50) To the absolute non surprise of anyone following #USPolitics, #KevinMcCarthy gave the green light to an #impeachment inquiry directed against #JoeBiden

In times past, presidential impeachment was reserved for overt misdeeds, think Nixon and the #Watergate break in. Now #GOP politics has degenerated to the point where political payback and #Trump fealty outweighs facts and evidence gathering

#Politics #Biden #HunterBiden #HardRight #FreedomCaucus #RightWing

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/12/1198922531/mccarthy-biden-impeachment-inquiry

51) A great piece on #MittRomney from in #TheAtlantic.

What is most disturbing is the profound isolation of Romney from his senatorial colleagues many who agree with him have opted to place their position and attendant reelection prospects above any sense of fidelity to the US Constitution

There is no honor left in the #GOP. The last honorable man in that caucus, that believed his oath, is walking away from the crumbling remains of the #RepublicanParty

#Politics

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/11/mitt-romney-retiring-senate-trump-mcconnell/675306/

52) #Wisconsin will be one of the battleground statres of #Election2024. The state will also be host to the #GOP convention.

The GOP dominates the state legislature and is attempting to remove a recently elected liberal justice from the state supreme court. Why?

With the election of Justice Protasiewicz, Wisoconsin's Supreme Court now has a liberal majority. That majority will likely redraw the Gerrymandered State and Federal election districts

#Politics

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/wisconsin-gop-threat-to-impeach-protasiewicz-is-unsupported-by-law-and-undermines-judicial-independence

53) The #GOP state party has a lot of variables to consider should they opt to use #impeachment in attempting to remove Justice Protasiewic. There is no guiding ethical precedent for such an action

Excellent exchange between Ben Wikler, the #Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair and Josh Marshall of @tpm_rss_bot at the video 🔽 .

The #GOP seems to have found itself under increasing national scrutiny as this drama plays out. More to come!

#USPoliticsw #StatePolitics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEXf_BbtgJM

54) A third party, #Election2024 candidate is a big concern for the #Biden re-election campaign.

What disturbs #Democrats sleep at night is that #NoLabels will put up a plausible #centrist candidate who will draw votes from #JoeBiden

In theory, more choice is better right? Not in America, and right wing #oligarch types understand this, it's why they're playing with the notion, and looking for a political patsy to do their bidding

#Politico has part of the story here:

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/30/trump-donor-no-labels-adviser-00113395

55) In a similar vein, to the prior post, #CornelWest's #GreenParty candidacy, poses a threat to #JoeBiden and while I’m an admirer of Professor West, it would be better if he joined forces with #Biden to defeat the existential threat to democracy that is #DonaldTrump

#BernieSanders understands what it is at stake in #Election2024

#Politics #USPolitics

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/27/sanders-biden-cornel-west-00113123

56) Despair is setting in for the monied types who wanted a nonsense free candidate as an alternative to #DonaldTrump

As #Trump support continues to coalesce in the #GOP primary, oligarch checkbooks are shutting.

There are rumblings that #NikkiHaley might be an alternative but it’s questionable those rumaors will manifest into a gusher of life giving campaign cash.

Politico has the story on the richies’ handwringing 🔽

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/25/who-wants-to-get-involved-and-waste-money-some-gop-donors-give-up-on-finding-an-alternative-to-trump-00117772

#Election2024 #Politics #USPolitics

58) #DonaldTrump and his companies ruled to have engaged in fraud. Specifically #Trump inflated his assets to borrow money from banks

The ruling was accompanied with an order which effectively cancelled the right of #Trump to business in #NewYork

#Election2024 #Politics

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/26/trump-fraud-trial-inflate-net-worth-00118269

59) With the #UAWStrike almost 2 weeks old, #DonaldTrump went to #Michigan to posture as a supporter of American labor.

What did he do? He held his event in a non-unionized parts plant where he railed against #ElectricVehicles and environmentalists

#Trump does not care about #OrganizedLabor, the #environment and the #EV transition

Trump wants Americans to use 19th century fuel and 20th century tech in the 21st century. The #oilygarchy has no better advocate

#politics

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2023/09/27/donald-trump-returns-auto-industry-strike-uaw-ev-taking-center-stage-presidential-election-joe-biden/70960155007/

60) Tomorrow, the Sunday politics talk shows will be filled with spinning about who blinked first on the threat of a government #Shutdown

Let’s start here, #KevinMcCarthy blinked. #McCarthy understands that shutdowns are bad #politics and have yet to yield a positive result for the #GOP at the ballot box

Assuming the #Senate passes the bill, the next item in the immediate future is whether the #Speaker will face a vote to remove him by the #FreedomCaucus

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/09/30/congress/stopgap-passes-00119280

61) The #GovernmentShutdown is a creation of the #GOP. The #RepublicanParty only becomes interested in #BalancedBudgets when out of, or with limited power.

Inevitably, the GOP’s onset of fiscal rectitude is accompanied by a desire to cut #spending which in turn will be used to reward the donor class with #TaxCuts. There is never any interest on the other side of the budgetary equation, namely raising taxes on the wealthy

This is the only governance idea the GOP has: #TaxCutsForTheRich

62) While a shutdown has been averted with stopgap funding, we get to do this all over again in November.

It is important to frame the chaos properly, shutdowns are a #GOP thing. A casual browse of history tells us that. This is part of a decades long #RepublicanParty effort to convince America that Washington is dysfunctional

So let’s be clear, the GOP is the party of dysfunction. These budget fights are a feature not a flaw in their strategy.

#Politics #UsPolitics

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/09/30/congress/senate-votes-averts-shutdown-00119301

63) Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation explains the expense associated with a government #Shutdown threat.

#Buttigieg outlines the consequences of another similar action when the 45-day stopgap funding is used up

It's always a pleasure to listen to #PeteButtigieg who is articulate on the challanges of being in #government. He makes a refreshing diversion from the incoherence of what passes as political discourse on most TV coverage

#Politics #USPolitics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YspK8N6yZek

65) The noose is tightening for #DonaldTrump as some of his co-conspirators start to plea out on their collective effort to subvert the presidential election in #Georgia.

The threat of the presentation of facts in a court of law does wonderful things to concentrate the mind. 😜

With both #Chesebro and #SidneyPowell taking a plea, I expect they will be required to testify to #Trump’s instructions as he attempted to subvert the election

#Politics #USPolitics

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/20/kenneth-chesebro-an-architect-of-trumps-fake-elector-scheme-pleads-guilty-in-georgia-00122758

66) Meanwhile over in the #HouseofRepresentatives, #GOP dysfunction is on full display as #JimJordan’s effort to accede to the #SpeakerOfTheHouse implodes

Given the #Republican Party’s dedication to the elimination of government, it’s not a surprise that they can’t implement anything approaching party discipline. The party with each passing month has become profoundly undemocratic

#UsSPolitics #Democracy #HouseSpeaker #houseGOP

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/20/congress/jordan-fails-again-00122706

67) For those with a deeper interest in the American political scene, this 3-parter #podcast from @ProPublica and #OnTheMedia, should be required listening.

In the past few years the impact of a multiple decade effort to swing the courts dramatically to the right of public concensus, is obvious to all but the somnolent

The series documents how one man, Leonard Leo, became and is an important player in the radicalization of the judiciary

#Politics #Justice #Law

https://www.propublica.org/article/we-dont-talk-about-leonard-podcast

68) #DonaldTrump and #RudyGiuliani must be feeling increasingly queasy as #JennaEllis, a third #Trump attorney, has now copped a deal rather than face legal jeopardy at the hands of #FaniWillis in #Georgia

It's not a good situation for a defendent when many subbordinated in the decision tree opt to avoid going down with the ship. I supose the big question is whether #Rudy will odp to plea out as well?

#Politico has the details 🔽

#Politics #USPolitics #Election2024

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/24/another-trump-lawyer-who-pushed-to-overturn-2020-election-pleads-guilty-00123163

69) Meanwhile over in the #House we have the latest candidate for #speaker in the form of #TomEmmer of #Minnesota's 6th district.

There are plenty of cracks in plain sight and hard core #Trumpist types cite Emmer's vote to certify the presidential election on #Jan6 as being problematic.

He is rumored to be too liberal for the #FarRight types who are not appeased by his support for lawsuits which would have nullfied #SwingState votes

#Politics #USPolitics #HouseOfReps

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/24/congress/banks-00123253

70) And just like that, #TomEmmer's candidacy ends as he is branded a #RINO by #DonaldTrump.

The chaos will continue, much to the delight of the #HardRight of the #GOP who are uninterested in governing and more engaged by theatrical media appearence.

This is what it means to support #Trump's #Republican Party. It has been remade in his image, increasing populated with chaos monkies

#USPolitics #Politics #Speaker

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/24/congress/trump-calls-republicans-on-speaker-race-00123281

71) The news flow appears to be quickening on multiple fronts, If #Meadows is now testifying against #DonaldTrump, there will be little place for the former president to hide

#USPolitics #Politics #Election2024

https://abcnews.go.com/US/chief-staff-mark-meadows-granted-immunity-tells-special/story?id=104231281

72) Next up in the #HouseSpeaker derby is Mike Johnson from #Louisiana’s 4th. Johnson, a lawyer, ticks the box from a #DonaldTrump fealty POV, having defended the former president during the impeachment trials

The #HardRight will support his opposition to financial support for the #UkraineWar

He is a #ChristianRight #SocialConservative, opposing #GayMarriage, #Abortion etc

#USPolitics #SpeakerOfTheHouse #Speaker #GOP

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/24/congress/next-up-mike-johnson-00123404

73) One drama has ended with the election of Mike Johnson. The question is whether he will be able to manage his fractious caucus and legislate

Where will Johnson stand on the #Ukraine War funding effort? Initially he was supportive of the war, now like make of his party, he is making reluctance noises. Will things change now that he has the #Speaker's gavel?

#Politics #USPolitics #HouseofReps #Congress

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/25/congress/johnson-takes-it-00123512

@mnutty well, the reluctance seems to be wanting more information about how the support is being managed, not the support itself.

A lot of Republicans are concerned that there isn’t enough effective support. They are in favor of support, just not what they see as ineffective support.

This is a very critical distinction.

@volkris

Frankly I think a lot of this concern is performative posturing or in some more sinister cases sabotage directed at Western democray

We have a number of #Trumpism adherents who are willing to do #Putin’s bidding. Why this seeming adoration of #autocracy? I’m mystified by it

@mnutty I don’t know how you go from “We shouldn’t hand the administration this power to spend” to adoration of autocracy.

If they adored autocracy they would be stumbling over themselves to give the autocrat such spending power.

@volkris

Pretty easy their willingness to follow #DonaldTrump in lock step, and the all to frequent admiration of things #Putin

@volkris

I disagree. Fealty to #DonaldTrump was a requirement the #speakership. Last time I checked, #Trump was the most autocratic politician to reside in The White House. Should he regain that position, the United States will be in deep danger of surrendering it’s Democracy. Apparently #Jan6 was not enough to convince the #GOP otherwise. Trump is well known for his embrace of #Putin and other autocrats they are aspirational figures for him and those that follow

#USPolitics #Politics

@mnutty you’re simply, factually, wrong.

The House was perfectly free to elect a Speaker who didn’t show fealty to Trump. Democrats, who I’m sure we can agree don’t show that, decided to back the Republican nutjobs, but if they hadn’t done that a moderate Speaker could have been elected.

Those voting patterns themselves disprove your claim here.

As for the hysterical claims about the future of democracy in the US, realize that it’s not a call the president has the authority to make.

The parties making both claims rely on Americans’ civic ignorance to promote their own interests. Americans more familiar with the rules and ways of the US government know those lines don’t hold water.

@volkris

That would be entirely true assuming politician in question abides by the law.

#Jan6 showed us that #DonaldTrump has little regard for the law. There are more of his type that are willing to stand in the way of the law.

The threat is there, democracies get overturned, excluding the possibility, past history tells us it is plausible

@mnutty again, you have your facts backwards.

If anything Jan 6th just emphasized that it doesn’t matter what politicians think, the law prevails, and no matter how much someone like Trump might dislike it, we don’t let them decide whether or not the law will prevail.

It’s not up to a criminal as to whether the law prevails. It does.

@volkris

Dude I get things so backwards all the time, according to you, I wonder why you bother reading anything I write

As to #Jan6 and what politicians think. It’s simplistic to say what politicians think is irrelevant, they are 1/3 of the government, they could have prevented #Trump from returning to office they didn’t

We also know politicians can influence and intimidate the judicial process, to think otherwise is naive

@mnutty Oh the platform presents it to me. I don’t search it out.

But a lot of people get the same things backwards because a lot of people are getting their information from the same misleading sources, so I think it’s worth countering those narratives.

Well, as worthy as anything can be on social media.

Are you saying Trump is in office, he wasn’t prevented from returning to office?

@volkris

As you know, Trump doesn’t have to be in office for him to return to office. Maybe I have that backwards?

@mnutty you said they didn’t prevent Trump from returning to office.

So he’s in?

@volkris

Correct, because if the #Trump impeachment process for #Jan6 had resulted with a conviction in the Senate, #Trump would no longer have the possibility of being elected next year.

I did not say that Trump is in office, I do have a pulse. Prevention of taking office, is the not the same as being in office is it? Maybe I have that backwards as well? But I think it’s pretty self evident

@mnutty but again you have that wrong.

You can be elected after being impeached.

A lot of people misunderstand how impeachment works and what the Constitution says about it, but in general, the Constitution respects the democratic process, and this is no exception, if the people want to they can elect even an impeached person.

Voters have that power.

@volkris

I also note that impeachment is not the same as conviction. Impeachment is the act of accusation. How could you get such a simple fact wrong? Surely everyone understands that at this point?

@mnutty what are you talking about?

Nothing in your reply contradicts what I said. So I don’t know what you are asking. You seem to be agreeing with me.