A Deeply Fractured US

[Remius]

House votes to impeach Mayorkus

House Republicans are closing in on impeaching Alejandro Mayorkas. Here's what comes next.

House Republicans are closing in on impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the crisis on the southern border

www.usatoday.com

Looks like the attempt failed. 216 to 214.

 

[Remius]

I’m sure they will try again when they can actually pass it. But this was a complete embarrassment for the GOP.

 

[KevinB]

I’m sure they will try again when they can actually pass it. But this was ANOTHER complete embarrassment for the GOP.

FIFY

 

[brihard]

Looks like the attempt failed. 216 to 214.

Man, the house Republicans really don’t have their poop in a group.

 

[KevinB]

Man, the house Republicans really don’t have their poop in a group.

That, or some still have a brain

 

[Brad Sallows]

Some of what happens in Congress consists of empty gestures intended to show where people stand. It's an election year. People aren't happy with the southern border. The Schumer/McConnell bill was, for Democrats, an effort to deflect some heat away by pretending to do something. Mayorkas is Homeland Security; the border is in his lane. The impeachment vote did what it was meant to do: at the same time as the immigration bill is dying, it highlighted where Democrats really stand on the issue.

 

[Kirkhill]

Freudianism of the day - Projection

Authoritarianism From the Left

If the woke revolution in America cannot be stopped, the only question is who—from whose side—gets to be Caesar?

tomklingenstein.com

And the origins of socialism

Origins of Socialism

According to M. Beer,1 the term ‘socialism’ first appeared in November 1827 in the Co-Operative Magazine, an organ of the Association of London Co-operative Unions, and became generally used in the 1830s. It is, therefore, not so old a term. It was...

link.springer.com

 

[Remius]

Some of what happens in Congress consists of empty gestures intended to show where people stand. It's an election year. People aren't happy with the southern border. The Schumer/McConnell bill was, for Democrats, an effort to deflect some heat away by pretending to do something. Mayorkas is Homeland Security; the border is in his lane. The impeachment vote did what it was meant to do: at the same time as the immigration bill is dying, it highlighted where Democrats really stand on the issue.

I honestly don’t think you can call this a win at all. They lost that impeachment vote in embarrassing fashion. Even Fox News called it a blow to them.

House fails to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in major blow to GOP

The GOP-led House on Tuesday narrowly voted against the impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the ongoing crisis at the southern border.

www.foxnews.com

They’ve been unable to do anything. They keep beating themselves up with their own hands.

 

[Brad Sallows]

I honestly don’t think you can call this a win at all. They lost that impeachment vote in embarrassing fashion. Even Fox News called it a blow to them.

They’ve been unable to do anything. They keep beating themselves up with their own hands.

It wasn't meant to be a win. Even impeachment supporters knew that right now they probably didn't have the votes, and "everyone" knew there was almost zero probability of conviction in the Senate. It was always a political gesture to draw lines. Lines drawn. Mission complete. They can try again - and maybe will - but it's always the same thing in the end: keeping the underlying issue in the news. Mayorkas isn't going anywhere unless the administration panics and sacrifices him.

"Beating themselves up with their own hands" is an apt description for the "bipartisan" senators. The way to pass a bill in the US is to write a bill negotiated between the House, Senate, and president. Democrats and some establishment Republicans in the Senate spent four months working on a bill to satisfy Democrats and some establishment Republicans in the Senate, and the president. I see McConnell's supporters are trying to lay fault anywhere but him. Stupid on steroids.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

It wasn't meant to be a win. Even impeachment supporters knew that right now they probably didn't have the votes, and "everyone" knew there was almost zero probability of conviction in the Senate. It was always a political gesture to draw lines. Lines drawn. Mission complete. They can try again - and maybe will - but it's always the same thing in the end: keeping the underlying issue in the news. Mayorkas isn't going anywhere unless the administration panics and sacrifices him.

"Beating themselves up with their own hands" is an apt description for the "bipartisan" senators. The way to pass a bill in the US is to write a bill negotiated between the House, Senate, and president. Democrats and some establishment Republicans in the Senate spent four months working on a bill to satisfy Democrats and some establishment Republicans in the Senate, and the president. I see McConnell's supporters are trying to lay fault anywhere but him. Stupid on steroids.

I think it's possible Schumer engineered the whole border part of the bill to throw shade on the Repubican House. It's the go to story today. How the Repulicans blew the border deal after beating the drum about it for so long. Everyone knows Biden can do what he wants with the border with the stroke of the pen. There is no new legislation needed. The existing rules are sufficient, except Biden refuses to follow the rules. It's all theater and positioning for the campaign. The democrats are putting together their narrative and planning slogans and ads. McConnell just flips and flops like a fish in a forest.

 

[Remius]

It wasn't meant to be a win. Even impeachment supporters knew that right now they probably didn't have the votes, and "everyone" knew there was almost zero probability of conviction in the Senate.

Actually, they did think they had the votes. They miscalculated when a Democrat showed up unexpectedly and an extra GOP vote flipped. (Edit: the flip vote was procedural to allow them to vote again eventually)

It was always a political gesture to draw lines. Lines drawn. Mission complete. They can try again - and maybe will - but it's always the same thing in the end: keeping the underlying issue in the news. Mayorkas isn't going anywhere unless the administration panics and sacrifices him.

They will try again of course. The only thing that seems to be making the news is as a result of this is highlighting how useless the GOP is. You don’t vote to impeach with an expectation you will lose. GOP supporters better hope they don’t « accomplish » any more missions the way they have so far.

"Beating themselves up with their own hands" is an apt description for the "bipartisan" senators. The way to pass a bill in the US is to write a bill negotiated between the House, Senate, and president. Democrats and some establishment Republicans in the Senate spent four months working on a bill to satisfy Democrats and some establishment Republicans in the Senate, and the president. I see McConnell's supporters are trying to lay fault anywhere but him. Stupid on steroids.

You mentioned earlier that they are coming up to an election. What record does the GOP have to run on? What have they accomplished at all in 2023 and what do you think they will accomplish in 2024? They will have had the majority there for two years and literally have nothing to show for.

 

[Brad Sallows]

You mentioned earlier that they are coming up to an election. What record does the GOP have to run on? What have they accomplished at all in 2023 and what do you think they will accomplish in 2024? They will have had the majority there for two years and literally have nothing to show for.

What is it you think a party with only a narrow House majority ought to accomplish in the US system? The House routinely passes hundreds of bills that go nowhere when the House majority isn't bothering to really negotiate with the Senate majority. Most of that is just a performance. Saying a House majority doesn't accomplish much is like saying the sun rises in the east.

 

[Remius]

What is it you think a party with only a narrow House majority ought to accomplish in the US system?

More than they have now. They can barely agree on a speaker.

The House routinely passes hundreds of bills that go nowhere when the House majority isn't bothering to really negotiate with the Senate majority. Most of that is just a performance. Saying a House majority doesn't accomplish much is like saying the sun rises in the east.

yet previous majorities have accomplished significantly more.

Again. What do they actually have to show for? It’s not just me asking. GOP sitting members are worried about an empty record going into the next election.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Again. What do they actually have to show for?

Depends on what the observer thinks is worth measuring. They just "saved" US taxpayers about $118B, although undoubtedly some of that is going to return in future bills. Simply not adding as much new spending as a Democratic House would is an accomplishment, and right now it matters a great deal more than it used to.

 

[KevinB]

Depends on what the observer thinks is worth measuring. They just "saved" US taxpayers about $118B, although undoubtedly some of that is going to return in future bills. Simply not adding as much new spending as a Democratic House would is an accomplishment, and right now it matters a great deal more than it used to.

I’d argue it is going to cost way more in the middle term to not financing Ukraine etc.

 

[Brad Sallows]

I’d argue it is going to cost way more in the middle term to not financing Ukraine etc.

Doubtful. The safest assumption is that whatever the Republican neo-cons support is the mostly costly and destructive COA.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Didn't know the destroyed and ruined Iraqi lives were a laughing matter.

 

[KevinB]

Didn't know the destroyed and ruined Iraqi lives were a laughing matter.

Well my original thought was the trolling reaction.

I will say all the Iraqi’s I met in my time there where very happy about Sadam’s removal.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Well my original thought was the trolling reaction.

I will say all the Iraqi’s I met in my time there where very happy about Sadam’s removal.

Sure, but you have to be alive to feel happy.

 

[KevinB]

Sure, but you have to be alive to feel happy.

Yes but is being alive and under constant tyranny actually living ?