It Might Could Be Worse But It Sure Ain’t Good
Welp, I’m planted in front of the teevee watching democracy melt. It ain’t pretty.
The proposed House rules for the 118th Congress gives the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee the power to review calls for a constitutional convention and/or propose amendments to the Constitution.
This is to give conservatives the power to actually call a constitutional convention to, you know, do away with democracy as we know it. First they will kill it and then they will eat it at Jim Jordan’s backyard barbeque and corporate power auction.
Over at the New York Times, they outline a plan hatched up by some goofy Texas congressfool and Rick Santorum. (There is no explanation of why Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay weren’t involved in this scheme. My bet is that their wives have them chained to a wall somewhere and I am deeply appreciative of that.)
Santorum was pushing for Pennsylvania to become the 20th state to formally call for a convention in recent years, out of the 34 states required. But it is not clear exactly how many states have weighed in, since not all have adopted the same language and some petitions were submitted decades or longer ago and may even have been rescinded.
Texas congressidgit Jodey Arrington believes that when pending petitions are fully tallied, the 34-state goal might already have been exceeded. His legislation would require the archivist to “authenticate, count and publish” applications by the states, forcing Congress to act.
Keep a side eye on this one. It’ll be worth your trouble.
Very scary.
1Every time I wonder how low the GOP will go, they exceed my wildest imaginings!
2This falls under Article V of the US constitution. If 2/3 of the states call for a convention, it’s on. Congress then specifies if changes proposed are to be made official by (a) 3/4 of the state legislatures, or (b) conventions in 3/4 of the states. Since the state conventions can be set up in a vastly un-democratic way, my money is on that being chosen.
And this is why the Republican take-over of state governments was so deadly. First, for the gerrymandering, but now for the ability to turn the US into whatever they want. The 14-th Amendment is one they clearly want to dump (with possible exclusion of mail-order brides of ex-Presidents). The 15-th is another one they would love to cross off. And for when even gerrymandering and racism won’t suffice to keep them in power, how about a national law about elections.
3Happy New Year Everyone!
Santorum? What’s that $sshole got to say now? More extremist Corporate Fascist agenda no doubt.
Let’s privatize Social Security, let the markets decide!
4And privatize Public Education, a MEGA hat on every child!
Freedumb (!!!) Voting Rights Act, only white christian republicans allowed to vote!
So what happens if after several failed votes, Pelosi gets a dozen purple Dems and offers to support McCarthy if gives her concessions. No Jordan, Green, Boebert, MAGA-hat positions. Gets the pound of flesh? Might he settle for a centerest leadership unity government?
5On a related US House topic, namely the release of Trump’s tax records [for 6 recent years] by the Ways and Means Committee, these Rethuglikan cocksuckers haven’t wasted any time making the release websites and downloads DISAPPEAR!
Yeah, as of this morning ALL of those Trump Tax disclosure webpages are GONE, pau, woofa, zip, nada.
Y’all may recall that I provided [on another Salon thread] a couple of official Ways and Means URLs for the Trump tax information.
Those official websites have now completely DISAPPEARED, every last mofoing statement and download link that appeared on the main announcement webpage, which has also fucking DISAPPEARED!!!
Here is the original Ways and Means announcement weblink, and the weblink for Attachment E, which contains Trump’s 1040s and other Schedules [particularly the most interesting Schedule Cs]:
[main weblink, contained many sublinks to statements and data downloads, all completely zapped into oblivion]
https://waysandmeans.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ways-and-means-committee-votes-release-investigation-irs-s-mandatory
https://waysandmeans.house.gov/sites/democrats.waysandmeans.house.gov/files/wysiwyg_uploaded/Attachment_E.zip
Check them out, every stinking one now reads:
“We’re sorry…
Thank you for visiting the House Committee on Ways and Means website. We could not find the page you are looking for. If you are looking for something in particular, please try using search or go back to the homepage.”
How’s that for transparency and freedumb in the wonderful American democracy we’re now in?
What I don’t understand is HTF [HowTheFuck] the Rethugs have been able to do this erasure of public records when they haven’t even formed a working House yet? WTF?
Well, I’m sure that they have all been preserved by other websites. I’ll look around, since I myself hadn’t downloaded or copied ever single one of the webpages/downloads.
6If any of y’all find some Ways and Means preservation weblinks, please post here.
This will be led by gym jordan, one of many vengeful actions he has planned. I’m sure magats will be rejoicing in the streets with all their guns strapped on.. This country is in a sick cycle.
7Just for the record, here’s the verbatim text from the main US House [former] webpage releasing Trump’s tax records.
Remember, ALL of this, and all linked websites, were DISAPPEARED sometime very recently, perhaps this morning.
Sabotage like this should be a tsunami headline ‘news media’ item, but somehow I doubt that it will make a ripple in what now passes for ‘Murikan news media.
Should give y’all a very clear idea of how the new Rethuglikan mini-majority is going to pervert our American democracy.
Just as several prongs of their all-out offensive against it is described in this very Salon thread by Ms JJ herownself.
Lock Them All Up! To The Max!
[https://waysandmeans.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ways-and-means-committee-votes-release-investigation-irs-s-mandatory]
“Home»»
Press Releases
WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE VOTES TO RELEASE INVESTIGATION OF THE IRS’S MANDATORY AUDIT PROGRAM UNDER THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION
Dec 30, 2022 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC—The Ways and Means Committee voted to publicly release the Committee’s investigation of the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Mandatory Audit Program under the prior administration. The Committee’s investigation found the mandatory program was dormant, at best, with only one audit opened while the former President was in office, and none have been completed.
Excerpts from Chairman Neal’s opening statement:
“Ways and Means is entrusted with great responsibilities. Today, the weight of our job is heavy. Congress serves as a check on the Executive Branch, and our Committee is entrusted with oversight of our revenue system. We all come to Ways and Means with the goal of creating a fairer tax code. Because at the root of it all, it is our federal tax system that funds the democracy we all cherish and love.
“Our voluntary collection relies on the public confidence that our tax laws are applied evenly and justly, regardless of position or power. For four years, the Committee has been reviewing how the IRS enforces the federal tax laws against, and ensures compliance by, a president.
“A president is no ordinary taxpayer. They hold power and influence unlike any other American. And with great power comes even greater responsibility.
“We are only here today because four years ago, our request to learn more about the program under 6103 was denied. This was the first time that this key oversight function was hampered, and our Committee’s jurisdiction was challenged.
“The Committee expected that these mandatory audits were being conducted promptly and in accordance with IRS policies. However, our review found that under the prior Administration the program was dormant. We know now, the first mandatory audit was opened two years into his presidency. On the same day this Committee requested his returns.
“We anticipated the IRS would expand the mandatory audit program to account for the complex nature of the former president’s financial situation yet found no evidence of that. This is a major failure of the IRS under the prior administration, and certainly not what we had hope to find.
“But the evidence is clear. Congress must step in. I’ve proposed legislation to put the program above reproach. Ensuring IRS conducts yearly, timely examinations while publicly disclosing certain information.
“Our work has always been to ensure our tax laws are administered fairly and without preference, because at times, even the power of a president can loom too large.”
Neal’s opening statement is available HERE.
The Committee’s report is available HERE, and JCT’s report (Attachment I) is available HERE.
Neal’s Presidential Tax Filings and Audit Transparency Act of 2022 (Attachment J).
Attachment A, Attachment B, Attachment C, Attachment D, Attachment E, Attachment F, Attachment G, & Attachment H.
The vote to go into Executive Session was 23-16, and the vote to transmit the documents to the House was 24-16.
### “
8FYI: Just did a Bing search about the House Ways and Means Committee ‘Trump Taxes’ announcement website, and not a whisper about the actual webpages totally DISAPPEARING…
9Havent written my New Year’s Resolution yet (OK I’m lazy), but I am seeing myself more and more missing people who I sincerely disliked when they were public figures. Like Rick Perry (Sorry Aunt Emma) and, believe it or not John Boehner. Watched something over the holidays where he referred to the “Chaos Caucus” for the whackadoodle train. What a wordsmith!
10Along with his “rich corinthian leather” skin.