What’s In Store? Ask Kevin …

Posted on by under education, Election 2022, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary, voting rights

The Republican Party, aka GOP, has a large number of highly UNqualified and horrible people in its ranks today.  Margie Greene, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Ted Cruz, Paul Gosar, Louie Gohmert, J.D. Vance, Mehmet Oz, Doug Mastriano, to name just a few who are better suited to working in a circus than in politics.  Or is there even a difference anymore?  But these people are pests, more than anything.  That’s not to say they aren’t dangerous, for they are.  They have voices that are far too loud, far too obnoxious, and that seems to be what Republican voters care about today.  But the bigger dangers are those ‘leaders’ within the party, those whose power to affect what happens is greater than the rest.  Today, I want to talk about one such creature, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

McCarthy represents California’s 23rd district, the most heavily Republican district in the state, and has done so since 2013.  Before that, he spent six years are the U.S. House representative for the 22nd district which, due to redistricting, is largely the same district he represents today.  McCarthy, unlike Herschel Walker, Mehmet Oz, Margie Greene and so many others is not stupid, but rather cold and calculating.  McCarthy and many others believe that if the Republicans seize a majority in the House of Representatives next year, he will be made Speaker of the House, which would give him considerably more power than he has today, although contrary to what he seems to believe, it would not give him unlimited power.  And, there is a possibility that the party would name someone else to be Speaker, though that is up for debate.

I follow McCarthy on Twitter for the sole reason that he is a significant influence and I want to know his thoughts, his plans.  And frankly, I’m not liking what I’m hearing.  Take this tweet, for example …

“Think about this → Inflation is so high that if you’ve had a constant salary for the last year, it’s like you’ve worked more than a month without pay. This is what Washington Democrats took from you. This is the Pelosi Pay Cut.”

He fails to mention that Congress has stymied and blocked an increase in the federal minimum wage rate for over a decade, and therefore the $7.25 a minimum wage worker earns is worth $5.28 today.  That equates to $10,982.40 per year.  THIS, more than anything, is why people are struggling.  His claim about working more than a month without pay is, as my friend Brosephus calls it, bovine fecal matter, or bullshit.

Nearly every single one of McCarthy’s tweets is a put-down of Democrats or of President Biden … he presents no new ideas, no platform … his only ideas are to fault the Democrats for anything and everything, blame the President for whatever he sees wrong with the country, and swear to get ‘revenge’.  But let’s take a look … sift through the bovine fecal matter and see what, exactly, McCarthy (and others) plan to do if the Republicans should gain a majority in either or both chambers of Congress next year.

Here are a few of his ‘ideas’ …

  • Under Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives hasn’t held a single hearing on the origins of COVID-19. That’ll change next year when Republicans are in charge.
  • When Republicans take control, we’ll use the gavel to get answers. Republicans will investigate Hunter Biden’s shady business dealings. Republicans will hold China accountable for COVID19. Republicans will secure the border.
  • Gas prices are high because the Biden administration has made it harder to produce oil here at home. And now he is sending our emergency reserves to other countries like China. This is reckless and won’t solve the problem. We must produce more U.S. energy to lower prices.
  • This gas crisis was entirely predictable and preventable. But Democrats caved to the radical extremists in their party and doubled down on policies that hurt you. A Republican House majority will STOP the madness and put America FIRST.

So … he’s going to waste time and resources investigating the origins of Covid which, it is my understanding, has already been done, but apparently not to his satisfaction.  And he’s going to also waste time and resources investigating Hunter Biden … oh for Pete’s sake, let’s put Hunter Biden to bed!  Hunter is not the president and what he did or did not do is NOT a matter for Congress to investigate!

Gas prices … gas prices … gas prices!  It’s a selling point for the Republicans, because it affects everyone and affects the poorest the most.  However, gas prices are high because the oil industry used the supply chain issues as an excuse to raise their prices far more than their cost increased, which has given the oil companies record profits this year!  And while I might not have any problem with his idea of making the U.S. more energy self-sufficient, unfortunately McCarthy’s idea has nothing to do with renewable energy … nope, he is talking about oil and gas, further destruction of our already devastated environment.  Why?  Well, for one thing, he has already raised over $20 million in donations this year, much of it from the oil and gas industry.  Oh yes, he has a vested interest in pandering to those who are robbing the people of this nation blind!  And in some convoluted thought process, he also said, “We care about the environment, but we care about jobs more.”  Um … people won’t need the jobs before long if we don’t tend to the environment NOW!

McCarthy spoke at the America First Summit that headlined the former guy last week … here is part of what he said …

“I believe in this next election, this is a 50-year election. Never before are we going to feel this type of opportunity in a year of redistricting. We can lock in a conservative majority for the decade.”

There … he said it out loud … they have gerrymandered themselves into a position where they will dominate for the next 10 years.  I shudder at the very thought of it.

And his latest rant is in regard to the Inflation Reduction Act, which you’d think he would support, since all he does is whine about inflation, but nope.  He is falsely telling people it will raise their taxes … his goal obviously being to rile the masses … but the only ones who will see a tax increase are large corporations who are making billions and paying very minimal taxes.  Don’t you think it’s about damn time for the wealthy to start paying their share???  They’re robbing us at the grocery store, the gas station, and everywhere else, so … when do they start contributing to this nation that has been so good to them?  But, again, McCarthy looks to the source of his donations, his own wealth, and bends over.

McCarthy is only one of the many Republicans who would turn this nation into something ugly for the majority of us, but he is one with more power than most, and like most of the Republicans in Congress today, he has no conscience, no values, no integrity.  That’s a lethal combination, my friends.  And that is why we cannot afford to let the Republicans gain a majority in either the House or the Senate.  This may well be the most important election of our lifetime.

30 thoughts on “What’s In Store? Ask Kevin …”

  1. Catch-up time Jill (will probably take me all day)
    On reading the title of your post, a song popped into my head, on reading the post, it stuck there.
    Now I don’t know if you were, or are a fan of R.E.M, or if you listen to them puzzle over some song’s more obscure lyrics.
    Anyway in my summer fuzzed head, somehow the lyrics matched the Republican Mindset as observed by the songwriter (Except for the shade of the shirt).
    Thus I offer you this as a comment.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Hello. The elected republicans know they can depend on the right wing media to create and reinforce the false reality that the base will follow without question. It is separate from the reality that exists but the cult following has not only drank the Kool-Aid but demanding more. And as several very smart people have explained to me most people of both parties are just too busy trying to survive and have some quality of life right now to have the time or energy to devote to knowing and understand what is lies or truth that the politicians are spouting. So for those willing to lie, cheat, and steal it is the perfect time to create fictions that will be exaggerated and amplified as gospel for the most energetic and loud parts of the republican party. That part of the republican base that will not tolerate any explanation of the true situation as it doesn’t fit with what they prefer. I am very worried about this election and the next as they will determine if the experiment in government by the people for the people democracy will continue or if we lose it to become a fascist authoritarian single party government of the wealth for the wealthy. Hugs

    Liked by 1 person

    • You’re quite right that the right-wing, and even to a degree the mainstream media dance to the tune of the Republicans, but the bigger problem is the people who are either too under-educated, ignorant, or just flat out don’t care who are the problem. That we are all struggling to survive these days is a given, but I can guarantee that if they think things are bad now, they aren’t thinking ahead, for if the Republicans have a massive win this year and win the presidency in 2024, by 2026 a lot of people will wish they were dead. They need only to look at Germany in 1933 to see the parallels. People will have a great deal more to worry about at that point than the price of fuel or whether they can carry their gun into a movie theater! Hugs

      Liked by 1 person

  3. On the money….although I think the “horrible people” you mention at the beginning are more than just “pests.” Pests are a nuisance. Those people are a deadly danger to democracy, especially if the GOP takes control of Congress and the Senate in 2022 and the Presidency in 2024.

    Liked by 2 people

    • ‘Tis true that they are dangerous pests, but they are also the sort who will disappear without the puppet masters pulling their strings. They aren’t particularly intelligent and most often are prodded by those who are holding them up, like McCarthy, Trump, and others. I don’t discount them, but in this case I’m going for the ones who have workable ideas of how to implement an authoritarian government. Left to their own devices, the Margie Greenes, Lauren Boeberts and Herschel Walkers couldn’t find their way onto a ballot, but with support from those like McCarthy … therein lies their danger. IF the GOP gains a majority in the Senate, I suspect the 2024 election is already all over but the crying. We simply cannot let it happen! Gotta convince people that this may well be the single most important election of their lives!

      Liked by 2 people

    • That’s true of many of them, but the current clan of Republicans go beyond even that … they are heartless men & women who would gladly see half this nation dead, if they somehow gained from it. xx

      Liked by 1 person

  6. It’s true that this has always been the nature of politics. I can remember doing a report on the Taft era in high school. Now there was a man of contradiction. Politicians, as a rule, make bold and often ridiculous promises to get elected. What I’m grappling with at my age is the fact that I’ve matured enough, seen enough lies and collusion to recognize a snow job when I hear one, but I see millions of Americans buying into political propaganda like they’re waiting for a sale on QVC. I’m old enough and astute enough to check facts before I buy into or support political agendas. Is America, as a society, collectively becoming dumber? And it is more crucial now than ever to pay attention to the bozos we buy into because the issues at stake are paramount to the survival of this PLANET. We aren’t talking money in the bank here, folks. I can see it now. When the floods come and the prepared ones have their arks floating, the masses will be pounding at the door waving wads of wet cash to get in. Or the truly deplorable ones have already invested in having their ‘escape hatch’ built, so the hell with everyone else. I think this is why I have never aspired to be wealthy. With few exceptions, I believe it IS the root of all evil. If not already having wealth, it is the desire to gain riches which drives mens’ darkest actions. The younger generation is our best hope for putting honor and reason back into the White House. But will they care enough to go out and vote? That is a coin toss because, by history, the majority of young people have either a blase’ attitude towards politics or they think if they can’t support either party it’s okay to just not do anything. Sadly, much of the remaining idealistic ones will vote for a third party candidate or write in someone ridiculous to make a statement (that no one cares about). As Michelle said in Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion, when she interviewed for a job at a most seedy dollar store chain. “I-I’d like to go… away.” 🥴It is all beyond my comprehension.

    Liked by 2 people

    • To a greater or lesser degree yes, this has long been the nature of politics. However, over the past 6 years, I have seen it escalate to a point that I’ve never seen it in my lifetime, a point where I genuinely believe there is more evil and corruption than ever before in the Republican Party. When Richard Nixon resigned as a result of the Watergate cover-up in 1974, he knew that if he did not resign he would be impeached, convicted, and removed from office, for the GOP was largely horrified by his actions. Today, Donald Trump funds and incites an attempted coup, an insurrection, and the GOP shrugs their shoulders, goes along with the Big Lie, and rather than address the crime, they rush to take steps to ensure that they cannot lose next time, even if that means destroying any remaining bits of democracy in this nation.

      That the people are wearing their rose-coloured glasses is, perhaps in part, the fault of the fact that our democracy has not been seriously challenged until the election of Donald Trump. The people of this nation who are not politically aware (and I believe that’s about 75% of the people) are complacent in their belief that “… all will work out in the long run, because it always does.” They do not understand because they are not politically aware. That is not to say they are stupid, or even ignorant, just that they do not understand. And they are busy … busy trying to recover from the pandemic and the economic challenges it brought, busy trying to support their families despite the rising cost of living, and they don’t think that the upcoming election is any more important than any other. That is where they are dead wrong … this may well be the most important election since the 1800s in this country. It may well determine whether in the future we have a voice/vote, it may determine whether we have a president or a dictator. The question becomes, how do we help them understand? Sigh.

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  7. Jill, for one brief moment, Kevin McCarthy showed leadership when he spoke on the floor following the January 6 insurrection and was critical of the role of Donald J. Trump. Then, he was invited for an audience with the emperor-wanna-be and he changed his tune and has been one of his biggest sycophant acting fans. In my view as an Independent and former Republican and Democrat voter, he truly has let the country down. When he picked at least two people of interest to serve on the House Select Committee, the Speaker rightfully so, said no that is a conflict of interest. By the way, I have shared the above with his staff and pleaded that he become a leader we need him to be. Keith

    Liked by 4 people

    • Jill, the words of Noam Chomsky in the final banner should be in neon lights. So, should the words of conservative pundit Michael Gerson; “The Republican Party is in decay.” Or, the words of Michael Cohen, Trump fixer and attorney, who said under oath; “Donald Trump is a racist, he is a con-artist and he is a cheat.” This is a person who made hundreds and hundreds of Trump problems go away. He was fine then according to Trump, only when he told the truth under oath did he go bad per the former president. Keith

      Liked by 3 people

      • I agree … his words are so apt! Gerson is right, and while we’ve all said the same, it has more meaning coming from him, for he is … or was … a Republican. Michael Cohen’s words have great meaning too, and the fact that he assisted Trump for many years, was his ‘fixer’, gives them even greater meaning, though it doesn’t say much about Cohen’s own character.

        Liked by 1 person

    • One brief moment indeed … not good enough. Now, he shows his true colours. He, like so many in his party, are devoid of humanity. Do any of his staff ever offer a response when you talk to them, or do they just thank you for your time and promise to pass your message on to him, which I doubt they do?

      Liked by 1 person

      • They give me varying degrees of concern. When I say we need a viable GOP they at least listen. McCarthy has failed to learn that trusting your reputation to Donald J. Trump is unwise. Keith

        Liked by 2 people

  9. Pingback: What’s In Store? Ask Kevin … | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  10. That’s just how politicians work, they manipulate the masses, making the voters believe that they’re good on all those empty promises that they’re making to us, and we are still, way too, stupid, to vote for them, and, it doesn’t matter which political party these individuals belong to, politicians are politicians, and they’re all, manipulative, with the singular goal of getting themselves elected or re-elected into office, nothing more.

    Liked by 4 people

  11. The word, though not precise, is assholes! The Republicans, whom I endearingly call Repuglygarbage cans (or Repughs for short), are all Grade F assholes. They are pandering to the wealthy, using their followers as stooges.

    Liked by 3 people

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