Be kinde to folk. This changeth the whole habitat.
- Manlobbi
Investment Strategies / Mechanical Investing
No. of Recommendations: 3
I applaud McCarthy for doing what Congress is supposed to do: fund government. I still don't like him, but he took his responsibility seriously, and apparently reached across the aisle to do it. That's some old-time Republican stuff. Granted, the can is just being kicked down the road for several weeks, but it certainly is better than a total shutdown.
Meanwhile, Gaetz evidently would rather be shot than deal with a Democrat, and possibly even some Republicans (including McCarthy). He's new-time Republican. If he really proceeds with trying to remove McCarthy, this could get interesting (in a Chinese curse sort of way). Would McCarthy have to deal more with Dems to hold his position, giving them concessions? Or is the party sick of Gaetz, and want to remove him? I've read both scenarios.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/01/mccarthy-...
No. of Recommendations: 3
And it's official. NYT is announcing that Gaetz is going after McCarthy. I like McCarthy's earlier response (before this formal action): "Bring it".
No. of Recommendations: 2
Yes, it's been there in the analysis. Now I'd like to see some good analysis on how this will play out. I'd like to see the extremists in the Republican party lose influence.
No. of Recommendations: 1
I'd like to see the extremists in the Republican party lose influence.
Well, as near as I can tell, all "R" representatives from AZ voted "no". But whether they would support the removal of McCarthy, I have no idea. I have read bits and pieces that Gaetz is not well-liked among his colleagues, and some rumbling that they have some cause/reason for which they could expel him. I doubt that would happen, but maybe if he has p-o'd enough people in his own party...
No. of Recommendations: 0
As a follow-up, I'm really on the fence on this one. On the one hand, it would be amusing to see the chaos in the QOP, and their inability to govern. On the other hand, McCarthy did get bipartisan support for the extension. We need more bipartisanship. If he can continue to do that, even if I don't agree with his policy positions, that is a good thing. Deal-making and compromise is vital if government is to function. If neither "side" is happy, but both can live with the deals, that's progress. And it's how government, and society, moves forward.
Or maybe I'm reading too much into McCarthy's actions.
No. of Recommendations: 7
Kuo's take:
"We already know how this story in the House ends, no matter who the Speaker is. The GOP will arrive back at political equilibrium and pass the budget that the Senate already approved, or they will cause havoc until the voters force them to do so. Because that outcome is more or less preordained, Democrats are best off letting the dysfunction play itself out in the Republican side of the chamber, and stand ready to step in to vote for bipartisan bills, not GOP Speakers, to actually benefit the country.
<Dems should> Let the Republicans sort out their own mess, and don't get involved....
This approach has its advantages. Democrats are supposed to support Democrats and to vote against Republican extremists. This way, the messaging is cleaner. Honor and principles are preserved.
The crisis in government right now is one of the GOP's own making. If they cannot resolve it, the country will suffer pain, but that has a way of clarifying who has committed it. The solution to that pain is to vote them out next November, and not to give them lifelines so that they can claim they were effective leaders.
No. of Recommendations: 1
Deal-making and compromise is vital if government is to function. - 1pg
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Another CR. Ho Hum. Hardly an earth shattering accomplishment on McCarty's part. Kick the can down the road. The status quo has been retained. There was an alternative that the Freedom Caucus crafted, 8% cut across the board except for Defense, Homeland Security, and Veteran programs.
But no, the republicans, who often pound their chests for fiscal responsibility, would have nothing to do with it. The word "cut" shall not be allowed and government can only grow, all parts of it, all departments, all programs, all of them.
No. of Recommendations: 9
Yeah, a CR by itself isn't earth-shattering. I agree. But it was bipartisanship. These days, that is earth-shattering.
The FC is nuts, frankly. Cut 8% from Medicare? A lot of practices don't even accept Medicare because the reimbursement rates are lower than they can tolerate. Just as a "for example". The FC has a roast with some fat on it, and they want to chop 8% of that roast on the assumption that the fat is evenly distributed. They're going to waste a lot of meat.
Reverse the Trump tax cuts. And then reverse the Bush tax cuts. Most of them were aimed at the 1% anyway, who are just stashing the cash. That's how you address the ballooning debt.
If you have to cut, cut like a surgeon. Not Jack the Ripper. But if you're not willing to raise taxes, then you aren't really serious about addressing the budget deficit or national debt.
No. of Recommendations: 2
The GOP is a clown car and Gaetz is nothing more than a chaos agent. Well, that dog finally caught the car. Wonder what he does now.
No. of Recommendations: 1
The FC is nuts, frankly. Cut 8% from Medicare? A lot of practices don't even accept Medicare because the reimbursement rates are lower than they can tolerate. Just as a "for example". The FC has a roast with some fat on it, and they want to chop 8% of that roast on the assumption that the fat is evenly distributed. They're going to waste a lot of meat. - 1pg
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I agree cuts should be surgical. But my understanding this was temporary for thirty days and to be replaced with separate appropriation bills developed under regular order.
No. of Recommendations: 0
The GOP is a clown car and Gaetz is nothing more than a chaos agent. Well, that dog finally caught the car. Wonder what he does now.
What do you think will happen?
McCarthy will need Dems to stop this (so I have read). Does he make some deals? If he does, a lot of Reps will call him a RINO, or a traitor, or something similar. If he doesn't, he may very well lose the speakership (and then what?**). There are probably variants on both scenarios I haven't really considered.
I've heard of Gaetz, but mostly in the context that he hates Dems, and he hates McCarthy, and he's not well-liked even among most of his colleagues. That's about all I know. He appears to me to be a radical.
**It was difficult getting a speaker selected last time. If he is removed, who could satisfy enough members to win a vote? If no one, can the House function without a speaker? Or does government just stop until this is resolved (maybe next election, over a year away)?
No. of Recommendations: 0
McCarthy is out. Now they need a new Speaker. Scalise is the obvious choice but he's battling cancer.
Don't worry, you'll end up with that hack Hakeem Jeffries in the chair.
No. of Recommendations: 0
Jeffries?
Had to look him up to verify...he's a Dem. No way he would be seated. I assume you're being facetious.
And I doubt Scalise could muster enough Dem support (or maybe he doesn't need any?).
Several articles popping up. A fairly neutral one was this:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/no-clear-replacement-ca...Other articles emphasize Scalise's claim that is is "David Duke without the baggage", which doesn't sound good at all (though I would want to hear the full context).
Depending on the chemo he is going through, Scalise may be in no condition to do much of anything. When 1poorlady was in chemo, she would have a session, be down for several days, start to be able to do things, and then time for another session. It was brutal.
No. of Recommendations: 1
The full House votes on the Speaker; Jeffries will get every democrat vote.
Please don't start with the spurious racist crap allegations.
No. of Recommendations: 8
bighairymike: But my understanding this was temporary for thirty days and to be replaced with separate appropriation bills developed under regular order.
To quote Phil Connors: "What a waste of time."
First, I believe that the spending cuts by the Freedom Clown Show only applied to discretionary spending (minus the Defense, Veterans, and Homeland Security portions of discretionary spending, as you noted). If it was for 30 days, as you also noted, that's what, a savings of about $2 billon.
Now let's see... in a $33 trillion debt, $2 billion is 0.006%.
Or, statistically, nothing.
You could eliminate HHS, EDUC, HUD, STATE, DOE, DOJ, USDA, DOT, and NASA and still only trim less than $500 billion annually from the debt. Entire departments and their jobs, which would destroy America.
The only real ways to meaningfully address the debt are through cuts to Defense, SS, and Medicare/Medicaid and/or by raising taxes. Oh, and interest on the debt is a big chunk, too, over a trillion dollars a year.
So what'll make it through both the House and the Senate?
No. of Recommendations: 5
Dope1: The full House votes on the Speaker; Jeffries will get every democrat vote.
Please don't start with the spurious racist crap allegations.
So, what? Jeffries got every dem vote during the 15 rounds to elect McCarthy.
And anyone who think Jeffries is going to be Speaker is an idiot.
Funny, you often bring race into your arguments.
No. of Recommendations: 0
Please don't start with the spurious racist crap allegations.
I have no idea. Just said what some articles were saying. The Guardian is a pretty reliable paper, but I wasn't planning on going down the racist path.
Jeffries may get all Dem votes, but I suspect not one Rep will go for him.
No. of Recommendations: 3
I've heard of Gaetz, but mostly in the context that he hates Dems, and he hates McCarthy, and he's not well-liked even among most of his colleagues. Newt Gingrich's take: "Gaetz's motion to remove McCarthy should have been swiftly defeated, but it wasn't; he should still be expelled from the House Republican Conference. House Republicans have far more important things to do than entertain one member's ego.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/03...Too late, they dumped McCarthy thanks to a few Ds that helped push the clown car into the ditch, and McCarthy says they can suck it; he's nah gah run again.
No. of Recommendations: 2
Jeffries may get all Dem votes, but I suspect not one Rep will go for him.
What about Mr.GOP23, George Santos? He could use a friend, and he's as qualified as anybody in the FC brain trust.
No. of Recommendations: 3
You could eliminate HHS, EDUC, HUD, STATE, DOE, DOJ, USDA, DOT, and NASA and still only trim less than $500 billion annually from the debt. Entire departments and their jobs, which would destroy America.
The only real ways to meaningfully address the debt are through cuts to Defense, SS, and Medicare/Medicaid and/or by raising taxes. Oh, and interest on the debt is a big chunk, too, over a trillion dollars a year.
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While the FC, like any good conservative, wants to see debt reduction, I think Gaetz and the FC's primary goal was to restore regular order to the appropriations process where spending can be scrutinized and debated bill by bill rather than stuffing it all into an omnibus CR. Break the cycle of what has become almost the new normal.
No. of Recommendations: 1
The last time they kicked the can down the road I didn't like the outcome. Somehow we need the FC less influential, people who understand compromise need more influence, and I agree with 1pg that raising taxes. Your guess isas good as mine as to who ends up where, but we need the extremists out.
Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff
Reporter covering national breaking news
With no official candidates yet announced for speaker, some House members have begun to float their ideas.
That includes Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who wrote on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, that he wanted Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for speaker.
Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, on Monday night said he was open to supporting Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the current No. 2 House Republican and a longtime McCarthy rival who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for blood cancer.
'I am not going to pass over Steve Scalise just because he has blood cancer,' Mr. Gaetz told a horde of reporters as he left the Capitol on Monday night.
Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No. 3 Republican in the House who serves as the majority whip, has also been mentioned by some of his colleagues as a viable option. Mr. Emmer, who has hosted many late night sessions in his office with various factions of the Republican conference, trying to help the group find common ground, has gained the trust of the far-right members. But they don't view him as a particularly strong leader.
'He's a good sounding board. He's got some nice conference rooms. He doesn't lie to us,' Mr. Gaetz said of Mr. Emmer in an earlier interview. 'We know he can't make anything happen.'
Another logical person to turn to would be Representative Patrick McHenry, the longtime North Carolina congressman who is close with Mr. McCarthy and has previously served in leadership. But Mr. McHenry would most likely resist any attempt to draft him into the role. He chose not to run for a leadership role last year, opting instead to lead the powerful financial services committee.
In a scramble, Representative Elise Stefanik, the top woman in leadership whose role means she works closely with all members of the conference, could emerge as another potential alternative. Serving as conference chair and overseeing messaging for all House Republicans, she is widely seen as someone with big political ambitions outside of the House ' like potentially serving in a future Trump administration.
Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma, one of the longest serving Republicans in the House who leads the Rules Committee, is also respected by both Republicans and Democrats alike.
No. of Recommendations: 2
Funny, you often bring race into your arguments.
Lie. Only when others throw the first punch.
Run along, little one.
No. of Recommendations: 1
Or maybe I'm reading too much into McCarthy's actions.
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I read it as McCarthy wanted to do it, but was prevented by Gaetz and the FC. What triggered his move? My "guess" is he really understood it was a bad move to shut down the gov, and saw it had a lot of support on both sides od the aisle. We cannot continue to show we cannot manage our government and not have it cost us. We will pay more in interest on our debt at some point. But this is just a guess. He may have gotten a promise on something he wanted too to sweeten the deal, who knows?
