PODCAST 423

Republican Crack Up. A Republican Majority struggles to nominate a successor to Speaker Boehner. Moderate leadership is losing its grip because 40 ‘insurgent’ ‘freedom caucus’ Republicans refused to support top candidate Kevin McCarthy. Amid controversy over McCarthy’s Benghazi Hearing comments, and allegations of an affair, the collapse of order in the election of a new speaker, the candidacy of Donald Trump and the terrible performance of moderate candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, Jeb Bush, one must wonder whether the moderate leadership is finally losing its grip. They have no one to blame but themselves. The moderate leadership of the Republican Party seems more and more out of touch with an increasingly frustrated and angry base. ‘Going along to get along’ seems to be the wrong course of action. What does the base want? Can the Freedom Caucus lead the house? Those are turning out to be much more complex questions. In a free wheeling stream-of-consciousness podcast, we discuss the underpinnings of Republican rank and file political philosophy and find … none. Senator Ted Cruz recently suggested what is needed to change America is a ‘grassroots’ movement, only without organization, there is no movement. Without philosophical underpinnings, there is no organization. Republicans, tea partiers and others on the right might suggest a ‘freedom caucus speaker’ might lead them out of the wilderness. Lead them where? To What? How? Uh….yeah. Thus, the best opportunity to elect a Republican President in years begins to fade, with a moderate leadership that can’t even run an election for speaker of a house it controls, and a rank and file that wouldn’t recognize, or vote for Ronald Reagan today. With this kind of comedy in progress, Democrats never had it so good. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul and Pride of Homes.

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Podcast 287

Tom Emmer’s Vote. A vote by a freshman congressman from Minnesota’s 6th district has provoked a Tea Party Tantrum. Congressman Emmer voted for Speaker Boehner. One Tea Party group has lashed out in anger and frustration, expecting Congressman Emmer to have voted with 25 ‘insurgent’ members that nominated Texas 1st District Congressman Louie Gohmert for the Speakership. Rumors have the North Metro Tea Party petitioning Minnesota State Republican Party chair Keith Downey to give Tom a talking to. Downey was unable to win any statewide offices while Emmer managed a fifty-six percent margin in the 6th, so with all due respect to the party chair, why should Emmer listen to him? Moreover, representative Downey is hardly a Tea Party Republican. And what about the votes of other Minnesota Republican Congressmen. Where’s the outrage about them? Many people expressed their disappointment with Emmer’s vote on FaceBook. Unfortunately, much of the criticism seemed devoid of reason. People couldn’t seem to come up with a name to replace Speaker Boehner, even though Louie Gohmert was the candidate. One correspondent actually suggested talk show host Mark Levin, who is of course not a congressman and therefore ineligible. Others seemed confused as to the role of the Speaker. Still others seemed shocked that sending out links to Freedom Works and calling their congressman didn’t suddenly produce the desired result. What are the principles of a conservative? No one knows, or can’t articulate any cogent reply to the question. The missing link between outrage and actual political power is organization. All through election season, candidates trooped around to Tea Party meetings, where they were dutifully received. Tea Partiers sat there and ate their hamburgers and listened to political pablum, thinking it was enough that they were there. Despite a huge victory for Republicans in the US House this year, the best this group can muster is 25 votes against the Speaker? Despite the fact that Tea Party meetings are supposed to be informational, many of them have become little more than cults of personality. Why? Bluntly speaking? There’s little real political work being done amidst all the hot air. Sponsored by Mycompletebasement.com and by Depotstar. (Editor’s Note: Correction: The US Constitution does not require the Speaker of The House to actually be a member of the house, although the speaker always has been a member. Obviously a non member would still have to be elected by members. Thanks to Dean via Twitter for the info.)

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Podcast 286

Speaker Boehner. US Speaker of The House Boehner has survived a challenge from so called ‘insurgent conservatives’ to replace him. According to some reports this was the strongest effort to replace a sitting speaker since the 1860’s. As many as 24 Republican members voted against the Speaker. ‘Insurgents’ are unhappy with the Speaker because they do not feel he fights for principles. Freedom Works had urged its followers to write, call and email their Congressmen to vote against Boehner. Once again so called Conservative Insurgents across the country are learning an important lesson about politics. That would be money talks, you know what walks. Whatever you want to call them; Tea Party, Liberty, Insurgent … until this group commands a political machine that actually holds real political power, these kinds of demonstrations (or stunts as some call them) will continue to be just that. When you have the power, you win the vote. Nice try though. There is a lot of snark on this story, which ignores the fact that the insurgent movement — people who actually think our legislators should govern from principle rather than expedience — is growing in strength, contrary to reports of its demise. Meanwhile, what is the agenda for so called ‘moderate’ Republicans in Congress? Make changes on the margins? ‘Restore’ faith in the IRS? Vote tax breaks to teenagers? Really? There are rumors the Keystone Pipeline will come up for a vote soon. As usual all the ‘journalism’ concentrates on the GOP majority in the Senate as being ‘filibuster proof’. This isn’t the question. The question is whether the House and Senate can muster the two-thirds majority needed to override an almost certain Presidential Veto, unless moderates cram all sorts of goodies into the bill. If you want to use email, your phone or write a letter to someone in the government, you might try send a letter to the FCC to demand it does NOT reclassify the Internet as a Utility. The last thing the world needs is regulation and taxation on the Internet. How expensive will Obama Care be in 2015? Aside from some who are now earning more than they did when they qualified for ACA subsidies in 2014, having to pay those subsidies back (yes, it’s true), copays and insurance fees are increasing so much and so quickly the Harvard Professors who supported and demanded the ACA pass, are now protesting those same copay and insurance increases! For Thee, not me, these perfumed princes and princesses are saying. That’s why we trust their positions on other political issues so much. Meanwhile, as the US makes nice with Communists in Cuba, they’re cracking down on dissidents sending thousands to jail. Same thing is happening in China and North Korea. One thing about Maoists, they don’t like dissent. And what happens when a Chicagoan rides his bike to the Police Station to report a theft? Sponsored by Baklund R & D. 

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