Foggy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 11:58 amorlylicious wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 7:40 am PS: I love Joe and the Bear and need to send that along to some friends.
Don't encourage him, you know how he gets.
Wanted to create a DALL-E image of Joe and the Bear but it won't create politicians and political content. 
s titular Mama June in Fogbow's Favourite Show™ Mama June: From Not To Hot! Fogbow's Theme Song™ Edith Massey's "I Got The Evidence!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5jDHZd0JAg
Republicans’ new rules allow just one member, regardless of party, to force a floor vote on deposing the speaker. And liberal Democrats, some of whom are part of the progressive “Squad,” are warning they have no problem with using the move against McCarthy, even if they don’t expect it to succeed.
“Why not? You know, that sounds like a good idea. I mean, you’re still going to need what, 218 for passage, right? But listen, man, he has a very slim majority,” mused Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). “Whenever we want to cause complete chaos, we’ll do that.”
The gambit, known as the motion to vacate, would almost certainly fail this early in the new Congress, as Republicans can use a procedural move to toss the motion before it actually gets a vote and Democrats would need GOP support to reach the required majority. But progressives’ zeal confirms a fear from McCarthy’s allies — that a rule he greenlighted to assuage conservatives could easily cause frequent headaches.
Still, while progressives dream of stirring trouble for their cross-aisle colleagues, Democratic leaders seem happy to let him stew in the speaker’s chair for a bit amid divisions in his own conference. They say they aren’t considering using the move, at least for now. A Democratic leadership aide noted it was clear the party didn’t need to help Republicans with their infighting and suggested such a motion from the minority party could strengthen McCarthy’s hand.
We went for a ride,
It's all about the timing.Volkonski wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 6:36 pm Progressives eagerly await their chance to harass McCarthy
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/1 ... y-00077525
Republicans’ new rules allow just one member, regardless of party, to force a floor vote on deposing the speaker. And liberal Democrats, some of whom are part of the progressive “Squad,” are warning they have no problem with using the move against McCarthy, even if they don’t expect it to succeed.
“Why not? You know, that sounds like a good idea. I mean, you’re still going to need what, 218 for passage, right? But listen, man, he has a very slim majority,” mused Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). “Whenever we want to cause complete chaos, we’ll do that.”
The gambit, known as the motion to vacate, would almost certainly fail this early in the new Congress, as Republicans can use a procedural move to toss the motion before it actually gets a vote and Democrats would need GOP support to reach the required majority. But progressives’ zeal confirms a fear from McCarthy’s allies — that a rule he greenlighted to assuage conservatives could easily cause frequent headaches.
Still, while progressives dream of stirring trouble for their cross-aisle colleagues, Democratic leaders seem happy to let him stew in the speaker’s chair for a bit amid divisions in his own conference. They say they aren’t considering using the move, at least for now. A Democratic leadership aide noted it was clear the party didn’t need to help Republicans with their infighting and suggested such a motion from the minority party could strengthen McCarthy’s hand.
northland10 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 13, 2023 10:11 amIt's all about the timing.Volkonski wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 6:36 pm Progressives eagerly await their chance to harass McCarthy
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/1 ... y-00077525
Republicans’ new rules allow just one member, regardless of party, to force a floor vote on deposing the speaker. And liberal Democrats, some of whom are part of the progressive “Squad,” are warning they have no problem with using the move against McCarthy, even if they don’t expect it to succeed.
“Why not? You know, that sounds like a good idea. I mean, you’re still going to need what, 218 for passage, right? But listen, man, he has a very slim majority,” mused Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). “Whenever we want to cause complete chaos, we’ll do that.”
The gambit, known as the motion to vacate, would almost certainly fail this early in the new Congress, as Republicans can use a procedural move to toss the motion before it actually gets a vote and Democrats would need GOP support to reach the required majority. But progressives’ zeal confirms a fear from McCarthy’s allies — that a rule he greenlighted to assuage conservatives could easily cause frequent headaches.
Still, while progressives dream of stirring trouble for their cross-aisle colleagues, Democratic leaders seem happy to let him stew in the speaker’s chair for a bit amid divisions in his own conference. They say they aren’t considering using the move, at least for now. A Democratic leadership aide noted it was clear the party didn’t need to help Republicans with their infighting and suggested such a motion from the minority party could strengthen McCarthy’s hand.
We went for a ride,
"Our chief weapon is stupidity...and ignorance, stupidity and ignorance, our two weapons are stupidity and ignorance....
(original: Rolling Stone)GOP House Oversight Chair Can’t Explain Why He’s Investigating Biden Classified Docs But Not Trump’s
Peter Wade
Sun, January 15, 2023 at 10:42 PM GMT+1
Rep. James Comer, the Republican House’s incoming Oversight and Accountability Committee chair, failed to clearly articulate why the newly discovered classified documents found in President Joe Biden’s home and former personal office were worth the committee investigating but not the classified documents found at former president Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
“Do you only care about classified documents being mishandled when Democrats do the mishandling?” CNN host Jake Tapper pressed Comer on Sunday’s State of the Union.
The conversation began when Tapper asked Comer to react to the latest news regarding five additional classified documents that were discovered in Biden’s residence on Saturday.
“Well, my concern is that the special counsel was called for, but yet, hours after that, we still had the president’s personal attorneys, who have no security clearance, still rummaging around the president’s residence looking for things,” Comer said, adding that he believed the residence was “essentially a crime scene, so to speak.”
Comer’s answer, however, neglects the fact that the documents were discovered while White House lawyer Richard Sauber, who holds a security clearance, was supervising the search of Biden’s home and while Department of Justice officials were present, Sauber said in a statement on Saturday.
“While I was transferring it to the DOJ officials who accompanied me, five additional pages with classification markings were discovered among the material with it, for a total of six pages. The DOJ officials with me immediately took possession of them,” the statement said.
Comer went on to say that he wants to subpoena visitor logs to Biden’s Wilmington, Del., home as well as the Biden Center for Diplomacy, the think tank where Biden’s personal office was located, “because this is the same type of investigation that the Democrats were so outraged and launched and demanded happened to President Trump.” But, Tapper noted, Comer never called for the release of the Mar-a-Lago visitor logs.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/gop ... 14903.html
Poor Vern.You F**ked Me – I Know It Was You’: Top House Republican ‘Exploded’ at McCarthy After Losing Chairmanship
Published on January 17, 2023 at 11:59 AM ET By David Badash
A Republican who served as the vice chairman of the powerful House and Ways and Means Committee blasted Kevin McCarthy after he lost the chairmanship to a congressman with far less seniority, apparently as part of a large set of deals the new Speaker of the House made to finally win the gavel. The 71-year old Republican congressman might choose to retire, which would narrow McCarthy’s majority even more.
“You f**ked me. I know it was you, you whipped against me,” Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) told Speaker McCarthy, according to Puck.
Rep. Buchanan “exploded after losing Ways & Means to a McCarthy ally, fueling anxiety that he could retire out of pique—and that McCarthy’s favor trading has eroded his narrow margin of support.” The chairmanship ultimately went to “the 42-year-old Speaker’s pet Jason Smith, potentially reducing Kevin McCarthy’s margin of error from four votes to three to pass critical partisan legislation,” Puck reports. In an glimpse into how chairmanships are awarded, Puck also reveals fundraising plays a critical role, at least on the Republican side of the House.
“It couldn’t have been a surprise that Buchanan, who is independently wealthy and a key donor whisperer, isn’t taking the snub lightly. ‘Vern put out more money in fundraising than anyone else, and he wanted that job,’ said a source. Another noted that the congressman had raised more than $4.1 million for the National Republican Congressional Committee and threw together a last minute fundraiser at his house—at McCarthy’s request—for Anna Paulina Luna, with special guest Newt Gingrich. ‘But Smith is a McCarthy crony,’ this person said.”
Buchanan was so angered he “proceeded to chew out McCarthy’s deputy chief of staff for floor operations, John Leganski. It was shocking to see such fury from Buchanan, who’s known for being mild mannered. Indeed, I heard that the tirade was so heated that the Speaker’s security detail stepped in with a light touch. (McCarthy’s spokesperson Matt Sparks disputed this detail saying, ‘at no point did anyone have to step in.’ A spokesperson for Buchanan declined to comment.)”
According to Florida Politics, “The Ways and Means results were a surprise to many in [Buchanan’s] orbit. Buchanan had seniority on the panel over all other Republican members. And while there were reports McCarthy had encouraged Smith to run because he felt Buchanan had more loyalty to Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Buchanan’s political team always believed McCarthy could support the Florida lawmaker, the only Sunshine State Representative seeking a full committee gavel this Congress.”
s titular Mama June in Fogbow's Favourite Show™ Mama June: From Not To Hot! Fogbow's Theme Song™ Edith Massey's "I Got The Evidence!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5jDHZd0JAg
Nearly two dozen House Republicans prevented Kevin McCarthy from quickly securing the speaker’s gavel. Some made out better than others in committee seats.
The 21 House Republicans who initially blocked Rep. Kevin McCarthy from winning the speakership had demanded big changes to House rules, but they also wanted more influence on the congressional committees that will set the GOP agenda over the next two years.
While not every holdout got exactly what he or she had asked for, some won plum committee assignments from McCarthy, R-Calif., and his allies after they helped him secure the speaker's gavel, a process that took 15 rounds of voting.
Here's what we know as of Tuesday evening:* * *► Show Spoiler
Some Freedom Caucus members who stuck with McCarthy from the very start also did well for themselves. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a McCarthy ally whom Democrats stripped of her committee assignments two years ago, won seats on the Oversight and Homeland Security committees.
Meanwhile, Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, another Freedom Caucus member and McCarthy ally, was named chairman of the Financial Services subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.
Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) suffered “several serious injuries” after falling 25 feet off a ladder while cutting tree limbs on his Sarasota property and remains in intensive care, his office said Thursday on social media.
“The Congressman spent the night in the ICU where several serious injuries are still under assessment but not life threatening at this time. He is making progress and in good spirits,” according to a tweet.
On Thursday morning, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) tweeted that he had spoken with the congressman and his wife, saying Steube was “is in good spirits, and our entire conference prays for a swift recovery.”
The tweet came on the same day the speaker — whose party possesses a very slim majority in the House — announced he was immediately ending proxy voting in the chamber, which means Steube would have to return to the Hill to cast votes.
The Oversight Committee (full name: United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability) is a very real, permanent committee that traditionally has broader subpoena powers than most other committees.House Democrats are a bit more apprehensive.
House Republicans’ installation of some of their most incendiary conservatives on the Oversight Committee is sparking an unexpected feeling inside the White House: unbridled glee.
The panel tasked with probing Biden policies and actions, as well as the president’s own family, will be stocked with some of the chamber’s biggest firebrands and die-hard Trumpists — including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) — ideal figureheads for a White House eager to deride the opposition party as unhinged.
No administration wants to feel the heat of congressional investigations, and Biden’s team is no different. But privately, the president’s aides sent texts to one another with digital high fives and likened their apparent luck to drawing an inside straight. One White House ally called it a “political gift.”
* * *
“[W]ith these members joining the Oversight Committee,” White House oversight spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement, “it appears that House Republicans may be setting the stage for divorced-from-reality political stunts, instead of engaging in bipartisan work on behalf of the American people.”
* * *
Another incoming Oversight panel member, House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.), was a central figure in Trump’s push to contest his loss to Biden. Perry’s phone was seized by the FBI last year, and he refused to comply with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 select committee.
* * *
“This collective group has the credibility of a sentient My Pillow commercial,” [Democratic activist David] Brock said.
Notably, McCarthy, under pressure from other conference conservatives, established a new investigative body — a “select subcommittee” housed within the Judiciary Committee that’s expected to gobble up some of the most politically potent future GOP probes.
This new panel — ostensibly to investigate “weaponization” of the government will mostly be guided by Judiciary chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a Freedom Caucus co-founder who has become a trusted McCarthy ally. Democrats are privately betting that the select subcommittee’s broad scope — the coronavirus, the Justice Department, the Department of Education and the FBI are all among the GOP’s stated areas of interest — will ultimately spark “blowback” in a conference where some moderates still feel burned by a lackluster midterm election.
And while Jordan is respected within the GOP conference, sitting at the center of every Trump-related congressional probe since 2017, he brings his own political baggage; like Perry, he refused to comply with a Jan. 6 committee subpoena. One House Democratic aide, speaking candidly on condition of anonymity, said the Ohio Republican’s leadership of the panel would only help Democratic efforts to “discredit” it.
Comer claims DOJ is obstructing oversight from his committee
s titular Mama June in Fogbow's Favourite Show™ Mama June: From Not To Hot! Fogbow's Theme Song™ Edith Massey's "I Got The Evidence!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5jDHZd0JAg 
