#ky-04

Meredith Lee Hill: Trump often wields power on Capitol Hill through intimidation and fear. That obviously has not broken through on the Epstein matter as much. Several of you defied him on tariffs as well. How is that toolkit wearing thin for him, that he’s not able to badger enough Republicans into falling in line? Thomas Massie: The margin is razor-thin, so on any given day, I would just need one or two of my own co-conspirators to get something done. And what’s happening is that the retirement caucus is growing and primary days are coming up and passing. Once we get past March, April and May, which contain a large portion of their Republican primaries, I think you’re going to see more defections. Because quietly and privately, people are telling me they agree with me. And so there are people who plan on running again who will be past their primaries or certainly past the date at which the administration could put another Navy SEAL up to run against somebody. And then there’s the retirement caucus, which includes people who don’t want to retire, but redistricting is going to take them out or pit them against another Republican when they may retire for that reason.

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Massie brings up a great overlooked point. Republicans can afford to stop giving lip service to Trump after the filing dates for party primaries in their respective states. Trump's big potential threat is to primary these people if they do not obey him to the letter. After the closing dates for primaries, Trump will be unable to dredge up some MAGA zombie to challenge incumbents.

The 119th Congress convenes on Friday. The biggest item on the agenda will be the election of a House Speaker.

Because of small Democratic gains in November, the House now has this narrower makeup...

219 Republicans

215 Democrats

1 vacancy (adios, Matt Gaetz!)

218 votes are required for a majority. To make matters more complicated, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) has stated that he will not vote for current Speaker Mike Johnson – though he hasn't revealed which far right doofus he will support.

Democrats plan to be in the House chamber in force. Even Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, still recovering from surgery, will be there.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi posted a video on social media Thursday from her flight back to Washington, ahead of what will be her first public appearance in the Capitol since she underwent hip replacement surgery after being hospitalized last month for an injury while traveling in Luxembourg. And Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), who hasn't voted since having what his office described as a "minor" stroke in May last year, is set to return Friday, his office confirmed. Democrats are expected to universally oppose Republican Rep. Mike Johnson for speaker, meaning he can lose only one vote and still win the gavel. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has already said he will vote against Johnson, and others like Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) have signaled they're on the fence. President-elect Donald Trump has publicly endorsed Johnson and said he'd make calls for him too, though some Republican holdouts appear unmoved by his appeals.

It has been years, arguably decades, since Republicans stopped worrying about openly displaying hypocrisy. Republicans have no shame but they can be trolled.

Eric Swalwell Slams Jim Jordan With Killer Troll During Garland Hearing

Representative Eric Swalwell called out Jim Jordan on Wednesday for continuing to evade a subpoena to testify before the House January 6 investigative committee. The House Judiciary Committee, which Jordan chairs, held a hearing on the supposed weaponization of the federal government. At one point, Representative Thomas Massie accused Attorney General Merrick Garland of being in contempt of Congress for declining to comment on ongoing investigations into Hunter Biden. Swalwell was quick to hit back. “That is quite rich, because the guy who’s leaving the hearing room right now, Mr. Jordan, is about 500 days into evading his subpoena,” Swalwell said, displaying a countdown clock on a tablet as he spoke. Jordan had gotten up and was walking out of the room. “If we’re going to talk about contempt of Congress, let’s get real,” Swalwell continued. “Are you serious that Jim Jordan, a witness to one of the greatest crimes ever committed in America, a crime where more prosecutions have occurred than any crime committed in America, refuses to help his country, and we’re going to get lectured about subpoena compliance and contempt of Congress?” The January 6 investigative committee subpoenaed Jordan in December 2021 to discuss messages he sent to Donald Trump ahead of the insurrection. Jordan had also sent messages to Trump’s legal team and other people involved in planning the January 6 rally or objecting to the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory. Despite insisting in November that year he had “nothing to hide,” Jordan refused to cooperate with the subpoena.

As NRA Republicans might put it: Another Thoughts and Prayers Situation. 

Five people died when an employee opened fire in a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, and livestreamed the attack on Instagram, police say.

The victims were aged between 40 and 64. Among nine others injured was a rookie police officer who graduated to the force just two weeks ago.

The officer was struck in the head and is still critical after brain surgery.

Police responded within three minutes, and fatally shot the attacker in an exchange of gunfire.

The shooting took place at the Old National Bank in the city centre at about 08:30 local time (12:30 GMT).

One of those murdered was a friend and backer of Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said an "incredible friend" of his, Tommy Elliot, a senior vice-president at the bank, was among the victims.

"Tommy Elliott helped me build my law career, helped me become governor, gave me advice on being a good dad," said Mr Beshear.

Louisville’s mayor survived an assassination attempt last year.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg called the attack "an evil act of targeted violence" and noted that he was also the victim of a recent gun attack.

Last year he was shot at by a mentally disturbed man who had burst into his campaign office. 

The shooter in Monday’s attack was typical of a majority of such mass shootings, a white male under 30 with an assault rifle.

The suspect was named as 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, who police said used an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle during the incident and was broadcasting the shooting online.

Kentucky, the state where Monday’s shooting occurred, is home to assault rifle fetishist Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-04) who sent out this Christmas card right after a mass shooting in 2021.

A clueless and tone-deaf GOP congressman chose as a Christmas photo an image of seven members of his family posing with assault weapons.

U.S. congressman posts family Christmas picture with guns, days after school shooting 

Two prominent Republicans targeted by Donald Trump and his minions for defeat over their insufficient loyalty to his regime have lost their campaigns for Congress and governor this evening after they were rejected by right wing voters in Kentucky and Georgia, demonstrating that wannabe authoritarian Trump’s hold on the party remains strong, even as his regime reaches historic levels of…