The 118th United States Congress

[1984Echoes]

Dems might be interested in doing MAGA Mike a favor.

At least this once.

They'll save him from a MAGA Noose in return for these aid bills.

After that... no promises...

[romad1]

What makes me crazy is that Johnson had to finally get an intel briefing on the threats to Europe before he would support Ukraine aid.  I wonder if that briefing included some veiled message about

"we have seen how Putin likes to compromise members of both parties with salacious text messages he received from their personal accounts including accounts that the blackmailee might not have thought that any competent nation state intelligence service could easily find, like the ones you use to talk to your young male boyfriends about celibacy and the temptations of the flesh..."

[chasfh]

5 hours ago, 1984Echoes said:

Dems might be interested in doing MAGA Mike a favor.

At least this once.

They'll save him from a MAGA Noose in return for these aid bills.

After that... no promises...

I wonder whether the Dems might be trying to help time things out so that the removal chaos happens closer to the election?

[1984Echoes]

2 hours ago, chasfh said:

I wonder whether the Dems might be trying to help time things out so that the removal chaos happens closer to the election?

IMO I think that's overthinking it.

The short-term is they desperately want Ukraine-Israel-other funding bills passed.

Johnson is actually being VERY clever here... He is basically splitting the Senate Bill into 4 pieces:

A) Ukraine Bill - allows extremist Right members to vote against it, but it will pass because MOST House members (of both parties) want this passed.

B) Israel aid - allows extremist Left members to vote against it, but it will pass because MOST House members (of both parties) want this passed.

C) Pacific Area Bill - just because...

D) Misc - probably to throw in a crapload of amendments here...

 

Then Johnson will combine these 4 and send it to the Senate in one package. Dems will protect him IMO until this is completed.

But they don't control ANYTHING else. That's all up to Marjorie and whatever her and her ilk shenanigans they want to play. And since the Dems don't control Marjorie... I think this is where it's overthinking it to say the Dems might be planning the Republican chaos to happen closer to the election. The Dems have no control over Republican chaos... that's all in MAGA's hands (Marjorie, etc.).

[CMRivdogs]

If only she understood the reference...or may she does and will wear it as a badge of pride

 

[gehringer_2]

20 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

 

But they don't control ANYTHING else. That's all up to Marjorie and whatever her and her ilk shenanigans they want to play. And since the Dems don't control Marjorie... I think this is where it's overthinking it to say the Dems might be planning the Republican chaos to happen closer to the election. The Dems have no control over Republican chaos... that's all in MAGA's hands (Marjorie, etc.).

I agree. The Dems need to game out strategy for all the possible, but remain in a reactive position because the inputs on the GOP are chaotic in the true statistical sense - random and unpredictable. And Johnson has some of the same problem that McCarthy had but for a different reason. McCarthy was just a liar, no-one trusted him, so no-one would risk anything for him because nothing he said was reliable. Johnson doesn't have McCarthy's rep as a liar, but he has some of the same trust problem because he keeps changing his mind, which still puts potential supporters out to dry in the same way if even for different reasons.

[chasfh]

4 hours ago, 1984Echoes said:

IMO I think that's overthinking it.

Says the guy who wrote an epistle in response to my one-sentence post! 😉💀
in any event I wasn’t suggesting that the democrats are puppet masters. Of course nobody is. But they could be trying in some small way to help drag the inevitable as close to election decision time as they can manage. 

Edited April 18, 2024 by chasfh

[1984Echoes]

45 minutes ago, chasfh said:

... But they could be trying in some small way to help drag the inevitable as close to election decision time as they can manage. 

But what I'm saying is that they have zero control over that so they can't drag anything...

It's all in the hands of MAGA House Republicans.

[1984Echoes]

47 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Says the guy who wrote an epistle in response to my one-sentence post! 😉💀  ...

But it was a GOOD epistle (IMO)... ! 😁

[pfife]

someone needs to clear the air about this whole FART team the trumpers have created

[chasfh]

18 hours ago, 1984Echoes said:

But what I'm saying is that they have zero control over that so they can't drag anything...

It's all in the hands of MAGA House Republicans.

It's not an issue of zero control versus total control.

[gehringer_2]

46 minutes ago, chasfh said:

It's not an issue of zero control versus total control.

I'd maybe put it in 'categorical vs continuous' variable terms. They have control of some things and no control of others, e.g, they have zero control over the House agenda and scheduling, but they certainly do control whether Johnson survives a motion to vacate.

[chasfh]

I'm just talking about the Democrats seeking to influence timing, not control like a Svengali. (Or is that Sven-jolly?)

[1984Echoes]

4 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

I'd maybe put it in 'categorical vs continuous' variable terms. They have control of some things and no control of others, e.g, they have zero control over the House agenda and scheduling, but they certainly do control whether Johnson survives a motion to vacate.

I will go with... THIS...  ⏫

[1984Echoes]

1 minute ago, chasfh said:

I'm just talking about the Democrats seeking to influence timing...

OK...

So explain please... exactly how they are controlling the timing?

They would have to have a mechanism to actually do that, if that is what you believe they are doing, or COULD be doing...

So...

What is that mechanism?

[chasfh]

Hold onto your hats! Here we go! WHEEEEEE!

 

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, 1984Echoes said:

OK...

So explain please... exactly how they are controlling the timing?

They would have to have a mechanism to actually do that, if that is what you believe they are doing, or COULD be doing...

So...

What is that mechanism?

I very carefully said influencing timing, and pointedly said NOT control. And yet this, in which, conveniently to whatever point it is you want to make, you very specifically cut out the part I said "not control" in your quote. And then you demand what I mean by "controlling timing".

I just can't take you seriously when you're like this.

[1984Echoes]

1 minute ago, chasfh said:

I very carefully said influencing timing, and pointedly said NOT control. And yet this, in which, conveniently to whatever point it is you want to make, you very specifically cut out the part I said "not control" in your quote. And then you demand what I mean by "controlling timing".

I just can't take you seriously when you're like this.

That's simply bad word choice on my part.

OK, fine:

How can they INFLUENCE timing?

What is their mechanism to do so?

[chasfh]

It was a real choice, too, and not a slip-up. So, never mind.

[1984Echoes]

No, it was a slip up.

And "never mind" is a cop out.

[Motown Bombers]

 

[RatkoVarda]

this guy

 

[chasfh]

finm

Edited April 19, 2024 by chasfh

[gehringer_2]

Ukraine bill passes House overwhelmingly. 

MTG folds like a cheap suit on threat to oust Johnson.

[RatkoVarda]

what's better than having the ads write themselves?

having the GQP write the ads for you!