One definition of insanity is committing the same act again and again even though there was no positive benefit to the action.
MAGA House Republicans want to force the Democrats (and even some Senate Republicans) to agree to their draconian spending cut proposals (including repealing many of the clean energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act) or they will shut the government down.
If readers think they have heard this tune before, that is because Republicans sang this song in 1995-96, 2013, and 2018-19.
In the 21 day 1995-96 shutdown, Gingrich Republicans along with enabling Senators led by Bob Dole tried to shove their budget priorities down Bill Clinton’s throat.
In the end, most of Clinton’s budget priorities prevailed, fiscal surpluses resulted, and the President cruised to a comfortable reelection victory over the wrong side of history Mr. Dole.
In 2013, Republicans, led in part by Ted Cruz, tried to strongarm the Obama/Biden Administration into agreeing to defund the Affordable Care Act, killing it before its implementation could be finalized. This 16 day shutdown led to the surival of the health care law that serves millions well today.
In 2018 and 19, Donald Trump, the great dealmaker, and his cronies in Congress shut down the Government over funding for the border wall. After a 35 day standoff that bridged two different Congressional delegations, a deal was struck that did not include funding for the wall Trump wanted.
In each case, Republicans, the “party of fiscal responsibilty” put the financial stabilty of the country and the American People in jeopardy with their trickle down and screw everthing not defense spending or tax cuts for the rich.
In each case, Democratic Presidents and Congressional Members prevailed.
Republicans, if they were not so fixated on banning books and distorting history education, would do well to learn from the factual past and not repeat the failed political strategies that only made them look cruel, reactionary, unappealing, and inept.
The same advice could also be given to House Speaker (and top Trump Cogressional enabler) Kevin Spineless McCarthy, who, in a move to appease the MAGA Republicans who are threatening to oust him, agreed to launch an impeachment probe of President Biden for unproven allegations of aiding his son in an influence peddling scheme.
One would think that if the MAGA Republicans and the Special Counsel assigned to the Hunter Biden case had any proof of wrong doing by President Biden, it would have leaked by now in the five years since the Trump Justice Department intially launched an investigation into the matter.
Readers should remember that Republicans are no strangers to baseless impeachment proceedings. They tried to remove Bill Clinton after revealtions he covered up an extramartial affair. In the end, he left office with higher approval ratings than when he went in.
So if Republicans want to repeat the insane strategies that earned them nothing but condemnation and the elevation in popularity of the Presidents they were seeking to pummel, they should knock themselves out and go ahead.
Those that do not lose in 2024 for that and their extreme positions on reproductive freedom and voter suppression will be attendees at the Biden/Harris Inaugural in 2025.
No one has ever accused Republican elected officials, or the people who vote for them, of being sane.
My parents told me to pay my bills, and be responsible for my debt. Repugs must not have had any responsible parents.