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It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Republicans Chip Roy, Andy Biggs, Tom Finnany, Clay Higgins, Eric Burlison, Thomas Massie, Matt Rosendale, Warren Davidson, Marge Greene Publicly Support Putin Kidnapping Ukrainian Children

Republicans Chip Roy, Andy Biggs, Tom Finnany, Clay Higgins, Eric Burlison, Thomas Massie, Matt Rosendale, Warren Davidson, Marge Greene Publicly Support Putin Kidnapping Ukrainian Children

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Wow.  Speechless.  Furious.

@TristanSnell
The House just voted to condemn Putin’s kidnapping of Ukrainian children.

9 Republicans voted against the resolution.

Chip Roy
Andy Biggs
Tom Tiffany
Clay Higgins
Eric Burlison
Thomas Massie
Matt Rosendale
Warren Davidson
Marjorie Taylor Greene

Remember in November.

I wonder what fake moral stance they are using to explain this vote.

Totally open thread.

Reader Interactions

143Comments

  2. 2.

    KenK

    JFC. If there were any doubt about their political and moral stances, this should clarify it.

  8. 8.

    WaterGirl

    I wonder if anyone abstained?

    “Gee, I just couldn’t figure out whether I am for or against Putin kidnapping Ukrainian children.”

    “I was afraid to publicly state that I am against Putin kidnapping Ukrainian children.”

    “I was too ashamed to publicly state that I am for Putin kidnapping Ukrainian children.”

    Scratch that last one.  We all know that anyone who is still Republican today has no shame.

  12. 12.

    Yarrow

    Is that a tweet? There’s not even a link. All those people are awful so of course they voted against something good. But the tweet is outrage bait. Designed to get people riled up and then exhausted. Outrage fatigue. Yep, they’re bad people. It’s not new.

  14. 14.

    WaterGirl

    @Yarrow: The tweet didn’t show the full list without expanding it.

  16. 16.

    WaterGirl

    @Yarrow: I would say that voting against a resolution condemning Putin’s kidnapping of Ukrainian children is quite newsworthy, and that it should be publicly decried.

  18. 18.

    Shalimar

    Never heard of Burlison.  Know nothing about Tiffany except he replaced Sean Duffy.  Know nothing about Davidson other than that he is in Boehner’s old seat.  The other six would be in my “10 worst House members” list so this is no surprise for any of them.

  19. 19.

    Yarrow

    @WaterGirl:  Ok, but you could have just added the link separately. Or embedded it and added the rest below, as many frontpagers do now due to Twitter limitations on embedding.

  21. 21.

    Omnes Omnibus

    I just called Tom Tiffany’s office.*  I was asked “What was the Resolution?”

    FWIW I also called Mark Pocan about the Discharge Petition.**  I was directed to his website.  It doesn’t have anything about.  Pocan is actually not signing on right now over concerns about support for Israel.  I am not thrilled with that position.  I, however, do understand it.  What I do not understand, and am disappointed by, is the unwillingness to own that position when talking to a constituent.  Pocan is generally one of the good guys, but I think he is off base here.

    *I grew up in his district and my family still lives there.

    **My actual representative.

  23. 23.

    WaterGirl

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    What I do not understand, and am disappointed by, is the unwillingness to own that position when talking to a constituent.  Pocan is generally one of the good guys, but I think he is off base here.

    If you all his office back to express that, I will be very interested to hear about whatever response you get.

  24. 24.

    Yarrow

    @WaterGirl: It should be. But this particular post is done in such a way as to be outrage bait, which I consider damaging as it leads to outrage fatigue and exhaustion and people tune out. It didn’t even contain a link to either the original tweet or the actual name and/or text of whatever they voted on.

    Essentially some person tweeted this and if we just have to just trust them, even if we don’t know who they are. There’s no other context. That’s not helpful.

  26. 26.

    japa21

    I am sure everyone one of these reps, plus several others, were okay with the US effectively kidnapping children at the border.

  27. 27.

    cmorenc

    Interesting that Matt Gaetz was not on the list of “nay” votes to that resolution – even if the list is incomplete, surprising his name wasn’t included in those selected for mention.

  30. 30.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @TBone: I will just say this and then will not address it anymore.  I think you missed the point that people were making.

  31. 31.

    Soprano2

    Woah, I have never contacted Burlison’s office because it’s mostly useless (he’s a Freedom Caucus member), but this necessitates a phone call. What the hell……?

  32. 32.

    WaterGirl

    @Yarrow:   This is not the first time you have criticized a post of mine, and I suspect it won’t be the last.

    It’s unfortunate that you don’t like all of my choices, but apparently that’s the way it is.

  34. 34.

    wjca

    I wonder what fake moral stance they are using to explain this vote.

    Seems pretty straightforward.

    Democrats were for it.  Unanimously. So it must, by definition and from first principles, be a BAD THING.  Nothing more to say.

  36. 36.

    Eyeroller

    @wjca: Yep.  It’s likely entirely a manifestation of Cleek’s Law more than any specifically pro-Russia stance.

  43. 43.

    karen marie

    @Yarrow: Tristan is indeed an outrage baiter but he does sometimes provide actual information. It took me two seconds to get the House vote page.

    Doing a search, I thought it interesting that – at least yet – there’s no coverage of this by the MSM. I’s all various versions of Business Insider.

    They’re going to wait to report this when they’ve figured out an equivalancy for Democrats.

  45. 45.

    NetheadJay

    Well, that is one of the tightest clusters of ginormous assholery and stupidity I’ve ever seen. Or maybe it’s just sheer malevolent evil. Don’t know anything about Burlison or Davidson other than where they’re elected, but the others are fairly well-known denizens of the worst-of-the-worst list of Congress people. Dunno if there’s any chance even something like this could affect their electoral chances but I’d be happy to see someone try to nail this vote to their skulls or whatever other part of their figure will hurt the most.

  47. 47.

    Yarrow

    @WaterGirl: No one likes all of anyone’s choices. It’s also unfortunate, in my opinion, that you chose to post an outrage bait post consisting of a tweet without a link and without any context to help the rest of us understand what the vote was about. If we’re going to call our representatives, should they be on that list, that sort of information would be helpful.

  49. 49.

    Juju

    @Yarrow: I don’t know that it’s designed for outrage fatigue as much as these people are just as awful as you think they are.

  51. 51.

    karen marie

    @WaterGirl: You do know who answers the phones in House rep offices, right? I’d be surprised to get anything but “wut rezo what now?”  At least that’s my experience from 20+ years calling those offices.

  53. 53.

    WaterGirl

    @karen marie:  From your link:

      VOTES

    Yea: 390

    Nay: 9

    Present: 0

    Not Voting: 32

    That’s a lot of “not voting”.   19 were Dems.  Seems like this would be a vote you would want to be there for.  ??

  55. 55.

    WaterGirl

    @Yarrow: Like I said, I was angry, and I forgot to include the link or the twitter embed as I usually do.

    I don’t understand why the natural response to that wouldn’t be “do you have a link to the original tweet?”, which can easily be done without judgement, instead of “you’re doing it wrong.”

  56. 56.

    karen marie

    @Yarrow: Your fingers broken? Took me two seconds. See my earlier reply to you.

     

    I’m assuming you woke up cranky and any link provided would not have met your standard.

  57. 57.

    Tony Jay

    Approached outside the office of Rep Matt Gaetz R-16(ish), Rep Greene was asked for her reasoning for voting against the resolution.

    “Children are our future. We need to let them lead the way. Ukraine’s war on Russia won’t end until the two sides understand each other better, and that means sending kids is better for peace than sending bombs and rockets. I love kids. Joe Biden just wants to use them as props to hide his war on the American People.”

    At this point the door opened and Rep Greene entered to engage in brisk debate with her colleague

  59. 59.

    karen marie

    @WaterGirl: Yes, I was surprised at that number but who knows.

     

    It’s *only* a resolution, so people aren’t likely to make it a priority to go to the chamber to vote. Unless of course they’re assholes like the Putin Nine who took the opportunity to remind everyone on the record and for posterity.

  60. 60.

    debit

    @karen marie:  Sometimes you get a good one.  I’ll never forget calling Norm Coleman’s office and just going off on the poor staffer about some vote. After a moment I collected myself and apologized for being a little hot about the issue, and the staffer said, “It’s ok,” then whispered, “I’m a democrat too.”

  62. 62.

    Tony Jay

    @Mike in NC:

    The ones on China’s?

    Though it wouldn’t be a shocker to find that a chunk of them are rolling in grey dollars sent from an alternate-universe CSA with expansionist aims.

  67. 67.

    Baud

    As long as we’re piling on WaterGirl, doesn’t anyone else find the title of the post to be a little long?

  68. 68.

    Nelle

    @Soprano2: I urge people to regularly call even the most obstinate, recalcitrant, oppositional, and even evil representatives.  At even a minor level, it says, we are watching you.  Of course, I am not working nor do I have some of your responsibilities, so I have the time to be a gnat in their ears.

  69. 69.

    WaterGirl

    @Tony Jay:

    Am I correctly interpreting what Marge said?

    Essentially the kids are better off being kidnapped from their families and being taken to another country to be raised as Russians.

  70. 70.

    zhena gogolia

    @Baud: lol

    I can never understand giving reviews of volunteer posts on a blog. Just read another one that you like! No one accuses Adam of fostering outrage fatigue.

  73. 73.

    Jackie

    @WaterGirl: Names written down. The three I don’t recognize, will be rectified ASAP, so I can actively root for their political demise.

    Thanks for the list!

  74. 74.

    WaterGirl

    @Jinchi: No one voted PRESENT.

    I don’t know the rules well enough to know that if I am sitting there, but don’t press any of the buttons at all – yes, no, present – if that counts as “not voting”.

  77. 77.

    Nelle

    Hey, if no one has thanked you of late, WaterGirl, know that many of us appreciate what you give to us.  Daily.  So grateful.

  80. 80.

    japa21

    @Tony Jay:

     

    Ukraine’s war on Russia won’t end until the two sides understand each other better, and that means sending kids is better for peace than sending bombs and rockets.

    Can anyone find the really obscene part pf MTG’s statement.

     

    ETA: I now see that it was Tony doing his thing.  But so realistic.

  83. 83.

    Yarrow

    @WaterGirl:  Because this type of post seems to be what you like to do. It’s not the first time people have noted that this sort of thing isn’t helpful and not just me.

    But this seems to be what Balloon-Juice wants, so I’ll do what other people have done and not visit much.

  85. 85.

    debit

    @Yarrow:  OMG, you just can’t help being a dick, can you?  Please, go grace some other blog with your wisdom. I am sure they will appreciate it just as much as we do.

  86. 86.

    Miss Bianca

    @japa21:

    @Tony Jay:

    DougJ. Tony Jay. There’s a “J” in both these nyms! Coincidence? I THINK NOT!

    ETA: FWIW, this one almost got me too. Getting scary good at this, ain’t he?

  88. 88.

    Jackie

    @Yarrow: Aren’t you capable of doing your own research? 🤷🏼‍♀️ I jotted down the list of names and will research the names I’m unfamiliar with.

    I, for one, don’t expect WaterGirl or the other Front Pagers to detail everything I might be further interested in.

  91. 91.

    WaterGirl

    @Yarrow:

    I will say that the last time you posted complaining about a post of mine not being helpful, it was also a post where I was personally upset and outraged.

    So i totally get that you don’t like those.

    But oh my gosh, I post on political organizing; I do political fundraising; I post on the great things that Democrats are doing;  I try to focus on things that we can do; I try to promote the voices of commenters on the blog who have something important to say; I am often the calm voice when people are panicking.

    And you want to paint me with the brush of generally promoting outrage?

    You are, of course, welcome to your opinion.  But that, to me, is not the logical conclusion based on the totality of what I post on Balloon Juice.

  93. 93.

    Chetan Murthy

    @WaterGirl: I don’t have an Xitter account.  But even still, I just took the text of the tweet, pasted it into Google Search, and the first two hits were for the tweet.  It was easy enough.  I don’t see what the ruckus is about: we’re all capable of using Google Search, aren’t we?

    Keep it up, WaterGirl, I appreciate this post, if for no other reason than to remind me of what an unmitigated shit that asshole Massie is.

  96. 96.

    debit

    @WaterGirl:  I understand your need to address this, but please don’t let this person get under your skin.  You’re doing what I consider the equivalent of a full time job and without compensation.

    I appreciate the work all the front pagers put in and hope you all know how you help me personally get through the Trump years without despairing.

    This commenter seems to have a personal gripe.  Maybe they’re going through a bad patch (in that case, I’m sorry about the dick comment) but all of us have the ability to click away instead of being a jerk.  And yes, that includes me.

    You do a lot, we know it and appreciate it.  Please don’t ever doubt that.

  97. 97.

    WaterGirl

    @Jackie: Who was it last week – the Democrat in the hearing last week who replied “In Russian?” – to the committee chair when he said he would release a transcript?

  98. 98.

    PAM Dirac

    @zhena gogolia:  Tony Jay made it up    extrapolated what MTG was thinking from a large number of well documented reports of what MTG has actually said and done.

    FIFY

  100. 100.

    Ken

    Tony Jay explained his method of generating believable quotes for any Republican:

    1. Disengage brain.
    2. Engage mouth.
  101. 101.

    Jackie

    @WaterGirl: Not sure? Raskin came to mind, but for sure don’t quote me on that!!!

    Ah Swalwell! Josie is correct!😁

    We have sooo many excellent Reps with quick, dry humors! Love them ALL!

  104. 104.

    Citizen Alan

    @Tony Jay: She’s insane. Like, literally, insane. If she weren’t living in such a shit-hole district that’s she’s an acceptable choice for Congressperson, she’s be homeless, wandering the streets, and covered in her own feces.

  105. 105.

    WaterGirl

    @debit: I should have just bit my tongue, as I usually do when the occasional person or two snipes at me, but I was already wound up by seeing that anyone, even a Republican, is against stating out loud that it’s bad that Putin is stealing Ukrainian children from their parents.

    Pretty sure that if I look at my fitbit right now, it will be giving me credit for having been exercising since about 5 minutes before I put this post up.

    Sorry to have added drama to this post by engaging.

  108. 108.

    TBone

    Has anyone else noticed that the “divide and conquer” tactic seems to be working?  JFC 🤮

  113. 113.

    WaterGirl

    @debit:  I love the way Betty Cracker responds when commenters are bitching about a post on Balloon Juice.

    I hope there are openings in the Betty Cracker How to learn to say “you can just fuck off if you don’t like it” afternoon seminar.

  116. 116.

    Geminid

    I just wish the people who run this outfit could find some way to monetize all the free editorial advice commenters keep inflicting on the front pagers and each other. This blog wouldn’t just be self-supporting; jackals would be getting royalty checks.

  117. 117.

    Tinare

    I can’t understand beating up on someone for how they are performing a volunteer job. In a forum that is free to the commenter.

  118. 118.

    Betty

    The one “excuse” I saw provided by a commenter on X is that there is inadequate proof that any children were kidnapped.  I thought this what comes of not following Adam Silverman. Happy in their ignorance.

  119. 119.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Betty: “A good salesman doesn’t  learn too much  about the product; it gets in the way of being sincere with the customer”

    [I’m sure these critters  didn’t  see proof  that children  were kidnapped: they don’t want to see that proof]

  121. 121.

    Jackie

    @WaterGirl: I’m looking forward to BettyCracker’s evil delight of Nikki Haley trouncing Pudd’n Boots by 10 pts! last night in the state he governs! He only received 3.9% of FL voters! 😂🤣😂

  128. 128.

    WaterGirl

    @Jackie: We can only hope that pudding boy finds that humiliating.  And he doesn’t even have the excuse that he had dropped out and she hadn’t!

    Even playing field, buddy.

  129. 129.

    Roberto el oso

    For WaterGirl: less than 5 minutes after I made my first-ever comment at Balloon Juice you replied with a lovely welcome. Every post I’ve seen of yours has been informative or smile-inducing (in a good way).

    Just felt like saying this, and this seems like the perfect thread to do so.

    Thank you, WaterGirl!

  131. 131.

    wjca

    @Betty: The one “excuse” I saw provided by a commenter on X is that there is inadequate proof that any children were kidnapped.  I thought this what comes of not following Adam Silverman.

    It is doubtless true that there have been no official, Russian government reports of kidnappings.  As such.

  132. 132.

    Freemark

    My grievance is that I don’t like the background color chosen. As I am color blind I not sure what color that is but whatever it is I don’t like it. I suggest using a color I like. I can’t name what color that would be because of my color blindness but just keep trying one each day and then I’ll let you know if I like it or not.

  135. 135.

    Tony Jay

    @WaterGirl:

    Sorry! I honestly thought that the R-16(ish)  tab for Gaetz would have clued everyone in to how that wasn’t an actual quote!

    I mean, she’s almost certainly thought of something like it, but her single steroided brain-cell couldn’t hold onto the concept and she just barked “Wokelibjoebad!!” instead.

    ETA – I also hope you won’t leave BJ for another top 10000 blog, even if they do offer to pay you and give you a blog pool-car.

  137. 137.

    WaterGirl

    @Tony Jay: You might have to worry if they offered me an actual pool of my own, and a pool boy to do all the maintenance.  My name is WaterGirl, after all.

    I change the R-whatever to all sorts of things, so while that was really funny, it didn’t say “this is made up” to me.

    Pretty sure we have had an (R-fucker) at least once.  :-)

  141. 141.

    A Good Woman

    @WaterGirl: I haven’t checked to see what anyone else may have said about the Not Voting number but IL had its Primary Election on Tuesday and the 4 from IL that didn’t vote were busy dealing with Election Day in contested elections.  Timing!!

  143. 143.

    azlib

    I am surprised that anyone with any political sense would vote “Nay” on this non-binding resolution. It reinforces my belief that there are a lot of politicians who are really bad at politics.

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