The MAGA Mike Government Shut Down Is Postponed 'Til Next Year-- Democrats Save Him From Extremists

"Anatomy Of A Shutdown" by Nancy Ohanian

Yesterday, the House voted 336-95 for MAGA Mike’s bifurcated CR, so postponing a shutdown to January or February. 93 Republicans and 2 Democrats voted No (so 336-95), with more Dems (209) backing MAGA Mike than Republicans (127).

Before the voting began, Hakeem Jeffries told his caucus that the House Democratic leadership was recommending a yes vote. That saved MAGA Mike’s ass. But first the House had to vote on 10 crackpot amendments, including 4 from Andy Biggs (R-AZ)— all slashing aid to higher education— 3 from Bob Good (R-VA), one of which proposed cutting $28 million for minority AIDs prevention, and one each from Mary Miller (R-IL), Matt Rosendale (R-MT), and Cory Mills (R-FL). They all failed-- just a bog waste of time. Miller's amendment to drain money from OSHA failed 131-300, 88 Republicans and every Democrat votimng against it. Good's amendment to end all the funding for minority AIDs prevention did the worst of his proposals-- 109-324, 110 Republicans voting against and 109 voting for it. But 3 of Biggs' pathetic anti-education amendments were the stinkers of the day, with just 80-some odd Republicans backing him.

A team of Politico writers reported that even though MAGA Mike averted a shoutdown with Democratic voters and without getting any of the extremists’ lunatic demands, they’re not going to fire him— for now. “But some conservatives,” they wrote, “are privately entertaining other ways to retaliate. One tactic under discussion is the same one they used against McCarthy after he struck a debt deal they hated: holding the House floor hostage by tanking procedural votes. ‘There is a sentiment that if we can’t fight anything, then let’s just hold up everything,’ said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), one of several frustrated Freedom Caucus members who has huddled with the speaker multiple times this week.

There’s another hurdle: Johnson is confronting a GOP conference that’s now even more bitterly divided than when his predecessor was in charge. Besides frustrations from the right flank, the Louisianan is also facing restive groups of Biden-district Republicans and centrists, who have increasingly made clear they’ll push back if leadership tries to force tough votes. After its ugly 22-day speaker battle, the 221-member conference has seemingly lost its ability to maneuver as a team. Instead, it’s every man for himself.

…If those divisions worsen— like if conservatives make good on their threat to start blocking bills from coming to the floor— some centrist Republicans pointed out that would just increase their incentive to join forces with Democrats. Republicans openly shifting to that strategy would amount to a historic shift in House power dynamics.

“It just forces us to work with Democrats— these guys play checkers, they don’t play chess,” said centrist Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE).

Earlier, the House Freedom Caucus issued this less than supportive challenge to MAGA Mike’s plans to avert the government shut down Friday. They’re mad. And this after MAGA Mike met with them Monday night and pleaded with them to cooperate with him.

What they want are draconian cuts and for the GOP to use the threat of a shutdown to blackmail the Democrats in the House, Senate and White House to agree to some of their unpopular demands— from a nationwide abortion ban and defunding Medicaid to shutting down the border and abandoning Ukraine to their pal Putin. Among the regular and familiar DWT characters, these are some of the ones who voted to shut down the government: Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Bob Good (R-VA), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Marjorie Traitor Greene (GA), Gym Jordan (R-OH), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Andy Ogles (R-TN), Scott Perry (R-PA), Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Chip Roy (R-TX), George Santos (R-NY), Dave Schweikert (R-AZ)...

Derek Marshall is running for a San Bernardino-based congressional seat held by Jay Obernolte, one of only 2 members of the California delegation who wanted to shut down the government— and voted to. Last night, Derek told me that “It’s deeply concerning that our current member of Congress would vote to essentially shut down the government. His worldview demands defunding everything, but his politics show him taking credit for infrastructure spending he voted against. This leaves the people of our community high and dry.”

Zach Shrewsbury is the progressive Dem running for the Senate in West Virginia. Depending who wins the bloody GOP primary, his opponent will either be the corrupt Jim Justice or the extreme but Alex Mooney, one of the 93 Republicans to vote for the shutdown. Today he asked, “Are the pictures and video we see of Alex Mooney actually him? A West Virginian wouldn’t know, we never see him. He’s a carpetbagger from Maryland who hides from constituents while voting to shut down government, default on U.S. debt and against certifying the outcome of the free and fair 2020 presidential elections.”