The Republican effort to govern by threat

[pecksniff]

WaPo:

When House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) took to the floor during the debate on whether to censure Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) for a video depicting him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, McCarthy continued the GOP’s practice of not really defending what Gosar did.

What McCarthy did focus on, though, was how much Democrats might rue the day. He cited the supposed precedent set by the ultimately successful effort not just to make Gosar the first House member since 2010 to be censured, but also to strip Gosar of his committee assignments.

McCarthy said the vote would mean members in influential positions would “need the permission of a majority to keep those positions in the future” — even as no Democrats have targeted their colleagues with similarly (even metaphorical) violent imagery.

McCarthy expanded on that point by concluding his remarks thusly: “A new standard will continue to be applied in the future.”

McCarthy wasn’t the only one to preview something so ominous Wednesday, nor was it the only time GOP leaders have wielded threats about what would happen if Republicans regained the majority. Indeed, this has become a growing mainstay of the GOP pushback on Democratic majorities this year.

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

WaPo:

McCarthy didn’t defend Gosar’s silly video? Outrageous! And Republicans threatening to apply the same standards to Democrats that Democrats apply to Republicans? Horrors! Unfair!

 

[pecksniff]

And Republicans threatening to apply the same standards to Democrats that Democrats apply to Republicans? Horrors! Unfair!

Same article:

Added Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio): “There are a lot of Republicans eager to hear testimony from [White House chief of staff] Ron Klain and [national security adviser] Jake Sullivan when we take back the House.”

The comparison is not an apt one. Neither Klain nor Sullivan previewed an uprising to overturn a presidential election, as Bannon did before Jan. 6, or utterly ignored a subpoena, as Bannon did. And both would have much more obviously legitimate claims to executive privilege in requested testimony in that they, unlike Bannon during the relevant period, actually serve in the White House and the administration.

McCarthy’s comments are actually a replay of what he said the last time a Republican member was penalized for promoting violence against Democrats. When the House voted in February to strip Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) of her committee assignments, McCarthy made a similar argument.

He cited a “long list” of people Republicans might target for removal from committees — some of whom McCarthy also cited Wednesday — including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).

The analogies between the Greene, Gosar and Bannon cases and those of Democrats mentioned above are quite imperfect, for some of the reasons we’ve mentioned above. And that shouldn’t be discounted.

 

[pecksniff]

Also:

Around the same time, another member of House GOP leadership, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), issued a threat on the same topic. Banks said on Fox News that a future GOP majority should strip members of the Jan. 6 committee of committee assignments — not just Republicans who crossed over to serve on the committee, but every member.

“When we win back the majority next year, we have a duty as Republicans to hold every member of this committee accountable for this abuse of power, for stepping over the line, by preventing them from being in positions of authority,” Banks said. Banks clarified that he meant this would mean to “take them off any committee, get them as far away from positions of power as you can because they’ve shown us that by threatening to do this that they abuse their power, wherever they are.”

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

Also:

You seem pretty upset with this. I look forward to reading your angry posts with great amusement after the GOP regains control next year.

 

[pecksniff]

You seem pretty upset with this. I look forward to reading your angry posts with great amusement after the GOP regains control next year.

And I look forward to the Pubs carrying out the kind of disgraceful and indefensible behavior they're talking about now.

 

[LittleDixie]

The left has no idea what humor is anymore. Everything is literally true to them.

 

[pecksniff]

The left has no idea what humor is anymore. Everything is literally true to them.

None of the Congresscritters quoted here are joking.

 

[LittleDixie]

None of the Congresscritters quoted here are joking.

You're proving my point.

 

[BidudeinWi]

WaPo:

Yawn.

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

You're proving my point.

The approval of Congress is at 22%. Way to go Nancy!

 

[pecksniff]

The approval of Congress is at 22%. Way to go Nancy!

I think it's been around there at all times since the Clinton years.

 

[bellisarius]

Paybacks draw interest.

 

[Dribble]

And I look forward to the Pubs carrying out the kind of disgraceful and indefensible behavior they're talking about now.

As am I. It will lead to the breakup of the country quicker...although violence by them will increase which will lead to more retaliatory violence...the pathway of non-violence has been eliminated as a result of both Parties refusal to accept facts. Those saying it will never happen...I will be laughing at you when you ask "how the fuck did this happen"?

 

[Champakian]

Blah, blah, blah, forum rules don't apply to me because
I'm a Democrat walking and talking memo...



Now, show us any real threat in his speech.

 

[Champakian]

Paybacks draw interest.

It is humorous, the reaction to the same kind of stunts they like to pull,
being pulled on them. Why the National Press has gone from
defenders of delay and obstruction to a Greek Chorus,

HOW DARE YOU!!! WE WON AN ELECTION!

We have a mandate from Heaven.

(Which we don't believe in!)

 

[Bud_Spencer]

OMG, stop that man before he memes again!

 

[Cubantripod]

The left has no idea what humor is anymore. Everything is literally true to them.

When you have no ideas on how to govern or have a sales pitch the average American would buy into, melodrama is all you have.

 

[bellisarius]

The left has no idea what humor is anymore. Everything is literally true to them.

When you have no ideas on how to govern or have a sales pitch the average American would buy into, melodrama is all you have.

'Cancel Culture' moving to the political arena. Who's surprised?

 

[CornusKousa]

'Cancel Culture' moving to the political arena. Who's surprised?

"ANYONE who disagrees with "progress" is a Nazi who must be destroyed!!!" - Democrats 2016

And they're going full fuckin' bore with it.... ALL the way.

 

[coati]

Republicans have been bullying with threats for a long time, as in:

• If you restrict gun ownership in any way, we will use our guns in a civil war.
  
• If you as a candidate even talk about gun control, our campaign posters against you will show cross-hairs over your image.
  
• If you, as a Republican, cross party lines and vote with the Democrats on anything, we will purge you from our party and make sure you don't win your next election.
  
• If you try to certify a national election that was counted, recounted, and certified by all 50 states, we will violently prevent certification by a joint session of Congress. "All hell will break loose!"

And then when they get called on these threats, they pull a Rush Limbaugh and say, "Can't you take a joke?"

 

[zipman]

'Cancel Culture' moving to the political arena. Who's surprised?

It's called accountability, something you and your fellow right wing nutjobs used to bray about until Trump came into office.

Or has the Franzia destroyed your memory?

 

[BidudeinWi]

WaPo:

Good! I doubt they will keep their word but hope they do!

Projection like this from Peckersneverstiff is laughable after what we’ve witnessed over the last 4-5 years from the LibTards. Shifty Schiff’s secret hearings, the Brown Shirts of the DNC (FBI) arresting “insurrectionists,”sticking them in solitary cell gulags, withholding needed medications, beating them and not allowing timely due process while allowing the KNOWN libtard agitators to walk free, including FBI plants, makes Peckersneverstiff’s post ridiculous! Talk about lack of self and party awareness!

I hope that when the GOP takes back control, the GOP shoves everything the LIBTARDS are doing, right back up their fat asses like McConnell did by not allowing a vote on Garland. Moreover, if they have the balls, declassify EVERYTHING that exposes the RussiaGate story and then prosecute TF out of every single one of the criminals behind it including Kenyan born, married to Big Mike with adopted daughters, muslim America hating Barry “hopey changey” Oblunder, the first half-black POTUS!