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4 hours ago, TrickstaPriest said:

The metal detectors were new (because of the 6th), but it does seem like a foolish thing... removing safety measures after candidates had a run of such advertisements as https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/20/us/politics/eric-greitens-rino-ad.html

 

Removing the metal detectors makes it easier for another January 6th-like event to succeed. It's a feature, not a bug.

 

 

Edit: It's possible that I've grown old and cynical the last few years. If that's the case, you have my apologies.

 

(But that doesn't mean I'm wrong....)

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The 5th ballot has just started.  The outcome is, IMO, already known on one level...because the nomination speech was given by Boebert.  And suffice it to say...it was unapologetic.  And she even took a stab at Trump...telling him it was time to withdraw his support from McCarthy.

 

The question will be the isolated vote shifts that may happen.

 

EDIT:  no change at all, I believe.

 

EDIT 2:  from C-SPAN's commentary.  The key demand for Donalds to withdraw was said to be that a single member of the House could call for a vote to oust the Speaker.  <SIGH>  That feels like a complete non-starter, because that would clearly threaten perpetual disruption.

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Kat Cammack of Florida nominates McCarthy.  Most of the speech is the usual anti-Dem, anti-Biden noise.  But late in the process, she throws out a piece of total trash, saying the House Democrats like watching the show, bringing out their blankets, popcorn, and alcohol.  She tosses it out with a "ha ha, aren't I funny" demeanor...but this is a prepared speech.

 

Rather understandably, the Democrats are rather perturbed.  

 

And now it's Perry making the nomination speech for Donalds.  This is the MOST antagonistic and rancorous.  This ballot is also going to fail.

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13 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

And now it's Perry making the nomination speech for Donalds.  This is the MOST antagonistic and rancorous.  This ballot is also going to fail.

 

Well, now that they can all bring freely bring their pistols into the building we may get the 'Gunfight at the C-SPAN Corral'.

 

Or maybe 'The Hatfields and McCarthy's'?

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Can't argue with the characterization there.  

 

6th attempt crashes and burns, no one changes votes.  House adjourns until 8 this evening;  the Reps are going to try to figure something out, but right now, I have no idea what because I don't see any possible leverage the McCarthy side has, and if they give in to the demands of the Trumpists, that'll only give them even more leverage to hold other bills hostage.

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Given that (at least in my opinion) the GOP House members had no intention of actually doing their jobs, but instead just being obstructionist / perpetually try to impeach Biden / posture and pontificate without legislating... I'm not sure them being tied up indefinitely just trying to elect a Speaker of the House is all that much worse, or even all that different.

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Since one of the GOP Reps said on the radio today that they *must* shut down the government at the first opportunity in order to Save America from the Biden Agenda, it sounds like the Freedom Caucus is well on its way to implementing its own agenda.

 

Which, as the WaPo pundit who was also interviewed put it, is to "blow things up." He thought they didn't really have policies; IMO he failed to see that anarchy is a policy. (Of a sort.)

 

Dean Shomshak

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The sane House Republicans have to be cringing.  

 

A vote to adjourn until tomorrow noon came down to a counted vote...and passed 216-214.  So the circus is on hold again.  MAYBE they'll come up with something overnight.  If not?  If the first ballot tomorrow fails?  I'm thinking this'll mean no successful conclusion this week.

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1 hour ago, unclevlad said:

The sane House Republicans have to be cringing.  

 

 

Some may or may not be sane, but they're gutless, so it doesn't matter. The GOP had a hundred opportunities to curtail this garbage over the past seven years, and did nothing. They deserve whatever happens to them, it's just tragic that the rest of Americans are stuck with it too.

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Today, Explained discusses the e;ection of George Santos; why nobody noticed (until too late) that he is almost entirely fictional; what can be done now (probably nothing, unless something turns up now that people are following the money); and what it means for American politics going forward.

 

https://www.stitcher.com/show/today-explained/episode/the-many-lies-of-george-santos-210502804

 

My guess is that Republican strategists are already prepping additional fictional candidates to flip seats in 2024. It's not clear that *any* amount of lying about oneself is a criminal act in running for office, or forces removal once the votes are cast. So, work out which candidate would attract votes the best, recruit an actor to play that role, and fake up some documentation if you think it's necessary. Once butt is in Congressional seat, who cares if the fraud is discovered? One can do a lot in two years.

 

Democrats, as usual, will be completely outflanked, bewildered, and impotently outraged once they figure out what happened.

 

Dean Shomshak

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Seems that Kevin McCarthy was so sure he'd win, he moved his stuff into the Speaker's Office on Monday. https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a42395917/kevin-mccarthy-speaker-office-furniture/

 

 

Quote

I suspect some half-bright staffer suggested the move as a way to demonstrate McCarthy's strength as a candidate. McCarthy, not being the brightest bulb in the political chandelier on his best day, went for it. Now he stands more than a fair chance of starring in one of the most embarrassing photographs ever taken in the Capitol: his belongings' being hauled out of an office he'll never occupy.

 

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3 hours ago, DShomshak said:

My guess is that Republican strategists are already prepping additional fictional candidates to flip seats in 2024. It's not clear that *any* amount of lying about oneself is a criminal act in running for office, or forces removal once the votes are cast. So, work out which candidate would attract votes the best, recruit an actor to play that role, and fake up some documentation if you think it's necessary. Once butt is in Congressional seat, who cares if the fraud is discovered? One can do a lot in two years.

 

Democrats, as usual, will be completely outflanked, bewildered, and impotently outraged once they figure out what happened.

 

Dean Shomshak

 

I believe the Dems really hope the Pubs do that in the next election. Apparently all this stuff about Santos was easy to find out once someone bothered to look. The Dems were caught flat-footed and asleep on this one, but to be fair, we've never seen such blatant transparent fraud from a candidate for high office in the US, not even Donald Trump. I don't think they'll be so complacent once campaign season starts again. If they have any brains at all they'll do their own vetting of GOP candidates in future, and trumpet any dishonesty they find.

 

I know that many Republican voters don't seem to care if a candidate is a proven liar and fraud, is mentally and/or morally deficient, or otherwise unqualified for the office they seek; but I don't believe the majority of Americans are that way, and the outcome of the last two elections is supporting evidence to that. The antics of the GOP are pushing more and more voters away. Actually deliberately committing multiple electoral frauds would be a big nail in the party's coffin. What supporters they had left won't be enough to win elections.

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