Tag: GOP

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“Truth has left the Republican Party,” writes Melissa MacKenzie of The American Spectator. Her latest piece is the substance of many comments here on Ricochet, so if it enhances the credibility of such statements to see them published by one of the old time rags (it’s not that old, really, just six years older than me), […]

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Ricochet Editor-in-Chief Jon Gabriel is in for Jim on this Good Friday edition of the podcast. Join Jon and Greg as they cheer Ron DeSantis for calling out GOP leaders over many years for making conservative promises to voters and then failing to follow through on them. They also unload on White House spokesman John Kirby for trying to blame President Trump for the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle and for claiming he didn’t see any chaos during the withdrawal operation. Finally, they react to the expulsion of two Democrats in the Tennessee legislature for leading an extended disruption on the floor of the chamber earlier this week and they address the dubious explanations from Democrats about what really happened.

Join Jim and Greg offer a quick update on yesterday’s Don Lemon saga before serving up their three martinis for the day. First, they welcome new studies from the Lancet and beyond showing people who developed natural immunity from a bout with COVID did just as well as the vaccinated against future cases and that natural immunity was stronger against reinfection than the jab. Those who demanded getting shots to keep your job or just be part of society will sure to file this news in the memory hole as quickly as possible. They also unload at the California school district that decided to end high school honors classes in English because they were not diverse enough. Jim explains why those school officials took exactly the wrong course of action. Finally, react to several flawed and failed GOP House and Senate candidates from last year gearing up to run again.

Jim and Greg are pleasantly surprised to see bipartisan Senate criticism aimed at Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg over the Southwest Airlines meltdown over the holidays and the recent FAA computer problem that briefly grounded all flight in the U.S. They also cringe as a second local Republican official in New Jersey is murdered within a week. Whether politically motivated or not, the lack of interest from mainstream media outlets speaks volumes. Finally, Jim highlights his excellent reporting on numerous Chinese spy balloons over the U.S. and our allies in recent years. He also explains why the balloon going over Alaska should have raised many red flags – just as many as the balloon going over the continental U.S.

Join Jim and Greg as they offer up two bad martinis and a crazy one. First, they shake their heads in disbelief and deep skepticism that the Supreme Court couldn’t figure out who leaked Justice Alito’s majority opinion in the Dobbs case, which resulted in the overturning of Roe v. Wade. They also hammer President Biden for demanding no conditions whatsoever to an extension of the debt ceiling, even though his unconstitutional plan to “forgive” student debt by forcing the bill on other taxpayers caused this debate to happen months earlier than it should have. Finally, they roll their eyes at reports that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was tapped to co-chair the Supply Chain Disruption Task Force but never went to a single meeting.  Seems to be a lot of that going around with Biden cabinet secretaries.

Join Jim and Greg as they weigh in the second day of House Republicans at odds over whether Kevin McCarthy should be Speaker of the House. What is the end game of the McCarthy opponents? Will they force a more conservative speaker or will we get one that’s worse? They also thank Elon Musk and Matt Taibbi for exposing more details of how the FBI and other government entities aggressively pushed Twitter to suspend many accounts from 2017 forward. Are we not at a clear First Amendment issue on this story? And they applaud Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his inaugural address that articulates a conservative vision on many issues quite well.

Happy New Year! Jim and Greg are back to their usual format but kick off the year with three crazy martinis after discussing the cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin Monday night. They dig into the chaos within the House GOP conference as Kevin McCarthy fails to win enough votes to become Speaker of the House on the first ballot. They also wince as the Islamic extremist who attacked police with a machete in Times Square on New Year’s Eve was on the FBI’s radar. And they hammer the media for burying the story once the motive was known. Finally, they roll their eyes as a New York Times column argues people need to be looking for shorter mates so they can have shorter children who will be less of a strain on our planet.

GOP House Can Get Off to a Great Start – If They Don’t Blow It

 

Decades of institutional self-neglect have left Congress dysfunctional and unfit to fulfill its constitutional role as the most consequential branch of government. Government of the people has morphed into government by bureaucrats, by the executive, and by the courts. The decision-making mechanisms of the People’s House are broken.

If you were fortunate enough to be educated in “civics,” you may remember being told of the process by which a bill becomes law. It is introduced by sponsors, assigned to committees, vetted with testimony and amended, referred to the whole body if approved, debated and amended again, passed out and then sent to the corresponding legislative body if successful.

Known as Regular Order, the process can be tedious but it has a purpose: to ensure a free, fair process in a lawmaking body where input from all is accepted and the final vote reflects the informed decision of a majority of members.

This year brings an extra edition of the Martini Awards! Today, Jim and Greg offer up their choices for biggest political liabilities in both parties. Then they discuss the best non-political story of 2022 and their favorite personal stories of the year.

Ricochet.com Editor-in-Chief Jon Gabriel is in for Jim. Join Jon and Greg as they fume over yet another Senate Republican surrender on spending – choosing to support a bill to fund the government through September instead of a short-term bill that would give the incoming GOP House majority much more leverage on how our tax dollars are spent. They also roll their eyes as the Cambridge Dictionary redefines “man” and “woman” to accommodate the transgender agenda. Finally, they react to indicted FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried arguing he can’t stay in jail because of his vegan diet and his struggles with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Jim and Greg welcome the 14-year prison sentence handed down to former attorney and cable news darling Michael Avenatti for his crimes of corruption and they warn supporters of both parties not to fall in love with celebrities who happen to say a couple of things you agree with. They also slam Senate Republicans for being way too helpful in passing the Democrats’ lame duck agenda. That strategy apparently includes passing an omnibus spending bill instead of a short-term bill that would give the new House GOP majority much more leverage on appropriations. Finally, as former National Security Adviser John Bolton weighs a 2024 presidential run, they don’t believe his candidacy would go anywhere or be decisive in derailing President Trump.

 

Join Jim and Greg as they once again cheer the impending GOP control of the House and today’s news that Nancy Pelosi will step down as House Democratic leader after 20 years. They also welcome the coming House GOP investigation of the Hunter Biden laptop and several related issues of possible corruption but they believe the first major press conference of the incoming majority should have been to lay out an agenda to lower our food and energy costs. And they wince as California Sen. Dianne Feinstein makes it clear she has no recollection of turning down the role of Senate Pro Tempore in the upcoming Congress.

Brace for the Red Wave (And Some Advice for the GOP)

 

I have long been certain, even in the wake of the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs, that the midterms were going to be a bloodbath for the Democratic Party. When some conservative (or so-called conservative) pundits began wringing their hands that Dobbs would surely spell electoral doom for Republicans, I held fast to my belief that — to quote James Carville — it’s ultimately the economy, stupid.

And the economic news is bleak, no matter how much the Biden White House tries to spin things.

This week on Hubwonk, host Joe Selvaggi talks with political scientist and author, Northeastern University Professor William Mayer, about the new book he has edited, The Elephant in the Room: Donald Trump and the Future of the Republican Party. They discuss how former president Trump has changed, and has been changed, by the GOP, and which path the Republican party is likely to take in the future.

Guest:

Join Jim and Greg as they welcome analysis from MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki showing the economy and inflation as the biggest concerns for voters in the midterms and Republicans ahead overwhelmingly among those voters. They also credit the New York Times for shedding the light on the insane boondoggle of California’s high-speed rail project that is $80 billion over budget and won’t be done in our lifetimes. Finally, they discuss former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard officially leaving the Democrats and urging others fed up with the party to do the same.

Join Jim and Greg as they cheer House Republicans for planning to shine a bright spotlight on China’s many atrocities at home and abroad – from pushing fentanyl into the U.S. to supply chain vulnerability to the persecution of the Uighurs. They also discuss the unique polling approach of the Trafalgar surveys and what it will mean if Republican voters are even more reticent to say who they support but are more determined than ever to vote. And they sigh as Twitter promises ramped-up “fact-checking” that will ramp up before the midterms.

Join Jim and Greg as they welcome the House GOP decision to put an agenda before the voters this year on the biggest issues where the Democrats have failed. They also discuss a former vice president from the EcoHealth Alliance stating under oath that COVID was a result of gain of function research in Wuhan funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. And they wince as Vladimir Putin orders 300,000 reservists to fight against Ukraine, while noting that these new soldiers are probably far less competent than the ones that have already failed.

Join Jim and Greg as they welcome better polling news for the likes of Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and and GOP hopefuls in the critical states of Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, and even Pennsylvania. They also notice the odd trend of Democrats like New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Washington Sen. Patty Murray refusing to debate their Republican opponents. And they may have sprained their eyeballs as the very rich Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard presents himself as a socialist who regrets becoming so wealthy and is now dedicated to saving the planet.

Join Jim and Greg as they get a kick out of Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly tripping all over his words when asked whether he thinks President Biden is doing a good job. They also applaud Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for giving some of his huge campaign funds to help elect other Republicans in his state, and they hammer Charlie Crist his for comparing DeSantis to Satan and himself to Christ. Finally, they cringe at the latest horrible inflation numbers that are getting worse in many ways, even as the Biden administration tries to convince us things are getting better.

It’s all good martinis today! Join Jim and Greg as they welcome news that the Oregon governor’s race is a toss-up thanks to a former Democrat running as an independent. They also celebrate news that the strong hiring numbers we’ve seen in the wake of the pandemic are overwhelmingly powered by Republican-led states. And they discuss why it was long past time for Brian Stelter to be shown the door at CNN after constantly turning a program designed to objectively evaluate the media into a cheerleading session for the left.