All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Tami]

I'd think Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell might also be looking at a shot at the gavel. For better or worse, those guys find themselves in front of cameras way too much to not have some interest.

True, but Jeffries hasn't been quiet about his desire to take the gavel. I suspect he'll fight harder than the others for it.

[numberthirty]

It irks me to no end that she gets so much free press. For every loathsome, backwards, trash thing she says and does she gets headlines daily. Just like Trump. She has no committee assignments she doesnt do anything except mouth off and fundraise now. But, she gets millions in free advertising.

It'd be great if everyone would just quit giving that attention seeker what she wants.

You do realize that you are doing that very thing right now, no?

[Mister Mets]

Okay, I did not know that. Still wouldn't consider her a lame-duck; if the Democrats do retain in 2022, the next Democratic speaker would probably follow similar lines that Pelosi does. But then, Kevin isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.

Technically someone's a lame-duck even if their party wins the election. A term limited Governor in a safe state is still a lame duck.

I'd think Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell might also be looking at a shot at the gavel. For better or worse, those guys find themselves in front of cameras way too much to not have some interest.

Jeffries is in House Leadership. Everyone who outranks him in his 80s is in their 80s and probably on the way out. So that's an immediate advantage.

There are a lot of times the head of the conference/ caucus goes on to be speaker. It happened with Tom Foley, Newt Gingrich, Dennis Hastert and Nancy Pelosi.

Schiff is the head of the Intelligence committee. It's rare for someone to go from head of a committee to Speaker. Paul Ryan's the main example but he had been seen as a leading figure in the house for some time, including being a candidate for national office.

Swalwell has to deal with the questions about his relationship with a Chinese spy, and he's one of three co-chairs of a Steering Committee, so he's not ranked that high.

There's also an optics question of whether Democrats want a white guy leading the House, especially with Schumer leading the Senate and Biden as President. That's especially relevant when Jeffries is the clear favorite, so there would need to be extraordinary circumstances to pick someone else.

[Mister Mets]

I'm more focused on the fireworks between the heavy-hitters in Congress today, but I'll note that Marjorie Taylor-Greene held a press conference to complain about her temp-ban for spreading vaccine information.

It did not go well, but she's too nuts to know it.

First, she tried telling a reporter they've violated HIPAA by asking her if she was vaccinated yet (as the law applies to medical professionals... no, she didn't.)

Then she was asked about trying to promote vaccines to keep people safe, and started spreading misinformation again, that only the "elderly and obese" were at risk of dying of Covid-19. A reporter corrected her that there are deaths outside of those categories, and asked directly, "“There are children, skinny people, who have died of the coronavirus. Do you feel any responsibility?”

By the time the reporter had said the word, "died", she burst into full-toothed laughter. When presented with the deaths of children.

She is barking mad. Like, comic book villain levels of insane. I won't compare her to the Joker, because at least he doesn't spread conspiracy theories. There's some lines he won't cross.


Let's loop this back to Kevin McCarthy, though... he got most of the GOP caucus to fight to keep her committee assignments and not expel her from Congress. And this is what she's doing for the GQP.

The fundraising is also not making money.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-ma...-fire?ref=home

Since Gaetz and Greene kicked off their joint fundraising committee with a May 7 event at The Villages in central Florida, their campaigns and joint fundraising committee have posted a combined loss of $342,000. And according to recent filings with the Federal Election Commission, that joint fundraising effort, “Put America First,” reported only $59,345.54 in contributions.

That sort of meager haul would be fine for a dinner or one-time event, but Gaetz and Greene have repeatedly held high-profile events and spent a whopping $287,036.19 to hold them—meaning they’re in the hole by more than $225,000.

Individually, Gaetz and Greene raised $1.34 million and $1.31 million in the second quarter of 2021, respectively. Those totals are certainly impressive, and Gaetz and Greene could argue that the publicity from their circuit is helping them fundraise individually. Except, they’re not making that argument, and both candidates have actually raised less in this most recent quarter than they did in the first.

Gaetz slipped from $1.82 million in the first months of the year, his personal best. He also spent $1.95 million along the way, the majority of it on fundraising and a pricey public relations scramble to push back against reports about the investigation.

But Greene—whose campaign is easily the biggest money draw among the House GOP—plummeted, coming $1.9 million short of her eye-popping $3.2 million first-quarter haul. After expenses, including travel and fundraising costs, she closed the second quarter with only a $300,000 net gain. She had ended the first quarter up $1.8 million.

[Jack Dracula]

You do realize that you are doing that very thing right now, no?

That little bit of irony is not lost to me. The point is if everyone in the media felt the same way we wouldn’t be having this conversation in the first place.

[Tami]

US Sen. Ron Johnson: 'I may not be the best candidate' for 2022

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is sending out some mixed signals on whether he'll run for re-election in 2022.

In an interview this week, Johnson, R-Oshkosh, said he "may not be the best candidate" for the 2022 U.S. Senate race, an indication his re-election bid is not exactly pre-ordained despite the fact he raised $1.2 million in the second quarter of the year, double his effort in the first quarter and more than his Democratic challengers.

"I want to make sure that this U.S. Senate seat is retained in Republican hands," Johnson told conservative commentator Lisa Boothe. "You see what the media’s doing to me. I may not be the best candidate. I wouldn’t run if I don’t think I could win, if I don’t think I was the best person to be able to win."

He then referenced former Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant, who he said retired at the height of his success because "he wanted to live a life."

"This is an incredibly frustrating place here," Johnson said. "Having come from the private sector, running a successful business. Being able to accomplish things. When you just see the dysfunction that is Washington D.C., it can be pretty frustrating."

Eh. .whatever. So long as he doesn't run again.

[Tami]

Missouri Supreme Court sides with Medicaid expansion supporters

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the state's voter-approved Medicaid expansion does not violate the state constitution's prohibition on voters creating new programs that aren't funded.

The court in its unanimous 14-page decision sent the case back to Cole County circuit court and instructed the judge to enter a judgment in favor of those who sought expansion of the program. Three women who were eligible under the expansion sued the state in May after the legislature failed to appropriate extra money for the program and Gov. Mike Parson instructed his administration not to expand eligibility.

The expanded eligibility was set to begin July 1 with the state's new fiscal year. Voters approved the amendment to expand the health insurance program for low-income people last August. The expansion would raise income requirements and make an estimated 275,000 more Missourians eligible for Medicaid.

Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem ruled last month in favor of the state, which argued that the constitution's prohibition on voter-approved amendments creating new programs without funding meant expansion could not go forward. Supporters of expansion argued the vote didn't create any new program, it simply expanded one that already existed, which the legislature was bound to fund.

The supreme court's opinion also stated that the legislature's appropriations bills did not exclude funding for covering an expanded Medicaid population.

"With no ambiguity, the amounts appropriated ... cannot be used to alter the plain language of the purposes stated – to fund MO HealthNet without distinguishing between benefits provided to individuals who are eligible as part of the preexpansion population" and the newly eligible, the court wrote in its opinion.

[Tami]

Texas Senate removes requirement to tell students that the KKK are 'morally wrong'

In a bill that just passed the state’s Senate, Texas public school students would no longer be required to learn about the Ku Klux Klan or that the group’s white supremacy is “morally wrong.”

In the Republican-controlled state, two dozen curricula that were once required in public schools, like teaching about Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, the accomplishments of labor leader and leftist activist Cesar Chavez, the writings of women’s suffragist movement leader Susan B. Anthony and Native American history, are no longer required staples of Texas education, according to The Huffington Post.

[worstblogever]

Swalwell has to deal with the questions about his relationship with a Chinese spy.

He doesn't, because that story is a goddamned conspiracy theory perpetuated by the right that you're furthering.

He was in the same place as her in one photo. That isn't a relationship. Unless you want to sabotage a man's political career based on a lie.

[Hellion]

Texas Senate removes requirement to tell students that the KKK are 'morally wrong'

This is exactly why I support federal or national standards for curriculum. When every state has the power to decide what and how it teaches, some states will proudly decide to be dumber than others.

[Mister Mets]

He doesn't, because that story is a goddamned conspiracy theory perpetuated by the right that you're furthering.

He was in the same place as her in one photo. That isn't a relationship. Unless you want to sabotage a man's political career based on a lie.

From earlier descriptions of the story, they met at numerous events, she had an intern placed in his office, and she knew him for a few years before he cut off ties with her after the FBI informed him that she was a Chinese spy.

https://tinyurl.com/47vmbf6v (Axios story)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...d-chinese-spy/

His dad and brother were also Facebook friends with her.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/swalwell-fang-facebook-china

What lie are you referring to? And where did you get the impression they only met once?

[numberthirty]

From earlier descriptions of the story, they met at numerous events, she had an intern placed in his office, and she knew him for a few years before he cut off ties with her after the FBI informed him that she was a Chinese spy.

https://tinyurl.com/47vmbf6v (Axios story)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...d-chinese-spy/

His dad and brother were also Facebook friends with her.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/swalwell-fang-facebook-china

What lie are you referring to? And where did you get the impression they only met once?

Never seen anyone frame it quite like that.

That said, I don't think that I have ever seen anyone do an even passable job of debunking the assertion that, as the guy's career was plugging along, this person was a supporter who helped to raise funds and was involved enough to suggest something that the campaign wound up doing.

Can he probably explain away that there was a certain sort of relationship?

Sure.

Can he say there is no relationship?

Come on with that nonsense.

He has said he gave the Feds information on her. You know who someone cannot give any information about? Someone they actually do not have any sort if a relationship with.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

This is exactly why I support federal or national standards for curriculum. When every state has the power to decide what and how it teaches, some states will proudly decide to be dumber than others.

It's not quite about one state being dumber than another, we're talking about politicians literally whitewashing (pardon the pun) history in order to keep students from learning about the racism that's been part of this country practically since it's inception.

[worstblogever]

What lie are you referring to?

The one you're repeating.

There. Is. No. "relationship".

I'm not even entertaining your Fox News inspired delirium.

[CSTowle]

From earlier descriptions of the story, they met at numerous events, she had an intern placed in his office, and she knew him for a few years before he cut off ties with her after the FBI informed him that she was a Chinese spy.

https://tinyurl.com/47vmbf6v (Axios story)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...d-chinese-spy/

His dad and brother were also Facebook friends with her.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/swalwell-fang-facebook-china

What lie are you referring to? And where did you get the impression they only met once?

I have no idea if he had a relationship with her, I know Fox News implied it might have been a close one (and she is pretty, easy story to sell). But politicians having met or been photographed with someone is the easiest thing in the world. I live in New Hampshire, I could have been photographed with any Presidential candidate in the last several decades and it would mean nothing for them if I turned out to be a Russian spy. Facebook friends? I'd imagine they each have thousands, and might know a fraction of those. As to having placed an intern, if she's a fundraiser I can see a "scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" which may not look good on the surface, but how much does when you really examine the relationships politicians have with their sources of money? That's why Citizens United was such a poor decision and why most folks are turned off by politics in the first place. It's a cesspool of corruption or potential corruption. Doesn't mean you have to jump to the worst conclusion.