Rep. Thomas Massie calls Johnson a "potato" who has blown the budget and should not be Speaker!

The Hill ^ | 12/30/24 7:38 PM ET | by Lauren Irwin

[nathanbedford]

A Representative such as Massie is but one of 435 members so the question arises, what is the scope of his responsibility, both political and moral?

First, Massie must be held to account for his own conduct, that is, he cannot control the destiny of the House of Representatives with its 435 members, but he has 100% control over his own votes and actions. For this he must be held accountable but the question is what is the nature of the accountability? Is the accountability to begin and and only with falling in line with caucus' diktats or should it include the demands of his own conscience? Should his entire responsibility be merely to accede to the wishes of his President?

My view is that it is essential that someone be named Speaker of the House of Representatives and soon. I think Massie should give the powers who have betrayed us so often yet one more chance to do it again but I do not condemn him and certainly do not excoriate him as we have on this thread for meanness of spirit.

Massie is a highly intelligent individual with a remarkable biography of accomplishment. His moral compass tells him that there is a line in the sand here that requires a vote of conscience. I understand that, even as I believe it is the wrong choice. I do not hold him responsible for controlling the fate of an institution of 435 members as the implicit requirement that he nominate another candidate seems to imply.

I regard his choice as one of conscience not unreasonable in view of the very considerable peril that our fiscal profligacy threatens us with.

[MayflowerMadam]

As usual, the Republicans are snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

It almost makes a person wonder if they really WANT to be in charge. It makes a person wonder if they don’t WANT that responsibility but ONLY want to be in DC for the grift, dinners, balls, etc.

[bert]

Like Kim Jong un, Massie does outrageous things to get on TV

[nathanbedford]

The disintegration of the American financial system, the follow-on disintegration of the world financial system, the political threats to our liberties, and the degree of risk all compel prudent men to energize the world against our persistent course of profligacy that will bring us to ruin.

Call it grandstanding, call it doing outrages things to get on TV, or call it standing fast and issuing a wake-up call.

[aumrl]

No 40

a good response
and a good beer

[Wuli]

“I’m sorry but republicans are absolute idiots.”

Correction: SOME republicans are idiots.

“They barely have any majority and need to stick together. So they do the opposite.”

Correction: They barely have a majority and need to stick together. So SOME do the opposite.

It is an error to lump them all togther. They are not all behaving as you suggest, and in fact the majority of the GOP is not behaving as you suggest. Just SOME.

[avital2]

did Massie vote for the many appropriations bills the House did pass - none of which Schumer put to a vote? i don’t follow him as you do

[Georgia Girl 2]

Right now is not the time to get into a big fight over the Speakers chair. We need to get Trump sworn into office.

[bert]

Wrong battlefield, wrong and foolish attempt to do battle.

Massie is just background noise. Trump is the leader and he must be followed to Make America Great Again

[nathanbedford]

Agreed.

There is also an argument to be made in truth that Massie's maverick role here can actually help Trump in keeping the rinos in the House under control, once an actual Speaker is elected.

Trump has not run as a candidate of austerity, rather as he did in 2016 he runs as a candidate who will deliver prosperity and through prosperity cure the deficit. Trump is no fool, indeed he's a brilliant political analyst, he knows that no one gets elected telling the people that are in for a period of austerity.

But what is DOGE all about except massive cuts in spending which will inevitably bite various interest groups in a campaign of austerity camouflaged as a movement to cut "waste fraud and abuse." The siren of cutting waste fraud and abuse is a bromide resorted to by Congressmen from time immemorial to tell the electorate they can solve the debt problem without pain.

There is no way a $2 trillion budget deficit could be cut by cutting waste, fraud and abuse rather entire programs must be abolished and some people will be harmed.

Massie in his own small way has contributed to conditioning the electorate to accept the inevitable. Let us remember that this inevitable pain has been caused not by politicians alone but by an electorate all too eager be pandered to by these politicians. As Trump knows, a politician who does not play the game will not be elected and he must play the game or lose a race to the bottom.

Massie's contribution now seems entirely counterproductive but once the Speaker is in place, Massie's reality must govern.

[Socon-Econ]

OK, but does he have the votes for a replacement to the right of the current Speaker?

[Socon-Econ]

OK, but does he have the votes for a speaker who is to the right of Johnson? Can he show that we won’t end-up with somebody who is worse?

[Manic_Episode]

Matt Gaetz fearlessly kicked ass solo and as squishy as Johnson is NO ONE misses McCarthy.

And everyone hates Gaetz for his solo kickass performance.

My own worthless rep voted for McCarthy and against Jim Jorden and also voted for every Biden pos budget as did Johnson.

Trump got creamed by Paul Ryan.

Trump has some political capital and thinks he can herd cats.

It would seem that Johnson is Paul Ryan 2.0

Life sure would be fun with a decent speaker. This sucks.

[joe fonebone]

Here we go again...
The way to promote change is by doing the same thing over and over?
Re-elect the turtle because we need change?
Keep the guy who tried to force a 1500 page document on us, conceived by our enemies, because we need change?
Are you people even listening to the crap you are throwing out there?
You people are exactly why nothing ever changes.

[GOPJ]

Yes, I have faith Trump can overcome all this crap...

But on the other hand it’s still the deep state against Trump, the FBI, the DOJ, crazy assassins, the MSM, MSNBC, the democrat party and a big chunk of the Republican party. And a bunch of blowhards in Congress that feel ‘standing up to Trump’ makes them real men or some such crap....

We need to get behind Trump. Period.