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	<title>REPUBLICANS - Inside The Political Chaos</title>
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		<title>REPUBLICANS CAN  KEEP THEIR MAJORITIES BY VOTING IN THE PRIMARIES FOR REPUBLICANS NOT ON TRUMP’S LEASH. </title>
		<link>https://chaospolicy.com/republicans-can-keep-their-majorities-by-voting-in-the-primaries-for-republicans-not-on-trumps-leash/</link>
					<comments>https://chaospolicy.com/republicans-can-keep-their-majorities-by-voting-in-the-primaries-for-republicans-not-on-trumps-leash/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Neil Baron]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:27:56 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DONALD TRUMP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MAGA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PRIMARIES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[REPUBLICANS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vote]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://chaospolicy.com/?p=5285</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Trump’s reckless attack on Iran will be the last straw for American voters. There’s never been a more urgent and clearer need to rein Trump in, even if it means impeachment. Republicans not enslaved by Trump are more likely to win primaries than ever before. Trump’s approval rating is&#160;at its lowest ever at 36%, down18 ... <a title="REPUBLICANS CAN  KEEP THEIR MAJORITIES BY VOTING IN THE PRIMARIES FOR REPUBLICANS NOT ON TRUMP’S LEASH. " class="read-more" href="https://chaospolicy.com/republicans-can-keep-their-majorities-by-voting-in-the-primaries-for-republicans-not-on-trumps-leash/" aria-label="Read more about REPUBLICANS CAN  KEEP THEIR MAJORITIES BY VOTING IN THE PRIMARIES FOR REPUBLICANS NOT ON TRUMP’S LEASH. ">Read more</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/republicans-can-keep-their-majorities-by-voting-in-the-primaries-for-republicans-not-on-trumps-leash/">REPUBLICANS CAN  KEEP THEIR MAJORITIES BY VOTING IN THE PRIMARIES FOR REPUBLICANS NOT ON TRUMP’S LEASH. </a> first appeared on <a href="https://chaospolicy.com">Inside The Political Chaos</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Trump’s reckless attack on Iran will be the last straw for American voters. There’s never been a more urgent and clearer need to rein Trump in, even if it means impeachment. Republicans not enslaved by Trump are more likely to win primaries than ever before. Trump’s approval rating is&nbsp;at its lowest ever at 36%, down18 points from March 18 until March 29 (notably, MAGA voters were included in the poll). And his Republican loyalists are beginning to abandon ship.</p>



<p>Trump is letting Vladimir Putin&nbsp; send Iran intelligence on American military movements and&nbsp; give Iran technology that makes Iran’s drones more accurate and deadly. Our President is helping Iran fight until it exhausts America’s military. It’s already draining the Pentagon’s supply of precision-guided munitions designed to hit specific targets.</p>



<p>&nbsp;Putin denied it, but Trump took his word over his administration’s own security experts, and he continues to waive oil sanctions against Russia – another pitiful accommodations to his idol.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Ironically, Trump’s many treacheries are more the fault of sitting Republicans who, among their many oath violations, confirmed the least qualified and most dangerous cabinet in American history. Unlike sitting Republicans however, Trump can’t help himself. He checks all the boxes mental professionals use to diagnose sociopaths and narcissists. Among them:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Narcissists focus exclusively on are their own needs and nothing else. The ugly truth is that Trump’s bombing was self-serving – to distract voters from the Epstein scandal and his punishing economy, and for leverage to declare an emergency as an excuse to deploy American troops on U.S. soil, delay the midterm elections, and prove he can do anything he wants. The attack had nothing to do with Trump’s stated goals of regime change or denuclearization. Both were lies. Preventing the latter was already accomplished by his last attack on Iran, and achieving regime change doesn’t work for the U.S. It certainly didn’t in Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan. </li>



<li>Both narcissists and sociopaths are delusional. Trump insisted regime change had already occurred in Iran when it’s people and  military, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have consolidated around the Ayatollah. He also said the Strait will “open up naturally,” reminiscent of his promise that Covid would “disappear like a miracle.” But by the end of his first administration the U.S. accounted for just 4.2% of the world’s population but 30% of COVID  cases and 19% of COVID deaths. Whether he believes what he says or is lying, he shouldn’t be America’s President.</li>
</ul>



<p>I blame the sitting Republican cowards for putting our country, our allies and most of the Gulf nations in this near-irreversible disaster. There are no good outcomes. Trump might take a politically motivated escape that leaves Iran in control of the Strait of Hormuz and&nbsp;subjects the U.S. and the rest of the world in a devastating oil shock.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Unlike every other U.S. President,&nbsp;Trump never consulted with our allies before bombing Iran. So we won’t be able to rely on their cooperation for decades to come, even, perhaps, if a more reliable government replaces the current one. That’s because American voters elected a rouge president and a complicit Republican majority to Congress, and our allies worry that it could happen again.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Another unspeakable outcome is that Trump continues the war and deploys American troops in Iran which would extend the war indefinitely and ensure a more obvious U.S. loss given Iran’s rugged mountains and uninhabitable deserts.</p>



<p>There have been many courageous Republicans&nbsp; that have done great things for our country, even saved us from several crises. We need them now more than ever to save us from this Iran train wreck&nbsp; and to restore the Republican party to its respected standing at home and internationally.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Perhaps the most difficult challenge&nbsp;to a new Congress will be to recapture the honor, trust and respect that sitting Republicans allowed Trump to reduce a respected global leader to a nation widely mocked, distrusted, and shunned.</p>



<p>Twitter (X):<a href="https://x.com/ChaosPolicy/status/2039741763532009503?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title=""> https://x.com/ChaosPolicy/status/2039741763532009503?s=20</a></p><p>The post <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/republicans-can-keep-their-majorities-by-voting-in-the-primaries-for-republicans-not-on-trumps-leash/">REPUBLICANS CAN  KEEP THEIR MAJORITIES BY VOTING IN THE PRIMARIES FOR REPUBLICANS NOT ON TRUMP’S LEASH. </a> first appeared on <a href="https://chaospolicy.com">Inside The Political Chaos</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>REPUBLICANS CAN FIX OUR COUNTRY</title>
		<link>https://chaospolicy.com/republicans-can-fix-our-country/</link>
					<comments>https://chaospolicy.com/republicans-can-fix-our-country/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Neil Baron]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 16:22:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Congress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GOVERNMENT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[impeachment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Netanyahu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PRESIDENT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[REPUBLICANS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trump]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://chaospolicy.com/?p=5272</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Republican Party earned its recognition as the Grand Old Party by saving our country. It can do it again in the upcoming primaries by electing Republicans not beholden to Donald Trump &#8212; Republicans with the policies that worked for America.  Republicans safeguarded the continued existence of the United States before during and after the ... <a title="REPUBLICANS CAN FIX OUR COUNTRY" class="read-more" href="https://chaospolicy.com/republicans-can-fix-our-country/" aria-label="Read more about REPUBLICANS CAN FIX OUR COUNTRY">Read more</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/republicans-can-fix-our-country/">REPUBLICANS CAN FIX OUR COUNTRY</a> first appeared on <a href="https://chaospolicy.com">Inside The Political Chaos</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Republican Party earned its <a href="https://www.history.com/articles/election-101-why-is-the-republican-party-known-as-the-g-o-p" title="">recognition as the Grand Old Party</a> by saving our country. It can do it again in the upcoming primaries by electing Republicans not beholden to Donald Trump &#8212; Republicans with the policies that worked for America. </p>



<p>Republicans safeguarded the continued existence of the United States before during and after the Civil War. It’s Congressional majority passed the <a href="https://www.history.com/articles/thirteenth-amendment" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">13th Amendment</a> abolishing slavery, and it strengthened post-civil war America by promoting industrial expansion and free labor. Those policies together with Republican President Abraham Lincoln’s leadership pulled America through a crisis that threatened its survival. </p>



<p>We’re in a different crisis now and need those kinds of Republicans, even if it takes impeachment; although there are less extreme measures.</p>



<p>All Presidents sought Congressional Declarations of war or Authorizations for Use of Military Force before they attacked another country. Trump did neither.&nbsp;</p>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/middleeast/100000010747206/how-trump-decided-to-go-to-war.html#:~:text=President%20Trump's%20embrace%20of%20military%20action%20in,few%20of%20Mr.%20Trump's%20advisers%20voiced%20opposition." target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Nor did he let Congress know what he was about to do. In fact, it wasn’t Trump, it was Benjaman Netanyahu</a> who decided we should bomb Iran. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/world/europe/iraq-iran-us-allies.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Trump complied without input from Congress or consulting with or informing our European</a>, <a href="http://by confirming https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/gulf-allies-disappointed-u-s-didnt-notify-about-iran-attacks-and-ignored-their-warnings-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Asian and  Persian Gulf allies, all of whom spurned Trump’s plea for help in liberating the Strait of Hormuz.</a> </p>



<p>Yet Trump’s obedient Republicans tolerated all of it, including letting a foreign leader launch the Iran war, and Trump’s brazen contempt for the Constitution. Worse, they enabled Trump’s bombing by confirming the most corrupt, sycophantic, dangerous and unqualified cabinet in America’s history.&nbsp;</p>



<p><a href="https://thefulcrum.us/ethics-leadership/presidents-ranked-best-to-worst repercussions and bipartisanship https://chaospolicy.com/to-restore-bipartisanship-democrats-should-vote-for-republicans-not-subjicated-by-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">The key components of every President’s cabinet</a> are expertise, competence, experience, high ethical standards, the ability to challenge the president without repercussions and bipartisanship <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/to-restore-bipartisanship-democrats-should-vote-for-republicans-not-subjicated-by-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">that’s solved</a> the most contentious issues for more than two centuries but is sorely lacking today. Sadly, sitting Republicans confirmed a cabinet that fails dismally on every count.</p>



<p>Republican President Lincoln’s cabinet was <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=bipartisan&amp;oq=was+Lincoln%27s+cabinet+bipartisan%3F&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigATIHCAYQIRirAjIHCAcQIRirAjIHCAgQIRirAjIHCAkQIRiPAtIBCjMyNDI0ajBqMTWoAgiwAgHxBWMoSHGpvkOz8QVjKEhxqb5Dsw&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiFt9X00KeTAxUakiYFHVuCJvMQgK4QegQIARAB" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">intentionally bipartisan</a>, representing different views on slavery. It helped Lincoln unite a fractured nation, and played key roles in the Union’s Civil War victory and the abolition of slavery. </p>



<p>There’s an enormous amount of damage that needs to be undone and catastrophes that need to be prevented.&nbsp; Non-Trump Republicans need to:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Restore the FBI unit that tracks threats from Iran and that Kash Patel gutted days before Trump bombed Iran.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Prevent Trump from sending ground troops to Iran that could require the scale of troops in Vietnam and be to Iran’s advantage. Rugged mountains&nbsp;make up half of Iran. Its urban centers are inland and protected by the mountains and uninhabitable deserts. &nbsp;</li>



<li>Repeal cuts to Medicare and Medicaid Republicans passed as part of Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax cut that replaced lost revenues with cuts to both safety nets.&nbsp;</li>



<li><a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/dataviz/dfa/distribute/table/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Narrow our shamefully wide</a> wealth spread. Republicans’ $4.5 trillion tax cut will make it wider.</li>



<li>Revive USAID <a href="https://newrepublic.com/post/206858/donald-trump-economic-growth-tariffs?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_ticker_rss&amp;vgo_ee=YvNnxDGxi60L6BbZnPl0UaoYJryTmqKIvSyDI7uso%2Bh5lzBp6A%3D%3D%3A%2FEzooPiZpO%2B%2BAqwiNCoRvGZRWNicEynw" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">which Trump shuttered</a>. <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/chikungunya/quick-takes-death-toll-usaid-cuts-withdrawal-chikungunya-vaccine-funding-updated-ebola#:~:text=One%20year%20after%20the%20Trump,and%20child%20deaths%20from%20tuberculosis." target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">A year later, more than 762,000 people relying on medical aid died including more than 500,000 children.</a>  <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/did-you-know-this-or-is-it-what-you-wanted/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Other crucial defense and economic benefits are now in jeopardy.</a></li>



<li>Restore the&nbsp; guardrails against corruption abolished by Trump&nbsp;. He then built his net worth from $4.3 billion to $7.3 billion, often ignoring bipartisan opposition to his actions.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Stem the threat to the dollar’s supremacy triggered by fiscal irresponsibility. Large countries have set up trade relationships using other currencies. The dollars share of reserve currencies is at a <a href="https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/global-research/currencies/de-dollarization" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">two-decade low. </a></li>



<li>Rebuild America’s ability to prepare for disasters hobbled by Trump that could have saved most – maybe all – of the 120 people killed in Kerr County, Texas.</li>



<li><a href="https://chaospolicy.com/trump-sends-us-trade-partners-and-best-scientists-to-china-launching-its-sluggish-economy-into-recovery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Restore budget cuts</a> and reduce hostility towards immigrants that’s <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/trump-sends-us-trade-partners-and-best-scientists-to-china-launching-its-sluggish-economy-into-recovery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">sent our best scientists and researchers to China. </a></li>



<li><a href="https://chaospolicy.com/will-republicans-confirm-americas-most-unqualified-and-dangerous-cabinet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Impeach and replace Trump’s cabinet of the most unqualified dangerous sycophants</a> in the country’s history by not confirming Trump’s picks until he’s gone.</li>



<li><a href="https://chaospolicy.com/supreme-court-advances-trump-to-dictatorship-mangles-constitution-to-let-him-replace-agency-dems-w-republicans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Restore the two Democrats Trump fired</a> from the NLRB to replace them with sycophants so it could no longer protect workers rights by not confirming his picks for replacements to any agency where Trump intends to replace members with sycophants until he’s gone.</li>
</ul>



<p><a href="https://chaospolicy.com/we-have-the-tools-to-quickly-stop-trumps-devastation-but-were-not-using-them-fast-enough/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">There are less extreme measures</a> than impeachment. But what demands impeachment is an honest look at Trump’s decisions to aggrandize his power and image instead of benefitting Americans, and his immorality and dishonesty. </p>



<p>Consider his latest betrayal. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/03/politics/trump-iran-war-explanations-goals" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Trump told us</a> he’s bombing Iran to achieve regime change, then switched his reason to preventing Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. Both were lies. He had already accomplished the latter by his last attack. His real reasons for <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-many-people-have-been-killed-us-israel-war-iran-2026-03-17/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">the bombing and killing thousands</a> were to distract from the Epstein scandal and his punishing economy, for leverage to declare an emergency as an excuse to deploy American troops on U.S. soil, to delay the midterm elections and prove <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/17/politics/video/trump-cuba-honor-ldn-digvid" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">he can do anything he wants</a>. </p>



<p>He also told us he was shocked when Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz – also a lie. Trump’s Chairman of the Joint <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/iran-oil-hormuz-blockade-trump-f96bdd53?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqdT0ft_f691UkSKvQLY9poN47kJ_EDjC36C5MkxW2QJR7mQiZbOHdfgxPHL2Ng%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69b6fddb&amp;gaa_sig=QiTynCdznDIPQkRve-S5DQqFQVonSYK7rdKHN-Qn8iqyuAZZcxIcOld1VrxsUOwWdwX-160XF931t8hP6vYZVw%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Chiefs of Staff warned him</a> that an attack could prompt Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials long-believed Iran would deploy mines, drones and missiles to close the world’s <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/iran-oil-hormuz-blockade-trump-f96bdd53?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqdT0ft_f691UkSKvQLY9poN47kJ_EDjC36C5MkxW2QJR7mQiZbOHdfgxPHL2Ng%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69b6fddb&amp;gaa_sig=QiTynCdznDIPQkRve-S5DQqFQVonSYK7rdKHN-Qn8iqyuAZZcxIcOld1VrxsUOwWdwX-160XF931t8hP6vYZVw%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">most vital shipping lane, and Trump acknowledged</a> the risk. </p>



<p>His press secretary&nbsp;claimed “The Pentagon has been planning for Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz … well before Operation Epic Fury …”&nbsp;</p>



<p><br><a href="https://chaospolicy.com/remember-when-america-was-respected-envied-and-trusted/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Perhaps the most difficult challenge</a> to a new Congress is to recapture the honor, trust and respect that sitting Republicans allowed Trump to diminish a respected global leader to a nation widely mocked, distrusted, and shunned.</p>



<p>Twitter (X): <a href="https://x.com/ChaosPolicy/status/2035392019082916082?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">https://x.com/ChaosPolicy/status/2035392019082916082?s=20</a></p><p>The post <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/republicans-can-fix-our-country/">REPUBLICANS CAN FIX OUR COUNTRY</a> first appeared on <a href="https://chaospolicy.com">Inside The Political Chaos</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>DEMOCRATS CAN THREATEN REPUBLICAN SEATS BY VOTING IN GOP PRIMARIES FOR NON -TRUMP REPUBLICANS</title>
		<link>https://chaospolicy.com/democrats-can-threaten-republican-seats-by-voting-in-gop-primaries-for-non-trump-republicans/</link>
					<comments>https://chaospolicy.com/democrats-can-threaten-republican-seats-by-voting-in-gop-primaries-for-non-trump-republicans/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Neil Baron]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 2025 17:51:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Democrats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DONALD TRUMP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GOP]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[PRIMARIES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[REPUBLICANS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VOTING]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://chaospolicy.com/?p=5193</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Congressional Republicans won’t defy Trump because they fear being challenged in their primaries by a candidate backed by him and financed by his billionaire supporters. Democrats can threaten Republican members Congress more than Trump by voting in Republican primaries for Republicans that are not beholden to Trump.&#160; 10 states have primaries that allow any registered ... <a title="DEMOCRATS CAN THREATEN REPUBLICAN SEATS BY VOTING IN GOP PRIMARIES FOR NON -TRUMP REPUBLICANS" class="read-more" href="https://chaospolicy.com/democrats-can-threaten-republican-seats-by-voting-in-gop-primaries-for-non-trump-republicans/" aria-label="Read more about DEMOCRATS CAN THREATEN REPUBLICAN SEATS BY VOTING IN GOP PRIMARIES FOR NON -TRUMP REPUBLICANS">Read more</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/democrats-can-threaten-republican-seats-by-voting-in-gop-primaries-for-non-trump-republicans/">DEMOCRATS CAN THREATEN REPUBLICAN SEATS BY VOTING IN GOP PRIMARIES FOR NON -TRUMP REPUBLICANS</a> first appeared on <a href="https://chaospolicy.com">Inside The Political Chaos</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Congressional Republicans won’t defy Trump because they fear being challenged in their primaries by a candidate backed by him and financed by his billionaire supporters. Democrats can threaten Republican members Congress more than Trump by voting in Republican primaries for Republicans that are not beholden to Trump.&nbsp;</p>



<p>10 states have primaries <strong>that</strong> allow any registered voter to vote in the other party’s primary without having to change their party registration.&nbsp;</p>



<p>14 states currently have primaries where voters who aren’t registered with any party can vote in any primary.</p>



<p>Democrats can always vote their choice in a national election no matter which primary they voted in.</p>



<p>Adding Democrat voters to those who vote against Trump-obedient candidates in primaries will increase the odds that Trump- obedient candidates will lose their seats to a non-Trump Republican.&nbsp; And plenty of independents will join them.</p>



<p>&nbsp;Among independents, 74% disapprove of congressional Republicans. Approval of Trump’s handling of the shutdown stands at 25%, with disapproval at 75%.</p>



<p>&nbsp;76% of independents want the tax credits for the health care marketplace to be extended. And 55% of Americans have a favorable view of the Affordable Care Act.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Of course, Democrats would need to decide whether they’re more likely to beat a non-Trump Republican than a Trump-obedient Republican in the national election.</p>



<p>Also, voters can vote in only one primary, so Democrats may&nbsp; be less willing to give up their vote in a close Democratic primary than they would in a runaway primary.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If Congressional Republicans can feel the way the wind blows, they’ll think seriously about leaving Trump’s ship.</p>



<p>Twitter (X) <a href="https://x.com/ChaosPolicy/status/2006422995624182199?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">https://x.com/ChaosPolicy/status/2006422995624182199?s=20</a></p><p>The post <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/democrats-can-threaten-republican-seats-by-voting-in-gop-primaries-for-non-trump-republicans/">DEMOCRATS CAN THREATEN REPUBLICAN SEATS BY VOTING IN GOP PRIMARIES FOR NON -TRUMP REPUBLICANS</a> first appeared on <a href="https://chaospolicy.com">Inside The Political Chaos</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>McCarthy’s Faustian Bargains</title>
		<link>https://chaospolicy.com/mccarthys-faustian-bargains/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Neil Baron]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:34:00 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[Congress]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>McCarthy Bargains: A Dangerous Deal with the MAGA Fringe Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy made covert deals with twenty one Representatives who changed their votes in order to give him the Speaker’s gavel, including rewarding them with powerful committee assignments. Members of Congress are supposed to engage in constructive dialogue, mutual respect, and compromise to write laws that improve Americans&#8217; lives. ... <a title="McCarthy’s Faustian Bargains" class="read-more" href="https://chaospolicy.com/mccarthys-faustian-bargains/" aria-label="Read more about McCarthy’s Faustian Bargains">Read more</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/mccarthys-faustian-bargains/">McCarthy’s Faustian Bargains</a> first appeared on <a href="https://chaospolicy.com">Inside The Political Chaos</a>.</p>]]></description>
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<h2><strong>McCarthy Bargains: A Dangerous Deal with the MAGA Fringe</strong></h2>
<p>Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy made <a title="" href="https://truthout.org/articles/white-house-demands-mccarthy-reveal-hidden-bargains-made-to-win-speakership/">covert deals</a> with<a title="" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/21-mccarthy-holdouts-got-committee-assignments-rcna66152"> twenty one Representatives</a> who changed their <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/democrats-must-go-on-the-offensive-against-voter-suppression/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">votes</a> in order to give him <a title="" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/mccarthy-foes-inch-closer-deal-speaker-standoff-enters-day-4-rcna64553">the Speaker’s gavel</a>, including rewarding them with powerful committee assignments.</p>
<p>Members of Congress are supposed to engage in constructive dialogue, mutual respect, and compromise to write laws that improve Americans&#8217; lives. Instead, most of McCarthy’s appointments obsessively seek to degrade Democratic accomplishments, dismantle America’s law enforcement institutions, and sow distrust in our elections, often through bizarre accusations.</p>
<h2><strong>MAGA Fringe Appointees: Threats to Lawmaking and Democracy</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Marjorie Taylor Greene</strong> <a title="" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/reps-marjorie-taylor-greene-paul-gosar-receive-committee-assignments-d-rcna66137">was rewarded with seats</a> on the Oversight and Homeland Security committees. She was also the clear winner of the deranged canard competition. She has claimed that:</p>
<ul>
<li>The QAnon conspiracy theory is true. It holds that a global child-sex trafficking ring is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/9-11-and-the-rise-of-the-new-conspiracy-theorists-11599768458">backed by the government</a> and run out of a pizza restaurant in DC by celebrities and politicians.</li>
<li>The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/us/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-republicans.html">9/11 attack was a hoax</a>.</li>
<li>The Clintons may have arranged the plane crash that killed JFK Jr.</li>
<li>Devastating wildfires were started by “a laser” from space, controlled by a Jewish banking family with connections to powerful Democrats.</li>
<li>She <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/us/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-republicans.html">wanted to execute</a> Nancy Pelosi.  </li>
<li>The Democratic party <a href="http://americantruthseekers.com/must-read-democratic-party-involved-with-child-sex-satanism-and-the-occult">was into</a> child sex, satanism, and the occult.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/topic/supreme-court">Supreme Court</a> Justice <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/topic/ruth-bader-ginsburg">Ruth Bader Ginsburg</a> was replaced by a body double before her death in 2020.</li>
<li>The Capitol Police <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/taylor-greene-dragged-railing-against-nancy-pelosis-gazpacho-police-1677805">were like</a> the gestapo (she mistakenly called them “the Gazpacho”).</li>
<li>Vaccine passports were like the <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-keeps-comparing-covid-holocaust-amid-backlash-likens-vaccine-passports-1594538">stars Nazis forced Jews to wear</a> to identify them during the Holocaust.</li>
<li>Dr. Anthony Fauci is like the Auschwitz doctor Josef Mengele, the Nazi <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-says-josef-mengele-covid-link-fair-comparison-1675644">“Angel of Death.”</a></li>
<li>The July 4 and Highland Park shootings were set-ups by rich people to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-greene-questions-july-4-shootings-designed-get-republicans-back-gu-rcna37118">pressure Republicans </a>to back gun control.</li>
<li>Prosecuting the people at the Capitol who bashed windows, built gallows, chanted “Hang Mike Pence,” and <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/01/08/rioters-left-feces-urine-in-hallways-and-offices-during-mobbing-of-us-capitol/">urinated and smeared feces</a> on the walls is “a political witch hunt.”</li>
<li>Walmart is “<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/rep-greene-outraged-walmart-reportedly-sells-dildos-kids-toothbrushes-1767935">sexualizing children</a> with sex toys.”</li>
</ul>
<h2><strong>Weaponization of Government: MAGA Fringe’s Agenda</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Dan Bishop</strong> was given a spot onthe House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which is intent on proving that Democrats have weaponized the DOJ and FBI to attack conservatives. The subcommittee has a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/us/politics/jim-jordan-trump.html">budget</a> of $19 million, up from $7.6 million last year. Its staff was expanded from about 20 to more than 60.</p>
<p>Weaponization Select Committee Chairman <strong>J</strong><strong>im Jordan</strong> claims to have heard from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/jim-jordan-fbi-whistleblowers">“dozens and dozens of whistleblowers”</a> about how the FBI has been “weaponized” against the Right. In fact, he’s heard from <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/03/jim-jordan-weaponization-subcommittee-witnesses">three of them</a>, none of whom described any wrongdoing. They are each about as credible as George Santos.</p>
<p>One, George Hill, repeatedly called for <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/03/jim-jordan-weaponization-subcommittee-witnesses">dismantling the FBI</a> and suggested that it would be better for Americans to “die than to have any kind of domestic intelligence program.”</p>
<p>Another, FBI Special Agent Garret O’Boyle,has a vendetta against the agency after being suspended for refusing to take part in a SWAT raid on a January 6 suspect. O’Boyle claimed January 6 <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/03/jim-jordan-weaponization-subcommittee-witnesses">was “set up” </a>by the Democrats with the help of the FBI. He posted a video of himself outside the Capitol on January 6 wearing body armor and a gas mask and holding an AR-15-style rifle. He also compared COVID-19 vaccine mandates to Nazi genocide.</p>
<p>The third, Stephen Friend<strong>, </strong>isanothersuspended FBI special agent who helped Russian propaganda outlets while an FBI employee. He was quoted extensively in a <em>Sputnik</em> article headlined “Federal Agencies Turned Into Instrument of Intimidation,” and he did an interview with <em>Russia Today</em>.</p>
<p>O’Boyle and Friend were paid by Kash Patel<strong>,</strong> a high-ranking official in Trump’s administration, who also found them jobs. Patel is facing a Justice Department investigation for improper disclosure of classified information.</p>
<h2><strong>MAGA Fringe Influence: Undermining the FBI and Law Enforcement</strong></h2>
<p>Sadly, Jim Jordan, his Select Committee, and other Republicans gunning for the FBI have done their damage. Almost <a href="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/public_surveys/biden_s_gestapo_trump_raid_hurts_voter_trust_in_fbi">half the country</a> now doesn’t trust the FBI, citing concerns it does the bidding of one political party over another. This is a tragedy for the country.</p>
<p>The FBI was founded as an <a href="https://www.legendsofamerica.com/20th-fbi/">apolitical crimefighting force</a> in 1909 and has become the world’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2017/07/13/how-independent-is-the-fbi">mightiest domestic intelligence</a> agency. It has arrested countless criminals involved in organized crime, cyber security breaches, terrorism, espionage, drug trafficking, murders, and other violent crimes. It continues to prevent crime and save lives through its surveillance operations. Yet the Republican Right wing is calling for it to be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-far-right-wants-fbi-destroyed-and-defunded-2022-8">destroyed and defunded</a>.</p>
<h2><strong>Republican Moderates vs. MAGA Fringe: A Struggle for Control</strong></h2>
<p>More moderate Republicans have expressed chagrin at this radical turn. One G.O.P. committee <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/jim-jordans-singular-pursuit-of-justice">aide complained,</a> “There’s a big difference between oversight where you have expertise and oversight just to churn out press releases.”</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Reward Lauren Boebert with Oversight Role</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lauren Boebert</strong> was rewarded with seats on the Oversight and Accountability Committees,  which will muckrake and investigate the Biden administration in an effort to degrade its accomplishments.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Support Boebert&#8217;s Controversial Statements</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/01/politics/lauren-boebert-ilhan-omar-marjorie-taylor-greene/index.html"> She suggested that</a> U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who is Muslim, is a terrorist. She regularly calls Omar, Representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts “the Jihad Squad.”</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Back Boebert&#8217;s Defunding NPR</strong></p>
<p>Boebert called for <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3946934-musk-boebert-call-to-defund-npr-after-it-quit-twitter/">NPR to be defunded</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/laurenboebert/status/1628455863303262210?lang=en">claiming</a> it’s a government propaganda tool. She <a href="https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/04/lauren-boebert-says-affirming-trans-peoples-identities-will-lead-to-school-shootings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sai</a><a href="https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/04/lauren-boebert-says-affirming-trans-peoples-identities-will-lead-to-school-shootings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">d</a> talking about transgender identity and oppression causes students to shoot up schools.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Endorse Andy Biggs for Judiciary and Oversight</strong></p>
<p><strong>Andy Biggs</strong> stays on the Judiciary and Oversight committees and was <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-jim-jordan-announces-judiciary-subcommittee-leadership">named chairman</a> of the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance. He called Dr. Anthony Fauci a “<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/x2xq9x/yellowbellied_republican_rep_andy_biggs/">coward</a>” and <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAndyBiggsAZ/status/1650584822417440768">tweeted</a> that Tucker Carlson “reveal[s] the truth in America today.”</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Align with Biggs on 2020 Election</strong></p>
<p>Biggs was <a href="https://congressionalintegrity.org/fact-sheet-andy-biggs-extreme-oversight-agenda-shows-what-the-house-gop-will-do-for-more-power/">a ringleader</a> in the plot to overturn the 2020 Presidential election and was joined by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/07/us/elections/electoral-college-biden-objectors.html">147 Republicans</a> including 16 of McCarthy’s appointees. Along with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/12/republicans-election-deniers-voters-midterms/">most</a> of last year’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/12/republicans-election-deniers-voters-midterms/">120 Trump-backed candidates</a>, he endorsed the “big lie,” even though the claims of voter fraud were <a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jan/08/joe-biden/joe-biden-right-more-60-trumps-election-lawsuits-l/">rejected</a> by 60 courts including the Supreme Court, every state and federal election official including Republicans, <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/its-official-election-was-secure">all federal election officials and intelligence agencies</a>, and Trump’s own A<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-matt-gaetz-gets-weaponization-federal-government-committee-rcna69602" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">was added</a>ttorney General William Barr.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Add Matt Gaetz to Weaponization Committee</strong></p>
<p><strong>Matt Gaetz</strong> will stay on the Judiciary Committee and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-matt-gaetz-gets-weaponization-federal-government-committee-rcna69602" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">was added</a> to the Weaponization Select Committee, where he dog-whistled his antisemitism by complaining about the “Soros-ization of the US Justice System.”</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Back Gaetz Despite Controversial Remarks</strong></p>
<p>He<a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/07/matt-as-hell-a-roundup-of-matt-gaetzs-most-outrageous-remarks/"> asked</a> Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who was about to testify against Trump, “Do your wife and father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison.” He later withdrew the accusation.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Support Gaetz&#8217;s Immigration Stance</strong></p>
<p>He <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article20029155.html">suggested</a> that two Black members of Florida’s Senate couldn’t write or spell, and told a group of teens that <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/07/matt-gaetz-women-who-support-abortion">abortion rights activists are too fat and ugly</a> to impregnate.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Ignore Gaetz&#8217;s Anti-Immigration Lies</strong></p>
<p>Generously funded <a href="https://data.democratandchronicle.com/pro-gun-money/candidate/gaetz-matt/h6fl01119/">by the NRA</a>, Gaetz <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-parkland-dads-manuel-oliver-fred-guttenberg-gun-violence-hearing-2019-2">argues</a> that immigration of violent criminals –- not guns — is the greatest driver of shootings. He’s either ignorant or lying about that. Crime by illegal immigrants is <a href="https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/2020-10/working-paper-60.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">45% l</a><a href="https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/2020-10/working-paper-60.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ower</a> compared to native-born Americans. Crime by legal immigrants is 62% lower.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Back Gaetz&#8217;s Anti-Immigration Rhetoric</strong></p>
<p>False rhetoric about immigrants and crime helped freeze immigration during Trump’s administration.  That depleted the labor force, which as Fed Chair Powell <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/powell20221130a.htm">said</a>, contributed heavily to wage inflation, driving up costs consumers pay for essentials. About a million would-be immigrants who were turned away <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/679061">could have taken high-skilled jobs</a> that boost U.S. innovation, productivity, and economic growth if they had been let let in. Immigrants  generate <a href="https://eml.berkeley.edu/~moretti/multipliers.pdf">2.5 jobs per worker</a> and are <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w27778">three times more likely</a> than U.S-born workers to start businesses.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Receive NRA Contributions</strong></p>
<p>Republicans <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-rifle-assn/recipients?id=d000000082&amp;t2-Chamber=House">received</a> $645,382 from the NRA last year while Democrats and Independents received nothing –- proof that impartiality has vanished from the Republican party when it comes to preventing the slaughter of adults and children. Indeed, <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-rifle-assn/recipients?id=d000000082&amp;t2-Chamber=House">every one</a> of McCarthy’s appointees receive NRA money and oppose gun control.  Coincidence?</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates’ Role in Blocking Gun Control</strong></p>
<p>Lawmakers who block gun control, particularly assault weapons, could be guilty of <a href="https://www.justia.com/criminal/offenses/homicide/involuntary-manslaughter/">involuntary manslaughter</a>. It is a felony defined as committing a reckless or negligent act that results in the death of another person. Notably, proving it does not require showing intent to cause death, only that the defendant was, or should have been, aware of the risk of death.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates and the Risk of Gun Control Opposition</strong></p>
<p>Risk of death from blocking gun control is undeniable. The US has 5% of the world’s population and 42% of the world’s civilian gun ownership. There are <a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2018/mar/05/pricey-harrison/does-america-have-42-percent-worlds-guns/">88.8 guns per 100 Americans </a>  — the world’s highest per capita rate. There have been 21 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/09/us-on-track-set-record-mass-killings-2023">mass shootings</a> in 2020, 28 in 2021 and 36 in 2022. As of May 7, 2023, there have been 202 mass shootings, on track to set a record.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Reinstating Paul Gosar</strong></p>
<p><strong>Paul Gosar</strong> was <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/reps-marjorie-taylor-greene-paul-gosar-receive-committee-assignments-d-rcna66137">reinstated</a> on the Oversight and Investigation committees after being removed for tweeting an <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2021/11/09/politics/gosar-anime-video-violence-ocasio-cortez-biden/index.html">anime video</a> of himself killing Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and swinging a sword at President Joe Biden. He also posted <a href="https://www.azmirror.com/2021/11/11/meet-paul-gosar-the-titan-slayer-arizonas-white-nationalist-icon/">a video</a> in which he appears to slash immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border with anime blood spattered on the screen.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Endorse Gosar Despite Extremism</strong></p>
<p>Gosar has a <a href="https://www.azmirror.com/2019/11/21/paul-gosar-conspiracy-theories-screwing-with-everyone/">history</a> of promoting <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/us/elections/17-republicans-decline-to-condemn-qanon-as-the-house-votes-to-reject-its-conspiracy-theories.html">QAnon</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/22/these-six-yes-six-siblings-republican-congressman-just-endorsed-his-opponent/">birtherism</a> conspiracies. He <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/liar-liar-pants-on-fire-6-times-paul-gosar-made-us-say-what-did-he-just-do/75-20053823-bb0e-406e-8167-aab4626a91ad">claims</a> the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville was paid for by “<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2017/10/05/arizona-rep-paul-gosar-pushes-far-right-conspiracies-charlottesville-george-soros/737205001/">Obama supporter</a>” George Soros, who “<a href="https://www.azmirror.com/2020/10/21/just-when-you-thought-u-s-rep-paul-gosar-couldnt-sink-any-lower/">turned in his own people over to the Nazis.</a>” He called the people who attacked the Capitol <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2021/05/12/rep-paul-gosar-calls-jan-6-us-capitol-attackers-peaceful-patriots/5063404001/">peaceful patriots</a> and <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2021/06/16/liz-cheney-calls-paul-gosar-liar-capitol-riot-ashli-babbitt/5292651001/">accused</a> the Capitol Police of “executing” insurrectionist Ashli Babbitt.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Support Mike Cloud&#8217;s NRA Ties</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mike Cloud</strong> won seats on the powerful Appropriations Committee which controls federal spending. Having  received <a href="https://data.news-leader.com/pro-gun-money/candidate/cloud-michael/h8tx27049/">$46,000</a> from the NRA and pro-gun PACs, he introduced a bill <a href="https://thetexan.news/texas-rep-michael-cloud-other-republicans-warn-atf-rule-change-could-lead-to-unlawful-gun-registry/">to prevent</a> the federal government from building a firearms registry.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Back Andrew Clyde on Appropriations Committee</strong></p>
<p><strong>Andrew Clyde</strong> was awarded a spot on the Appropriations Committee. He claimed that the video of the attack on the Capitol just showed an <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/565223-gop-rep-defends-description-of-normal-tourist-visit-on-jan-6/">orderly group of normal tourists</a>.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Ignore Clyde’s Racism and Extremism</strong></p>
<p>Clyde’s <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/investigations/clydes-votes-emblematic-of-congress-dysfunction/ZIU4NAAKVZCNNO6LOS3OVR4VAQ/">racism surfaced</a> when he blocked naming a federal courthouse after Judge Joseph Hatchett, the state’s first Black Supreme Court justice.  It resurfaced when he voted against a community garden that commemorated 23 people murdered by a white supremacist in a mass shooting, and again when he voted against the <a href="https://eji.org/news/antilynching-act-signed-into-law/">Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act</a> which makes lynching a federal hate crime.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Defend Clyde&#8217;s Pro-Gun Stance</strong></p>
<p>Clyde received $11,600 from <a href="https://danieldefense.com/">Daniel Defense LLC</a>, a supplier of assault weapons, and <a href="https://clyde.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=670">voted to repeal</a> taxation, registration, and regulation of several of their weapons. Clyde also <a href="https://oliverwillis.com/andrew-clyde-scandals-and-controversies/">handed out AR-15 lapel pins</a> to fellow Representatives during a week that commemorated gun violence victims.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Elevate Eli Crane Despite CRT Opposition</strong></p>
<p><strong>Eli Crane, </strong>whowill serve on the Homeland Security Committee, <a href="https://twitter.com/EliCrane_CEO/status/1445488893424398340">accused Biden</a> of using the “FBI Gestapo to Terrorize Parents Opposed to CRT [critical race theory].”</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Overlook Bob Good&#8217;s Ethical Issues</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bob Good </strong>of Virginia was appointed to the Budget, Education, and Workforce Committees and was named Chairman of the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations and Employee Benefits. He filed a false financial disclosure form that <a href="https://click.ngpvan.com/k/20210510/256092974/-1408805349?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9OR1AvTkdQMDYvMS84NDIzNSIsDQogICJEaXN0cmlidXRpb25VbmlxdWVJZCI6ICIwZDljNTRlZS04YzBjLWViMTEtOTZmNS0wMDE1NWQwM2FmZmMiLA0KICAiRW1haWxBZGRyZXNzIjogIkdyYW50QHZhZGVtb2NyYXRzLm9yZyINCn0%3D&amp;hmac=hIpKSeI8bhUvaQYxGZamNov9ZVRweOMXeJEiZkBcIpE=&amp;emci=051a3a43-f70b-eb11-96f5-00155d03affc&amp;emdi=0d9c54ee-8c0c-eb11-96f5-00155d03affc&amp;ceid=2297064">listed no assets</a>. An amended report revealed assets indicated <a href="https://click.ngpvan.com/k/20210511/256092975/234186633?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9OR1AvTkdQMDYvMS84NDIzNSIsDQogICJEaXN0cmlidXRpb25VbmlxdWVJZCI6ICIwZDljNTRlZS04YzBjLWViMTEtOTZmNS0wMDE1NWQwM2FmZmMiLA0KICAiRW1haWxBZGRyZXNzIjogIkdyYW50QHZhZGVtb2NyYXRzLm9yZyINCn0%3D&amp;hmac=hIpKSeI8bhUvaQYxGZamNov9ZVRweOMXeJEiZkBcIpE=&amp;emci=051a3a43-f70b-eb11-96f5-00155d03affc&amp;emdi=0d9c54ee-8c0c-eb11-96f5-00155d03affc&amp;ceid=2297064">multiple conflicts of interest</a> because he voted to award major government contracts to two companies he held stock in, including two that pushed opioids.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Back Andy Harris Despite Capitol Comments</strong></p>
<p><strong>Andy Harris</strong> will continue to serve on the Appropriations Committee and was appointed chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Food and Drug Administration Subcommittees. Even Republican constituents are calling for his resignation because <a href="https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/">he likened</a> the mob banging on the Capitol’s doors to the enthusiasm that greets a president’s arrival at a State of the Union Address. Harris also <a href="https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/historypolitics/does-congressman-andy-harris-represent-the-future-or-end-of-the-maryland-gop/">claimed</a> the Capitol attack was linked to Black Lives Matter protestors and Leftist provocateurs.</p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Reward Anna Paulina Luna</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anna Paulina Luna </strong>won a seats on the Oversight and Natural Resources panels. She built a backstory <a href="https://people.com/politics/anna-paulina-luna-responds-washington-post-allegations/#:~:text=Claim%3A%20Luna%20made%20conflicting%20statements,Eastern%2C%20Eastern%20European%20and%20Jewish." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">loaded with </a><a href="https://people.com/politics/anna-paulina-luna-responds-washington-post-allegations/#:~:text=Claim%3A%20Luna%20made%20conflicting%20statements,Eastern%2C%20Eastern%20European%20and%20Jewish." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">falsehoods.</a></p>
<p><strong>McCarthy Bargains: Republican Moderates Endorse Mary Miller’s Controversial Views</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mary Miller </strong>will stay on the Agriculture Committee. During a Trump rally, she urged conservative mothers to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/08/illinois-lawmaker-hitler-comments-456596">follow Hitler’s advice</a> to “win the hearts and minds of our children,” (for which she later apologized). She <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/rep-mary-miller-calls-roe-decision-victory-for-white-life">called</a> the overturning of <em>Roe v. Wade</em> a “victory for white life.”</p>
<p><strong>Ralph Norman</strong> will stay on the Financial Services and Budget Committees and was named to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Rules#:~:text=The%20committee%20is%20often%20considered,%22traffic%20cop%20of%20Congress%22." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rules Committee</a>, which controls the introduction and processing of legislation through the House. It has been nicknamed the “traffic cop of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_(United_States)">Congress</a>.” He sent Mark Meadows a text <a href="https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/sc-news/2022-12-13/leaked-2021-text-from-sc-rep-ralph-norman-calls-for-martial-law-congressman-says-message-came-from-frustration">urging Trump to invoke martial law</a> to prevent Joe Biden’s inauguration.</p>
<p><strong>Andy Ogles </strong>won a seat on the Financial Services Committee. During his 2022 campaign he <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/02/18/tennessee-rep-andy-ogles-accused-of-embellishing-resume/">misrepresented</a> himself as an economist, police officer, and international sex crimes expert.  </p>
<p><strong>Scott Perry </strong>brokered a deal between conservatives and McCarthy. He’ll stay on the Foreign Affairs Committee and was given a seat on the Oversight committee. Perry <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/06/23/scott-perry/">pushed a you-got-to-be-kidding fiction</a> that an Italian defense contractor conspired with the CIA to use military satellites to flip votes from Trump to Biden and pressed Mark Meadows and Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen to investigate it.</p>
<p><strong>Matt Rosendale </strong>will continue to serve on the Natural Resources Committee. He <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/congressman-matt-rosendale-neo-nazis-photo_n_64062e2ee4b0e45e2f8ff8eb">posed</a> for a photograph outside the U.S. Capitol with supremacists Ryan Sanchez, a former member of a neo-Nazi street gang, and Greyson Arnold, a pro-Nazi blogger.</p>
<p><strong>Chip Roy </strong>wasgiven spots on the Budget and Rules Committees and kept his seat on the Judiciary Committee. At a hearing on hate crimes against Asians, he equated lynchings with justice, saying, “There’s old sayings in Texas about ‘find all the rope in Texas and get a tall oak tree.’” Asked about the racist connotations his lynching comments evoked <a href="https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/18/texas-congressman-chip-roy-invoke-lynching-causes-uproar/4756789001/">for African Americans</a>, Royreplied, “Yeah, so?”  He <a href="https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/politics/article/Texas-Chip-Roy-voting-lynching-bill-16968445.php">voted against</a> the Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act.</p>
<h2><strong>Consequences of McCarthy’s Bargains: The Future of American Governance</strong></h2>
<p> </p>
<p>McCarthy’s appointees may be good material for a Saturday Night Live skit, but they should set off alarm bells. We now have powerful legislators steeped in dangerous fictions that will pervert lawmaking to the detriment of Americans. McCarthy has brought a pernicious fringe into the mainstream who are unencumbered by reality, and intent on debasing government. Whether delusional, deceitful, dumb, or deranged, they should not be in positions of power.</p>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="915" height="610" src="https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-1237857339.jpg" alt="McCarthy Bargains on Capitol Hill – McCarthy’s Faustian Bargains." class="wp-image-2770" srcset="https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-1237857339.jpg 915w, https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-1237857339-300x200.jpg 300w, https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-1237857339-768x512.jpg 768w, https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-1237857339-330x220.jpg 330w, https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-1237857339-420x280.jpg 420w, https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-1237857339-615x410.jpg 615w, https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-1237857339-860x573.jpg 860w" sizes="(max-width: 915px) 100vw, 915px" /></figure><p>The post <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/mccarthys-faustian-bargains/">McCarthy’s Faustian Bargains</a> first appeared on <a href="https://chaospolicy.com">Inside The Political Chaos</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>How Donald Trump swindles voters</title>
		<link>https://chaospolicy.com/how-donald-trump-swindles-voters/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Neil Baron]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:26:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2024 ELECTION]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DONALD TRUMP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FINANCE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GOVERNMENT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PRESIDENT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[REPUBLICANS]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://chaospolicy.com/?p=2760</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>How Trump Swindles Exposes Republican Fraud in Politics   The Electoral College confirmed the victory of Joe Biden this week. Yet Donald Trump continues his efforts to overturn the results with fruitless litigation.Why do Republicans refuse to admit he should halt his efforts? Many think it is because they need his endorsement in the future when they ... <a title="How Donald Trump swindles voters" class="read-more" href="https://chaospolicy.com/how-donald-trump-swindles-voters/" aria-label="Read more about How Donald Trump swindles voters">Read more</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/how-donald-trump-swindles-voters/">How Donald Trump swindles voters</a> first appeared on <a href="https://chaospolicy.com">Inside The Political Chaos</a>.</p>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>

<h2>How <strong>Trump Swindles</strong> Exposes <strong>Republican Fraud</strong> in Politics</h2>
<p> </p>
<p>The Electoral College confirmed the victory of Joe Biden this week. Yet <a href="https://thehill.com/people/donald-trump/">Donald Trump </a>continues his efforts to overturn the results with fruitless litigation.Why do Republicans refuse to admit he should halt his efforts? Many think it is because they need his endorsement in the future when they face an election even after he leaves office as president. This situation highlights how Trump swindles are intertwined with Republican fraud to manipulate political outcomes.</p>
<h3>The <strong>Trump Swindle</strong>: Misleading Donors with False Promises</h3>
<p>But another reason is to have millions of small donors send money to his <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-fundraising/2020/12/03/3aa1091a-35b6-11eb-8d38-6aea1adb3839_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">defense fund</a>, which has collected more than $200 million since after the election.Donors are told that these contributions will be used to overturn the results. If they believe that, they have another thing coming. Contrary to its stated purpose, the defense fund is a slush fund that exemplifies <strong>Trump swindles</strong> and <strong>Republican fraud</strong>. It can pay for his personal expenses and also finance campaigns in the future.</p>
<p><strong>The Role of Republican Fraud in Trump’s Fundraising</strong></p>
<p>Trump and his team know that the legal battle is hopeless. They suffered litigation losses which culminated in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/17/opinion/supreme-court-trump-election.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Supreme Court</a> decision against their election case. They failed to convince state officials to overturn the results. Even Attorney General William Barr debunked their arguments as he declared there was zero evidence of massive voter fraud. This is a prime example of <strong>Trump swindles</strong> and <strong>Republican fraud</strong> in action.</p>
<h2>How <strong>Trump Swindles</strong> and <strong>Republican Fraud</strong> Influence Future Elections</h2>
<p>But <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/is-trump-the-next-putin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump</a> continues to ask donors to finance his fight to overturn the results. His team has sent more than 200 emails with subject lines that claim “the recount results were bogus” and “will you allow the corrupt Democrats to try to steal this election?” The <a href="https://secure.winred.com/djt/election-defense-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">website states</a> the money would “ensure we have the resources” to defend “the integrity for our election” and not “allow the left wing mob to undermine” it.</p>
<h2><strong>The Complicity of Republicans in Trump Swindles and Republican Fraud</strong></h2>
<p>That is not how the dollars are used because 60 percent of defense fund contributions are sent to Save America, established by Trump, and about 40 percent are given to the Republican National Committee. Supporters would have to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-fundraising-insigh/donations-under-8k-to-trump-election-defense-instead-go-to-president-rnc-idUSKBN27R309" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">donate more</a> than $8,000 before any dollars head toward litigation and recounts. Any contributions under that amount are sent to Save America and also the Republican National Committee.</p>
<p>Trump can use Save America dollars to pay family members and finance travel, hotel stays, and costly events in fancy venues. The donations sent to the Republican National Committee can be used for candidates in any race, even that Georgia <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-georgia-david-perdue-adf4fe5b05bbcd0bc92968665303ba4a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">runoff election</a> that will determine control of the Senate and likely the future of initiatives and cabinet choices of the next administration. The defense fund is the latest cheat by Trump.</p>
<p>Republicans in Congress have mostly turned a blind eye with his previous infractions. This time they are complicit in misleading Trump loyalists into spending money they cannot afford to lose, in the midst of a pandemic, to reverse an election that has been decided, when they know much of it will head to their pockets. This Trump swindle is a clear example of Trump swindles and Republican fraud. It is the perfect parting shot from an administration that was built on fraud and contempt for our laws and citizens.</p>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="753" src="https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/article-img14-1024x753.jpg" alt="How Trump swindles and Republican fraud impact donor money and political strategies revealed in detailed analysis" class="wp-image-2691" srcset="https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/article-img14-1024x753.jpg 1024w, https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/article-img14-300x221.jpg 300w, https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/article-img14-768x565.jpg 768w, https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/article-img14-1536x1130.jpg 1536w, https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/article-img14-860x632.jpg 860w, https://chaospolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/article-img14.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure><p>The post <a href="https://chaospolicy.com/how-donald-trump-swindles-voters/">How Donald Trump swindles voters</a> first appeared on <a href="https://chaospolicy.com">Inside The Political Chaos</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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