Mike Johnson

[auburnatl1 4,966]

Maybe there’s  hope for the GOP. I always thought Johnson’s presentation, which is articulate, was different than some of his positions, which are nuts. Regardless. today he showed selfless courage that might have cost him his speakership. Impressive.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/20/politics/mike-johnson-ukraine-aid-russia-zelensky-putin/index.html

[Leftfield 2,613]

1 hour ago, auburnatl1 said:

Maybe there’s  hope for the GOP. I always thought Johnson’s presentation, which is articulate, was different than some of his positions, which are nuts. Regardless. today he showed selfless courage that might have cost him his speakership. Impressive.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/20/politics/mike-johnson-ukraine-aid-russia-zelensky-putin/index.html

I was pleasantly surprised. Certainly I'm not going to agree with many of his social stances, but he earned some respect today.

It's much easier to be an ideologue when you aren't in the big chair, and can rail without consequence against the person that is. Once you're there it's a far more difficult job. Most of us see it as him doing the right thing, while the MAGA wing immediately called him a sellout. Props to him, since he knew that was coming.

Hopefully they can use this momentum to come to an agreement on immigration.

 

[AUDub 11,153]

I don’t see the courage in doing the bare minimum your job requires.

I’m pretty sure he got some sort of assurance his job would be safe if he got this bill through. Maybe Dems crossing over to protect him or Rs conveniently retiring to wreck their majority.

I’ll say this though; he’s no McCarthy. McCarthy was so stupid he thought he could get away with double crossing the folks they helped him avoid a shutdown, and they proceeded to call his bluff. 

[Leftfield 2,613]

1 hour ago, AUDub said:

I don’t see the courage in doing the bare minimum your job requires.

Considering the crazy of MAGA these days, I do. Whether  or not he survives as Speaker, he's still got to go back to a state where a large percentage of people will likely be pissed at him.

 

1 hour ago, AUDub said:

I’m pretty sure he got some sort of assurance his job would be safe if he got this bill through. Maybe Dems crossing over to protect him or Rs conveniently retiring to wreck their majority.

Wouldn't be surprised, particularly by the latter.

Maybe Dems promised to capitulate on a few items in an immigration bill?

[auburnatl1 4,966]

1 minute ago, Leftfield said:

. Maybe Dems promised to capitulate on a few items in an immigration bill?

That’s how Congress is actually designed to work. Bipartisan.  Both sides have completely failed at this (ie Pelosi’s “you can see the bill once it’s signed” on Obamacare was unacceptable). If Johnson can survive, which is a stretch - can’t imagine Trump is happy, he’s earned grudging respect from the media, the middle, and even some Dems.

[Leftfield 2,613]

12 minutes ago, auburnatl1 said:

That’s how Congress is actually designed to work. Bipartisan.  Both sides have completely failed at this (ie Pelosi’s “you can see the bill once it’s signed” on Obamacare was unacceptable). If Johnson can survive, which is a stretch - can’t imagine Trump is happy, he’s earned grudging respect from the media, the middle, and even some Dems.

Agreed. I see Dub's point - Johnson really should have allowed this to be done months ago - but I'm going to hope this has been a turning point for him. He's been immersed in MAGA for a while, and when you're that deep it's hard to see out of it. As Speaker he's got a different perspective. I'm not going to hold my breath that he's suddenly going to hug everyone on the other side of the aisle, or vice versa, but maybe we can have a quasi-functioning House. 

Edited April 21 by Leftfield

[homersapien 11,388]

Lots of Ukrainians died while the crazy wing of the Republican party - following Trump's lead - resisted aiding Ukraine. (And it may be too little, too late.)

Johnson could and should have acted sooner.

[AUDub 11,153]

8 hours ago, auburnatl1 said:

Both sides have completely failed at this (ie Pelosi’s “you can see the bill once it’s signed” on Obamacare was unacceptable)

That’s a nonsense right wing shibboleth. Do your research. 

[auburnatl1 4,966]

3 minutes ago, AUDub said:

That’s a nonsense right wing shibboleth. Do your research. 

No idea what youre talking about.

[AUDub 11,153]

14 minutes ago, auburnatl1 said:

No idea what youre talking about.

The bill was publicly available and had been for months when she said that. Hell it incubated in the gang of 8 and everyone in congress could read it to their heart’s content.

She was addressing the American public in the face of nonsense like “death panels” and the like, not saying the bill was a black box. 

[auburnatl1 4,966]

2 minutes ago, AUDub said:

The bill was publicly available and had been for months when she said that. Hell it incubated in the gang of 8 and everyone in congress could read it to their heart’s content.

She was addressing the American public in the face of nonsense like “death panels” and the like, not saying the bill was a black box. 

Of course other members of Congress could see it. And every situation always has “context”. Regardless the public optics were majority party bully ball, with little to no gop involvement.  It contributed to the no compromise, scorch and burn politics of today. And indirectly, further set the table for the rise of maga.

[TexasTiger 12,952]

9 hours ago, Leftfield said:

Maybe Dems promised to capitulate on a few items in an immigration bill?

They previously did just that in the bill he killed at Trump’s demand.

[Leftfield 2,613]

27 minutes ago, TexasTiger said:

They previously did just that in the bill he killed at Trump’s demand.

Agreed. Just speculating. Honestly I have no idea what the Democrats' next play will be. Maybe they don't have one. Could be that Johnson is just like some of the other Republican leaders recently and is fed up enough he doesn't care if he gets voted out, so the Dems didn't have to give him anything.

 

[SaltyTiger 7,816]

1 hour ago, auburnatl1 said:

It contributed to the no compromise, scorch and burn politics of today. And indirectly, further set the table for the rise of maga.

Well said, Handled poorly and set the stage.

[Leftfield 2,613]

3 hours ago, homersapien said:

Lots of Ukrainians died while the crazy wing of the Republican party - following Trump's lead - resisted aiding Ukraine. (And it may be too little, too late.)

Johnson could and should have acted sooner.

You're absolutely right, and I had actually come back in to make this point. I do give Johnson some credit, and he has earned some respect, but it may have sounded more praiseworthy than I meant it to earlier. 

[auburnatl1 4,966]

3 hours ago, homersapien said:

Lots of Ukrainians died while the crazy wing of the Republican party - following Trump's lead - resisted aiding Ukraine. (And it may be too little, too late.)

Johnson could and should have acted sooner.

Impossible to argue that. But  given his historical ideology and the near suicidal buzz saw he took on - I still see it as extraordinary. Imperfect is a victory these days. 

[TexasTiger 12,952]

1 hour ago, Leftfield said:

Agreed. Just speculating. Honestly I have no idea what the Democrats' next play will be. Maybe they don't have one. Could be that Johnson is just like some of the other Republican leaders recently and is fed up enough he doesn't care if he gets voted out, so the Dems didn't have to give him anything.

 

I think the only thing they have to give is not voting to oust him.

[AUDub 11,153]

2 hours ago, auburnatl1 said:

Of course other members of Congress could see it. And every situation always has “context”. Regardless the public optics were majority party bully ball, with little to no gop involvement.  It contributed to the no compromise, scorch and burn politics of today. And indirectly, further set the table for the rise of maga.

Obamacare was loaded with compromise. Hell at its base it was an R proposal. 

McConnell happened. Don’t be so dumb you can’t see the Ds packed that bill with compromise. 

Edited April 22 by AUDub

[AUDub 11,153]

The Ds tried to play fair and it bit them in the ass. 

[auburnatl1 4,966]

24 minutes ago, AUDub said:

Obamacare was loaded with compromise. Hell at its base it was an R proposal. 

McConnell happened. Don’t be so dumb you can’t see the Ds packed that bill with compromise. 

Wow. That’s quite a … recollection. I’ll try to keep up.

[AUDub 11,153]

Just now, auburnatl1 said:

Wow. That’s quite a … recollection. I’ll try to keep up.

The lack of effort on your part to keep up with a “both sides are equally bad” narrative does you a disservice. 

[auburnatl1 4,966]

11 minutes ago, AUDub said:

The lack of effort on your part to keep up with a “both sides are equally bad” narrative does you a disservice. 

Didn’t say equal,  but implied culpable.

[AUDub 11,153]

11 minutes ago, auburnatl1 said:

Didn’t say equal,  but implied culpable.

You’re lazy. 

[auburnatl1 4,966]

5 minutes ago, AUDub said:

You’re lazy. 

True. Fortunately I’m also right a lot

[AUDub 11,153]

Just now, auburnatl1 said:

True. Fortunately I’m also right a lot

I think you’re so beholden to calling “balls and strikes” you’ll accept right wing bull**** to keep yourself in the middle, as it were.

I’m by no means demanding you pick a side lol. Merely checking you to actually make an informed decision on the matter. The Pelosi quote you whipped out is the laziest sort of equivocation.