The Thomas Massie thing was noise.
Lolbertarian grandstanding over spending bills have been going on since the Tea Party days. It is a perennial feature of Republican majorities in Congress. Rand Paul also voted no.
“The most urgent divide within the Democratic Party is less ideological than tactical: if the Dems stand and fight on every front or pick their battles.
Why it matters: The split is epitomized by the feud over whether Democrats should have let the government shut down on Friday, but it’s bigger than that. The base is bracing for a four-year political war against a power-hungry president, but their representatives aren’t all in battle formation. …”
“House Democrats from across the party’s ideological spectrum — united in their fury at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — are engaged in a campaign to get Senate Democrats to defy their leader.
Why it matters: House lawmakers feel that there is a glimmer of hope, however faint, that they can actually persuade their Senate counterparts to reject a Republican-led government spending bill. …”
“Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) stopped short Sunday of calling for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to be replaced — but she said it’s time for Senate Democrats to decide if he’s the man for the moment.
Why it matters: Schumer’s decision to help Republicans pass a GOP-led funding bill to keep the government’s lights on despite intense pressure to block the legislation highlighted growing fractures within his party that may put his job in jeopardy.
When asked by reporters Friday if it was time for new leadership, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) provided no defense for his Senate counterpart, simply saying, “Next question.”…”
“Ten Senate Democrats joined with the Republican majority in voting to move forward with a stopgap spending bill Friday — clearing the path to avoid a government shutdown.
Why it matters: Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is facing outrage from his party, including House leadership, over his decision to vote for the bill. Many Democrats wanted to force a shutdown to protest President Trump and Elon Musk’s sweeping federal spending cuts.
The key procedural vote was 62-38. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only Republican who voted “no.” …”
The signal in the CR fight was how Trump successfully divided and broke Democrats, humiliated Chuck Schumer and how Democrats lost their first opportunity to use their leverage in Congress to thwart Trump, which has enraged progressive activists and pushed down their favorability.
> The Thomas Massie thing was noise.
> Lolbertarian grandstanding over spending bills have been going on since the Tea Party days. It is a perennial feature of Republican majorities in Congress. Rand Paul also voted no.
Yes that’s pretty true. Massie would have been better off simply voting “present”. It’s not as if he could have held up the latest porkulus. It also serves as a nice distraction from what is actually being funded by the latest monstrosity cooked up by Mikey Johnson. The larger point is goes beyond Trump and Massie. We need many more people like Massie in Congress – in the sense that they are not mere cutouts and sock-puppets for AIPAC like Brian Mast. In other words, a congress capable of impeaching and removing judges and holding Trump’s feet to a very hot fire when needed in order to hold him to his promises.
Despite all of the out of control court orders countermanding Trump’s numerous EOs, and damned little pushback from Trump, there are some cases where his EOs are really working – like this recent report from Arkansas – where the state government has taken up the official English one and put it into real action. More needed, obviously.