Weird, since 1/2 them are trying to ban Plan-B.

I did not anticipate GOPers defending Menendez, but I guess that's part of the price of blindly supporting Trump.

Nice SCOTUS

Supreme Court rejects Alabama's attempt to avoid creating a second Black majority district | CNN Politics

Oh, and T-5

Up to 7 Dem senators against Menendez. It’s a shame it’s not more by now.

What's the rule on the Senate expelling a member? How many votes do they need?

I'm telling you. He is a Republican by next week.

2/3 according to the Constitution I think

So if enough Dems decide to expel him, do the GOPers vote along with it?

The #bothsides caucus really wants him to stay in. But even the American media would have to note it if the reason he stayed was because of GOP votes, right?

(Rhetorical question. Of course they won't have to note it.)

Senate unveils short term funding deal. Apparently has Senate GOP support.

McCarthy has done, I think, a much better job than people have given him credit for.

But if the Senate GOP is (effectively) telling him to ditch the Looney Toons caucus, then he needs to do that.

Yep. Hasn't happened in modern times though; they've all resigned before going through the indignity of being expelled.

Some more details on the Senate deal

Just a moment...
Below sounds promising. I read in another article McCarthy will bring up border security but no details on what he is proposing.


I hope McCarthy cuts a deal with Biden (including Democrat support for his speakership). I want to see the GOP extremists try to remove McCarthy, pretty interesting to see how that all plays out.

Best bet is they won't do much and sulk back to their corners. They may try but with Dem support, it'll prove them toothless. Wild card is where Trump will put his support.

Can't a guy catch a break?

I'm guessing he'll be dishonorably discharged. Don't think he'll face anything else other than public humiliation for the rest of his life. Maybe he should try Russia ...

Travis King: North Korea has decided to 'expel' US soldier, state media reports | CNN

Up to 26 now.

He will serve some time in a military prison, or more likely a military hospital.

I don't see Democrats supporting McCarthy. If I were a Democrat I'd be asking why we would cover for Republican problems with their own infighting. I don't see a good answer to that.

Because if I was Joe, Schumer, and Jeffries I'd be thinking ...

1) McCarthy's replacement could be worse
2) Cut a backroom deal with McCarthy and say "you need us to support you for Speaker, you support us on X ... here are the rough parameters e.g. Immigration reform or whatever

Yeah, and it looks like some Democrats are in favor only if McCarthy makes concessions such as dropping the Biden impeachment inquiry and adhering to prior spending agreements.

nvm.

T-4. The game of chicken continues.

A rather fascinating (but not surprising) poll from HarrisX:

53% of republicans believe Trump is a man of faith. While only 35% believe Romney is and 23% believe Biden is.

Matt Gaetz and company want a shutdown so we're likely going to get one. It's a chance for their little group to get in front of the cameras and make soundbites they can put in reelection ads and use to build their name for statewide races.

Where, exactly, McCarthy draws the line with them will be interesting because he could give them everything they want right now and they'd move the goalposts to get a shutdown.

My boss is retiring at the end of this week and I move into her spot managing our hospital's Help Desk and Customer Support IT Branch on day 1 of this shutdown. Should be good times.

How many in the House would vote for the continuing resolution passed in the Senate with 77 votes if only McCarthy would allow it to come up for a vote.

You can't work with these terrorists because the deal you struck yesterday won't matter to them today.

There really should be a threshold to automatically trigger a vote from the other chamber when a bill is passed.

It makes no sense that 15 members of the house can effectively block a bill that overwhelmingly passed Senate and would easily pass in the House if the Speaker would bring it up for a vote.

The CR would get 300+ votes but more from Democrats, similar to the debt ceiling vote. The whole thing is just so stupid.

I'm 50/50 on this impeachment inquiry ending with the GOP impeaching Hunter Biden.

The Senate has passed a bipartisan bill that the President will sign. And the GOP in the House won't even put it to a vote.

Seems like a pretty simple message for the Dems to repeat over and over and over.

T-2

Looking pretty inevitable now. Question is how long will it last.

No idea.

"Defund prosecution of Trump" is a non-starter, but I am not sure what else the hardliners would accept.

35 days is the record during Trump. Next is 21 days during Clinton.

I'm guessing < 2 weeks.

Just a frivolous thought. Won't happen but they should put some portion of social security in jeopardy (say 20%). I bet that will really, really get them to focus.

Focus isn’t the problem

kool aid is


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well I guess that's one way to get her to retire...


Senator Feinstein has passed away at age 90

It's amazing that a few assholes that represent the tiniest fraction of people in the middle of nowhere can grind the entire country to a halt based on nothing. It's not like they want anything real. We need to change the rules so that a small number of crazies can't decide the fate of the entire country.

She voted yesterday... so let's see if she votes today just to make sure.

A practical problem with that whole change the rules idea is that it requires a constitutional amendment, which is an even higher bar. Thing about it is, a handful of people can do nothing if they don't get others to go along with it. Those others is where energy is more productively spent IMO.

Well Halloween is right around the corner...Regardless of what happened towards the end of her career, she certainly a trailblazer for women in politics and should be remembered for that,

RIP Dianne Feinstein. You were a pretty bad Senator who was wrong on just about every issue over the past 50 years. My condolences to the family and the people who were voting in her name the past few years.

They should lock the staffers who perpetuated the fraud for a decade in her tomb like the Egyptians did.

McCarthy got a procedural vote on a DOA short term funding bill through 218-210, after which they cut his balls off shooting the actual bill down 198-232.

LOL

I was told today our hospital has enough to make at least 1 more payroll. So hopefully this doesn't drag out.

Yup. One more paycheck then lol

Mayor Adams clearly put out the word to NYC government officials to praise him by name. They are all saying, Mayor Adams' administration..." before praising the response to the flooding.

FEMA is almost out of money, apparently, so best of luck to New York and any potential hurricane landing spots.

T-1

As to be expected, some backroom maneuvering going on.

Gaetz war against McCarthy could leave Dems playing kingmaker | CNN Politics

I hope Democrats don't take the bait, as history has shown that shutdowns end up hurting the GOP politically (IIRC all shutdowns have been happened during GOP control of the House).

Or if they make a deal, do it for real & lasting concessions. Something unprecedented like voting control over several committees.

45 day extension with raises for Congress (fuckin' seriously?) and stripping out Ukraine aid.

“The damage to our nation’s reputation and critical programming, and chaos for America’s families is because of a small group of [Republican] peckerheads in the House,” Fetterman said on Saturday. “This national upheaval is inflicted by choice over nothing except Fox News face time and tributes to the lunatic fringe from their district.”

McCarthy (mostly) blinked. 45 day CR with no additional funding to Ukraine. 91 Nays from his own party, but it passes with Dems voting en masse to support it (reluctantly)

We're going to spend 45 days with the hard right going after McCarthy, I expect at least one attempt to oust him imminently.

Gaetz tried to do it right away but the McCarthy ally holding the gavel ignored him and adjourned

https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/stat...92162536391106

nvm. Reset the clock to T-1+45

All things considered, an acceptable compromise. GOP don't get their border security, Dems (and GOP) don't get Ukrainian funding. And the Dems can't justify a government shutdown to the public because of $6B to Ukraine.

Yeah, let see the vacate the speaker process. I like this to come to a head and have it settled one way or another. I'm still betting McCarthy will do backroom deals with Dems if he needs their support.


EDIT: ... and what the heck was Senator Bowman thinking? I want see a picture of the fire alarm handle. If its anything like the standard fire alarms I've seen, it's a ridiculous excuse.

Actually, McCarthy agreed to a separate Ukraine vote to get the Dems to agree to the CR. Expect chaos when the House reconvenes.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

Yeah don't understand the Bowman thing at all. He was a principal before he came to Congress so pretty sure he knows what an fire alarm looks like. The door opener I saw if I'm reading it correctly is far removed from the alarm. Did he just have a "brain fart and pull the wrong thing?"

Just own it, dude. You pulled the fire alarm knowing it was a fire alarm.

"I thought that random handle that said FIRE would open a door I've used before" is a bullshit excuse.

The second he tries, there will be a motion to vacate (which supersedes all other business)

What's worse. he attempted to disrupt Congress, which is what many of the January 6th defendants were charged with. He should legitimately be charged with a felony.

They already tried and the person with the gavel ignored the motion. Like I said, chaos coming.

I'm okay with this (I think).

Is there really a negative other than short-term Russian propaganda win?

A clean vote on yes/no aid to Ukraine will everyone know where everyone stands. I cannot imagine the $6B will not pass. This lets those against it (on both sides) have it on record for their constituents and we can move on.

There is danger in the future for the next round if progress isn't going well or if Joe asks for $50B. But that would happen anyway regardless of this separate vote.


Yeah, I want to see this come to a head. Tired of the extremists and their drama.

Okay, it has officially passed Congress.

T-1+45.

Everyone must always remember that lying is no longer a sin for these “Christians”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don't look now, but we may be nearing Serbia/Kosovo war 2. The Serbs are massing troops on the border.

Serbia likes to kind of poke Kosovo every now and then but I doubt they have the fuel and equipment to do much of anything. The fires that Milosevic stoked years ago don't really burn as hot anymore.

I'll be very surprised if anything comes of it.

Some entertainment next week! As McCarthy has said "bring it".

It’s not a bad time to do it though, given the general fatigue/animosity towards Ukraine in many western countries and especially in countries like Poland, Hungary and Slovakia right now.

Put it this way, I don’t see any way NATO has enough unity to step in like they did last time.

On the other hand the country that would be their primary backer and supplier is a little preoccupied.

There's about 4,500 KFOR troops (NATO led but not exclusively NATO) to help Kosovo.

My guess is Serbia knows they can't do much. Probably supported, funded and directed by Russia to cause distractions like cross border raids. But I'm thinking if Serbia actually invades, KFOR will engage and push them back.


Now Armenia vs Azerbaijan is a different issue. Don't know if there's anyone willing to put boots on the ground for Armenia.

Man.

More drama soon

House GOP members seek to expel Gaetz amid renewed threat to vacate House Speaker McCarthy | Fox News

Can't believe I'm defending Gaetz, but he's done nothing more than Santos or Gaser or Boebert.

Whew, the Dems dodged a close one by not picking the rumored Meghan Markle.

Laphonza Butler: California Gov. Newsom appoints Laphonza Butler to fill Feinstein's Senate seat | CNN Politics

A lobbyist who lives in Maryland is an interesting choice for California Senator. But I guess Newsom owed her a favor for raising money for him.

The funny thing is that this makes a double-double election in 2024.

By state law, they have to hold a special election to fill the seat at some point, despite Newsom appointing Butler, so to minimize costs, they set it to be done at the same time as the regularly scheduled Senate Election in 2024.

So there will be TWO elections running at the same time.

1) To fill the six weeks or so left on Feinstein's term after the election (End of November 2024- Early/Mid January 2025)
2) The regular 2025-2031 term of office

That means you'll have to vote in two different primaries at the same time (they do Jungle-style primaries, where all qualified candidates run in one big group, and the top two vote getters advance to the General Election), and then in November 2024, vote in two different general elections at the same time for the senate seat.

Now, in theory, someone could run solely for one and not the other (Nov 24-Jan25 or 2025-31), but probably it will be the same people in both elections.

Which brings up so many questions. The way this is setup, can you legally donate the maximum twice? (to the Special Election and the Regular Election). Do you have to have a certain amount of signatures to run, and do you have to have everyone sign two different sets of nomination papers? (and can the same people who signed the nomination papers for the special election also sign for the normal election?)

It's just.. well.. goofy.

So if you're McCarthy, you know that the MAGA caucus is going to spend the next few weeks trying to organize your ouster.

Why give them the chance to get their ducks in a row?

Have your most trusted lieutenant show up today and file the motion to vacate. Frame it as "Put up or shut up." Come in strong with a "I'm going to win this vote, and then we can get down to business." Make them scramble. Shoot the gun yourself and take away their silver bullet.

My guess is McCarthy and allies have been busy reaching out to the Jeffries & crew to negotiate an "understanding". McCarthy needs to get his own ducks in a row. I've also read this may include discussing with Dems increasing the bar for the move to vacate.

Dems don't trust McCarthy. I get that but is anyone else going to be better? If there truly is a viable alternative that Jeffries & crew think is better than McCarthy, I say go for it. But I'm thinking it's the devil you know ... and at least this devil will owe you.

There are rumors that are just that. The Dens agree to prop McCarthy for a statis qou budget through the election, Ukraine support, and the end of the impeachment inquiry. I honestly don't think that is enough.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

Hmmm, I'm not sure McCarthy could survive tossing the impeachment inquiry process. Maybe an understanding his allies won't vote to impeach when the time comes.

I personally would prefer something on the Immigration "Dignity Act" Bill. There's enough in there for both sides to call it a compromise win.

... and if McCarthy screws the Dems, easy enough for Jeffries to pick up the phone to Gaetz

I had not seen that Gov Newsom had pledged to replace Feinstein with a black woman, so good for him for holding to his promise even if she has no real congressional experience. + also for the first black woman from CA in the Senate, plus to the LBGT community as well. I still wanted someone with more experience.

Just heard an explanation of what happened Saturday by Jeff Jackson. He said the deal came as a surprise, and McCarthy tried to get it passed without the Democrats reading the bill. Minority Leader Jefferies asked to speak and wasted 55 minutes to give reps time to read the bill. There was a pay raise for Congress snuck in their that the Dems made them remove. I'm betting Fox News isn't reporting on that

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

He's the one politician that seems to have tik tok figured out. Using it to explain what's going on behind the scenes on everything is brilliant.

They have.

Democratic lawmaker falsely claims House Republicans tried to ‘provide themselves with a pay raise’ | Fox News

1) The Senate proposal explicitly said no COLA (cost of living adjustments)
2) The House version dropped this stipulation which DeLaura pointed out
3) The standard is COLA is automatic for Congress if not explicitly stated otherwise
4) Therefore, if you believe COLA is a pay raise, then DeLaura is correct

In my corporate world experience, there is no doubt COLA is considered a pay raise.

Well she had lived in California from 2009 to 2021 when she moved to Maryland for her job. She has plenty of ties to the state.

I would have probably gone with one of the 40 million who actually live in the state to represent the state. Also someone who is not a lobbyist trying to gut workers rights. But she's probably better than Feinstein's corpse.

The former president of a union in California is working to gut workers rights? Interesting.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

"Butler, who is based in Washington and maintains close ties with Los Angeles, had a stint as director for public policy and campaigns at Airbnb and spent nearly two decades as a powerful and well-respected labor leader with the Service Employees International Union. As president of SEIU California, she worked closely with then-Gov. Jerry Brown on policies like hiking the minimum wage to $15 per hour and raising taxes for wealthy Californians. She also served on the University of California Board of Regents, to which she was appointed by Brown in 2018 before stepping down in 2021."
Yeah, she sounds really anti-labor.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

Yes. After she did that, she went on to work for a lobbying firm that fought to bust unions and stop Assembly Bill 5 in California, which would have classified gig workers as employees.

She then moved to Maryland to work for AirBnB where she helped lead the charge to deregulate the housing market and downplay the rash of sexual assault claims involving the company.

Dress it up how you like, but she's a resident of Maryland who is open to the highest bidder.

Well what would you expect working with such conservative mentors like Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsome.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

I mean her job is to basically funnel money to Newsome and other California politicians from corporate donors. This is her prize for being a good fundraiser.

Yup. She raises support for Pro-Choice women to run for office. The horror.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

There's like 10 million women in California you could choose that are pro-choice that weren't lobbying for Uber and AirBnB. That's an incredibly low bar.


This has everything to do with keeping the donors happy. Barbara Lee checks all the same boxes, is actually a resident of the state, and is not bought and paid for.

She is from California. She spent her whole adult career in California. Spend a year or two somewhere else doesn't erase two decades of being a political powerhouse in a state. It is just such a dumb objection to her, like most of what you are saying. Just say you wanted Barbara Lee and get over it. I personally wish he had picked Katie Porter. Heck. I wish Katie Porter would run for president, but I am not crying about it.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

Barbara Lee is bought and paid for by Father Time. Replacing a 90 year old with a 77 year old would be dumb.

Here we go ...

Fascinating civics lesson.

Nice shade.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/03/hous...al-issues.html

It would be nice but not convinced anything will come out of the ethics investigation. The DOJ declined to pursue so unless there are some different charges, I'd think it leans towards a nothing burger. But good to bring it up now and then.

So keep an eye on the House today, vote to remove McCarthy from House Speakership is coming up for a vote today at about 1:30 and so far it does not look like Democrats are going to save him.

Nor should they. No reason to help then govern effectively.

Yup sounds like it. Per Jeffries …

I am *so glad* that they got a CR through before this went down.

Next question: Will they select a new Speaker in the next 42 days when the clock runs out?

I think it's entirely possible that they don't. The CR isn't nearly long enough to give me confidence on that.

If Trump tosses his hat into the ring, anything is possible!

Sort of "ho-hum" day in Congress. Anything else going on? :D


I think the plan is to leave the Speaker vacant to force a shut down and prevent Ukraine aid unless the nut-wing gets a laundry list of what that want with someone other than McCarthy speaker.

I also think it is possible this is going to be shut down by Pelosi and company not showing up for the final vote, and then the GOP expelling Gaetz from the caucus.

Hmm ... y'know, there would be worse strategic moves by the (D) than to put his name up for a vote.

Would cost a lot of (R) a lot of votes/donations no matter what they did.

I mean, if your opposition is embroiled in a civil war, there are worse ideas than to help it along.