Jerry, As you know, I labored last December through early January to press seemingly moderate House Republicans and Democrats to reach across the aisle to find a mutually agreeable alternative to Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. Subsequently, as someone, last January, who anxiously watched and waited while Freedom Caucus extremists were extracting concession after concession from McCarthy, alongside 200 so-called establishment Republicans, 18 from Biden-won districts, who voted 15 times over a 4-day period for McCarthy as Speaker, I could arrive at only one explanation—Republicans who survived the 22 midterms had concluded they must hold the base to retain their seats. I am deeply sorry there don’t appear to be any, in my view, receptive, approaching 24, to prioritizing country over winning re-election. Accordingly, one of my 23-24 projects is to flip the aforementioned 18 House seats.
Thank you, Barb. I heartily applaud your decision to put your energies into flipping those swing districts. I know full well how hard you worked on this project, and that you'll do the same on that one.
Each of us needs to be where they think they'll be most productive. One of our colleagues is now working to spread ranked-choice voting (www.votefair.com). Another is working with the movement for a Constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United (www.movetoamend.org). We're all in this together, all are needed.
At the Pro-Democracy Coalition online conversation Tuesday evening, I was astounded at how many, many small groups and movements there are across the country working for progressive causes. It's truly inspiring.
What really stays with me from that meeting is something Simon Rosenberg said: "Democrats need to speak in declarative sentences." What he meant was that too often we say things like "Joe Biden is a great President, but ..." His point is that progressive/liberal Democrats focus too much on the negatives, on the shortcomings, on our fears. We should be supporting one another, building up our confidence, visualizing success for our movements.
Or as I might say, embrace hopefulness as the mindset of activism.
All that being said, I must add that it's a mistake to think that all Republicans who voted for McCarthy in January did so to appease "the base". I can assure you that Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) was not worried about gun-toting, election-denying white supremacists in his suburban Philadelphia district -- a district that voted for Biden over Trump by 52% - 46%. Likewise, you can be certain that Victoria Sparks (R-IN), a Ukrainian immigrant who holds a BS and MBA from Kyiv Economic Univ. and another Masters from Indiana Univ., recognizes a neofascist movement when she sees one.
The vote for Speaker on the opening day of a new Congress is not like any other vote, both practically and symbolically. With regard to the likelihood of our success in that endeavor, it's worth asking whether any Democrats would have voted for a Republican if there had been some defectors from McCarthy's camp. How many? Surely the progressive caucus would have balked at supporting a white conservative retired general from Omaha -- especially if it meant not voting for the first Black party leader on his first day.
My point is that these two Republicans and several others are still potential allies, particularly as McCarthy's lack of leadership becomes an ever-greater liability to the country. The release of security camera footage is not only an embarrassment, it's a security threat. The threat of a U.S. debt default is something no one wants (except MAGA). And my guess is that the prospect of extremists trying to block funding for Ukraine will make McCarthy's exit inevitable.
The House vote on Friday on the so-called 'parental rights' issue is worth some analysis. This bill is a manifestation of the chaos felt nation-wide in disrupted school boards and library boards. In many cases the movement takes the form of an atttack on teachers, administrators, and curricula. It also leads to pressure on individual children, not just gay and 'trans' kids, but also in limiting sex education classes and even discussion of any topic touching race. The bill passed 213 to 208. Five Republicans voted with the Democrats against the bill. Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Mike Lawler, Matt Rosendale, and Matt Gaetz. I certainly don't suggest Gaetz could ever be seen as candidate for 'middle ground', but one or two others might be worth watching. It also would be interesting to see the reasons each say led them to stray from the GOP majority.
The real irony of the story is that the Dems could have won the vote. Instead, they lost - why? Because five of them did not turn up to vote. Asleep at the wheel? See NYTimes "House Republicans Pass 'Parents Bill of Rights Act" - http://bit.ly/3njei3b
Ken Buck wrote an op-ed for the Washington Times about his vote saying he opposed it because he believes the federal government should have no role in education. According to a piece in The Hill, Biggs, Gaetz and Rosendale have the same reason for voting against it. More importantly for our purpose, all four are members of the pro-MAGA Freedom Caucus.
Lawler had been in favor of the bill before an amendment was added requiring that parents be notified if a trans student is allowed to use a bathroom that doesn't correspond with the gender given the child at birth. He said that amendment "went too far", and that it "unnecessarily targeted certain children.” He added that, "Our goal as parents, educators, and legislators should be making lives better and safer for our children, and I am concerned that this amendment could do the opposite, putting vulnerable children at greater risk."
That sounds good as far as it goes. But he apparently has no problem with all the other provisions. He's only been in Congress a couple months so he hasn't much of a record. But I think our friend David Dell lives in the NY-17 district, so maybe I'll ask David about him.
I'm not sure it matters too much that this bill passed the House. If it were important, everyone would have been there and it would pass anyway.. Like a lot of what the Republicans are doing, it's just performative: something to rile up the base, with no chance of consideration in the Senate. They've used their majority to pass a bunch of these kind of things just so they can campaign saying Democrats opposed them.
Jerry, As you know, I labored last December through early January to press seemingly moderate House Republicans and Democrats to reach across the aisle to find a mutually agreeable alternative to Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. Subsequently, as someone, last January, who anxiously watched and waited while Freedom Caucus extremists were extracting concession after concession from McCarthy, alongside 200 so-called establishment Republicans, 18 from Biden-won districts, who voted 15 times over a 4-day period for McCarthy as Speaker, I could arrive at only one explanation—Republicans who survived the 22 midterms had concluded they must hold the base to retain their seats. I am deeply sorry there don’t appear to be any, in my view, receptive, approaching 24, to prioritizing country over winning re-election. Accordingly, one of my 23-24 projects is to flip the aforementioned 18 House seats.
Thank you, Barb. I heartily applaud your decision to put your energies into flipping those swing districts. I know full well how hard you worked on this project, and that you'll do the same on that one.
Each of us needs to be where they think they'll be most productive. One of our colleagues is now working to spread ranked-choice voting (www.votefair.com). Another is working with the movement for a Constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United (www.movetoamend.org). We're all in this together, all are needed.
At the Pro-Democracy Coalition online conversation Tuesday evening, I was astounded at how many, many small groups and movements there are across the country working for progressive causes. It's truly inspiring.
What really stays with me from that meeting is something Simon Rosenberg said: "Democrats need to speak in declarative sentences." What he meant was that too often we say things like "Joe Biden is a great President, but ..." His point is that progressive/liberal Democrats focus too much on the negatives, on the shortcomings, on our fears. We should be supporting one another, building up our confidence, visualizing success for our movements.
Or as I might say, embrace hopefulness as the mindset of activism.
.
All that being said, I must add that it's a mistake to think that all Republicans who voted for McCarthy in January did so to appease "the base". I can assure you that Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) was not worried about gun-toting, election-denying white supremacists in his suburban Philadelphia district -- a district that voted for Biden over Trump by 52% - 46%. Likewise, you can be certain that Victoria Sparks (R-IN), a Ukrainian immigrant who holds a BS and MBA from Kyiv Economic Univ. and another Masters from Indiana Univ., recognizes a neofascist movement when she sees one.
The vote for Speaker on the opening day of a new Congress is not like any other vote, both practically and symbolically. With regard to the likelihood of our success in that endeavor, it's worth asking whether any Democrats would have voted for a Republican if there had been some defectors from McCarthy's camp. How many? Surely the progressive caucus would have balked at supporting a white conservative retired general from Omaha -- especially if it meant not voting for the first Black party leader on his first day.
My point is that these two Republicans and several others are still potential allies, particularly as McCarthy's lack of leadership becomes an ever-greater liability to the country. The release of security camera footage is not only an embarrassment, it's a security threat. The threat of a U.S. debt default is something no one wants (except MAGA). And my guess is that the prospect of extremists trying to block funding for Ukraine will make McCarthy's exit inevitable.
.
The House vote on Friday on the so-called 'parental rights' issue is worth some analysis. This bill is a manifestation of the chaos felt nation-wide in disrupted school boards and library boards. In many cases the movement takes the form of an atttack on teachers, administrators, and curricula. It also leads to pressure on individual children, not just gay and 'trans' kids, but also in limiting sex education classes and even discussion of any topic touching race. The bill passed 213 to 208. Five Republicans voted with the Democrats against the bill. Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Mike Lawler, Matt Rosendale, and Matt Gaetz. I certainly don't suggest Gaetz could ever be seen as candidate for 'middle ground', but one or two others might be worth watching. It also would be interesting to see the reasons each say led them to stray from the GOP majority.
The real irony of the story is that the Dems could have won the vote. Instead, they lost - why? Because five of them did not turn up to vote. Asleep at the wheel? See NYTimes "House Republicans Pass 'Parents Bill of Rights Act" - http://bit.ly/3njei3b
Thanks for calling attention to this bill, Tom.
Ken Buck wrote an op-ed for the Washington Times about his vote saying he opposed it because he believes the federal government should have no role in education. According to a piece in The Hill, Biggs, Gaetz and Rosendale have the same reason for voting against it. More importantly for our purpose, all four are members of the pro-MAGA Freedom Caucus.
Lawler had been in favor of the bill before an amendment was added requiring that parents be notified if a trans student is allowed to use a bathroom that doesn't correspond with the gender given the child at birth. He said that amendment "went too far", and that it "unnecessarily targeted certain children.” He added that, "Our goal as parents, educators, and legislators should be making lives better and safer for our children, and I am concerned that this amendment could do the opposite, putting vulnerable children at greater risk."
That sounds good as far as it goes. But he apparently has no problem with all the other provisions. He's only been in Congress a couple months so he hasn't much of a record. But I think our friend David Dell lives in the NY-17 district, so maybe I'll ask David about him.
I'm not sure it matters too much that this bill passed the House. If it were important, everyone would have been there and it would pass anyway.. Like a lot of what the Republicans are doing, it's just performative: something to rile up the base, with no chance of consideration in the Senate. They've used their majority to pass a bunch of these kind of things just so they can campaign saying Democrats opposed them.
.