#Rober B Hubbell

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Jesse Duquette, The Daily Don

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Max Boot has it right in this essay in WaPo, Don’t blame ‘both sides.’ The right is driving political violence. Boot writes,

There is little doubt about what is driving political violence: the ascendance of Trump. The former president and his followers use violent rhetoric of extremes: Trump calls President Biden an “enemy of the state,” attacks the FBI as “monsters,” refers to the “now Communist USA” and even wrote that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has a “DEATH WISH” for disagreeing with him. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has expressed support for executing Nancy Pelosi and other leading Democrats.

         As to the nature of the attack, major media outlets are missing the point. In the main, the incident is being described as “an assault on Paul Pelosi.” That description is true, but misleading. Depape was not looking for Paul Pelosi, but for Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The fact that Nancy Pelosi was not home at the time does not change the essential nature of the attack or its intended victim, which makes it an attempted assassination. Why major media outlets seem to be minimizing the true nature of the crime is puzzling. Indeed, as many readers noted, the NYTimes reported the incident “below the fold” in its Saturday edition. Would the same low-key coverage have been given if the intended victim was a former president whose spouse was savagely beaten when the assailant could not find the former president after breaking into their home?

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich

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On an eventful day, less is more

March 23, 2024

ROBERT B. HUBBELL

Friday was packed with a dozen significant developments, each of which deserves extended discussion. But when the news comes at us from every direction with high velocity, less is more. So, I will give an overview and attempt to tease out a few threads to help place the stories in context. Readers can discuss the stories at their leisure in the Comments section—or spend their time outside, enjoying the early days of spring!

It is worth noting that as I begin to write on Friday at 7:30 p.m., the Senate has only 90 minutes to pass a budget that will avoid a government shutdown. Prospects for passage do not look promising. The repeated crises are an insult to the American people. We deserve better. Much.  [Update: The Senate passed the bill after the midnight deadline.]

But before turning to the details of the latest GOP meltdown, it is worth noting that the chaos in the Republican Party is not only unprecedented, it will never be repeated in the history of our nation. If the Democratic Party experienced a similar meltdown, the story would be the subject of non-stop, breathless, front-page coverage for weeks. The press would declare the death of the Democratic Party and begin a political autopsy that would drag on for months.

Today, the GOP’s Hindenburg-style implosion was “below the fold” news in most outlets. Don’t let the media’s lack of interest fool you. It is a big deal. It will likely help Democrats increase their ability to protect the integrity of the 2024 election, which in turn will help preserve democracy in 2025 and beyond.

As explained below, the chances that Democrats will control the House on January 6, 2025, increased on Friday. Ensuring control of even one chamber of Congress during the count of electoral ballots in January will allow Democrats to defeat baseless objections designed to frustrate the will of the people.

In short, despite the chaos, Americans should feel renewed confidence. The Republican party has been a dagger aimed at the heart of democracy. On Friday, the GOP appeared to be on the verge of losing control of the House because its members keep quitting.

With that, let’s look at the leading stories on Friday.

Congress struggles to avoid a shutdown—House GOP turns on itself.

Events in Congress proceeded at a rapid-fire pace on Friday—of necessity. With only hours before a government shutdown, the House passed a $1.7 trillion bill over the objections of a majority of the GOP caucus.

As on two prior occasions, Speaker Johnson was forced to rely on majority Democratic support to pass a spending bill that will keep the government operating.

Speaker Johnson’s reliance on Democrats to pass a bill that was anathema to the “Freedom” Caucus quickly led to a new crisis for Speaker Johnson.

First, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced that she had filed a motion to “vacate the chair”—i.e., fire Mike Johnson as Speaker. See The Hill, Greene files motion to oust Speaker Johnson. Despite announcing the motion, Greene has not taken the steps to trigger the 48-hour period for a vote. But Greene was unequivocal that she intended to remove Johnson, saying,

[T]his is basically a warning, and it’s time for us to go through the process, take our time, and find a new Speaker of the House that will stand with Republicans in our Republican majority instead of standing with the Democrats.

However, it is not clear that the motion to vacate will succeed in removing Johnson. See The Hill, Republicans lash out at Greene over threat to oust Speaker Johnson.

But the next shoe to drop on Friday raises the question of whether Mike Johnson—or any Republican—will be elected the next Speaker of the House. GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher unexpectedly announced that he would resign his seat on April 19—leaving Republicans with a single-vote margin in the House after that date. See Politico, Johnson's margin drops to one vote as Gallagher heads for early exit.

There are indications that another GOP member of the House will resign soon—leaving Johnson in a situation in which a single defection results in a tie vote in the House. See Newsweek, Ken Buck Teases More Republican Resignations Are Coming. A tie means that nothing can happen in the House without Democratic cooperation. If another Republican resigns—a possibility hinted at by Ken Buck—then Republicans and Democrats would share power in the House.

The unwinding of the House majority is happening before the November elections, during which Democrats are likely to pick up a few seats in districts won by Joe Biden in 2020. That would give Democrats control of the House—and a hedge against baseless objections to the 2024 electoral count.

The drama is not over for House Republicans, but the handwriting is on the wall. Meanwhile, Democrats are holding together despite strong policy differences on several issues. The difference is that Democrats are disagreeing over which policies are in the best interests of the American people, while Republicans are arguing over power and greed.

Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter