Dec
20
2022
Sorta
Author: adminO.K.. We have a Congress. Sorta.
If you mean 435 butts in their seats in the House and 100 more in the Senate furniture, yeah, we got us a Congress. Took awhile. But, we got one.
Took a long time. With several dust-ups in a few places. We suffered through the embarrassment of the Walker candidacy. We watched all of Trump’s political wannabees bite the dust. We held our collective breaths for the Secretary of State races as, one after the other, election deniers were stopped in their tracks.
Yeah. We got a Congress. Now, what?
Most candidacies dealt with reality. Facts. A lot of ’em blew Trump-smoke of denialism and lies. Fortunately, their misbegotten lots are now, for the most part, memories. But, memories we shouldn’t forget.
The question is, once these folks swear in come January, will they get anything done? Will the exercise of our efforts at the polls be fruitful or will we get the same old divisions? And stalemate.
Every so often, one of our national pols does something to infuriate the electorate. The most recent, Senator Krysten Sinema who, after the election dust settled, said she was no longer a Democrat. Nuthin’ new there. She hasn’t been a Democrat since the day she was sworn in four years ago. Just ask Arizona Democrats.
While her announcement was full of soft, pleasing sentiments, the truth is, she’s watching out for her own butt. After reading angry tea leaves on the home front and a mailbag full of denouncements of her D.C. activities, she figured if she ran as an Independent in 2024, she could muster enough Republican votes to survive.
I doubt it. We’ll see. Her exit – stage right – wasn’t met with happy faces on the Hill. Democrats had a clear 51-49 majority before she opened her mouth. Now, they’re back to 50-50, given her erratic behavior thus far.
Current Independents Angus King and Bernie Sanders seemed less than welcoming in their comments after Sinema’s announcement. Especially Sanders. She may now be a Senator without a friend.
On the House side of things, we have the dishonorable Kevin McCarthy shouting from the housetops that he’s going to be the next Speaker of the House. He’s already named committee heads and filled out rosters of member assignments. He’s measured the drapes and drawn up floor plans for furniture.
I’ve never seen a politician so coveting of a promotion. But, there he is. Telling everybody. Problem is, he, so far, hasn’t been able to round up the 218 votes needed to be elected Speaker. Not able to get the commitments. Seems there are those 40 angry members of the House euphemistically called the “freedom caucus.” So, McCarthy hasn’t got the votes he needs for the Speakership. Well, well.
Can you imagine the bargaining going on. Horse trading, if you will. Those committee chairmanships. Preferential assignments proffered. Ol’ Kevin has his back to the wall. Suddenly, you may see some new, unfamiliar faces in “leadership.”
Another thing. Ol’ Kevin doesn’t appear to have any idea of the job description. Just “giving orders” is not the prime requirement. He doesn’t appear to have any idea how the job works, i.e. bridging arguing factions, decorum and so on.
A more diligent, effective Congress? Hardly.
Yes, we have a Congress. Sorta.