Well, Thank You, Mister Speaker!
Who remembers how Paul Ryan (R-WI) coyly demurred when asked if he intended to be Speaker of the House upon Boehner's departure? Nooooo. He said. He was happy with his committee chair and he had no further ambitions in the house. But as soon as Umpa Lumpa vacated, Ryan was not only ready to run, but had a prepared list of demands which, amazingly, included the unanimous support of the republican caucus and weekends off.
I can respect the free weekends.
He damn near got the unanimous acclaim. For the skeptical few who knew better, i.e. the people who recognized him as a clone of Umpa Lumpa, their refusal of support was quickly vindicated. In his first three acts as Speaker, Ryan gave Obama everything he wanted, getting nothing of value in return. On the budget and Obamacare, Ryan simply showed the Democrats his belly and urinated.
We can't fight now, he explained, we need to hold our fire and fight the big battles next year. We can't send Obama a bill he'll just veto. We can't use our constitutional power of the purse to affect outcomes.
Uh, Paul...Yes, you can. It is called doing your duty and representing the people who not only elected YOU, but put your caucus in the majority. Those same to whom you have pandered and promptly ignored in the last several congresses. YES, you can and should send bills to be vetoed. Let the Dems try to defend their position and then blast their argument! That's the process outlined in the little constitution you cynically used as a prop in your 3/23 speech.
As for his primary assertion, next year never comes in terms of Republicans finally fighting for something.
Like Boehner, Reid, Pelosi and McConnell, Ryan believes that the legislative process works this way: One of the four morons or the president (in this case, the 5th moron) wants a bill passed. The five meet in the White House to "negotiate" until the Democrats get everything they want. In the case of Boehner's last budget negotiations, the Dems took the entire $5 trillion show and gave Boehner a $250 million dollar cut to some low level program as a "compromise". Then the shitty deal, now called a bill, is brought before congress. If there is any debate at all, it is simply 90 minutes of theater, and a vote is immediately held with Republican "leadership" pressuring their own caucus to vote for the shitty deal.
Clearly, Speaker Ryan has not read the little book he waves around at speeches. If he has, then he is a coward, corrupt, or Illiterate. Perhaps he is all three. (Nah, he can read.)
Over the past several months,Trump and his supporters have gotten a boatload of grief from this website. You can find two examples here and here.
But there is one thing that will have me standing shoulder to shoulder with the looniest of what I call the Trump cult.
Ryan Announces His Candidacy
In a nakedly choreographed maneuver, Paul Ryan just happened to have an interview on FOX on 22 March. He was asked questions that brilliantly "presaged" the speech he was to give from a committee room on 23 March. During that interview, asked if he would accept a convention site nomination in the event of a stalemate, Ryan smiled and shook his head, as if to say, "Silly Megyn." He said that's not going to happen. He told Kelly that the nominee should be someone running now. Sound familiar?
This was as slick a sidestep as anything a Clinton could devise. Ryan leaves the scantiest of wiggle room, so he can later say, "Well, I sure as heck didn't expect this! But golly, if it means that much to you..."
He then made his speech, complete with four flags in the background, as if he was already the head of state (or in a campaign). He used phases like, "dare to inspire!" and "go bold." He complained that when people "don't trust politicians, they loose their trust in institutions."
Wellllll! Good Morning, Mr. Speaker! Maybe you get it! But the apparent reason you were making the speech was to combat the tone and tenor of the ongoing campaign. That is to say you were speaking in opposition to Donald Trump.
Who doesn't know that it is Ryan and the other morons that have caused the rise of Trump? People aren't so much supporting Trump as venting their anger at you, Ryan! And now you want to be the answer to that anger? Well - thank you, no!
I have defended procedure, including rule 40b of the Rules of the Republican Party. If one candidate doesn't have the full 1237 delegates, the process outlines very clearly that the selection will occur at the convention. That is what everyone signed up for. If they don't understand that, they are too stupid to be president. BUT - if the GOP decides to throw in a ringer, just to upset the apple cart, I will be among those yelling the loudest. Just as I would be if Trump didn't have the requisite delegates but the party slid him the nomination by some kind of royal proclamation.
I've always tried to promote my work, including this site. But I never did anything outrageous. If the outcome of this primary process is manipulated by anyone other than the candidates, including efforts to thwart Trump; outrageous I will be. And I'll have the credibility of being Trump's meanest critique. And when I say candidates, I include all those who suspended their campaigns. They are still officially in it and in the event of a stalemate, they would not be interlopers to the process. But now, Ryan has announced his candidacy by denying it. He, sure as hell, better not be the SOB at the podium when the balloons and confetti start falling.
Matt Jordan is a travel writer, political commentator and author of 16 20 24. Get your SIGNED copy here!
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