Mike Johnson’s Day Of Reckoning. For all the breathless supposition, he’s gonna be reelected Speaker. There’s nobody else who could get the votes. Now, it may not be today, but it’ll happen.
With his bid to keep his speakership on the line — despite support from President-elect Donald Trump — the Louisiana Republican is looking to sidestep the kinds of side deals with conservative Republicans that ultimately cost Kevin McCarthy his own political future. But that’s a hard tightrope to cross.
Fiscal hawks want Johnson to make commitments, including giving them greater control over how bills move to the floor and slashing spending — pledges that could be untenable for Johnson with a razor-thin GOP margin. And while conservatives believe that Johnson is keeping an open mind on some of their demands, they’re also concerned about whether he will keep the three conservative rebels on the House Rules Committee, according to one Republican with knowledge of the matter, granted anonymity to detail private conversations.
The stakes are huge, and no one knows how it will play out in the coming hours. Around a dozen Republicans are on the fence, despite Johnson working the last several days to lock down the 218 votes he needs. He can only afford to have one Republican vote for someone else on the floor, but several on Thursday indicated they won’t announce how they will vote in advance.
C’mon, we know how this ends. I grudgingly think that Johnson has been pretty canny in his operations. It’s his Caucus that’s a mess.
“There are always going to be professional provocateurs parading as public officials who want to use the service of other members of Congress — who want to exploit political issues for their own personal political gain to grab attention and headlines, to grandstand. But those members of the Republican caucus, they are not willing to work with any Democrat at this point, and they can barely work with their own Republican members of Congress,” she said. “I think when you see those professional provocateurs focus in and obsess on issues like bathrooms and trans rights, it actually undermines their capacity to be effective serious members of Congress. I think they undermine their capacity to effectively serve.”
Health warning labels on alcohol should be updated to include a cancer risk warning, the surgeon general said Friday, adding that recommended limits for alcohol consumption should also be reassessed, given the increased cancer risk.
Uh, it’s not happening. Were the Surgeon General serious, he wouldn’t have waited until he’s already packed his bags.
Biden Rejects Steel Merger. Trump also opposed the merger. Whether he will take steps to ensure US Steel’s competitiveness remains to be seen:
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has rejected the nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel — affirming his vow in March to block the acquisition.
“We need major U.S. companies representing the major share of US steelmaking capacity to keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests,” Biden said in a Friday morning statement.
Biden previously came out against the deal last March — and was backed by the United Steelworkers, concerned over whether the company would honor existing labor agreements or slash jobs as well as the firm’s financial transparency.
President-elect Donald Trump has also opposed the acquisition and vowed in December on his Truth Social platform to block the deal and to use tax incentives and tariffs to grow the company. Steelworkers’ union President David McCall said last month that the union welcomed Trump’s opposition to the sale and said “it’s time for this deal to be rejected so we can all focus on the future.”
Carney’s ‘Action’ Plan For Wilmington. Wow, an economic development roundtable. Who could have anticipated that? Plus, wait for it, a ‘Council On Homelessness’. Presumably with recommendations due some time in 2026. Hey, John, howzabout on Day One you issue a statement that you will attack homelessness, and, unlike your predecessor, not the homeless? If, I mean, Buccini/Pollin will let you. Which reminds me, Muke Purzycki’s attack on the homeless earns him the dubious dinstinction of Worst Person In Delaware for 2024. What a prick.
A Book That Serious Lawmakers Should Read. My youngest daughter gave it to me for Christmas. Those serious about reforming the criminal justice system and policing will all benefit from picking it up:
“One of the most fascinating developments during this age of Black Lives Matter is how ‘abolition’ has been integrated into mainstream debates on how to change the United States. Yet there is still so much not known or understood about the history, politics and practice of abolition-informed politics. Longtime organizer and educator, Mariame Kaba, is one of the most important voices in the emergent abolitionist movement. We have all been waiting on this book! Kaba and her collaborators write with urgency, while imbuing critical insights with clarifying analyses into what it means to demand an end to the reflexive impulse toward punishment that defines much of our society.” —Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author, From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation
I’m only about a quarter of the way through it. Legislators like Larry Lambert, Marie Pinkney, Eric Morrison, Tizzie Lockman, Madinah Wilson-Anton, and others with an open mind towards reform (meaning, not Franklin Cooke), will get ideas they can incorporate into their legislative work. I find it inspiring.
BHL, wasting no opportunity to draw attention to herself, is planning a big day of festivities on Jan 7 to celebrate the start of her pointless 14-day stint as Governor.
1pm Swearing-in Ceremony at the Old State House
2pm Reception at the Biggs Museum
4pm Celebration at Bally’s
Come and join the fun, as Delaware celebrates this joyous, meaningless occasion!
218-215-1. This will probably be Johnson’s easiest vote from here on out. Except tax cuts for the rich. There’s always a handful of Democrats on board with that. Otherwise it’s up to Jeffries to keep the Dem caucus together.
BTW, Johnson’s acceptance speech was incredibly smug and offensive without an ounce of humility befitting his slim mandate. If you ever find yourself thinking “Maybe Johnson’s not that bad,” just go back and watch his speech.
Question for the class: will Bethany have the welcome to Delaware signs changed to include her name during this fake governorship? How about the portrait?
Prediction: BHL’s most significant action as governor will be to pardon any and all individuals who may have worked on or contributed to her campaigns from 2014 through the completion of any reports associated with her most recent campaign.
So Kevin Hensley is charged with vehicular assault, DUI, and driving without insurance (among other things). He hit a car when peeling out of a Valero and sent it rolling. The incident happened November 9th.
We only are finding out now because he’s on the docket for arraignment Tuesday.
You know damn well the cops would have leaked this to the press immediately (or even published it as they do for everyone else who is similarly charged) had it been a Democrat.
BHL, wasting no opportunity to draw attention to herself, is planning a big day of festivities on Jan 7 to celebrate the start of her pointless 14-day stint as Governor.
1pm Swearing-in Ceremony at the Old State House
2pm Reception at the Biggs Museum
4pm Celebration at Bally’s
Come and join the fun, as Delaware celebrates this joyous, meaningless occasion!
No inaugural ball???
Oh good, I can still make Hensley’s arraignment before witnessing more crime (who is paying for this?????????)
Johnson does not get enough votes on first ballot. Three no’s.
Although…they haven’t gaveled out yet. Meaning, there’s still arm-twisting going on.
Looks like the two R’s, Self and Norman, are about to switch their votes to Johnson, which would make him the Speaker.
And, yes, Johnson has been elected Speaker.
That will get us through the Electoral College certification on Monday. Then the real fun begins.
218-215-1. This will probably be Johnson’s easiest vote from here on out. Except tax cuts for the rich. There’s always a handful of Democrats on board with that. Otherwise it’s up to Jeffries to keep the Dem caucus together.
BTW, Johnson’s acceptance speech was incredibly smug and offensive without an ounce of humility befitting his slim mandate. If you ever find yourself thinking “Maybe Johnson’s not that bad,” just go back and watch his speech.
When Trump and Johnson describe their great mandate, they’re not talking about election results. They’re talking about Elon Musk.
They’d like a man date with him because they think he’ll pick up the check.
Quoted a fake prayer and attributed it to Thomas Jefferson. If yer gonna be a Christian Nationalist there’s enough genuine awful stuff out there.
Trump sentencing in NY case set for next week:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/01/03/trump-new-york-hush-money-conviction-sentence/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert
Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass the White House.
Perhaps the first-ever Inaugural Ball and Chains.
Welcome to Hell.
Question for the class: will Bethany have the welcome to Delaware signs changed to include her name during this fake governorship? How about the portrait?
She’s ready for her closeup.
Somebody should check her swimming pool to make sure somebody isn’t lying facedown in it.
Prediction: BHL’s most significant action as governor will be to pardon any and all individuals who may have worked on or contributed to her campaigns from 2014 through the completion of any reports associated with her most recent campaign.
So Kevin Hensley is charged with vehicular assault, DUI, and driving without insurance (among other things). He hit a car when peeling out of a Valero and sent it rolling. The incident happened November 9th.
We only are finding out now because he’s on the docket for arraignment Tuesday.
You know damn well the cops would have leaked this to the press immediately (or even published it as they do for everyone else who is similarly charged) had it been a Democrat.
Most police officers are thuggish goons.
More on this tomorrow…
https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2025/01/03/delaware-house-representative-facing-dui-vehicular-assault-charges-kevin-hensley/77439974007/
Details here indicate that Hensley might be lucky the other driver wasn’t very seriously hurt or killed, as the car “rolled multiple times.”
“Most police officers are thuggish goons.”
True, but they know a legislative plate when they see one.