Marjorie Taylor Greene Crying In Her Kholodets After Mike Johnson Does Bare Minimum, Passes Ukraine Aid
MAGA too tired, stupid to replace him.
The CNN Breaking News social media account posted on Saturday that “House Democrats join Republicans to pass bills sending foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel.” This is unduly generous to House Republicans, who are mostly an obstacle to any productive legislation.
It’s not even another annoying example of the mainstream media’s obsession with “both sides” balance. The plain truth is that House Democrats ensured passage of the $95 billion package that provides aid for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region. The latter two measures passed almost overwhelming, but Ukraine aid was more contentious because the GOP “side” is aligned with dictators. The final vote was 311 to 112. Democrats were unanimous in their support, while Republicans, the supposed majority, accounted for every “no” vote. This included Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik. When Russia first invaded Ukraine, Stefanik predictably blamed President Joe Biden more than Vladimir Putin, but she also pledged her support to the U.S. ally.
“I’ve seen how important Ukraine is for the region,” she said in March 2022. “They need to be admitted into NATO and we need to do everything we can by providing them munitions and javelins, and remember, the javelins were supplied under the Trump administration.”
Stefanik’s commitment to democracy and basic decency is always subordinate to her ambition, and she’s openly auditioning now for Donald Trump’s running mate. That means catering to the pro-Putin MAGA base.
As the Ukraine measure passed, Democrats cheered and waved Ukrainian flags. That’s a little too college football game for me, but as long as the aid is delivered, they can paint their faces and chests if they like. However, the pro-Ukraine demonstration greatly offended Republican Lauren Boebert, probably because she prefers the more restrained behavior of the theater.
“Such an embarrassing and disgusting show of America LAST politicians!” she whined on social media. “You love Ukraine so much, get your ass over there and leave America’s governing to those who love THIS country!”
Marjorie Taylor Greene —a Russian nesting doll with a Garbage Pail Kid center — attacked her Republican colleagues who supported the Ukraine measure. “Mike Johnson’s House of Representatives, so proud to work for Ukraine. Not the American people!!! It’s despicable.”
The $95 billion package breaks down into $61 billion to help Ukraine and others in the region fend off Russia (that’s about the same that was included in the Senate bill). This includes funds for the purchase of advanced weapons systems and other defense equipment. Then there’s $26 billion for Israel, and $8.12 billion for the Indo-Pacific region.
No need to order a Nobel Prize for Mike Johnson
House Speaker Mike Johnson surprised everyone when he demonstrated more rational leadership than Marjorie Taylor Greene and more human dignity than Elise Stefanik, which admittedly isn’t difficult. He allowed a vote on Ukraine aid despite vocal opposition from his party’s far-right nihilist wing. Trump, currently on trial in New York, was a mixed gas bag of positions on Ukraine. He’d posted on social media that “Ukrainian Survival and Strength” was “important” to the U.S. but complained that Europe isn’t contributing enough to the war effort.
“Why is it that the United States is over $100 Billion Dollars into the Ukraine War more than Europe,” he wrote, “and we have an Ocean between us as separation!” He has a very 18th Century perspective on warfare. He’s also an idiot.
Johnson recently sounded serious about the Ukraine situation, as if he’d returned from a long vacation where the only news sources were Russian propaganda or, worse, Tucker Carlson.
“Look, history judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now,” he told reporters last week. “I can make a selfish decision and do something that is different, but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing aid to Ukraine right now is critically important … I think Vladimir Putin would continue to march through Europe if he were allowed. I think he might go to the Balkans next and have a showdown with Poland or one of our NATO allies.”
Johnson has let Ukraine hang off a massive cliff for months now. Perhaps he was just building the appropriate level of suspense before acting. Theatrically, I approve, but this is real life and Ukraine was hammered while Johnson dithered. When pressed on the delay, Johnson laughably claimed that the House has been so “busy” this was the soonest it could act. This is the same House majority that wasted time on a pointless impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Better late than nikogda, I guess. “Sources close” to Johnson are pitching a narrative that might interest filmmakers: The speaker reportedly “received a key intelligence briefing from CIA Director Bill Burns, who painted a picture of the dire situation on the battlefield in Ukraine and the global consequences of inaction … The briefing left a lasting impression, and Johnson became increasingly convinced the fate of Western democracy was on his shoulders.”
Last week, after Iran attacked Israel, Johnson finally reached out to someone with shoulders better suited for bearing significant weight. He told Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries that he was ready to act on foreign aid. Jeffries delivered his entire caucus for the critical vote. Johnson would only need to provide a handful of Republican votes. Just allowing a vote in the first place would serve as his “heavy lifting,” but it would still come with a significant price. Greene has threatened to trigger a motion to vacate if Johnson steps out of line or the press hasn’t put a camera in her face recently.
According to House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, who’s pro-Ukraine, Johnson “was torn between trying to save his job and do the right thing. He prayed over it.”
I’m not personally religious, but I’d assumed you sought spiritual guidance for more serious moral dilemmas than “My personal political power or human lives? DON’T MAKE ME CHOOSE!”
Mike Johnson’s still better at this than Kevin McCarthy
Johnson has twice violated pedophile GOP Speaker Dennis Hastert’s partisan rule that no bill should reach the floor without “majority of the majority” support. When Kevin McCarthy passed a spending bill that relied primarily on Democratic votes, he was soon ousted as speaker. It doesn’t seem as if Johnson will meet a similar fate, mostly because the result is a tiresome process that all but shuts down the House. Even Lauren Boebert admitted, “I don’t see how that solves anything.”
“I am opposed to a vote on motion to vacate, but it is gaining momentum,” she told CNN. “Maybe there’s a point where Speaker Johnson listens to Thomas Massie and resigns and we choose a new speaker, but I don’t know who that would be and if they could do better.”
She doesn’t know much is what she’s saying. CNN would have better luck interviewing the House vending machine.
Troy Nehls considered it “a slap in the face to America” for Johnson to permit an Ukraine vote without extracting border policy concessions in exchange. (Republicans rejected a major border security bill upon Trump’s selfish orders.)
“What [Johnson] is showing is that, in my humble opinion, we are allowing Chuck Schumer to run the House of Representatives, and to me that’s very disturbing,” he said, but he admits that there’s no realistic non-Johnson alternative. “Who's gonna want the job, but who could do it?”
Newsweek reported last week that “Lauren Boebert Gets Support for Becoming House Speaker,” but that headline is both misleading and nauseating. Matt Gaetz was asked who could possibly replace Johnson, and his response was characteristically unserious and glib: “I don’t know. Ms. Boebert could do better.”
It’s not flattering when a sleazeball like Gaetz uses you as the “a chimp could do this job” placeholder. It’s actually less flattering to chimps, some of whom are quite brilliant.
Mark Green, the House Homeland Security chair, said he was bummed about the foreign aid bill votes but he still won’t support Greene’s threat to remove Johnson.
“It’s not a failure of leadership,” he said, “but it’s a difference of opinion.”
So, Johnson clearly has ennui on his side. His Republican opponents can’t rally support around a viable alternative, and Democrats are more willing to help block a motion to vacate. They witnessed the chaos after McCarthy’s ouster, and at this rate, they’re better off waiting until November when they have a good shot at regaining House control and ending this nonsense.
For now, though Ukraine has long-delayed but still critical aid, and Putin’s patsies in Congress are very unhappy. That’s good start to the week.
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I wondered why Johnson, who won't blow his nose without Trump's approval, would suddenly do a 180 and let Ukraine aid come to a vote, and the best explanation I've seen is that he had to wait until it was too late for GOP members to face new primary challenges to call a vote. Which, if true, better late than never, but for the MSM to paint him as a latter-day Churchill is nauseating.
If Democrats are inclined to save his job, the price should be passing a budget (or at least a CR) to go through the end of this congressional session. Because that October 1st deadline is coming up and judging how this session has gone so far, it'll be a shit show.
"It’s not flattering when a sleazeball like Gaetz uses you as the “a chimp could do this job” placeholder. It’s actually less flattering to chimps, some of whom are quite brilliant."
I've met a few of them. Gaetz isn't qualified to hold their shit-bucket.