Lawrence Lessig's essay for the New York Review this morning, Why the US Is a Failed Democratic State, begins flatly, that a "self-governing republic works only if it expresses the will of the majority. But one party is now committed to minoritarian rule by any means." And you know which party that is. But, now, even when the most partisan of mainstream conservative Republicans do anything that goes against nihilism and chaotic societal collapse, they are viciously attacked and driven from the new Republican Party, which is nothing more than a brainwashed Trumpian cult.
This morning Tom Porter wrote that Trump's allies are trashing Mitch McConnell for reaching a deal with Democrats to avert a catastrophic debt-ceiling default. How many times did Republicans vote to "avert a catastrophic debt-ceiling default" while Trump was in the White House. At Trump's request, it was raised by an astronomical $1.7 trillion dollars on March 15, 2017 and two years later by 2.2 trillion. Largely because of the Trump tax cuts for the rich, the national debt increased by $7.8 trillion while he was in office. I don't recall too many Republicans in Congress complaining about it. But now they don't want to pay for what they ran up on the national credit card.
Trump is leading the clown parade but most congressional Republicans are right behind him. He attacked McConnell and 13 other Senate Republicans for allowing the Democrats to end a GOP filibuster that would have plunged the country into a Trump-caused financial crisis, which is exactly hat Trump wanted.
The McConnell-Schumer deal allows the debt ceiling to be increased in a simple majority vote, not subject to a filibuster. "McConnell's move," wrote Porter, "makes good on his pledge that Republicans would not vote for a debt ceiling increase, while allowing the party to evade the blame for not reaching a deal, which could result in an economically catastrophic default."
That was enough to unleash the screaming monkeys on the anacho-fascist right to savage McConnell and his 13 cohorts. More and more people are beginning to realize that Trump and his hard right allies "favor a scorched earth policy allowing for no compromise with Democrats."
In an interview on the right-wing [fascist, anti-patriotic] OAN network, Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington called on McConnell to resign.
"It's hard to say who's giving the Democrats more cover, Mitch McConnell or the fake news media. This is absolutely appalling. We need new Republican leadership. He's given the country away," she said.
Harrington then went on to accuse him of folding to Democrats on the debt-ceiling deal, which she described as a "monstrosity."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, an ally of the former president, told Republican senators in a closed-door meeting on Thursday that Trump was watching to see who would vote for McConnell's debt-ceiling deal, according to a report from The Hill.
At the same meeting Graham also criticized McConnell for placing Republicans in a position where they could get "shot in the back" over the move.
In the wake of the vote, a key senate ally of Trump also attacked the deal Thursday.
"I have repeatedly said I will not support raising the debt ceiling for the Democrats' radical agenda that is causing inflation and driving up our national debt," said Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin in a statement.
Fox News host Tucker Carson, a prominent [fascist] media ally of Trump, devoted a segment of his Thursday night show to attacking McConnell, describing him as an "instrument of the left," and saying he is known as "the nastiest old woman in town."
Trump himself had criticized McConnell in a statement earlier in the week, accusing him of giving the Democrats cover to pass large spending bills through a debt-ceiling deal, though the two are not linked.
The subject of Carlson's monologue wasn't the debt-ceiling deal, but McConnell allegedly barring a January 6 rally organizer from having a role in organizing Sen. Bob Dole's funeral. The timing of the attack, however, was notable.
The attacks on McConnell highlight the perilous political landscape facing him in the new year. Lawmakers clamoring for Trump's approval ahead of the mid-terms likely won't want to be allied too closely with McConnell, at least publicly.
Trump's rancor against the Senate minority leader stems from the January 6 riot, when McConnell blamed Trump for the chaos.
In a series of statements Trump has insulted McConnell, labelling him an "old crow," and has sought to undermine his Senate strategy.
Trump and McConnell are at odds for winning back control of the Senate next year. Trump is strictly motivated by revenge and in helping candidates who are personally loyal to him and not any version of the Republican Party that is not his cult. He has recruited and/or supported crackpot candidates who will have a tough time winning elections where independent and swing voters hold the balance of electoral power, like in Alaska, where neo-fascist Trump candidate Kelly Tshibaka could wind up as a spoiler for Republican Lisa Murkowski and hand the seat to Democratic state Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson.
Much to McConnell's chagrin, Trump has already left the GOP open seat efforts in Pennsylvania and North Carolina in tatters and is threatening to do the same in two other open seats: Missouri and Ohio. The 5th open seat red state, Alabama, is roiling the whole state's Republican party because Trump's efforts to elect insurrectionist Mo Brooks has spilled over to an attempt by the Trumpists to purge Gov. Kay Ivey.
John Thune (R-SD) hasn't declared yet-- although he has amassed an absolutely massive $14,839,846 campaign war chest-- but if he does, Trump is sure to go on the warpath against him. Trump already tried, unsuccessfully, to lure his ally, Kristi Noem into running for the seat.
Trump has imposed a mediocre candidate, former football player and wife beater Herschel Walker, on Georgia Republicans and has started a war to the death against Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, recruiting candidates against both of them, which is likely to help only Democrats.
Trump is also in the process of inserting himself into the Arizona Senate election, in which Nazi billionaire Peter Thiel is trying to buy Trump's endorsement for one if his employees, Blake Masters. The current Attorney General, Mark Brnovich, is also running and two fascist Trump allies, Andy Biggs and Kelli Ward have been threatening to jump into the race as well, knowing that whomever Trump endorses will be the nominee.
If ever there were to be localized anti- waves, it is the '22 election.
There will be a nation-wide anti-blue impulse due to the democraps doing their usual "merrick garland" about everything... notably treason and voter suppression.
but it looks like trump will be trying to make this and the 2024 elections both plebiscites on himself. That will play well only in the most nazified districts and covid hellhole counties.
It's still to be seen whether trump's (can't help himself) anti-red campaign will offset the organic anti-blue... but it has potential.
also, if you recall, the german nazis began purging their own right after they consolidated power. trump must be pretty sure power is already consolidated for him to star…