Boiling in the Political Stew – “The Sunday Political Brunch” October 8, 2023
Sunday, October 08, 2023
Wow, it seems like every political officeholder, candidate, or cause is in hot water this week. From indicted former President Donald Trump to indicted Hunter Biden to ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, they’re all in the soup! Let’s “brunch” on that and more this week.
“Speaker in the Hot Seat” – House Speaker Kevin McCarthy lost his job. This after he worked with Democrats to avert a government shutdown. The far-right of his own party says McCarthy caved on deep spending cuts and calls for more border security, which they wanted. The vote to end his speakerships was 216 to 210. This is a case of “be careful of what your wish for.” The GOP only has a five-seat majority in the House and is focused on making gains with more moderate candidates in suburban districts, including more women. And all our rebellion could swing the House back to Democrat control with Speaker Hakeem Jeffries in charge. Yes, Trump could be sent back to the White House, with Democrats running both the House and the Senate. It sounds like a recipe for gridlock.
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“So, Who Has the Inside Track to the Gavel?”– The scenario I just described is plausible because the margins are so close. The reason so many Democrats did not back McCarthy (even though he just helped them keep the government from shutting down), is because they want the speakership back at any cost. They may rue the day, because McCarthy is a more moderate leader they can work with, not the hardcore right conservatives now running for speaker, Rep. Jim Jordan (R) Ohio and Rep. Steve Scalise (R) Louisiana. I think Jordan has the edge here as he is currently chairing the House Judiciary Committee’s impeachment inquiry of President Biden. Still, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is widely respected in the caucus, so for now, this race is a toss-up.
Some even want to name former President Trump as speaker, since you don’t need to be in Congress. I doubt that will happen and Trump already endorsed Jordan.
“Do the Math and Show Your Work” – As I mentioned, Democrats need a net gain of just five seats to take the House, while Republicans need a net gain of just two seats to take control of the Senate. Given that math, you might think the GOP would be better strategized to unify in a message again the Biden administration’s record. This week, I spoke with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R) West Virginia, who is now in her second term in the Senate after serving 14 years in the House. She is also the matriarch of a three-generation West Virginia political dynasty, so she knows strategy. Capito said, "All we're doing is infighting as Republicans and trying to tear each other up. It makes no sense to me. Now is the time for us to have a united message with solutions." She pointed to the floundering economy and border insecurity as two places to attack Biden and Democrats.
“The Border Wall is Back and You’re Going to be in Trouble!” – Okay, my headline is a riff on the old 1960s hit by Leslie Gore, “My Boyfriend’s Back.” But this border issue is headed for political troubles. Thursday, the White House announced that it was planning to go ahead with the construction of more border walls along the Rio Grande River in Texas. In the Oval Office, President Biden said, “I’ll answer one question on the border wall: The border wall – the money was appropriated for the border wall. I tried to get them to reappropriate it, to redirect that money. They didn’t, they wouldn’t. And in the meantime, there’s nothing under the law other than they have to use the money for what it was appropriated. I can’t stop that.” So, it’s basically “use it, or lose” it on the leftover border wall funds. The president campaigned in 2020 saying there would “not be another foot” of border wall. And the Republicans will try to roast him in 2024, calling this a flip-flop and proof that Trump was right all along on building it. This could be campaign trouble.
“Trump’s Trumpet Silenced (for now)” – The former President is being tried for civil fraud in a case where the New York Attorney General says he and his sons overvalued certain real estate properties, in order to get larger bank loans. But Trump went too far by criticizing one of the judge’s clerks. In a social media post, Trump put a picture of Court Clerk Allison Greenfield at a campaign event with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) New York. He said Greenfield and Schumer were “palling around,” a suggestion the clerk may be biased against Trump. The judge in the case issued a gag order saying the comments were “unacceptable, not appropriate.” You would think Trump’s lawyers would tell him he’s not making any friends in the courtroom. Do you think he’ll obey the gag order?
“Hunter’s in The Hunt” – Presidential son Hinter Biden appeared in a federal court Tuesday to face felony gun charges. Prosecutors say Biden lied on an application to purchase a gun by saying he was not addicted to drugs when, in fact, he had a considerable drug problem. While the House is holding an impeachment inquiry focused on whether then Vice President Joe Biden helped his son on some foreign sweetheart business deals, you have to wonder if this whole controversy passes the “who cares?” test. Despite a national media presence outside the court, only three protesters showed up. One was wearing a striped jail jumpsuit and holding a placard that said, “Lock Biden Up!” This story really needs to make a critical mass, or else it won’t have much impact in next year’s elections.
“California Dreaming” – Let’s introduce Sen. Laphonza Bulter (D) California, the newest member of the U.S. Senate and only its third female African American Senator. Butler replaces Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) California, who passed away last week. Gov. Gavin Newsom had painted himself in a corner months ago by saying that if Feinstein died, he’d select a Black woman. That got complicated because one of the declared candidates for Feinstein’s seat is Rep. Barbara Lee (D) California, who is Black. The other two declared candidates are also Members of Congress, one female, and one male, but both are white. There was pressure on Newsom to name Lee and fulfill his promise. Instead, Butler will be a “placeholder” and fill out the remainder of Feinstein’s term. Rep. Lee, Rep Adam Schiff, and Rep. Katie Porter will then face off in a March 5th primary for a seat Republicans have no realistic shot at winning.
Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is Chief Political Reporter for the seven Nexstar Media TV stations serving West Virginia, its five neighboring states and the entire Washington, DC media market. He is also a MINDSETTER™ contributing political writer and analyst for www.GoLocalProv.com and its affiliates.
