There’s no doubt Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt is supporting President Trump’s nominees, Schmitt says “yes, I will,” full stop.  Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville is a little less optimistic, but still in favor of supporting President Trump’s nominees.

Tuberville says the issues within the GOP Senate need to be worked out between their opening session on January 5th and the inauguration of President Trump on January 20th.  The GOP needs to hammer out their positions during that timeline, then shut up and support the President.

The conversation then moves to the specific support for Matt Gaetz, both MAGA senators Schmitt and Tuberville say they will support Gaetz for the reasons of confronting the weaponization of Main Justice.  Former AG from Missouri, Senator Schmitt shows why he would be an excellent nominee to confront the Deep State in any role, he rightly notes his previous lawsuits against the Biden administration.  WATCH:

.

(more…)

The co-chair of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Vivek Ramaswamy, appears with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the goals and intentions of the DOGE effort.

Ms Bartiromo continues to pull the conversation back to the need for Ramaswamy and Musk to go to the legislative branch for permission to reduce government waste.  Over and over again, Ms Bartiromo frames this discussion around: DOGE must go to congress for permission.

Note to Ms. Bartiromo.  DOGE is an initiative of the Executive Branch; specifically, an authorized agency with authorized officials carrying the plenary and absolute power of the Presidency.  The President is the Executive.  The Dept of Govt Efficiency, along with all of the other institutions and offices mentioned by Bartiromo, are subsidiaries within the Executive Branch.

This is the Executive Branch, a plenary power, reducing the size of the Executive Branch and eliminating waste within the Executive Branch.  There is no part of this effort that needs permission, authorization or approval from the Legislative Branch.  That entire line of thinking is structurally flawed.  WATCH:

.

President Trump does not have to go to congress to do something entirely within the Executive Branch.

When I watch Ms Bartiromo frame these arguments on completely fraudulent constitutional premises’, I begin to question the motives of Ms Bartiromo.  There’s something else happening here with Bartiromo and her steering “congress, congress, congress” narrative.  I’m not wrong.

(more…)

It has come to my attention that most of MAGA, specifically those who do not understand the history of Republicans in the Senate, support a return to Senatorial and Parliamentary norms, where 60 votes are needed in order to advance any legislative intent. [READ HERE] Stupid is, as stupid does.

Prior to the 2024 election, Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, promised to end the filibuster rule and change the Senate to a simple ‘majority rules’ body.  However, in the aftermath of the 2024 election outcome, where Democrats are now in the minority, Chuck Schumer has a reversal of prior opinion and is requesting the Republican leadership to retain the filibuster rule – giving power to the Democrats who now hold minority position.

Into this mix of UniParty and DeceptiCon political constructs, the online MAGA community are now advocating for a return to old Senatorial rules where amendments can be offered to all bills proposed and the 60-vote threshold is retained for cloture, filibuster power and legislative passage.

Despite knowing Majority Leader Schumer was going to crush them, Senator Rick Scott, Senator John Cornyn and yes, now, Majority Leader John Thune, are taking the high road and promising to keep the power of the Democrat minority in place.  A more apropos example of “Battered Conservative Syndrome” has never been so clear.

WASHINGTON DC – […] “The short version of that is: Please don’t do to us what we were going to do to you. Schumer is obviously concerned that Republicans might embrace a scheme to eliminate the filibuster and pass all sorts of consequential legislation with no Democratic input at all. That wouldn’t be bipartisan! Fortunately for Schumer, Republicans have been more principled than Democrats when it comes to the legislative filibuster, and to the filibuster in general. Republicans realize that even though they will have the majority for the next two years, they might be back in the minority at any time after that. So, Schumer will not get it good and hard the way he planned to give it to Republicans.” (more)

This is exactly how ‘republicanism’ infects the MAGA movement, ultimately and predictably positioning the future republican voters frustrated and shouting at trees.  Democrats, together with Mitch McConnell and John Thune love this, because it retains their lucrative business model.

Let me start by reminding the MAGA victims, that’s YOU, of the position of Democrats:

(more…)

Various media outlets are saying approximately 10 republican senators are in opposition to the nomination of Matt Gaetz for various DeceptiCon reasons.  More than likely the same ones who supported AG Merrick Garland, I digress.

Into this mix of squishy spinelessness comes former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who has an axe to grind against his former nemesis.

WASHINGTON DC – Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy does not believe outgoing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) will be confirmed as attorney general by the Senate after President-elect Donald Trump selected him as his nominee on Wednesday.

Some of Trump’s picks for his Cabinet, including Gaetz for attorney general and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, have garnered strong reactions on Capitol Hill and in the wider political world. McCarthy, whose speakership was ended by a successful motion to vacate filed by Gaetz in October 2023, told Bloomberg he believes Trump’s nominees are good, except for Gaetz.

(more…)

Newly elected Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), held a press conference today to answer questions and introduce his leadership team: Assistant Majority Leader, also called the Republican “whip” John Barrasso (R-WY), Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton (R-AR), Republican Policy Committee Chair Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), Republican Conference Vice Chair James Lankford (R-OK), National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-SC). WATCH:

.

(more…)

[Now we must focus on the very important chairmanships of the senate committees that John Thune will decide.]

In the first ballot the results were: Thune 23, Cornyn 15, Scott 13.

Scott was removed and the Senators went to the second ballot between Thune and Cornyn.

As expected, the Scott coalition split 50/50. Thune picked up 6 votes from Scott’s group.  Cornyn picked up 7 votes from Scott’s group.

Final Vote:  John Thune 29, John Cornyn 24.

It was always going to be this way.  Remember, the Senate is a silo -by design- isolated from influence of the American public.

If we want to change the dynamic, we must repeal the 17th amendment and return to the original constitutional construct: Senators appointed to represent the interests of each state, by State Legislature.

The Senate was designed to represent the interests of the State, not ‘the people’; that’s the job of the House of Representatives.

(more…)

President Trump has announced that Stephen Miller will be the Deputy Chief of Policy for the next administration.  Miller will work closely with President Trump and the legislative liaison to organize and prioritize the flow of actionable policy goals.

Miller will also man the White Board and check off the promises kept!

Associated Press – NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is naming longtime adviser Stephen Miller, an immigration hard-liner, to be the deputy chief of policy in his new administration.

Confirming the appointment, Vice President-elect JD Vance posted a message of congratulations on Monday to Miller on X and said, “This is another fantastic pick by the president.” The announcement was first reported by CNN.

Miller is one of Trump’s longest-serving aides, dating back to his first campaign for the White House. He was a senior adviser in Trump’s first term and has been a central figure in many of his policy decisions, particularly on immigration, including Trump’s move to separate thousands of immigrant families as a deterrence program in 2018.

(more…)

According to Benny Johnson, the whip of rough votes for leadership has been leaked. I have no idea if this is accurate, but in general terms it seems about correct. Thune with 24 votes, Cornyn with 18, Scott with 11. That math tracks with what I would anticipate.

Rick Scott is essentially the 2024 version of Jim DeMint.

A GOP Senate Source has leaked the internal whip-count for the Leadership Vote. The final votes will be on a secret ballot Wednesday.

Here is where the race stands now:

Cornyn (18)
Scott (11)
Thune (24)

Details:

(more…)

Recess appointments have been a general source of contention for those of us in the deep weeds who did not like Republican Leader Mitch McConnell keeping the upper chamber for four straight years 2018 through 2020, when the Republicans eventually lost their majority.

Now that the Senate has flipped back into Republican control, President Trump is proactively looking to confront the “recess appointment” issue withing the current Republican leadership contest. [Truth Social]

A recess appointment is an appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official to fill a vacant position while the United States Senate is in recess.

Recess appointments are authorized by Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which states: “The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.”

(more…)

Arizona has been called for President Trump, who has now officially won every battleground “swing state” and the popular vote.

President Trump has 74.6 million votes so far; Kamala Harris has 70.9 million votes/ballots.

The final electoral count is President Trump 312, Kamala Harris 226.

The senate races in Arizona and Pennsylvania have still not been called.  In Arizona, Republican Candidate Kari Lake is slightly behind, and in Pennsylvania, Republican Candidate Dave McCormick is slightly ahead.

[MAP SOURCE]

ARIZONA – Arizona was the last state called in the 2024 presidential race on Saturday, with President-elect Donald Trump winning Arizona’s 11 electoral votes.

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego’s lead in the U.S. Senate race against Republican Kari Lake grew slightly in results reported Saturday.

(more…)