Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

Joe Biden can go out like FDR, not by dying in office, but by crushing the fascists.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

We won’t go back.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

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

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Dead end MAGA boomers crying about Talyor Swift being a Dem is my kind of music. Turn it up.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

The gop couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

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There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Gallagher Raises Middle Finger to Pastor Johnson

Gallagher Raises Middle Finger to Pastor Johnson

by | 114 Comments

This post is in: 

Mike Gallagher, R-WI-8, announced his resignation today.  He’s leaving on April 18, which, quelle coïncidence, is the first day that a special election won’t need to be called to replace him.  That means his seat will remain empty until after the general election.

WI-8 is R+10 so he’ll probably be replaced by a MAGAt of some stripe.  Still, this leaves Johnson with a 4 vote majority, which ain’t a lot.

In other bitter quitter news, Ken Buck added another notch on his “fuck you guys” belt by signing the discharge petition to bring Ukranian aid to the House floor.  As I’ve written here earlier, Buck put a big torpedo into the side of Lauren Boebert’s boat by timing his resignation to require a special election on the same day as the primary in CO-4, the district she chose after evacuating CO-3 due to a strong challenge from Adam Frisch.

Finally, a note about MTG’s petition to replace Johnson:

Greene’s motion is not privileged, meaning it’s unclear if or when it will be brought to the floor for a vote. Greene told reporters after the vote that she has “started the process” of electing a new speaker, but she will not force a vote imminently.

Call me back when she decides to really file it, because there aren’t a lot of folks lining up to be the next speaker, except perhaps completely unelectable crazies like Greene and Gaetz.

Reader Interactions

114Comments

  2. 2.

    cain

    Well, they can work around Johnson I think that’s what that other vote that Buck signed on to  – overruling the Speaker and bringing a bill to the floor. In which case, MTG will also have to declare war against all the GOP that voted yes on UKR.

    I’m curious if she actually has any UKR voters in her district.

  4. 4.

    sdhays

    Didn’t Buck say something about “they’re not worried about me, they’re worried about the three guys leaving AFTER me”? Gallagher’s one…

  7. 7.

    sdhays

    @The Kropenhagen Interpretation: The vote on the Mayorkas impeachment disabused me of that fantasy. The “moderates” all signed up for that farcical travesty – and for what?

    A few surprise conservatives with a modicum of integrity “bucked” the party on that, but there’s no way they switch parties.

  8. 8.

    Villago Delenda Est

    You just hate to see this.

    (Now fretting over high speed pegging out of Schadenfreude meter)

  9. 9.

    Old School

    He’s leaving on April 18, which, quelle coïncidence, is the first day that a special election won’t need to be called to replace him.  That means his seat will remain empty until after the general election.

    According to the previous thread, voting on a replacement not happening until November is due to the resignation being “after the second Tuesday in April”.  Since that’s April 9th this year, it isn’t the first day that occurs, but it isn’t too far afterwards.

  11. 11.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I have no use for most of their positions and beliefs and votes, but damn, these guys — Buck, Gallagher, et al. — have fine political instincts.

  12. 12.

    Roberto el oso

    “this leaves Johnson with a 4 vote majority, which ain’t a lot” — over at LG&M they just put up a post about this same thing, but they’re saying it leaves Johnson with a 1-vote majority. I can’t keep up. Which is it?

  13. 13.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @sdhays: The “moderates” all signed up for that farcical travesty – and for what?

    That’s because moderation, as understood in our politics, is a farce. No one with any sort of leadership qualities is squishy, but rather flexible.

    Moderates forestall meaningful progress before bowing to the tactics of extremists. True compromise requires heartfelt principles and good faith negotiators.

    I’m all for negotiation, but publicly hemming and hawing for months while not making your position clear is a harmful practice. Worse still when you engage in this practice before ultimately rejecting any solution, as we see Republican moderates do repeatedly.

    One of the worst strains in our political culture is the notion that it is somehow high-minded to have no values.

  15. 15.

    David 🏈 Mahomes! 🏈 Koch

    @Roberto el oso: we have 214 seats and after the resignations they’ll have 216 seats.  If one defects to our side in any vote then it’s 215-215.  under house rules a tie is a loss.

    So they’ll have a 1 seat margin.

     

    that said, my March Madness bracket is in tatters with Louisville losing

  16. 16.

    Jackie

    @The Kropenhagen Interpretation: How about if a known liar who was booted from congress says they’re leaving the GQP because they’re swindlers and liars to become an Independent AND claims to be running for congress again?

    Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) announced that “after today’s embarrassing showing in the House” he is leaving the Republican party and will run for Congress as an independent.

    He added: “The Republican Party continues to lie and swindle its voter base. I in good conscience cannot affiliate myself with a party that stands for nothing and falls for everything.”

  19. 19.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Jackie: How about if a known liar who was booted from congress says they’re leaving the GQP because they’re swindlers and liars to become an Independent AND claims to be running for congress again?

    That’s a farce too; one good enough for the movies but one that is, in fact, real life, making it a tragedy.

  20. 20.

    Mousebumples

    I mentioned this in the last thread, but I’ll repeat it here.

    It’s my district, and while this is a gerrymandered seat, I’m curious to see how down ballot and GOTV efforts happen in Wisconsin this fall. I’m not sure who’s all running in the August primary, but I’ve heard about white men on the GOP side (currently in the statehouse that will be un-gerrymandered as of this fall’s elections) and Democratic women, including a local ob/gyn.

    This link includes a county map of Justice Protasewicz’s election last April. I’ll keep looking for a district party map, but there are blue tinted counties in the district, so.. Who knows. I’ll probably still have a GOP Rep, but I’m going to try to GOTV and make that not a thing.

    Local women are pissed off. Let’s hope it’s enough.

  21. 21.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @HumboldtBlue: There is no better example of this [aforementioned principle] than Joe Biden.

    You know, 20 years ago I would have vehemently rebuked that statement. By now we are changed men.  He is joyous and barely restrained, the best a Joe Biden has ever been. My views on Moderates (TM of the MSM) vs. well-meaning people holding a negotiating position has nuanced over the years.

    But now, I have to own up to the fact that Joe Biden has been a great President, beyond what I would have dared to hope for.

  26. 26.

    Anonymous At Work

    At a certain point and at a certain level, you have to pull the trigger or no one will believe you can.  MGT knows chaos will follow and her re-election wouldn’t be a sure thing anymore, but she, like her jeffe, can’t STFU to save her life.

  27. 27.

    The Thin Black Duke

    @HumboldtBlue: Joe Biden is a hell of a role model. I find it reassuring that Biden is the personification of getting smarter as you age. If medical issues aren’t in the way, choosing to be a fossil is all on you. I never thought I would forgive Biden after Anita Hill, but I did because he apologized in the best way possible: he learned from his mistakes and changed his behavior. That’s how a redemption arc works.

  30. 30.

    HumboldtBlue

    Ongoing situation in Moscow.

    What we know about the Moscow concert attack

    Men in camouflage broke into a Moscow concert hall and opened fire, shooting an unknown number of people, Russia’s prosecutor general said.

    Russia officials said that more than 40 people are dead and more than 100 injured after the attack at Crocus City Hall.

    A fire also started inside Crocus City Hall, a large concert venue northwest of central Moscow. Firefighters have evacuated about 100 people from the basement of the building and efforts are underway to rescue people from the roof, Russian emergency officials said.

    Russia officials said they were investigating the attack as a terrorist act.

    A popular rock band was scheduled to play what appeared to be a sold-out show at the venue, which has a maximum capacity of more than 9,000 people.

  32. 32.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @HumboldtBlue: I feel like, on certain things, he’s reconciled some of what I saw as gaps in his principles, especially with respect to lawn order in the aftermath of 9/11.

    We still don’t see eye to eye on solutions, but he sees the problems I see. I can’t know how much that reflects changes in him vs. me but in my head canon, the Obama years were transformative for President Biden.

  33. 33.

    scav

    @The Kropenhagen Interpretation: “Moderate” is having a tricky time as a descriptor recently.  There are a fair number of quiet/moderate in tone representatives who in action, when the votes are counted, are just as attention-hogging, cater to me, extreme position enabling as their louder brethren.  They are not necessarily moderate in position, their positions are either unknown, tactically unformed, genteelly tacit, or outright up for bid.  (“Woo me, I’m a swing voter!”  “I know enough not to say the x-word in public, but still, those people” blah blah blah).  Just ‘cause they’re not mike-grabbing rantys doesn’t mean they’re moderate in opinion or action.

  34. 34.

    BlueGuitarist

    @Mousebumples:

    dave’s redistricting has district maps and precinct level results, with some elections 2016 thru 2022 but not state Supreme Court elections – clicking on the gear icon lets you choose datasets:

    https://davesredistricting.org/maps#state::WI

     

    eta link fail, include the WI in the url, which looks like it’s there in the edit window

    eta: filing deadline for state legislative candidates is June 3 for August 13 primary, according to ballotpedia

  35. 35.

    Matt

    @The Kropenhagen Interpretation:

    I’m all for negotiation, but publicly hemming and hawing for months while not making your position clear is a harmful practice. Worse still when you engage in this practice before ultimately rejecting any solution, as we see Republican moderates do repeatedly.

    The mistake here is that you assume the public display of hemming and hawing is anything other than bullshit.

    They already knew they weren’t going to accept any solution, they’re just counting on people who are “all for negotiation” to play along and delay things.

  36. 36.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @scav: That is part of the reason I posited moderate as a brand.

    Moderate, a trademark of the Mainstream Media.

  37. 37.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Matt: The mistake here is that you assume the public display of hemming and hawing is anything other than bullshit.

    Your mistake is that I do, in fact, not.

    For receipts, Google Balloon Juice.

  38. 38.

    sab

    @HumboldtBlue: Yes also. I saw that also. No excuses. Just did much better and moved forward. He and we know he fucked up, and we and he knew he has done much to fix things (but Clarence is still on the court. Can’t fix that.)  But at least with the ethics furor Jeffrey Toobin saying Thomas is a genius (seriously, he did, in a book) will provoke laughter.

  39. 39.

    Baud

    @Matt:

    The mistake here is that you assume the public display of hemming and hawing is anything other than bullshit.

    It often is bullshit. See the debt ceiling and government shutdown threats.

  44. 44.

    sab

    OT We put my dad in a nursing home for his protection. We  hired my mom’s nurse’s aide to folliw him and help and keep an eye out. Worked beautifully for years, five at least.

    New management this year and toxic nursing rules the roost. I do not know if management sucks and knows that one ward has been taken over by toxic personel,  or if they are clueless and this happened on their watch unbeknowst to them.

    For my dad, I don’t know and I want him safely out of there. For the nursing home, they have had an absolutely steller reputation for my whole adult lifetime that they currently do not deserve.

  47. 47.

    New Deal democrat

    @Roberto el oso: Here is what USA Today wrote:

    When Gallagher leaves, the breakdown will shrink to 217 Republicans and 213 Democrats, meaning Johnson and Republican leadership can only afford one GOP defection on party line votes.

    Not really a 1 vote majority. A 1 vote defection would bring a party line vote to 216-214, meaning GOP wines. But a 2nd defection would mean a 215-215 tie, which would in turn mean a bill would fail to pass.

    Hope that is helpful.

  48. 48.

    New Deal democrat

    @Quadrillipede: Yes. In fact if I recall correctly, he’s done it twice before, once by blowing up Moscow apartment buildings, the second time with the terrorists taking concertgoers hostages.

  49. 49.

    Jay

    @Quadrillipede:

    The apartment bombings, believed to be an FSB “false flag”, took place before the 2nd Chechen War and were used as the justification for that war.

  51. 51.

    BlueGuitarist

    @sab:

    Hope things are better soon for your dad and you!
    Saw your comment recently about your local state rep candidate. You didn’t mention a name, but,
    guessing I looked at ~ Crane Corridor’s website, which included
    “Where he stands on Education…and much more. consectetur adipiscing elit”
    Leaving gibberish from the Lorem Ipsum placeholder type on the website does not suggest a high quality team.
    Further afield, do you have an opinion about Krista Allison in Canton (running for house district 49, which flipped R in ‘22)?
    Since it is in Emilia Sykes’s congressional district, a potential super swing district.

  52. 52.

    Spanky

    The WaPo has a picture up of the big fire at Crocus City Hall in Moscow. And right up there at the top of the building it says “Crocus City Hall”. In English. What’s up with that?

  53. 53.

    dmsilev

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I have no use for most of their positions and beliefs and votes, but damn, these guys — Buck, Gallagher, et al. — have fine political instincts.

    Very skilled at backstabbing.

  54. 54.

    MazeDancer

    If Marge goes through with the Speaker Vacation, hope that Hakeem finds some Ukraine opportunity in there.

    Some, if the Ukraine funding passes, Mikey, we’ll come up with enough Dems.

    Has to pass. No sabotaging.

    And it’s one time only. If the GOP tries again, you’re on your own.

  55. 55.

    mrmoshpotato

    Mike Gallagher, R-WI-8, announced his resignation today. He’s leaving on April 18, which, quelle coïncidence,

    Too bad, so sad, fuck the GOP.

  57. 57.

    Shalimar

    @Roberto el oso: Republicans will have a 217-213 advantage after Gallagher’s retirement.  That means they can lose one member on any vote and still win it.  One Republican voting against makes it 216-214.  Two Republicans voting against would be 215-215, which means the bill wouldn’t pass.

  58. 58.

    Betty

    @sab: How worrying to think your dad isn’t getting compassionate care. i hope you can safely relocate him to a better place.

  59. 59.

    Tony G

    “Buck put a big torpedo into the side of Lauren Boebert’s boat”.  I hate to be crass, but that’s probably not the first time a guy put a big torpedo into her boat.

  60. 60.

    Shalimar

    @MazeDancer: Apparently Greene has said she will only push to oust Johnson if a Ukraine vote is scheduled.  Since the discharge petition is looking possible now, which would force a vote without his participation, Johnson’s best move might be to make a deal to bring it to the floor anyway in exchange for enough Democratic votes to save him.

  61. 61.

    Dan B

    @sab: Sorry to hear the nursing home has deteriorated.  The first two facilities my mother was in were creepy.  The last one looked a bit funky but the staff and the programs were great.  The money went where it mattered.

  62. 62.

    CaseyL

    Just saw on Mastodon that ISIS is taking responsibility for the Moscow attack… which makes no sense, because isn’t Russia one of ISIS’s supporters/funders? (Under the table, of course, but…)

  64. 64.

    New Deal democrat

    @Jay: The same Wikipedia article you cite says this:

    An independent investigation of the event was undertaken by Russian politicians Sergei Yushenkov, Sergei Kovalev, journalistAnna Politkovska, Hoover Institute scholar John B. Dunlop, and former FSB officers Aleksander Litvinenko and Mikhail Trepashkin. According to their version, the FSB knew about the terrorist group’s arrival in Moscow and directed them to the theater through their agent provocateur Khanpasha Terkibayev (“Abu Bakar”), whose name was in the list of hostage takers and who left the theater alive.

    …. Litvinenko said: “[w]hen they tried to find [Abdul the Bloody and Abu Bakar] among the rotting corpses of dead terrorists, they weren’t there. The FSB got its agents out. So the FSB agents among Chechens organized the whole thing on FSB orders, and those agents were released”

  65. 65.

    BlueGuitarist

    @Roberto el oso:
    hard to keep up because it keeps, and will keep changing.
    Don’t know if there will be delays swearing in new members after elections,
    Now R 218 D 213, 4 vacancies
    April 18 Gallagher resigns 217 -213
    Democrats will fill vacant seat (Brian Higgins) after a special election for NY26 April 30.
    R 217 – D 214.

    3 weeks later Rs will start filling their vacancies
    May 21, CA20, McCarthy
    June 11, OH06, another Johnson
    June 25, CO04, Ken Buck

  70. 70.

    Citizen Alan

    @scav: The way I see it: There are people who genuinely hold moderate positions. And then, there are people who for whatever reason find it important to be thought of as moderate regardless of what their actual beliefs are. Case in point: For all her faults, I am pretty sure that Krysten Sinema is a moderate if not a liberal on abortion rights. But actually protecting abortion rights would have required nuking the filibuster and that would have destroyed her “moderate cred” which was more important than acting substantively in support of her beliefs.

  71. 71.

    Citizen Alan

    @sab: As much as I loathe the SOB, Clarence would be irrelevant if Gore, Kerry, or Clinton (H) had won.

  73. 73.

    Jay

    @bjacques:

    Naw, it’s easy to walk past the thousands of armed police and OMON in Moscow while carrying guns, wearing camo and body armour.

    Just don’t say anything negative about the SMO, the Military, or place flowers or cards where Nemtsov was shot and you will be fine.

  76. 76.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    I followed the link and it indicated only 16 reps have signed the discharge petition and 10 of those are Repubs.  Which raises the question WTF?

    The piece made it sound like there’s more issues within the Dem ranks on this but it’s Axios so I have no idea if that’s accurate.

  78. 78.

    BlueGuitarist

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage:

    the discharge petition from Republican Brian Fitzpatrick has 16

    the discharge petition from Democrat Jim McGovern has 191 signatures, Ken Buck is the only R so far

    eta
    @Nelle
    apparently I can’t posts links anymore from this device, but the axios article to which mistermix linked up top has links to both discharge petitions and the lists of signers by day

  80. 80.

    CaseyL

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage:

    Some of the lists are just who signed it on a specific day.  There’s a long lit somewhere -I unfortunately can’t remember where I saw it – that has many, many names on it.

    The “progressive” Dem Caucus is refusing to sign because something something Gaza. I left a message for my Rep (Jayapal) reminding her that she screwed up earlier in the war putting her name on a letter that criticized aid to Ukraine way back when.  I told her I remembered that, and would definitely remember what she does now.

  81. 81.

    Leto

    @sab: that really sucks, and I’m sorry you and your dad/family are having to go through it. Your situation is something that worries me about my own parents, with us being in PA and them still in SC.

    Again, best wishes!

  85. 85.

    Dan B

    @CaseyL: Isn’t Jayapal wanting no funds for Israel?  If Ukraine loses the Baltics will be next and the US will be overwhelmed trying to stop Putin.  There won’t be any resources to help the Palestinians.

  89. 89.

    New Deal democrat

    @bjacques: The attack happened only a few months after 9/11. According to Catherine Belton in her book “Putin’s People,” at pp. 247-8:

    The siege also presented the Kremlin with an opportunity to paint the war in Chechnya as akin to the West’s War on Terror….In the months that followed, the U.S. began to change its view of the Chechen rebel forces … ‘Our policy on Chechnya has moved closer to Russia,’ a senior U.S. diplomat said soon after the attack. ‘This attack has seriously damaged [the Chechan] cause.’

  90. 90.

    Geminid

    @CaseyL: The Progressive Caucus numbers more than 90 Representatives, so around 70 percent of them must have already signed Jim McGovern’s Petition to Discharge. Of the remainder, some like Grijalva and Dingell may come around.

    My guess is that at least ten will prove unpersuadable, so McGovern’s petition will likely need 15 or more Republican signers. Those Republicans are waiting to see if Johnson will put Ukraine aid on the floor for a vote, but if it becomes clear he won’t, or can’t because of a balky Rules Committee, I expect there will be a good run of Republican signers.

    The underlying legislation will still need to be passed, but this is a fairly simple issue and the bill can be amended, so a successful Petition to Discharge will likely mean success for Ukraine aid.

  93. 93.

    scav

    @Citizen Alan: We could use having more specific terms for a lot of these situations and combinations.  Of what value is an inner conviction if it doesn’t align with outer actions?  Especially if there is no process of compromise and negotiation when deciding which inner conviction comes first in terms of action.

    It would be handy to have some precise terms to distinguish if Krysten Sinema ‘believes‘ in women’s autonomy but ranks it below other urgent concerns, or believes in it and won’t do anything about it if it inconveniences her personally, or doesn’t give a shit and will say and do whatever incoherent combination of thought and action will get her ahead fastest.

    Mental window-dressing, the lies one tells oneself or to others in order to maintain brand or social standing or power, there needs to be a specific word for that.  For the record, it should also cover the instances of people who go along with say, not using racist terminology in public, but haul it out in private.

  94. 94.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @scav: Mental window-dressing, the lies one tells oneself or to others in order to maintain brand or social standing or power, there needs to be a specific word for that. For the record, it should also cover the instances of people who go along with say, not using racist terminology in public, but haul it out in private.

    Persona.

    It would be handy to have some precise terms to distinguish if Krysten Sinema ‘believes‘ in women’s autonomy but ranks it below other urgent concerns, or believes in it and won’t do anything about it if it inconveniences her personally, or doesn’t give a shit and will say and do whatever incoherent combination of thought and action will get her ahead fastest.

    I’d say talk to her, but every indication seems she’s not amenable to attempts to pick her brain.

  96. 96.

    BruceJ

    @cain: Voters, in her district? What are those? She’s all performative MAGA theatre and that’s all the MAGAt’s want.

  98. 98.

    scav

    @The Kropenhagen Interpretation: Actually, practically speaking, I don’t give a flying fuck about her delicate inner state but would vote on the basis of her historical actions.  That and not think about her at all if possible unless confronted with her name on a ballot. I just like precise terms whenever possible –  and don’t think much of the redemptive power of faith without action.

  100. 100.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @NotMax: One word: mirepoix.

    Thanks. Exactly what I had in mind. I’ve learned that word before. I’m likely to forget again.  Appreciated just the same

    Also too, in mustard-y potato salads. And, diced fine, in egg salad.

    I do like some mustard. I may give this a go. Thanks again.

  101. 101.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @scav: Actually, practically speaking, I don’t give a flying fuck about her delicate inner state but would vote on the basis of her historical actions.

    A sound basis for decision-making.

    and don’t think much of the redemptive power of faith without action.

    Couldn’t agree more.

    @Geminid: I like to figure out what makes people tick, but I try not to get inside Kyrsten Sinema’s head for fear she’ll get inside mine.

    How else would a mind virus spread?

  102. 102.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @Citizen Alan: This is why I have zero patience for anyone on our side advocating third-party/protest or not-voting (or defending those who do).  That’s the exact bullshit that helped hand the Supreme Court to the GOP for a generation and put us into this mess, with Nader and Stein voters being enough to give us W and Trump.  It was dumb and dangerous in 2000.  It was dumb and dangerous in 2016.  And it’s still dumb and dangerous in 2024.

  104. 104.

    SNCO

    @scav: “Of what value is an inner conviction if it doesn’t align with outer actions?” . . .  there is already a long-standing term for this attitude.   It’s called “hypocrisy.”

  106. 106.

    Origuy

    @Spanky: It’s part of a large trade and exhibition center named literally “Crocus City”, not a translation from Russian. The owner is an Azerbaijani entrepreneur, Araz Agalarov. I suppose the use of English names was supposed to make it hip and modern or something. The name in Russian is just a transliteration, Крокус-Сити.

  109. 109.

    YY_Sima Qian

    Gallagher is leaving the House to join Palantir, after spearheading the House Bill to force divestment or ban TikTok (an effort pushed by Jacob Helberg, member of Congressional Commission on US-China Relations & also an officer at Palantir). The bill suddenly gain momentum & bi-partisan support in the House after Oct. 7, where TikTok has been perhaps the only social media platform where the pro-Palestinian narrative was dominant (especially after the Israel commenced its war of vengeance in Gaza). Yes, there were/are plenty of pro-Hamas & anti-Semitism opportunistically posing as pro-Palestine/anti-genocide, just like on the other platforms. Apparently most of the bipartisan members of the House chose to interpret it as evidence of America’s young having their worldviews influenced by the CPC regime, rather than America’s young having very different perspectives on Israel-Palestine than their elders.

    Palantir is part of the techno-authoritarian nexus centered around Peter Thiel that is actively undermining liberal democracy in America. Gallagher is not a “moderate” & not a friend of liberal democracy, even if he is anti-Trump/anti-MAGA. He is just America First in a more “respectable” manner (as perceived by the elites).

  111. 111.

    YY_Sima Qian

    If the U.S. falls to authoritarianism, it will be the likes of Gallagher who will see it happen, by destroying resistance from the establishment, more than Trump and the MAGAs. He will be convinced that he was doing it in defense of democracy & American values.

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