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Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Fuck if i know. i just get yelled at when i try it.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

This blog goes to 11…

An almost top 10,000 blog!

There’s some extremely good trouble headed their way.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if I ever tried to have some of you killed.

I swear, each month of 2020 will have its own history degree.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

I can’t take this shit today. I just can’t.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

We need fewer warriors in public service and more gardeners.

Shelter in place is one thing. Shelter in pants is quite another.

The revolution will be supervised.

Call the National Guard if your insurrection lasts more than four hours.

The math demands it!

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

I don’t care how fun he is after a few whiskies. fuck that guy.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Han shot first.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

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nancy pelosi, standing, finger pointed at trump, shaming him and all the cabinet members and generals

Politics

You are here: Home / Archives for Politics

A Foreign Policy For The American People

by Cheryl Rofer|  March 5, 202111:18 am| 66 Comments

This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Rofer on International Relations

Joe Biden’s foreign policy is evolving before our eyes. It’s refreshing to see a policy and an administration that has confidence enough to show us how they’re thinking.

While he was at the Carnegie Endowment, Jake Sullivan, now Biden’s National Security Advisor, led a study called “Making U.S. Foreign Policy Work Better for the Middle Class.” I summarized that report here. It was published in September 2020, before the election, but Sullivan would have discussed it with Biden.

Wednesday this week (March 3), Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave a speech “A Foreign Policy for the American People.” Comparing the report and this speech give insights into the administration’s policy development.

First is the title. When I was working through the report and discussing it with friends, the strongest and most frequent reaction I got was to the focus on the middle class. Clearly Blinken and others got the same reaction and changed that to “the American People.”

Second is the length. Where the report had 68 pages, Blinken’s speech has a little over 4000 words. It’s a short speech and seemed to me even shorter than my post on the report, although that’s not the case. I think it seems shorter because it’s sharpened up.

The overall structure of the speech is similar to that of the report – the order and priority of topics – but much clearer. Blinken begins with a short explanation that Biden’s policy is that foreign policy should serve ordinary Americans. Then he talks about change:

Yes, many of us serving in the Biden administration also proudly served President Obama – including President Biden. And we did a great deal of good work to restore America’s leadership in the world; to achieve hard-won diplomatic breakthroughs, like the deal that stopped Iran from producing a nuclear weapon; and to bring the world together to tackle climate change. Our foreign policy fit the moment, as any good strategy should.

But this is a different time, so our strategy and approach are different. We’re not simply picking up where we left off, as if the past four years didn’t happen. We’re looking at the world with fresh eyes.

He lays out four general principles:

  • American leadership and engagement matter.
  • We need countries to cooperate, now more than ever.
  • President Biden has pledged to lead with diplomacy because it’s the best way to deal with today’s challenges.
  • We’ll look not only to make progress on short-term problems, but also to address their root causes and lay the groundwork for our long-term strength.

He then enumerates eight points, all simultaneously international and domestic:

  • First, we will stop COVID-19 and strengthen global health security.
  • Second, we will turn around the economic crisis and build a more stable, inclusive global economy.
  • Third, we will renew democracy, because it’s under threat.
  • Fourth, we will work to create a humane and effective immigration system.
  • Fifth, we will revitalize our ties with our allies and partners.  
  • Sixth, we will tackle the climate crisis and drive a green energy revolution. 
  • Seventh, we will secure our leadership in technology.
  • And eighth, we will manage the biggest geopolitical test of the 21st century: our relationship with China.

The speech has more detail. Most of the specifics are put similarly to the way they are addressed in the report. Immigration and the climate crisis are given more emphasis than in the report.

Under the second point, Blinken talks about change:

Some of us previously argued for free trade agreements because we believed Americans would broadly share in the economic gains that those – and that those deals would shape the global economy in ways that we wanted.  We had good reasons to think those things.  But we didn’t do enough to understand who would be negatively affected and what would be needed to adequately offset their pain, or to enforce agreements that were already on the books and help more workers and small businesses fully benefit from them.

Our approach now will be different.  We will fight for every American job and for the rights, protections, and interests of all American workers. 

Beating COVID-19 is clearly the first priority, as we’ve seen in Biden’s actions so far. Blinken mentions getting the world immunized so that it doesn’t fester elsewhere and come back to us. Biden’s announcements this week of increased vaccine production and more rapid immunization of Americans point to getting the vaccine out to others. I think that the administration will go slow on foreign policy initiatives until COVID-19 is much more under control.

A few more quotes worth highlighting:

The Biden administration’s foreign policy will reflect our values.

We will stand firm behind our commitments to human rights, democracy, the rule of law.  And we’ll stand up against injustice toward women and girls, LGBTQI people, religious minorities, and people of all races and ethnicities.  Because all human beings are equal in rights and dignity, no matter where they live or who they are.

We will respect science and data, and we will fight misinformation and disinformation, because the truth is the cornerstone of our democracy.

And, perhaps most important:

We will balance humility with confidence.

The whole speech is worth reading, and easy to read. This administration has some great speechwriters.

A small excerpt:

More than any other time in my career – maybe in my lifetime – distinctions between “domestic” and “foreign” policy have fallen away. Our domestic renewal and our strength in the world are completely entwined, and how we work will reflect that reality. pic.twitter.com/U81P2LAHRN

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 4, 2021

Cross-posted to Nuclear Diner

A Foreign Policy For The American PeoplePost + Comments (66)

Friday Morning Open Thread: EXCELSIOR!

by Anne Laurie|  March 5, 20217:17 am| 250 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Crazification Factor, Open Threads, President Biden, Republican Stupidity

President Joe Biden congratulated the NASA team responsible for the Mars rover landing, saying the successful mission helped bring back the American spirit after the nation’s reputation as a scientific leader took a hit during the coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/DYEXG6yZdi

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 4, 2021

Excelsior, Ever upward, is the motto of the state of New York. (Guess where Marvel Comic’s Stan Lee grew up.) The nuns in our Bronx parochial school joked that it meant the packaging material otherwise known as wood wool, ‘because you’re not allowed to put b*** s*** on an official logo.’ The GOP is busy putting the… wood wool… in their opposition to the Pandemic Recovery Act…

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Worth noting again that reading the bill – which may take 12+ hours – is just a stalling tactic. After the reading, up to 20 hours of debate and a lengthy vote-a-rama, the bill will likely pass. Congress has until March 14, when unemployment benefits expire, to pass a final bill.

— Grace Segers (@Grace_Segers) March 4, 2021

pic.twitter.com/fkPxJ8vSfW

— Baglivo (@Baglivo11) March 5, 2021

Nothing makes Treason Turtle madder than Democrats giving away money he had hoped to steal for the rich. https://t.co/CKqO4CUu7J

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) March 4, 2021

Pretty much at the 27% Crazification Factor…

I’ll tell you what is some real cancel culture is all these biden policies polling in the 70’s, who will speak for the cancelled 29% who don’t want more vaccines https://t.co/o7MJVXn5Sa

— kilgore trout, ted’s travel agent (@KT_So_It_Goes) March 2, 2021

Friday Morning Open Thread: EXCELSIOR!Post + Comments (250)

Late Night Open Thread: Our Failed Media Mudlarks

by Anne Laurie|  March 5, 20211:51 am| 20 Comments

This post is in: Media, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat, Media Mudlarks

I can understand why Biden might be reluctant to have a press conference pic.twitter.com/FczexsCMzg

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 4, 2021

They’re fekking desperate, at this point.

Maybe Psaki should start winging nerf balls at the most egregious offenders. Get outa here! And don’t come back until you have a question worth asking!

(The yammering class would *love* it. There’d be a mad scramble for possession, and the trophy projectiles would be proudly enshrined in the happy possessors’ home offices.)

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.@PressSec Jen Psaki's response when asked if Trump admin deserves any credit for getting the ball rolling on vaccines

"I don't think anyone deserves credit when half a million people in the country have died of this pandemic" pic.twitter.com/rjT5BmhSNz

— Christian Datoc (@TocRadio) March 4, 2021

Asked if Biden should be doing more to set an example and limit personal travel, when CDC discourages it during pandemic, instead of making weekend trips to Delaware:
“It's his home,” @PressSec Jen Psaki says. “I think most Americans would also see that as a unique circumstance.” https://t.co/JSa7oBgRIZ

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) March 4, 2021

in the old days if dems would've tried to pass a bill with a $2 trillion price tag, fox would've done 24/7 coverage about america becoming communist russia or something. now it's just mr potato head, "silencing seuss," and running back some old hillary stuff. https://t.co/poWrPt7BpB

— Max Tani (@maxwelltani) March 4, 2021

my only prediction about 2021 does seem to be continuing to hold water https://t.co/0kOZnHhYtA

— Ariel Edwards-Levy (@aedwardslevy) March 4, 2021

Late Night Open Thread: Our Failed Media MudlarksPost + Comments (20)

Open Thread: *All* Repub Officials Are Corrupt, No Exceptions: Elaine Chao Edition

by Anne Laurie|  March 4, 20217:32 pm| 95 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Open Threads, Republican Venality

Ex-transportation chief Elaine Chao inappropriately used her office to benefit her family, an ethics probe found

The report showed she made plans to include relatives on an official trip to China and had her public affairs staff help market her dad's bookhttps://t.co/MZSTTK0JNn

— POLITICO (@politico) March 4, 2021

Per NPR (because no paywall):

In her time as former President Donald Trump’s transportation secretary, Elaine Chao repeatedly used her position and agency staff to help family members who run a shipping business with ties to China, in potential violation of federal ethics laws, according to an Office of Inspector General report.

The findings were uncovered in the Transportation Department’s inspector general report released Wednesday that detailed the office’s investigation into Chao’s dealings as secretary.

The inspector general referred the findings to the Justice Department in December 2020. But with the Trump administration coming to a close, the DOJ declined to open its own investigation, citing “there is not predication” to do so.

Chao, who is married to Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced her resignation Jan. 7, saying she was deeply troubled by the previous day’s mob attack on the Capitol “in a way that I simply cannot set aside.” Her term was set to end at President Biden’s swearing-in…

Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio of Oregon and Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform Carolyn B. Maloney of New York also requested an investigation into Chao following initial media reports.

Maloney on Wednesday called Chao’s use of her official position and resources to help her family a “flagrant abuse of her office.” The congresswoman added that lawmakers should use this report as evidence for further ethics and transparency reforms…

Bonus ‘such is the way of her people’ racism:

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Secretary Chao made extensive plans to include family members in events during her official trip to China in November 2017. The itinerary included stops at Shanghai Maritime University and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and other locations that had received support from her family’s business.

Chao also requested, through the State Department, for China’s Transport Ministry to arrange for two vehicles for her delegation, which included her sister and father. Officials at the State and Transportation departments raised ethics concerns with the trip and it was ultimately canceled…

Transportation’s public affairs office also lent support to her father to help market his biography, to keep a running list of of his awards, and to edit his Wikipedia page, the OIG report said…

In defense of her actions, Chao’s office sent a memo dated Sept. 24, 2020, citing “filial piety.” The memo states, “Anyone familiar with Asian culture knows it is a core value in Asian communities to express honor and filial respect toward one’s parents, and this ingrained value of love, respect, and filial piety always takes precedence over self-promotion and self-aggrandizement.”

It went on to say, “As the eldest daughter, she is expected to assume a leadership role in family occasions that honor her father and her late mother.”…

The Transportation Department’s watchdog wanted Elaine Chao to be criminally investigated last year for misusing her office when she was transportation secretary, but was rebuffed, according to a government report. https://t.co/dIy0zDo51f

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 4, 2021

The timing here is extraordinary. The acting inspector general asks the Justice Department to consider prosecuting Elaine Chao, and the next day her husband, Mitch McConnell, uses his official position to push for replacing the acting inspector general. https://t.co/2Q0ySALGsn

— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) March 4, 2021

Trump DOJ declined to investigate Elaine Chao, Mitch McConnell’s wife

Mitch voted to acquit Trump

The Q in GQP stands for Quid Pro Quo

— Lindy Li (@lindyli) March 3, 2021

From Pompeo's Madison dinners and errands to Elaine Chao's personal tasks to Scott Pruitt… you almost get the idea it was grifters as far as the eye could see…. a fish rots from the head, eh?

— Jennifer 'pro-reality' Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) March 4, 2021

Open Thread: *All* Repub Officials Are Corrupt, No Exceptions: Elaine Chao EditionPost + Comments (95)

Open Thread: Wisconsin, Can’t You Do Better Than This?

by Anne Laurie|  March 4, 20215:19 pm| 59 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., GOP Death Cult, Open Threads, Republican Stupidity

Couldn't we just stack a couple of trillion dollar platinum coins? pic.twitter.com/TcAF0KSt17

— Daily Trix (@DailyTrix) March 4, 2021

Did we ever find out, she asked rhetorically, why RonJon spent July 4th, 2018 in Moscow, meeting with Putin’s assistants?

Is there a challenger who stands a decent chance of ousting this putz?

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Because of Ron Johnson, the parliamentarian will likely be reading the entire 628-page COVID relief bill for the next 10 hours.

Although I must say, forcing a woman to suffer the consequences of a Republican Senator’s ignorance is pretty on brand for the GOP.

— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) March 4, 2021

Fun fact: The CBO estimated that the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which Ron Johnson supported, would grow the national debt by $1.9T. https://t.co/OgqqGDzybX pic.twitter.com/0mGkQptytb

— Greg Greene (@ggreeneva) March 4, 2021

Long story short, if you didn’t read all that: Sen. Johnson, as holds true on most days ending in ‘y,’ is full of it. But @BenWikler has already proven that, in fine detail — and told us what to do about it. https://t.co/kgylSrmVHh

— Greg Greene (@ggreeneva) March 4, 2021

Sen. Michael Bennet: "I wish Ron Johnson would use his time to explain to Trump voters that the election wasn't stolen … That'd be a good use of 10 hours of Ron Johnson's time. But instead we're in a locked-down Capitol and he's forcing the staff … read a bill." @MSNBC

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 4, 2021

A few minutes into the clerk's reading of the bill, most senators have filed out of the chamber, including Ron Johnson, who objected to waiving the reading. Just three remain.

Johnson had mostly been on his phone, stopping briefly to chat with Collins, Manchin and Portman.

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) March 4, 2021

MSNBC: "So Jake Sherman, what's the thought process behind the Senate's delaying tactics of forcing a reading of the bill?" Sherman:"Let's remember that this is Ron Johnson so there is NO thought process involved."

— Steve (@s_vickman) March 4, 2021

New — Ron Johnson in the thick of it as he weighs his future

"I'm target number one here," Johnson tells us. "People are out to destroy me"

He's talked to Trump. Also won't back McConnell again for leader

"That's not on the table, no."

w/@arogDC https://t.co/u9bJ6HXdky

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 4, 2021

Open Thread: Wisconsin, Can’t You Do Better Than This?Post + Comments (59)

Schadenfrest (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker|  March 4, 20213:28 pm| 151 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Politics

In this forum, I’ve heard many of you express dismay at how angry and spite-filled you became with the rise of the Persimmon Pustule, over the course of his interminable season of catastrophic misrule, and at the prospect of sharing a nation with the millions of barking mad cultists that are his permanent legacy of crazy and stupid. I’ve said that too: Life went on because it had to, but I pretty much lived in a fog of incandescent rage and gnawing anxiety from 11/9/2016 to 1/20/2021.

Do you feel better now? I do, a little. The anxiety is permanent because the danger is too. But the constant, draining disgust and anger have abated a bit. Still, I enjoy the spectacle of a good comeuppance, and watching the insurrectionists’ incredulous and/or outraged reactions when their crimes result in consequences warms the cockles of my shriveled heart. Like this arrogant motherfucker: [NYT]

The man who put his feet up on a desk in Pelosi’s office during the Capitol riot throws a tantrum in court.

Richard Barnett, the Arkansas man charged with breaking into Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office and stealing her mail during the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, threw a tantrum during a virtual court hearing on Thursday, yelling at the judge and his own lawyers that it wasn’t “fair” that he was still in jail weeks after his arrest.

One of the most recognizable figures from the Capitol assault, Mr. Barnett, 60, was photographed on Jan. 6 with his feet up on a desk in Ms. Pelosi’s office and a cattle-prod-like stun gun dangling from his belt.

From the moment he was taken into custody, he has waged an ongoing — and so far unsuccessful — effort to be freed on bond, and he loudly lost his patience with the process at an otherwise routine hearing in front of Judge Christopher Cooper of Federal District Court in Washington.

Appearing by video from jail, Mr. Barnett erupted into anger after Judge Cooper set the next court date in his case for a day in May, shouting that he did not want to remain behind bars for “another month.”

“They’re dragging this out!” he hollered. “They’re letting everybody else out!”

LOL! I’d bet my next paycheck that his family, who are probably every bit as loathsome as himself, rejoice with each continuance that keeps the whiny prick behind bars.

In other insurrectionist trash news, remember that ridiculous goober who painted his face and paraded around shirtless with an absurd horned-pelt get-up while bellowing like a brain-injured goat? That dumb motherfucker, who is facing a 20-year sentence, was interviewed in jail for “60 Minutes!”

He claims that he was ushered into the Capitol and was merely bestowing blessings upon it, not rising up violently against the government. He also claims to have prevented the theft of muffins from a congressional breakroom. (No, I am not making this up.)

If you’re wondering, as I was, what deluded and entitled wretch could have possibly raised such a colossal fool, wonder no more, for the dam of the horned whelp speaks:

"He walked through open doors." – Martha Chansley, defends the actions of her son — aka the QAnon Shaman — during the Capitol siege. This exchange was one of the most telling from the piece. Would watch the full clip. pic.twitter.com/Ie1YJ0YXPf

— Laurie Segall (@LaurieSegall) March 4, 2021

After regurgitating the lawyer’s careful talking points about her dumb son’s invitation-only promenade through the Capitol Building, dim-son’s mom blows it by asserting that her boy had the right to interfere with the process of certifying a democratic election because it was stolen from The Former Guy. It’s safe to conclude that neither mother nor son will ever be invited to bring the noodle salad to the Mensa picnic.

Anyhoo, I know there are more important things to talk about than these nitwits, but watching them squirm amuses me. Please feel free to discuss whatever because open thread.

Schadenfrest (Open Thread)Post + Comments (151)

The Two Real Reasons the House Cancelled Today’s Session, Which Was An Understandable, But Really Bad Idea

by Adam L Silverman|  March 4, 202112:24 pm| 101 Comments

This post is in: America, An Unexamined Scandal, Crazification Factor, Domestic Politics, domestic terrorists, Investigations Into Violent Extremist Attacks, Open Threads, Politics, Silverman on Security, Violent Insurrection at the Capitols

Earlier this morning Anne Laurie highlighted that the House of Representatives would be taking today off because of a threat assessment, based on intelligence collected from social media and other sources, that some group of right wing violent domestic extremists – white supremacists, neo-NAZIs, armed and illegal paramilitary groups (aka “militias” and “patriot” groups), and/or other anti-government extremists – working off of a historically bonkers QAnon drop that is itself rooted in sovereign citizen (anti-government extremist) bullshit that 4 March is the real inauguration day and that since today is 4 March, Donald J. Trump is going to be inaugurated for his second term today. And that to celebrate, these anti-American violent domestic extremists were planning on attacking the Capitol again to kill as many members of Congress as possible. Or as members of the Bundy family call it: Thursday.

Just a few minutes ago, not realizing that he’d fallen for my nefariously cunning plan to turn him into my warm up routine, Mistermix asked the following question:

My second question is why the Capital is not ringed with soldiers, why every member and staffer doesn’t have an armed escort, and why some kind of armored vehicles aren’t patrolling streets around the building so the House can meet today?  (The Senate is in session, which makes little sense if you’re closing the House for a threat.)  Is not capitulating to terrorists reserved for foreign terrorists only?

There are two reasons that the House decided to cancel, even though the Capitol is nominally open for business given the pandemic protocols and the US Senate – the world’s greatest deliberative country club – is in session. Both reasons are different types of insider threats. An insider threat is defined as:

An insider threat is any person with authorized access to any U.S. Government resources, including personnel, facilities, information, equipment, networks, or systems, who uses that access either wittingly or unwittingly to do harm to the security of the U.S.

This threat can include damage to the U.S. through espionage, terrorism, unauthorized disclosure of national security information, or through the loss or degradation of government, company, contract or program information, resources or capabilities.

The first of these insider threats is from within the Capitol Police specifically and Federal law enforcement in general. Right now there are six officers from the Capitol Police Department that are suspended and another twenty-nine who are under investigation as part of the ongoing investigations into the 6 January insurrection at the Capitol. As a result, there is a very real worry that members of the Capitol Police may be sympathetic to these violent domestic extremists or, even worse, actually subjectively or objectively affiliated with them. It was reported yesterday that a DEA agent from LA has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into his activities during the insurrection at the Capitol on 6 January. There is a credible threat of both specific insider threats within the Capitol Police Department and a general concern that there may be additional insider threats within and throughout other Federal law enforcement agencies. This means that those who work in the Capitol – from elected members of both chambers to their staffs to the committee staffs to the staff that just keep the building running for everyone else – may be at risk from those who are supposed to be protecting them.

The second insider threat is from members of the House Republican Caucus and/or members of their staff. Within hours of the attack on the Capitol, Democratic members of the House, led by Congresswoman Mikie Sherill, alleged that Republican members of the House and/or their staff gave reconnaissance tours to the insurrectionists in the days leading up to the attack.  Congressman Tim Ryan, who chairs the sub-committee with oversight over the Capitol complex itself, indicated last week that this question is now under active investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Colombia:

Ryan also told reporters the issue of “reconnaissance tours” given by members of Congress to alleged rioters before the attack was now “in the hands of the U.S. attorney here in D.C.”

He said they were “reviewing the footage.”

In this case the concern is that there are members of the House of Representatives, specifically the House Republican caucus, or members of their staffs who aided and abetted the insurrectionists in planning and facilitating the domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol on 6 January. One of the reasons that this investigation has to be done by reviewing footage and not reviewing visitor log details is because there are no visitor logs right now as the Capitol is closed to visitors under the pandemic control protocols that have been put into place. Ordinarily everyone who enters for one of these member or member’s staff given tours has to provide a significant amount of personally identifying information (PII) that would be logged into the system and cross referenced against who was escorting them, for what purposes, and the day, date, and time of entry and departure. That information isn’t available for this investigation because none of the members or their staffs are supposed to be giving tours, which makes it a perfect time to aide and abet surveillance ahead of a domestic terrorist attack by taking advantage of the normal record keeping process being suspended.

Given these two potential and suspected insider threats, it is perfectly understandable why the House would go into recess for the week a day early. It is also a terrible decision for all that it makes perfect sense. Every time one or more of these specific domestic extremists, domestic extremist group, or the members of the Republican House or Senate caucus who have decided to either represent them or indulge them in the hopes of electoral success (Senator Micro Rubio is definitely in the latter category), make a threat and get a response to them that is a rewards for making a threat, they win. Moreover, they learn that making a threat or actually carrying out a threat – stalking, harassing, and verbally assaulting members of the House or Senate, attacking the Capitol or a member’s office back in their districts and states, doing the same thing at the state and municipal levels, etc – they receive reinforcement not just for their revanchist, reactionary anti-American, and anti-constitutional beliefs, but for the actions they take to make those beliefs real. The more rewards and reinforcement they receive, the more they will engage in these behaviors and others will be inspired and motivated to adopt these beliefs and behaviors for themselves.

And that is why this moment is very different and uniquely dangerous compared to previous moments of hyper-polarization in US politics. Normally we would all want to try to make a distinction, painting with a very fine brush if you will, between those who hold ideologically extreme views, but work within the existing political system and processes to achieve their goals and those who hold those same views, but advocate and undertake the use of violence to achieve the same goals. We would want to do this because by channeling even those with ideologically extreme views through the existing political system and process it keeps them both in touch with those that don’t hold their views, exposes them to counter-arguments, and uses the system to temper their extremism by using the systems and processes to prevent their extremist beliefs from becoming extremist outcomes. This moment is unique, however, because that is both not possible and because the system is not working to do that. Hawley, Cruz, Cotton, Lee, Johnson, Grassley, McConnell, Graham, Tuberville, and almost thirty other Republicans in the Senate and Greene, Boebert, Cawthorne, Gaetz, Jordan, McCarthy, Scalise, and almost 140 other Republicans in the House have all made it explicitly clear that if the existing political system and processes won’t produce the outcomes that they prefer, that they are perfectly happy to subvert them and if that doesn’t work destroy them to achieve their objectives. Moreover, they are using the threats of and actual violence and terrorism by the violent domestic extremists to justify their actions and achieve their objectives. This is not one or two ideological fellow travelers that happened to just get elected and are not able to accomplish much. This is an insider threat from within the Republican House and Senate caucuses that make up a majority of the GOP caucus in the House and between a third and half of the Republican caucus in the Senate.

These two insider threats are the answer to MisterMix’s question.

Open thread!

The Two Real Reasons the House Cancelled Today’s Session, Which Was An Understandable, But Really Bad IdeaPost + Comments (101)

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  • Bill Arnold on Saturday Evening Open Thread: A Big Biden Deal, Indeed (Mar 6, 2021 @ 7:59pm)
  • James E Powell on Saturday Evening Open Thread: A Big Biden Deal, Indeed (Mar 6, 2021 @ 7:59pm)

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