 5 strike on Acapulco and southern Mexico (Elizabeth Wolfe, Aya Elamroussi, Robert Shackelford and Mary Gilbert, October 25, 2023)
Emphasis mine:
This is the future that humans have been diligently working towards for many decades by burning large amounts of fossil carbon.
montanareddog
@Anyway:
you misspelt “Only White”
Ceci n est pas mon nym
They’re not able-bodied workers till they’re 14 or so (or say 6 if you’re a Republican). Does the state support them till they get to be able-bodied?
Geminid
@TriassicSands: Rep. Walz of Florida was quoted in a Politico article last night that he worried that if Republicans kept flailing that eventually someone would side with the Democrats. I think Walz meant “someone” plural, since one defector might not hurt them too much.
That was the first time during this current struggle I saw a Republican raise this prospect, but I bet they’ve thought about it. Don Bacon floated this option back in January.
Ed. This is one more reason Republicans need to vote Johnson in as Speaker today.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: I really doubt that they can. But word leaking out is that by george, this time they think they’ve got 217!
edit: But I do think it’s within the realm of possibility, because the Rs have no bottom.
Leto
Texas Republicans Ban Women From Using Highways for Abortion Appointments
As Suzanne and others have pointed out, your only value to conservatives is as a forced birthing vessel. Or an Axlotl tank, in Dune parlance.
hells littlest angel
@Ohio Mom: I suspect he uses it because he feels like he can get away with it.
WaterGirl
@Soprano2: Maddening.
sdhays
@montanareddog: I still recall the Lt. Governor of Texass telling people at the height of the pandemic to go out and get COVID for the sake of the economy – for their children and grandchildren.
He was literally saying that older people should sacrifice their lives – not far off from throwing themselves on a burning pyre – for the economy. I’m still stunned he suffered no consequences for that.
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: I’m afraid to look.
catclub
And the Retired people there will assume, correctly, that they do not mean to cut SSAM for presently retired persons. … at least until they have finished cutting it for non-retired persons.
ETA: the best line against Obama’s Healthcare for getting the olds against it, was that younger, poorer, blacker people would end up taking healthcare that would have gone to them. Likewise they will not oppose cutting SS for those same younger poorer blacker people.
TriassicSands
@sdhays:
True, but as has been noted, the most dangerous people in the world are those who are so stupid that they don’t realize just how stupid they are. Or in the case of Republicans, they don’t even realize they aren’t brilliant. The same can be applied to competence, decency, integrity and so on.
In short, not a group known for self-awareness or introspection.
kindness
Seems as if the far right Republicans think their time is now to run things. No longer will they be led by Establishment types. Trouble is, they don’t have the votes to push one of their own over the goal line but they have enough votes to stop anyone else from crossing the goal line too. And that leaves us stuck in a mobius loop.
Kay
Killing of an unborn child from conception – “period”
So they have to completely ban abortion and they’re lying to women (again) when they say they won’t.
Leto
@TriassicSands:
I wouldn’t trust them to breathing on their own, much less something more complicated like tying their own shoes. This isn’t just the Republican’s mess, it’s their worthless fucking voters mess as they continue to send people who 1) don’t believe government should exist and 2) are absolutely unqualified to hold any type of office outside of butt sniffer. I mean, there’s a ton of factors that have converged at this specific time to make this a truly glorious clusterfuck, but it’s not up to us to help them fix it.
WaterGirl
@Leto: That can’t possibly be legal. But they are passing this illegal shit faster than we can undo it all. That’s distressing.
Steeplejack
Important to remember that, in addition to his other fine qualities, Mike Johnson was the main architect of the January 6 election denial plot. (Story in New York magazine.)
TriassicSands
Donald Trump, et al.
The GOP seems determined to prove once and for all, by example, that not every person has worth.
If anyone can identify a positive quality in TIFG, I’d love to hear what it is.
cain
@TriassicSands:
First off, I doubt any GOP that negotiates with Dems is going to get elected to speaker. It would have to be spontaneous from the Dems and even then that speaker rule is in place and they can get ousted pretty fast.
That said, no candidate for Speaker should get Dem support without having some strings attached. Strings that the freedom caucus will not like.
catclub
@WaterGirl:
and who knows? maybe the present Supreme Court will buy it.
OzarkHillbilly
I’m not, it’s Texas. Just look at their AG.
JPL
@Leto: Let me know when they put up checkpoints.
catclub
He did not overuse the military and our nuclear weapons when he was president.
WaterGirl
They can’t even hear themselves when they say the quiet parts out loud. Well, that used to be true. Now it seems that they have no need for quiet parts – they are crazy and awful and proud of it.
Another Scott
Link to the House session on C-Span – https://www.c-span.org/video/?531374-1/house-session&live
Link to the House session on YouTube (C-Span’s channel) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lww0mSZLGIs
Both are waiting for the “noon” session to start.
They’re late. I’m shocked…
Cheers,
Scott.
Mike in NC
“We need more white babies” has been a Republican battle cry for at least 30 years.
WaterGirl
Your offer is acceptable.
Kay
So all the people who supposedly rejected Jordan as too far nutjob Right chose a more far Right nutjob person?
This guy was the leader of the election conspiracy theory mob. This is the compromise candidate?
catclub
@OzarkHillbilly: No love for Alabama, Mississippi and Florida?
WaterGirl
@Another Scott: I’ll have a post up as soon as voting starts. They have just started recording themselves as present for the vote.
I tentatively have that post scheduled for 12:30. Ish.
Villago Delenda Est
The only solution to monsters like Johnson here is to drive them back under the slimy rocks from which they oozed. They have no business at all making laws.
gvg
Expanding the population would increase SS and medicare. They would still want to cut it, because it’s a tax and they are basically clueless on economics. It’s a wonder any of them have any money, but that is not the same thing. They don’t understand big pictures.
They also just don’t like or respect anyone other than a few people exactly like themselves…maybe. It just amazes me how little they understand about how things work.
hueyplong
@Another Scott: If they were on time it would be proof that Johnson was going to win.
Eolirin
@Kay: Given the votes he’s gotten, not really? He’s down about as much as Jordan was, maybe more, so far. We’ll have to see how many he can actually get on the floor.
TriassicSands
@catclub:
Those are actions or the lack thereof, not qualities.
Remember the blind squirrel and the stopped clocks
ETA: Oh, and don’t forget he was restrained from using the military for illicit purposes by others. So, the intention was there, but he was prevented from acting on it.
Sean
@Eolirin:
No one is publicly opposing Johnson at this point. He’s on record saying he’s done the whip count and has the votes. The NYC Coalition is breaking, they’re seemingly on board.
Barring a bunch of REALLY GOOD secret keepers, this loon is gonna win on the first ballot. Maybe there are a lot of holdouts holding their tongues, but Jordan, Sacalise, Emmer, et al, no one was afraid to say they were voting no. We’ll see. I hope he loses, but if the holdouts are down to single digits, they’re going to be under insane pressure to cave, just as a matter of exhaustion alone.
Sister Golden Bear
Johnson also arguably has the most viciously anti-LGBTQ history of any House member. And that’s saying something.
Among other things, he was pushing a federal “don’t say gay” bill last year that would ban any mention of LGBTQ people not only within the federal government, but also any public entity that receives federal funds, including schools, hospitals, etc. Needless to say he also wants to overturn marriage equality. Earlier this year he claimed that it was illegal to fly a rainbow flag at the White House.
Prior to running for public office, Johnson worked as senior counsel and national spokesperson for the viciously anti-LGBTQ hate group, the Alliance Defending Freedom, where he filed multiple lawsuits against same-sex marriage, same-sex adoption, and same-sex marital benefits.
trollhattan
@WaterGirl: Am frankly equally baffled the dude on the left worked in the White House four years. They’re intellectually and emotionally on par.
trollhattan
@catclub: Wanted to, but he had golf.
Kay
@Leto:
True for all the states run by religious extremists- low quality health care, high rates of sickness and poor health (especially maternal and infant health).
More of their mothers and babies die than in the modern states with higher quality health care. The best thing a pregnant woman who wants to have a healthy child and survive childbirth can do is to get out of Texas.
scav
6 years! He’s instructing to wimmins to birth them as able-bodied, so the little assets are either bussing tables before they can crawl or he’s got a thing for chicks with massive birth canals.
Leto
@JPL: it’s a continuing practice of instilling fear/mistrust. Also they have Kasmyrick there that they can turn to, to help with enforcement. I mean, this was back in March. You remember this, right?
Three Texas women are sued for wrongful death after allegedly helping friend obtain abortion medication
Anyway
Mike Johnson is bad news (as much or more than Gym Jordan). More I hear about him the scareder I get that he somehow squeaks in.
Manyakitty
@WaterGirl: do you have Prime video? Watch Shiny Happy People, but be warned. It is HORRIFYING.
Villago Delenda Est
Jesus weeps as his “followers” ignore all his teachings.
Manyakitty
@Steeplejack: so shouldn’t he be worried about making a deal with prosecutors and leaving decent people alone?
Kay
When Biden wins his reelect and the GOP try to overturn another election one nice thing is he is an incumbent so we won’t be faced with the problem we had last time, where the low quality Trump hires refused to work but also refused to resign, so we paid them for months for sitting on their asses.
I understand they knew they were unemployable anywhere but in the GOP so had to keep a job as long as they could, but still. No young Republican no-show jobs this time out.
smith
@catclub: Don’t forget that a part of his genius plan for the Big Coup was to have DOD seize voting machines so the votes could be counted his way. And use the military to deal with any civil unrest thereafter. “That’s what the insurrection act is for.” It’s not that he didn’t want to misuse the military in the most profoundly objectionable way, it’s just that he didn’t get the chance.
rikyrah
More from the EARN MY VOTE-2023 crew.
Renee (@PettyLupone) tweeted at 10:25 AM on Tue, Oct 24, 2023:
Your refusal to vote is your prerogative but it is very much a “we” problem.
That so many of you don’t get that is why we’re in trouble to begin with.
I WISH my survival didn’t depend on your consciousness, but here we are.
THEE (acting) Ann Uumellmahaye 💛🐝 (@scurtainrod) tweeted at 11:57 AM on Tue, Oct 24, 2023:
Republican voters never say their vote has to be “earned”. When some so-called democrat claims their vote must be earned, it tells me the republicans already won their vote because they are ok with republicans winning.
Marghan (@Marghan8) tweeted at 4:15 PM on Tue, Oct 24, 2023:
Man, the privilege of waiting to have one’s vote earned. As a sensible BW I’ve never enjoyed that privilege. I’m hoping most of the electorate w/that privilege care enough about those who don’t to vote for the less bad of our choices. Thanks in advance to those people.
Renee (@PettyLupone) tweeted at 4:24 PM on Tue, Oct 24, 2023:
I really hope we can make it over the edge. I’ll do everything I can to help that effort and if we fail (which we can’t) at least I’ll know we tried.
People like this poster will still blame us and Dems knowing they didn’t lift a finger.
They’ll have to live with that.
Geminid
@Kay: I think the objections to Jordan were mainly personal and not ideological
Ed. There may have been some institutional turf protection as well. Appropriations Chair Granger and two of the Subcommitee chairs were among the anti-Jordan bloc. They might have seen Jordan as an institution radical. Johnson may have promised them he wouldn’t infringe upon their customary prerogatives.
Citizen Alan
@TriassicSands:
You mock, but I am absolutely certain there will be a serious move by the Republicans before the end of this decade to expand the concept of “slavery as punishment for a crime” under the 13th Amendment. Just like I think Brown v Board of Ed. is on the chopping block with this SCOTUS.
Villago Delenda Est
@Mike in NC: It’s one of the drivers behind the entire forced birth movement. Roe cut off a lot of the supply of adoptable white babies, because white girls “in trouble” had to legal option to abort and avoid the entire mess.
Leto
@Kay: it’s such a stark contrast, states that recognize/prioritize women as human. And yes, absolutely more can/should be done even in those states but as it stands now… stark.
Sean
@Geminid:
Precisely. There are no grudge holders against Johnson. I think he’s gonna sail in, sadly. I hoped things would stay untenable to maybe get Democratic involvement and a better outcome, but all available evidence this morning is we’re headed for a really awful speaker.
scav
@Leto:
Kay
@Geminid:
Oh, of course. I forgot for a minute that none of these people are professionals or are there to work.
Of course it was a popularity contest. They’re 4th graders.
This nutjob is the furthest Right on abortion of the whole group, so we’ll need to find all of his (I’m sure many) rants about how women should be compelled to bear children under threat of imprisonment and spread those far and wide.
Citizen Alan
@Ohio Mom: Which is why the Freaks use it. I just mentioned Brown being on the SCOTUS chopping block. I also think the ADA will be curtailed if not struck down by this Court. I have not doubt the typical MAGAt doesn’t recognize the disabled has fellow humans. Not even the ones who are now drawing permanent disability from the long COVID they got after refusing to get the shot because “MUH FREEDUMMS!”
Kay
@Leto:
It really is. The difference in general health and lifespan keeps expanding too. Conservative states are sick states where people die young. No wonder they seek to compel women to bear children – they lose so many with substandard care in pregnancy and childbirth they need replacements
NorthLeft
I will add my vote to the many others that called bullshit on Johnson’s claim that they would not touch Social Security if there were more (white) babies.
They are conservatives. Punishing any vulnerable people is what they do.
Making life miserable for the majority of people is what they do.
Matt McIrvin
Note Republicans are also certain that the only thing affecting differential fertility rates is abortion. This is something I’ve noticed for a very long time. The only way to ever not have a child is abortion. Social Security is always in trouble because of abortion. Republicans will inherit the Earth because Democrats are always running out to get another abortion.
It both highlights their terrible motives and their delusional picture of reality. I know that many regard all chemical contraception as abortion, don’t know if they regard pulling out as abortion.
Anyway
@Citizen Alan:
Neo-feudalism is the ethos of the modern GQP (and sadly many of their plutocrat Daddies). They hate that there is a middle class where people have autonomy and control over the way they live.
WaterGirl
Call me crazy, but I think it’s possible that we will not have 221 Rs at the end of the “do we have a quorum” process.
I think maybe some of the 20 who didn’t show up at their conference thing last night might not show up today, or might vote PRESENT.
I say that as an optimist, who also feels like she might throw up at the thought that there really might be 217 votes this.
edit: well, i was totally wrong. only 1 R left to show, and 5 Dems.
smith
I thought that’s what all those prison farms in the Treason States were/are for.
scav
@Matt McIrvin: There’s also the hint that women are choosing not to have able-bodied babies. Reality need not apply in that world view.
TriassicSands
@Citizen Alan:
At this point, I would never put anything beyond consideration for the Republicans. Mocking isn’t always purely facetious.
There is already a strong eliminationist undercurrent in the GOP. Their attitudes regarding the LGBTQ+ community aren’t limited to legal opposition. People like Johnson don’t want them to exist. Efforts to prevent people from getting hormone therapy and surgery are not strictly legal. They want to make what they see as a problem disappear by making the people themselves disappear. Given free rein, someone like Johnson would likely pass a law making homosexuality (etc.) punishable by death. I wonder how many Republicans would vote against that?
hueyplong
@WaterGirl: I still think there are at least 5 GOPers who don’t want to reward Gaetz. It’s the only thing that might overcome general spinelessness.
TriassicSands
@Leto:
I’ve always felt that the real problem is the voters. None of those clowns in the House would be where they are if there weren’t people willing to vote for them. Unfortunately, the electorate as a whole is nowhere near as discerning as it should be. It’s not as though NJ voters should be proud of Menendez.
Given the political environment in this country today, it is hardly surprising that many good people would never consider running for office. However, the values of the Right, favor candidates who are moral and ethical vacuums.
Sean
@WaterGirl: Based on the live updates from the Post, it’s all over but the crying. Johnson being happily surrounded by “moderates.” Lot of back slapping and selfie taking bullshit. It’s all quite disgusting
If he does win, I imagine his honeymoon will be really, really short. Because nothing has changed for these fucking clowns and a government shutdown is right around the corner.
zhena gogolia
@Kay: This is what I don’t get. I guess the only difference is he has a lower profile nationally so they think people won’t notice.
smith
Seating Johnson as Speaker may seem to the Rs to be a way to put an end to the present agony, but what are they going to do when he refuses to schedule votes on the next CR and funding for Ukraine and Israel? I foresee pain for them far into the future, hopefully through Nov 2024.
Geminid
@WaterGirl: One thing Johnson has going for him is that Republicans are desperate to get this over with, and now. They know that if they can’t elect a Speaker today they might never elect one.
NotMax
Congrats to B-J for reaching and blowing past the nine million comments mark.
@WaterGirl
That leaves optimist in the rear view mirror, taking the off-ramp to fabulist.
Villago Delenda Est
@zhena gogolia: Prezactly. Most Americans outside of LA haven’t heard of him. We’re a little bubble of political junkies here.
Manyakitty
@WaterGirl: same. Feeling sick and dizzy and I just want to go hide in bed. 🤮
Ohio Mom
@TriassicSands: Nah, I think Omnes operates on the adage, “Don’t borrow trouble.”
As an example, a few days ago/a week? I am losing track, Omnes refused to get bent out of shape about the prospect of Speaker Jordan. That was much aggravation he spared himself.
But other than that, yes, whoever ends up Speaker (they are going to organize themselves enough to accomplish that, I hope), will be just as bad as the ones who didn’t.
Eolirin
@Villago Delenda Est: That’s not gonna stay the case if he’s speaker
Citizen Alan
@scav: You’re all not giving them enough credit. For the white babies, they will contrive a reason to immediately take them away and give them to night white Evangelical families. The black and Hispanic babies can just starve. Those that live long enough to be “able-bodied” enough for slave work are just evidence of survival of the fittest.
Queen of Lurkers
Looks like Speaker election fatigue has set in and that the sane segment of the R conference has thrown in the towel. Mike Johnson seems MAGA incarnate. Ugh indeed.
WaterGirl
New post up.
Matt McIrvin
@scav: There’s still quite a bit of belief out there in inborn disability being a punishment for parental sin, especially among evangelicals.
Citizen Alan
@rikyrah:
And they will, happily. Because they’re pampered children who are just as sociopathic as GOP voters. But they don’t want to admit it because socially they’re liberal and don’t want the moral responsibility of actively supporting Republicans.
Passively supporting Republicans by undermining Dems and not voting at all is apparently fine.
Matt McIrvin
@Citizen Alan: Some white conservatives do seem to really like the idea of adopting non-white babies and raising them as good conservatives, away from what they imagine as a pathological culture. It’s a sort of missionary/white-savior attitude. The kids usually end up getting a rude awakening at some point.
Citizen Alan
@smith: I said expand. Currently, they’re not allowed to, say, put prisoners in solitary for a week if they don’t pick enough lettuce or whatever.
Chris Johnson
@Suzanne: We’re talking about Republicans here. ‘them’ meaning the babies?
I’m gonna say NO to that horrifying clarification…
Mike in NC
As candidate for VP, Governor Mike Pence of Indiana was asked a number of times if homosexuals should be thrown in jail. He could never give a simple honest answer to that question, but just danced around it.
Soprano2
@smith: I didn’t say it made sense. They think shutting down the government is a good thing because that’s what the MAGA base thinks. They don’t care how “normies” see it.
scav
@Citizen Alan: I very much doubt I assumed anything well-intentioned or positive in outcome for the little cross-clutching forced breeders. I was so wild-eyed as to momentarily posit the creep meant exactly what he said and intended the birth of able bodied workers and not puling infants that need care. They’ll also only skim the cute cream of the white crop for their in-house pets.
scav
@Matt McIrvin: exactly. reality need not apply.
Chris Johnson
@Bill Arnold: Exactly. Hurricane Otis is a demonstration of what climate change means. When you warm the entire globe, even by seemingly tiny amounts, you put what turns out to be titanic amounts of energy into a titanic chaotic system.
Chaos has known qualities. The range of the craziness it CAN get up to is limited by the amount of energy in it. Raise that limit and, now and then, you see glimpses of a new normal, and this is such a glimpse.
Surprise sudden cat 5 is just the beginning of what a globally warmed climate system has to show us. Call it the new normal ‘cos we’re gonna have to live with it or die surprised by what we didn’t think could happen.
Omnes Omnibus
@smith: We are nowhere near that point yet. If this were the first week in November, I would be more concerned.
Anoniminous
@WaterGirlCrazy:
I don’t think that’s very polite but if you insist
Chris Johnson
@Sean: It’s something to watch, that’s for sure. If the anti-MAGA, anti-Trump wing are properly disciplined, the best thing they could possibly do is smack down Trump’s new guy with an even higher margin than Jordan failed by. Just keep whacking moles.
Otherwise, it’s gonna be some kind of mess, who knows what. Could this Johnson have massive legal exposure for insurrection activities? Could the Dems know about this? I’m at a loss at this point, can’t figure out what’s up with all this.
TriassicSands
They just passed 70 R votes and not a single R vote for anyone but Johnson.
85 and not a single other or present vote.
By this point in previous elections the candidate had already been rejected.
Chief Oshkosh
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Well, this guy is especially bad because he was a primary architect in the House for getting his colleagues to sign off on the false electors scam. That is a really big problem for democracy.
Chief Oshkosh
@Chris Johnson:
I have heard of no actions being taken against House members for their insurrection activities. Have you guys?
eversor
@way2blue:
Because CHRISTIANITY. Per the Old Testament, New Testament, Church teaching, and JESUS HIMSELF women are under men. They must submit to their husbands. Patriarchy is demanded.
Women having any say in anything, not doing what they are told, or even speaking up is profoundly anti Christian and anti Jesus and goes against the core of that religion completely.
If we are going to have Christianity men must decide everything.
Manyakitty
@eversor: yep
Mel
@Ohio Mom: This. He’s dehumanizing women, disabled people, and older people all in one fell swoop.
I fit all three categories – guess I’d be one of the first in the flames for The Burning Times, Part 2…
Glidwrith
@Sister Golden Bear: Yikes, if Johnson was working for ADF, that’s Stephen Miller’s Nazi group.
Princess
@WaterGirl: he’s awfully pretty.
SWMBO
@Citizen Alan:
Brown is on the chopping block. Loving is on the chopping block. Obergefell is on the chopping block. And they will find that Dredd Scott was right. Bet me.