DL Open Thread Wednesday May 31 2023

According the the Aztec Debt Ceiling Calendar, this was supposed to be the last day prior to the world being consumed by the gods Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl.  Oh Well.   Onward.   Your “truth in headline writing” winner to kick it off.  

Republicans are revolting

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under fire from conservatives, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy worked furiously Tuesday to sell fellow Republicans on the debt ceiling and budget deal he negotiated with President Joe Biden and win approval in time to avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default.

Meeting behind closed doors over pizza for more that two hours at the Capitol, McCarthy walked Republicans through the details, fielded questions and encouraged them not to lose sight of the bill’s budget savings, even though they are far less than many conservatives wanted.

“We’re going to pass the bill,” McCarthy said as he exited the session.

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This is a good news/bad Joe Manchin story. The good news is that Manchin will be out of the Senate.  The bad news is that he might run for President on the Spoiler Party ticket. 

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) is leading incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) by 22 points in a hypothetical U.S. Senate matchup in 2024, according to a poll released Tuesday.

Justice leads Manchin 54 percent to 32 percent, with 13 percent of respondents saying they are undecided, according to an East Carolina University Center for Survey Research poll of registered voters in West Virginia.

The same survey found that Justice has a job-approval rating of 57 percent and a 29-percent disapproval rating. Manchin’s job-approval rating sits at 33 percent, with a 59-percent disapproval rating.

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Normal Candidate:  I’m going to run on all this positive uplifting stuff then purge the government of my enemies when I get in. 

Candidate Trump:  I’m going to run on purging the government of my enemies. 

In recent months, the former president has asked close advisers, including at least one of his personal attorneys, if “we know” all the names of senior FBI agents and Justice Department personnel who have worked on the federal probes into him. That’s according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter and another person briefed on it.

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McCarthy Speakership vs 100 year old Henry Kissinger?   I’ll take Kissinger 

First Republican publicly supports ousting McCarthy as Speaker

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) on Tuesday became the first Republican to publicly support ousting Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) over the debt ceiling deal he struck with President Biden as conservative criticism of the agreement ramps up.

At a House Freedom Caucus press conference Tuesday, members vented their frustration with the agreement and urged their colleagues to vote against it, but Bishop was the sole Republican to raise his hand signifying he would support a motion to oust McCarthy over the bill.

“I think it’s got to be done,” Bishop told reporters after the press conference.

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But Bishop did not commit to filing a motion to vacate the chair, which would trigger a vote on removing McCarthy as Speaker.

“I’ll decide that in conjunction with others,” Bishop said.