CAPITOL HELL
Donald Trump and Republicans want to ram a busload of right-wing prioritiesĀ through Congress in one multi-trillion-dollar, mega-MAGA bill. Their own notorious incompetence and infighting may stop them ā as it has many times before.
- Welcome back! Itās a new year, ho ho ho, and weāre making the best of things. That was pretty much the vibe on snow-covered Capitol Hill today, too, where lawmakers gathered to show how adults handle a political transition: by calmly certifying the results of the last election. Four years ago, supporters of President-elect Donald Trump refused to accept his defeat, rioted, and sent lawmakers running for their lives through the halls of the Capitol before leaving the building marked withĀ blood and feces. This year, nobody on the Democratic side disputed Vice President Kamala Harrisās loss. Harris herself stoically presided over the ceremony certifying her own defeat.
- Unfortunately for Trump, that bipartisan show of unity may be the high-water mark for congressional cooperation for the foreseeable future ā including within the GOPās own microscopic House majority. Thatās because Republicans are hatching ambitious legislative plans and, judging from their recent history, theyāre probably gonna start tripping over themselves while fighting and calling each other insulting namesā¦ while not getting much done.
- Trump is working with leaders in Congress to pass a ābig, beautiful billā that would include all of his major policies goals, from tax cuts for the rich to extreme anti-immigration measures. Thereās a few, uh, problems with that. First of all, the lawmakers arenāt even all on board yet. Far-right House members told House Speaker Mike Johnson last month that theyĀ want it separatedĀ into two bills. Some Republican senators want it split up, too. And you canāt pass shit if your party canāt even agree on how many bills should be considered!
- The thinking is this: House Republicans are so bad at their job (agreeing on stuff) that Johnson thinks it would be easier to pass one massive bill rather than convincing Republicans to pass two. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, however, favors passing one bill quickly to deliver Trump a speedy win before moving on to nitty gritty tax policy. Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)Ā provided a surprisingly sensible point of viewĀ on the situation: āIt seems more realistic ā¦ that we may only get one bite at the apple because you have a highly thoughtful, and a highly dysfunctional, House.ā
We got more evidence for Trumpās legislative incompetenceĀ just before we clocked out for the holidays.
- Remember when centibillionaire conspiracist and āfirst buddyā Elon Musk helped spike the House spending bill, flexing his muscle as the shadow president? House Speaker Mike Johnson barely managed to pass a temporary measure to avoid a government shutdown. That time, Musk and Trump created chaos and controversy whenĀ almost everybody had already agreed on what to do.Ā
- After all, these are the guys who promised āinfrastructure weekā so often in Trumpās first term, with zilch to show for it, that the phrase became a running joke. And infrastructure was supposed to be the thing literally everyone in D.C. actually liked.
- Trump isnāt helping the current situation at all. In fact, heās probably emboldening Johnson and Thune to remain steadfast in their positions. Less than a day after supporting the single bill approach, Trump tempered his own stance: āI would prefer one [bill], but I will do whatever needs to be done to get it passed,ā he told radio host Hugh Hewitt this morning. āIām open to either way as soon as we get something passed as quickly as possible.ā Very helpful. Good leadership. This guy surely knows what heās talking about.
- Trump will still be able to accomplish a lot through executive actions, including restarting border wall construction; banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government; and pardoning as many January 6 rioters as he wants. But historically, presidents have a short window to get big legislative priorities through, early in their tenure. So the clock is ticking.
Grab your popcorn and prepare for Republican infighting of epic proportionsĀ in the coming weeks, months and years. Itās worth remembering that a key obstacle to Trumpās iron rule will be Republican lawmakers sucking at their jobs.
RAILROAD TO VICTORY
There have been countless (some would argue too many) debates and think pieces about the future of the Democratic Party, and how Dems should retool their message to connect with voters. But some progressives have apparently cracked the code ā byĀ focusing on public transit.
In many cities and especially more rural areas, buses and trains are highly inconvenient, if theyāre even an option.Ā But cars are expensive and you canāt Uber everywhere! Public transit is the most wallet-friendly, and often climate conscious, way to get from Point A to Point B. Whatās more, when it works well, people love it.
Two progressive candidates in Texas and Atlanta won their races for the city council and state legislature in November and December, with improved public transit at the core of their campaigns. Socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdaniās campaign reportedly raised a quarter of a million dollars in its first three weeks, faster than any other candidate. His platform includes āfast, fare-free buses,ā an especially hot topic as NYC implementedĀ congestion pricingĀ this week.
āPublic transit, done right, could be politically powerful: Not only does it solve multiple policy problems at once ā making cities more affordable and easier to navigate, while curbing pollution and addressing the climate crisis ā but it offers a way to improve peopleās lives materially, in easy-to-perceive ways, on a daily basis,ā The New Republicās Liza Featherstone writes. Elected Democrats have a lot to prove after Novemberās definitive losses, and this is a great start.
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ā Rudy Giuliani, insisting in court that he didn't withhold his gold watch from creditors, but that he was just being super careful... shortly before a judge found him in contempt.
NEWS NEWS NEWS
Judge Juan Merchan denied Donald Trumpās request to delay his sentencingĀ in the hush money case, scheduled for Friday. It comes as Trump appeals Merchanās rulings dismissing his attempts to toss the conviction. Very normal president-elect stuff!
A federal judge found former New York City Mayor Rudy GiulianiĀ in contempt of court for failing to forfeit $148 million in assets that he owes two election workers as part of a defamation case. He admitted to not turning over some of his assets, including a Joe DiMaggio jersey and cash. Giuliani has, finally, turned over that Mercedes formerly owned by movie star Lauren Bacall. Happy New Year, Rudy!!!
A patient in Louisiana died after contracting the bird flu,Ā according to state public health officials. The person, who was over 65 years old, is the first person in the U.S. to die from the illness.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned todayĀ as the leader of the ruling Liberal Party. Trudeau, who has led the country for 11 years, has recently faced crises including the resignation of allies, low approval ratings, and the threat of tariffs by Trump.
French President Emmanuel Macron slammed Elon MuskĀ for supporting a āreactionary movementā thatās spreading around the world. He also sounded the alarm about the centibillionaireās involvement in electoral politics in the United States and Germany.
A longtime Fox Sports hairstylist accused former host Skip BaylessĀ of harassment and offering her $1.5 million for sex, according to a lawsuit. And here we thought Fox News was a beacon of moral uprightness and respect for women. This changes everything.
UFC macho man and Trump loyalist Dana White will join MetaāsĀ board of directors, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced today. I assume part of the deal is he has to help Zuck train for his next ācage matchā with Musk.
Donald Trump Jr. will make a surprise visit to Greenland this week, shortly after his dad rekindled his weird obsession with buying the island, which is actually part of Denmark. Don Jr. insists the trip isnāt intended to help further Trumpās ambitions. Apparently, heāll be shooting video for a podcast, which is somehow even worse.
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