Big Day On the Hill

We have a beehive of activity on the Hill today, a combination of the Liz Cheney ousting and several committee hearings, all of which one way or the other flows directly from the Jan. 6 insurrection.

We, as in the nation, are still grappling (poorly) with the aftermath of what happened then. We, as in TPM, decided it was worth covering today as one big Jan. 6 story with distinct but highly related moving parts. And we’re doing it right here. I hope this gives you more context and grounding in where we are four months after the attack on the Capitol than a bunch of disparate stories about separate hearings would. Feedback welcome, as always. Check it out.

Perverse Incentives

As you’ve likely seen, what began as civil disturbances in East Jerusalem has cycled into a full scale military engagement between Israel and the Hamas quasi-state in Gaza. Every level of these issues trace back more than a century, or decades, depending on which dimension of the interlocking stalemates you look at. But we shouldn’t ignore the way this particular conflagration has been spurred and accelerated by the protracted crisis of government within Israel itself. Having helped drive the crisis, Benjamin Netanyahu, now acting as the caretaker Prime Minister, has little incentive to deescalate it.

Continue reading “Perverse Incentives”

Four Women Tell Daily Beast That Gaetz Buddy Pressured Them To Have Sex And Do Drugs

The Daily Beast has a doozy of a new story on Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-FL) running buddy.

The explosive new details focus not on Gaetz but on Joel Greenberg, the indicted Gaetz friend and associate who used to be a county tax collector in Florida.

Continue reading “Four Women Tell Daily Beast That Gaetz Buddy Pressured Them To Have Sex And Do Drugs”

Cheney Warns Of Trump’s Enduring Threat: ‘Ignoring The Lie, Emboldens The Liar’

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) who has been vilified for challenging the Republican Party’s unbending loyalty to former President Donald Trump’s lie of a stolen election delivered a powerful speech on the House floor on the eve of her her widely anticipated ouster as conference chair.

Continue reading “Cheney Warns Of Trump’s Enduring Threat: ‘Ignoring The Lie, Emboldens The Liar’”

GOP Rep Knocks Idea Of Stefanik Replacing Cheney To Lead Conference

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) on Tuesday bashed Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), after the New York Republican gained endorsements from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) to replace Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) as conference chair. Continue reading “GOP Rep Knocks Idea Of Stefanik Replacing Cheney To Lead Conference”

Voting Rights Bill Creeps Closer To The Senate Floor, But Now Comes The Hard Part For Dems

Tuesday’s Senate committee mark-up of Democrats’ sprawling democracy overhaul lasted more than eight hours, included dozens of amendment votes and featured plenty of sharp partisan barbs about a Democratic “takeover” of elections and Republicans’ willingness to double down on President Trump’s “big lie.” The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration deadlocked on partisan lines on whether to approve the bill — meaning that Democrats will have to use a complicated parliamentary maneuver to get the so-called For the People Act on the Senate floor.

Continue reading “Voting Rights Bill Creeps Closer To The Senate Floor, But Now Comes The Hard Part For Dems”

AZ Guv Signs Bill To Eliminate ‘Inactive’ Voters From Popular Mail-In Voter List

Arizona’s Republican Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday signed legislation into law that opponents have described as a “purge” of the state’s popular early voting list. 

Continue reading “AZ Guv Signs Bill To Eliminate ‘Inactive’ Voters From Popular Mail-In Voter List”

Bankruptcy Judge Dismisses NRA’s Case Over Concerns It Was Merely Dodging NY AG

A Texas federal judge rejected the National Rifle Association’s bankruptcy application on Tuesday, saying that the gun group was using the process “to address a regulatory enforcement problem, not a financial one.”

Continue reading “Bankruptcy Judge Dismisses NRA’s Case Over Concerns It Was Merely Dodging NY AG”

Ex-DoD Chief To Testify That Fears Over Appearance Of Coup Delayed Jan. 6 Response

Former acting secretary of defense Chris Miller will tell Congress on Wednesday that fears of a coup, or the appearance of one, contributed to his reluctance to deploy troops to the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Continue reading “Ex-DoD Chief To Testify That Fears Over Appearance Of Coup Delayed Jan. 6 Response”