💣 The Disastrous 118th Congress - "Fuc*ing Fuc*wad" Mike Johnson, "My Kevin" McCarthy House Speaker /Clowns

[pipistrelle]

Not sure where to put this, but about a Democratic member of Congress who is not a clown. A grownup in the room. WaPo gift link.

[AndyinPA]

Nice article, but depressing.

[Kendra]

Quite the thread there, and there is also video on it.

A note on today's Ways and Means hearing on the President's Budget featuring Secretary Janet Yellen. GOP Chairman Jason Smith raised his voice repeatedly at the Secretary, the first woman in history to hold her position, in grossly disrespectful way. It was pure theater.

[raison de arizona]

Quite the thread there, and there is also video on it.

Wow. Just, wow. They're unbelievable, and not interested in governing at all, clearly.

[Kendra]

Quite the thread there, and there is also video on it.

Wow. Just, wow. They're unbelievable, and not interested in governing at all, clearly.

I haven't watched the videos yet. Waiting for Matlock to finish.

[Volkonski]

Freedom Caucus draws battle lines on debt ceiling

https://www.axios.com/2023/03/10/freedo ... ing-budget

In a statement released Friday, the caucus listed the conditions for its members to "consider voting to raise the debt ceiling."

Ending the Biden administration's $400 billion student loan forgiveness program.

Rescinding unspent COVID relief funds.

Clawing back funding for the IRS and climate change prevention in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Instituting greater work requirements on welfare programs.

Requiring congressional sign-off on all major federal regulations before they can go into effect.

Finding "every dollar spent by Democrats that can be reclaimed for the American taxpayer."

The big picture: The statement calls for significant across-the-board cuts in funding to federal agencies by capping spending at 2022 levels for the next 10 years.

[pipistrelle]

No pony?

[raison de arizona]

[Luke]

Proving why the Senate passed legislation last Fall to fund this fiscal year. Even these "messaging bills" are garbage. Except for MAGAts, everyone knows that all this trash is DOA.

Bringing back J6 is hurting them even more. There are lots of stories of worried Republicans baffled why they'd want to keep looking backward. Elections are about the future. Reminding everyone of J6 and hearing the twice impeached disgraced loser proclaim again today he's an "election denier" gives me more and more confidence that Democrats will win in 2024. And that, while frustrating, ordinary Americans who aren't screaming on social media are seeing positive results in the economy and America. I'm still optimistic our best days are ahead, technology and AI are massive revolutions that will make people's lives better.

And, of course, keeping Kitara in the House is terrific.

Demographic shifts are not going away. Besides the Republicans they criminally killed during COVID with misinformation, the fact remains that the GOP is an old white party and that's not the future. In Chris Rock's Netflix special, he spent some time on J6 and had everybody laughing when he talked about how ridiculous "white grievance/"discrimination" is -- "white men trying to overthrow the government that's run by... white men".

I mentioned on Twitter, when all is said and done, Tucker Carlson reaches... 1% of Americans. He has 3.5M viewers. We're tuned in to these liars and nuts, but most of America couldn't care less.

[RTH10260]

crosspost

"Significant Data Breach" Hits Lawmakers On Capitol Hill

BY TYLER DURDEN
THURSDAY, MAR 09, 2023 - 01:55 PM

The Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, Catherine L. Szpindor, told lawmakers Wednesday their personal information was exposed in a "significant data breach" at a health insurance marketplace.

"I have been informed by the United States Capitol Police and DC Health Link* of a data breach impacting Members and staff. DC Health Link suffered a significant data breach yesterday, potentially exposing the Personal Identifiable Information (PII) of thousands of enrollees. As a Member or employee eligible for health insurance through the DC Health Link, your data may have been comprised," Szpindor wrote in a letter to colleagues on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

It did not appear that lawmakers were specifically the target in the breach, Szpindor said. She continued:

"Currently, I do not know the size and scope of the breach, but have been informed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that account information and [personally identifiable information] of hundreds of Member and House staff were stolen. I expect to have access to the list of impacted enrollees later today and will notify you directly if your information was compromised."

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) were told by the FBI that cyber security agents found personal information from DC Health Link on the dark web, according to The Washington Post, citing a letter sent by House leadership to the health insurance marketplace. Agents found the names of spouses, dependent children, their social security numbers, and home addresses.

DC Health Link confirmed the breach and stated, "data for some DC Health Link customers have been exposed on a public forum."

Szpindor told lawmakers and staff to "freeze your credit" to prevent anyone from being able to "open a credit card, or taking out a loan in your name."

The House Administration Committee tweeted its "aware of the breach and is working with the CAO to ensure the vendor takes necessary steps to protect the PII of any impacted member, staff, and their families."

Here's Szpindor's full letter to lawmakers about the data breach:



https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/si ... pitol-hill

[Ben-Prime]

crosspost

"Significant Data Breach" Hits Lawmakers On Capitol Hill

BY TYLER DURDEN
THURSDAY, MAR 09, 2023 - 01:55 PM

I mean, not for nothin', but can anyone account for George Santos' whereabouts during the time of the breach?

[RTH10260]

Just wait until he brags about being one of the smartest penetration testers in the country and still has to be cought

[Kendra]

[Resume18]

I wonder what Madge-Tadge, the real speaker (in her own head) has to say?

Betcha it's sumpin' profound an' shit.

[raison de arizona]

This whole concept that it is a subversion of democracy to prosecute politicians for criming is... stupid.

What happened to no one is above the law?

[Foggy]

What happened to no one is above the law?

Trump is above the law. I hate it, but I admit it.

[Kendra]

Biden’s DOJ is coordinating with the Democrat Manhattan DA to arrest Donald Trump, the top Republican Presidential candidate for 2024, and charge him with a fake outdated misdemeanor charge.

It’s ALL FOR POLITICS!

This is what they do in communists countries to destroy their political opponents!

Republicans in Congress MUST subpoena these communists and END this!

We have the power to do it and we also have the power to DEFUND their salaries and departments!

Enough of this!

The American people deserve a government that actually works for them NOT a bunch of self centered communists who bail out their donors, protect the elites, and weld their power to punish their political enemies!

[p0rtia]

Can't wait for her take on the upcoming Georgia indictment.

[AndyinPA]

[Foggy]

Calling people you don't like none "commies" is just so twentieth century.

[Frater I*I]

Calling people you don't like none "commies" is just so twentieth century.

What is old is new again....

[Kendra]

@RepSwalwell
The guy who created a committee to look into “weaponization of government” is using his powers in government to stop an independent prosecution of his boss.

[humblescribe]

Hey, Kev,

How about you and I sitting down over a fine lunch and a bottle of Ruffino Riserva Ducale at Luigi's in Bakersfield and discuss the topic, "Abuse of Power." My treat.

You can tell me why what Republicans do is not abusing their power. We can start with the Dobbs decision and its after effects. Then we can move onto Florida and Rhonda Santis. Explain why you want to hold the country hostage and not increase the debt level that had been increased dramatically between 2017 and 2020. Who was president in those years, and why were you cool with all that spending? This might get us into our second bottle of wine.

Anyway you try to polish it Kevin, you are still a turd.

[Gregg]

This whole concept that it is a subversion of democracy to prosecute politicians for criming is... stupid.

What happened to no one is above the law?

Coming from a crowd hoarse from screaming "Lock her up" for 6 years.

[Volkonski]

McCarthy calls for no protests or violence if Trump is arrested

https://www.axios.com/2023/03/19/mccart ... p-arrested

Why it matters: Media reports and the former president's own comments signal that an indictment from the Manhattan district attorney's office could be imminent, with Trump urging supporters to "[p]rotest, take our nation back!"

Driving the news: At a press conference to kick off House Republicans' annual retreat in Orlando, Florida, McCarthy told reporters: "I don't think people should protest this, no."

The House speaker also defended Trump, arguing he "doesn't believe that either" and is "not talking in a harmful way," though he said the two of them haven't actually spoken about the matter.

"Nobody should harm one another in this. ... We want calmness out there," McCarthy said. "I do not believe there should be any violence [in response] to this."

The intrigue: McCarthy joins a surprising hardline House Republican also discouraging protests — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

"We don't need to protest," Greene tweeted on Saturday, arguing that Democrats are "sealing their own fate" in the 2024 election if Trump is indicted.