Two Twitter threads. We’ll start with Kim Strassel and the spending bill: 1. This "omnibus" is one of the ugliest, least transparent bits of lawmaking I've ever seen--and that's saying something. It isn't just the spending, though the new domestic numbers are gross,
Re the Omnibus bill...It seems increasingly the case in so many arenas that our federal government is a grotesque monstrosity. Sooner or later, I hope, the States will take back responsibility for spending in the numerous areas reserved to the States (police powers such as health, education and welfare) and take away this responsibility from the federal government. Let the States compete to see who can provide efficient and cost-effective government and value for tax dollars. And then expose the federal grotesquerie for what it is.
Re Jan 6 Committee...I'm guessing the Committee had a little help from their friends at Lawfare in concocting their criminal referral. These Lawfare guys are so clever, aren't they? I wonder what they'll think of next!
You wrote, “When Kim Strassel tells you that GOPers and Dems are “just as bad as each other” you know we’ve reached some sort of inflection point.”
I love you, but I beg to differ. Strassel has long since incinerated her remaining fig leaf of credibility earned through some decent RussiaGate reporting. She obviously got the memo from Rupert Murdoch-->Paul Gigot and has faithfully parroted the WSJEB’s relentless NeverTrump screeds.
The WSJ and Mitch McConnell are two sides of the same 30 pieces of filthy lucre (apology for the mixed metaphor). The WSJ set the stage and gave air cover for Conservative Inc. to sit on their hands and forfeit the 2020 election to Biden. This brand of revisionist history INCENSES me. It’s one thing to be a Dem and push insane policies. It is quite another to see the radical leftist train barreling down the tracks--and to walk away from the only hope of averting the disaster. And then, when the inevitable stench of failure fills the room, slink away. "That wasn't me, Oh, no."
It was binary choice, WSJ! Trump or Biden. The WSJ chose Biden and now things have gone to hell for the country across multiple dimensions. So, now they want to deflect shame and blame for the disasters wrought by the congress and president that THEY enabled and empowered?
How about this, WSJ: "Why don’t you sit this one out and STFU? You are America Last."
Well I'll differ right back at you and repeat: “When Kim Strassel tells you that GOPers and Dems are “just as bad as each other” you know we’ve reached some sort of inflection point.” I try to give anyone credit when it's their due and try not to burn bridges unnecessarily. That statement by Strassel IS an inflection point and DOES fly in the face of her past loyalties--and I give her credit for that.
A thought experiment: do you think the WSJEB--including Strassel--would behave differently if they could return to the 2020 campaign? Would they abandon their Chamber of Commerce open borders immigration policy? Would they rethink their opposition to Trump's tough trade stances on China? Would they rethink their neocon approval of the Forever War? Strassel knew enough about RussiaGate to know it was transparent abuse by the FBI-DoJ, so why did she devolve into toeing the anti-Trump WSJEB line? The questions answer themselves, don't they?
The WSJ is Davos-aligned. How likely does it seem to you that in two years a look back will mark this week as the turning point for the WSJ?
Look, I don't give a shit about your thought experiments--you can take them and shove them. I addressed a specific statement that Strassel said that flew in the face of her past positions and which probably do not reflect the views of the WSJ. You have some need to twist what I stated very clearly. I won't tolerate that.
Is there any doubt now as to why McConnell would not fund Trump endorsed Republican senate candidates. And it wasn't only McConnell. These cretins laugh at us as a bunch of rubes knowing they control all the levers of power; from who wins elections to taking down elected presidents.
With the 'budget' set for the next year, it looks like whoever the House speaker is will have plenty of time now to investigate all the high visibility targets. From Hunter and The Big Guy to the DOJ/FBI paying for social media censorship favoring their chose candidates. Then there's the waste and fraud associated with all the borrowed dollars being wheelbarrowed to Ukraine. Well one can hope, anyway.
It's not a lack of power, rather it's a lack of consideration for anyone beyond their own self-interested wealth accumulation at our expense.. The power is there, but courage and principals are no where to be found. This is why the declaration of "muh values" is so meaningless and banal.
If this senate omnibus bill doesn't show the worthlessness of the Republicans, what more evidence is needed. A grass roots third party can't do any worse than this sell-out. I'm not sure how much longer this party of supposedly fiscal conservatives can survive before it divides itself into two parties, making a three-party system. At least there would be clear choices for voters rather than the current uniparty candidates.
It’s enough to drive me to despair that even smart commentators on ”our side” like Andrea Widburg remain ignorant of the truth about the war in Ukraine and keep doubling down on “Putin = Dictator = Brutalized Ukrainians.” Ugh.
This time around the betrayal is so broad based, comprehensive, and in your face that the disaffection is mirroring the betrayal. That seems to me to be new. McConnell may be single handedly doing what he claimed Trump would do: Destroy the Republican party.
@ Mark -- How much dissatisfaction is there actually? Did you see the portion of The Duran interview with Robert Barnes yesterday where Barnes suggests that there is a movement to draft Trump to replace Pelosi as Speaker? Regardless of how unlikely or far-fetched this is it is most amusing for this observer to contemplate seeing Trump and McConnell and Biden all in the ring together...
I was suggesting dissatisfaction among movement conservatives, not elected reps. To be honest, while Barnes does have his moments, I'm not a big fan. I didn't watch that. Zhou would probably wander aimlessly out of that ring.
… or whether, like so much of the American electorate, they’re just naive morons. I bet the average GOP voter in KY thinks having Turtle as Senate Leader somehow benefits or brings prestige to their State.
You got it Tex! What we need is a cabinet level Department of Making Shit Up!! Oh wait, here it is in the new Omnibus bill on page 2763-appendix a, sub-paragraph c, funding for the Dept. of Making Shit Up.
The particulars have been redacted, national security reasons no doubt.
I’m being facetious guys, but I have to say I am personally scared spitless over where we are headed and the momentum we are gaining daily to get there.
Pelosi is 82.
Biden is 80.
McConnell is 80.
Trump is 76.
Killary is 75.
Schumer is 72.
Thankfully a gerontocratic regime is, by definition, not sustainable. Just sayin.
If I was 70 plus and had they money they do I wouldn’t be working
While waiting for them to kick off they are going to destroy us forever.
Oh, it's sustainable all right. There are always new olds to replace the old olds.
Re the Omnibus bill...It seems increasingly the case in so many arenas that our federal government is a grotesque monstrosity. Sooner or later, I hope, the States will take back responsibility for spending in the numerous areas reserved to the States (police powers such as health, education and welfare) and take away this responsibility from the federal government. Let the States compete to see who can provide efficient and cost-effective government and value for tax dollars. And then expose the federal grotesquerie for what it is.
Re Jan 6 Committee...I'm guessing the Committee had a little help from their friends at Lawfare in concocting their criminal referral. These Lawfare guys are so clever, aren't they? I wonder what they'll think of next!
You wrote, “When Kim Strassel tells you that GOPers and Dems are “just as bad as each other” you know we’ve reached some sort of inflection point.”
I love you, but I beg to differ. Strassel has long since incinerated her remaining fig leaf of credibility earned through some decent RussiaGate reporting. She obviously got the memo from Rupert Murdoch-->Paul Gigot and has faithfully parroted the WSJEB’s relentless NeverTrump screeds.
The WSJ and Mitch McConnell are two sides of the same 30 pieces of filthy lucre (apology for the mixed metaphor). The WSJ set the stage and gave air cover for Conservative Inc. to sit on their hands and forfeit the 2020 election to Biden. This brand of revisionist history INCENSES me. It’s one thing to be a Dem and push insane policies. It is quite another to see the radical leftist train barreling down the tracks--and to walk away from the only hope of averting the disaster. And then, when the inevitable stench of failure fills the room, slink away. "That wasn't me, Oh, no."
It was binary choice, WSJ! Trump or Biden. The WSJ chose Biden and now things have gone to hell for the country across multiple dimensions. So, now they want to deflect shame and blame for the disasters wrought by the congress and president that THEY enabled and empowered?
How about this, WSJ: "Why don’t you sit this one out and STFU? You are America Last."
Sounds like you are actually saying the same thing, Mark is just more polite in his wording.
Well I'll differ right back at you and repeat: “When Kim Strassel tells you that GOPers and Dems are “just as bad as each other” you know we’ve reached some sort of inflection point.” I try to give anyone credit when it's their due and try not to burn bridges unnecessarily. That statement by Strassel IS an inflection point and DOES fly in the face of her past loyalties--and I give her credit for that.
A thought experiment: do you think the WSJEB--including Strassel--would behave differently if they could return to the 2020 campaign? Would they abandon their Chamber of Commerce open borders immigration policy? Would they rethink their opposition to Trump's tough trade stances on China? Would they rethink their neocon approval of the Forever War? Strassel knew enough about RussiaGate to know it was transparent abuse by the FBI-DoJ, so why did she devolve into toeing the anti-Trump WSJEB line? The questions answer themselves, don't they?
The WSJ is Davos-aligned. How likely does it seem to you that in two years a look back will mark this week as the turning point for the WSJ?
Look, I don't give a shit about your thought experiments--you can take them and shove them. I addressed a specific statement that Strassel said that flew in the face of her past positions and which probably do not reflect the views of the WSJ. You have some need to twist what I stated very clearly. I won't tolerate that.
But Mark, you left out the I love you part in your right back atcha...
Is there any doubt now as to why McConnell would not fund Trump endorsed Republican senate candidates. And it wasn't only McConnell. These cretins laugh at us as a bunch of rubes knowing they control all the levers of power; from who wins elections to taking down elected presidents.
With the 'budget' set for the next year, it looks like whoever the House speaker is will have plenty of time now to investigate all the high visibility targets. From Hunter and The Big Guy to the DOJ/FBI paying for social media censorship favoring their chose candidates. Then there's the waste and fraud associated with all the borrowed dollars being wheelbarrowed to Ukraine. Well one can hope, anyway.
They won’t even investigate their own navels
Without the power to defund Biden's agenda, who's going to cooperate with those investigations?
It's not a lack of power, rather it's a lack of consideration for anyone beyond their own self-interested wealth accumulation at our expense.. The power is there, but courage and principals are no where to be found. This is why the declaration of "muh values" is so meaningless and banal.
Is there a conservative rebellion brewing against the GOP?
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/12/sen_mcconnell_blunt_senate_republicans_couldnt_care_less_about_you.html
https://thefederalist.com/2022/12/21/gop-cant-be-successful-until-mitch-mcconnell-is-gone/
If this senate omnibus bill doesn't show the worthlessness of the Republicans, what more evidence is needed. A grass roots third party can't do any worse than this sell-out. I'm not sure how much longer this party of supposedly fiscal conservatives can survive before it divides itself into two parties, making a three-party system. At least there would be clear choices for voters rather than the current uniparty candidates.
It’s enough to drive me to despair that even smart commentators on ”our side” like Andrea Widburg remain ignorant of the truth about the war in Ukraine and keep doubling down on “Putin = Dictator = Brutalized Ukrainians.” Ugh.
It’s really a shame. You’d think they’d wake up eventually. Getting tired of AT
I doubt it.
This time around the betrayal is so broad based, comprehensive, and in your face that the disaffection is mirroring the betrayal. That seems to me to be new. McConnell may be single handedly doing what he claimed Trump would do: Destroy the Republican party.
“McConnell may be single handedly doing what he claimed Trump would do: Destroy the Republican party.”
If he does, it will rank among his greatest accomplishments. Good riddance, I say.
@ Mark -- How much dissatisfaction is there actually? Did you see the portion of The Duran interview with Robert Barnes yesterday where Barnes suggests that there is a movement to draft Trump to replace Pelosi as Speaker? Regardless of how unlikely or far-fetched this is it is most amusing for this observer to contemplate seeing Trump and McConnell and Biden all in the ring together...
I was suggesting dissatisfaction among movement conservatives, not elected reps. To be honest, while Barnes does have his moments, I'm not a big fan. I didn't watch that. Zhou would probably wander aimlessly out of that ring.
Seconded.
Frankly, it begs the question whether Kentucky voters have actually been voting for Turtle.
… or whether, like so much of the American electorate, they’re just naive morons. I bet the average GOP voter in KY thinks having Turtle as Senate Leader somehow benefits or brings prestige to their State.
Quite possible.
I wish it weren't true, but I give election stealing and low information voting about equal odds.
Agreed. It’s not an either or proposition.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/12/21/house-democrats-vote-to-publicly-release-donald-trump-private-irs-tax-filings-setting-new-precedent-that-can-target-any-american-taxpayer/
That’s the first thing that came to mind when I read the headlines. So I guess this will make things easier on those 87,000 new IRS agents?
You got it Tex! What we need is a cabinet level Department of Making Shit Up!! Oh wait, here it is in the new Omnibus bill on page 2763-appendix a, sub-paragraph c, funding for the Dept. of Making Shit Up.
The particulars have been redacted, national security reasons no doubt.
I’m being facetious guys, but I have to say I am personally scared spitless over where we are headed and the momentum we are gaining daily to get there.