Month: September 2015

Somewhat surprised to see a couple of the names on this list. Totally not surprised to see others.

Vice President Joe Biden’s schedule over the last month looks a lot like that of a presidential candidate, the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Since the beginning of September, Mr. Biden has held events with nearly every Democratic constituency that would be critical to any White House bid—from women and African-American voters to environmentalists, Latinos and union workers… This weekend, Mr. Biden will deliver the keynote address at the annual dinner of the country’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organization, the Human Rights Campaign, and on Saturday, he spoke at a concert focused on combating global poverty that drew thousands of young people.”

Jonathan Capehart analyzes a potential Keven McCarthy speakership:

That House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) could become the chamber’s next speaker should give everyone pause. Neither he nor the nation will be freed from the passions of the far-right whose incessant revolts and “unrealistic” expectations forced Speaker John Boehner to gleefully choose to spend more time with his family. [...] As I’ve said before, that there have been so many legislative failures should call into question not only McCarthy’s ability to count, but also whether he had Boehner’s best interests at heart.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), “who is quietly locking down support to be the next House speaker, is privately assuring Republicans he’ll take a tougher stand against the White House — and also the Senate GOP leadership,” CNN reports.

“He’s hearing from members angry that the GOP Congress has not advanced the conservative cause more forcefully, and he’s responding with a clear message: He is willing to take a more confrontational stand with the White House and the Senate to achieve the results the party has sought to enact.”

Wall Street Journal: “The most militant House Republicans are expected to be emboldened by Mr. Boehner’s departure, and even less likely to agree to a compromise with Democrats in setting spending levels for the rest of fiscal year 2016.” Good. Good. Let your hate flow through you. A new Quinnipiac poll finds 69% of Americans oppose shutting down the government over funding for Planned Parenthood. Just 23% support closing the government over the dispute. Even among Republicans, 56% oppose a shutdown due to Planned Parenthood.

Charles Pierce says the inmates are officially running the asylum.

Welcome to the monkeyhouse, America. The prion disease afflicting the Republican party finally has devoured the last vestiges of the Republican party's higher functions. I had as many problems with Boehner as Speaker as anyone did, but, dammit, he at least believed that the government should keep running. And, as much as the Times wants to believe it, this has nothing to do with the "challenges of divided government," and everything to do with the fact that the modern Republican party, especially in the House of Representatives, is completely demented. (By the way, if I were any of the Republican presidential candidates, with the possible exception of Ted Cruz, I'd be terrified by this development. If the House goes completely mad, if there is (as I suspect) a wild and bloody battle over the next Speaker, that's going to be what the eventual nominee has to deal with every day on the campaign trail.)