Still thinking about Rep. Kelly Armstrong’s floor speech on 1/13, where he said voting against impeachment would give him credibility with his base and voting for impeachment would give Dems credibility with their base.
This is basically how GOP lawmakers think about things.
Been thinking a ton about game theory in politics — thanks @MattGlassman312 — but I actually think that misses something essential.
If it’s just a game, anything that helps you gather more power or get re-elected is permissible. I don’t think that’s how a lot of Dems see it.
Look at Obamacare in 2010. There were a lot of Democrats who knew they were writing their political death certificate with that vote — and they did it anyway.
Politicians aren’t always single-minded seekers of re-election. Sometimes they actually want to help people.
I’ll also add that there are some Republicans who act out of principle rather than political expediency.
Chip Roy opposed GOP efforts to overturn the electoral college, noting that he may be signing his political death certificate to do so. Liz Cheney also comes to mind here.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Reading “Inside the NRA,” and the author — formerly the No. 2-ish person at the NRA — talks a lot about how fear and anger were primary fundraising mechanisms for them and other conservative causes. And he notes how Trump was a master at it.
Who could’ve predicted January 6th??
“Selling the fear — real or imagined — never gets old.”
There are a ton of fascinating anecdotes in this book — a Trump lunch with LaPierre and Cox at the WH where Trump obsesses over the menu, a meeting with Bannon where he asks how the WH can repay the NRA — but the overall theme is grift, mismanagement, and the politics of fear.
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) had something on him. I believe it was a gun because a cop made a side holster motion to another cop. They refuse to let him in.
He goes toward the elevators, asks a member to take something from him, the member says he doesn’t have a license.
I also heard Andy Harris say he told his staff to remind him.
Andy Harris comes back, puts his cell phone and key on the desk, steps through the magnetometer, doesn’t set it off, and is now on the House floor.
This was entirely predictable, because the House GOP’s fealty to Trump is completely genuine at this point, and honestly, good on Liz Cheney for voting her conscience.
Like, voters aren’t *calling out* for Liz Cheney to be removed as the House Republican Conference Chair.
This is just a bunch of aggrieved men going ‘HOW DARE SHE???!?!??’
House Republicans: Donald Trump shouldn’t be impeached. It was just a little insurrection.
Also House Republicans: LIZ CHENEY MUST BE REMOVED FROM HER POSITION SHE OPPOSED OUR PRESIDENT SHE DOESN’T REPRESENT US IN HER MEANINGLESS POSITION AS CONFERENCE CHAIR THIS IS TYRANNY!!!
Kevin Brady says he opposes $2,000 checks because it would go toward people paying down credit card debt or making “new purchases online at Wal-Mart, Best Buy or Amazon.”
Funny, how people spent money didn't seem to be a huge concern when Republicans passed their tax cut bill.
You know, I just remembered that the day House Republicans passed their tax bill — a bill that Brady was instrumental in writing — he was one of the many Republicans who couldn’t name the tax brackets.
I just went through the Twitters of all 126 House Republicans who signed on to that Texas lawsuit petition.
A few thoughts: [Thread]
The first takeaway is that the vast majority of these members — probably close to 100 — seem to have said nothing at all about the petition.
They didn’t note that they signed on, and they haven’t noted that the Supreme Court quickly rejected the case.
My best guess is that the majority of these Republicans would love to memory-hole the fact that they signed on to an effort to toss out the election results and disenfranchise millions of voters.
It’s simply another act of service for Trump to them.