House Republicans Face New Tests of Their Irrelevance

This is another reason why Drumpf will fail. America is sick and fucking tired of the do-nothing Congress. Sure, you think six years of obstructionism is a yee haw good time, but your Tea Party RWWs are sealing the deal.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/artic...ir-irrelevance


House Republicans Face New Tests of Their Irrelevance

By
Jonathan Bernstein

We're about to see if House Republicans have learned anything in the last few years. That is, we’ll see if the small group of radicals can bully mainstream conservatives into casting irresponsible and counterproductive votes on two measures.

First, the House Freedom Caucus zealots are intent on forcing a vote this week on impeaching the Internal Revenue Service commissioner, John Koskinen. Even if they had a case against him -- and they don’t -- it's an abuse of their power to go through with an impeachment procedure with no chance for a conviction in the Senate, and with limited time before the end of the current Congress.

Then sometime before the end of the month, the House will need to bring up a bill to keep the government running after the current fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. Since it has run out of time to pass regular appropriations bills (none have been sent to Barack Obama so far, even for a veto), the House will need to pass a “continuing resolution” to give itself more time. And since members are determined to leave town to resume campaigning, after already taking an unusually long summer break, "more time" means waiting until after the election.

The obvious compromise, and one the Senate appears to be working toward, is a continuing resolution without any policy riders except for the funding Congress has failed to pass for fighting the Zika virus. Then in a post-election lame-duck session, the two parties can resume fighting over the details of financing for various other government programs. But the House Freedom Caucus members will oppose any continuing resolution that doesn't give them 100 percent of what they want.

For mainstream conservatives, both the impeachment decision and the continuing resolution will be tough votes. Though there is nothing substantive to be gained by voting with the radicals, it requires standing up to them and risking being called a “moderate” or “RINO.”

Too often, House Republicans have joined the “vote no and hope yes” club. In the long run, it gives a small minority of the party the ability to make life impossible for the majority.

In the six years of Republican majorities in the House, conservative legislation has gone nowhere because the party can't unify behind anything that might have a chance of passing. Why bother drafting an Obamacare replacement or a tax reform plan or anything else since it will inevitably be judged a sellout by the radicals?

Meanwhile, conservatives miss opportunities to make incremental gains by cutting deals with Obama because the only way to unite is under House Freedom Caucus terms -- and those terms require opposition to compromise. The party's leadership is constantly undermined. The behavior of the House Republicans was likely one reason a total outsider was chosen as the party's presidential nominee this year, something no one in Congress wanted.

They've had lessons for six years on what happens if they don't stand up to the pressure. Will they? I’m not optimistic

And perhaps other measures that large majorities of both parties support.
Odds are that the bill will pass the House with mostly Democratic votes even if mainstream conservative Republicans oppose it. But there's always the chance it could fail and at least temporarily shut down the government.

This is another reason why Drumpf will fail. America is sick and fucking tired of the do-nothing Congress. Sure, you think six years of obstructionism is a yee haw good time, but your Tea Party RWWs are sealing the deal.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/artic...ir-irrelevance


House Republicans Face New Tests of Their Irrelevance

By
Jonathan Bernstein

We're about to see if House Republicans have learned anything in the last few years. That is, we’ll see if the small group of radicals can bully mainstream conservatives into casting irresponsible and counterproductive votes on two measures.

First, the House Freedom Caucus zealots are intent on forcing a vote this week on impeaching the Internal Revenue Service commissioner, John Koskinen. Even if they had a case against him -- and they don’t -- it's an abuse of their power to go through with an impeachment procedure with no chance for a conviction in the Senate, and with limited time before the end of the current Congress.

Then sometime before the end of the month, the House will need to bring up a bill to keep the government running after the current fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. Since it has run out of time to pass regular appropriations bills (none have been sent to Barack Obama so far, even for a veto), the House will need to pass a “continuing resolution” to give itself more time. And since members are determined to leave town to resume campaigning, after already taking an unusually long summer break, "more time" means waiting until after the election.

The obvious compromise, and one the Senate appears to be working toward, is a continuing resolution without any policy riders except for the funding Congress has failed to pass for fighting the Zika virus. Then in a post-election lame-duck session, the two parties can resume fighting over the details of financing for various other government programs. But the House Freedom Caucus members will oppose any continuing resolution that doesn't give them 100 percent of what they want.

For mainstream conservatives, both the impeachment decision and the continuing resolution will be tough votes. Though there is nothing substantive to be gained by voting with the radicals, it requires standing up to them and risking being called a “moderate” or “RINO.”

Too often, House Republicans have joined the “vote no and hope yes” club. In the long run, it gives a small minority of the party the ability to make life impossible for the majority.

In the six years of Republican majorities in the House, conservative legislation has gone nowhere because the party can't unify behind anything that might have a chance of passing. Why bother drafting an Obamacare replacement or a tax reform plan or anything else since it will inevitably be judged a sellout by the radicals?

Meanwhile, conservatives miss opportunities to make incremental gains by cutting deals with Obama because the only way to unite is under House Freedom Caucus terms -- and those terms require opposition to compromise. The party's leadership is constantly undermined. The behavior of the House Republicans was likely one reason a total outsider was chosen as the party's presidential nominee this year, something no one in Congress wanted.

They've had lessons for six years on what happens if they don't stand up to the pressure. Will they? I’m not optimistic

And perhaps other measures that large majorities of both parties support.
Odds are that the bill will pass the House with mostly Democratic votes even if mainstream conservative Republicans oppose it. But there's always the chance it could fail and at least temporarily shut down the government. Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

You're a stupid dick-sucker, you Mussulman-luvin, Hitler worshipping, lying, hypocritical, racist, cum-gobbling golem fucktard, HDDB, DEM.

Trump is popular precisely because the Republican congressmen heretofore elected haven't fulfilled their campaign promises to stop Odumbo's government by fiat, you Mussulman-luvin, Hitler worshipping, lying, hypocritical, racist, cum-gobbling golem fucktard, HDDB, DEM.

Nice talk, IBIdiot.

You could have couched that rebuttal with a little more "re" and a lot less "butt," but that is not your way.

That's why you're one of the most difficult posters to read. You have to sift through all the stupid repetitive insults (that is if you can figure out what the fuck they mean ... In English). to find the point of your argument.

Apparently this one is that you think I'm a dick sucker.

Thanks, IBIdiot. You prove my point with every post you make.

Nice talk, IBIdiot.

You could have couched that rebuttal with a little more "re" and a lot less "butt," but that is not your way.

That's why you're one of the most difficult posters to read. You have to sift through all the stupid repetitive insults (that is if you can figure out what the fuck they mean ... In English). to find the point of your argument.

Apparently this one is that you think I'm a dick sucker.

Thanks, IBIdiot. You prove my point with every post you make. Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

Fuck you.

IBHomo is always Johnny (I hope that's not your name) on the spot for his mentor and ideal, IBIdiot.

This is a bromance that has gone on since before he lost the let to BIGTEX and was forced to register his fifth handle.

Nice talk, IBIdiot.

You could have couched that rebuttal with a little more "re" and a lot less "butt," but that is not your way.

That's why you're one of the most difficult posters to read. You have to sift through all the stupid repetitive insults (that is if you can figure out what the fuck they mean ... In English). to find the point of your argument.

Apparently this one is that you think I'm a dick sucker.

Thanks, IBIdiot. You prove my point with every post you make. Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

U B the Idiot to stupid to see the obvious, you Mussulman-luvin, Hitler worshipping, lying, hypocritical, racist, cum-gobbling golem fucktard, HDDB, DEM.

IBHomo is always Johnny (I hope that's not your name) on the spot for his mentor and ideal, IBIdiot.

This is a bromance that has gone on since before he lost the let to BIGTEX and was forced to register his fifth handle. Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

U B the Idiot to stupid to see the obvious, you Mussulman-luvin, Hitler worshipping, lying, hypocritical, racist, cum-gobbling golem fucktard, HDDB, DEM.
Originally Posted by I B Hankering

"to stupid" to see what?

Hurry dipshit, you've got a couple minutes to FTFY

"to stupid" to see what?

Hurry dipshit, you've got a couple minutes to FTFY Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

Only a veterinarian has the skills to "fix" a creature like you, you Mussulman-luvin, Hitler worshipping, lying, hypocritical, racist, cum-gobbling golem fucktard, HDDB, DEM.

If there was ever a so-called "public servant" deserving of impeachment, it's IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. He is a complete political hack with zero integrity who has shamefully politicized the tax-gathering arm of the federal government.

I never tire of watching this video of Trey Gowdy demolishing that asshole... he should be impeached for foliating evidence! Why would those do-nothing democrats be so obstructionist and block his impeachment? Don't they believe in justice?