For 20-years we have called out the Machievellian nature of Mitch McConnell and his duplicitous agenda to support the UniParty apparatus in Washington DC.  Heck, even the name of this site, “The Last Refuge” came from our non-pretending association as to the nature of the root cause of our problems within the Republican apparatus.  Mitch McConnell has always been working for the other side.

Last night in the confirmation vote for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Mitch McConnell voted no.  In an almost identical way to former Senator John McCain refusing to repeal Obamacare, Mitch McConnell ends his time in the senate with a very planned, purposeful and public rebuke of President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the military.

Do not overlook that Senator McConnell intentionally waited, just like McCain, to cast his ‘nay’ vote until the end of the vote call.  McConnell did this with purpose and public intent, just like McCain.  Vice-President JD Vance then steps-in to a 50/50 vote to cast the tie-breaking vote.

Mitch McConnell now exits the chamber as Pete Hegseth is now confirmed despite him.

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President Trump was asked about Mitch McConnell’s vote as he departed California for the return to DC.  Video Below:

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune is maintaining his pro-Trump agenda position into day #4 of the administration.  Thune appears with the insufferable Sean Hannity to discuss his recent meetings with President Trump and Speaker Johnson, as well as the plans and forecast for legislative support of the American First agenda.

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I have been waiting for someone to outline what the Dept of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is all about.  Unfortunately, perhaps due to the history of the matter, it appears few understand. So, with that in mind, and accepting the operators of DOGE may not have a fulsome comprehension of the dynamic, here is what it means.

The last Federal Budget that passed through “regular order” was for Fiscal Year 2008, signed by President George W Bush in September of 2007.  Every budget since has been outside regular order; a series of continuing resolutions, omnibus spending packages and short-term funding mechanisms.  {CITATION}

That is correct.  In the past 17 years, all federal spending has been ‘short-term’ or ‘stop-gap’ spending measures, generally known as “Continuing Resolutions,” where the govt (House and Senate) continue to perpetually resolve to fund the government.  The CRs as they are known, punt the spending debate by accepting a baseline of prior spending and tweaking around the edges.

The key takeaway to begin thinking about DOGE is to understand that REGULAR ORDER has not been used since Fiscal Year 2008.

Title III of the Congressional Budget Act outlines a legal timeline that each President and Congress must follow {SEE HERE}.  Prior to 2007, Continuing Resolutions were only used to resolve short term arguments about spending priorities.

♦ BACKGROUND – The President is required by law to submit his budget by the first Monday in February.  Yes, even when an election takes place and a President doesn’t assume office until January 20th, the first Monday in February is still the legal requirement for the new White House budget proposal.

The Presidents’ budget is then submitted to The House of Representatives, where two weeks later the Congressional Budget Office, reviews the budget and issues an opinion as to the cost of the budget.   No later than six weeks after the President submits his budget all House committees send the House Appropriations Committee their spending proposals [April 15].

Through May and June, each budgetary appropriations bill from the House is sent to the Senate.  The Senate receives the House appropriations bills, then reviews through the Senate Appropriations Committee (Thune just picked Susan Collins as Chair).  The Senate proposes their spending priorities based on the House bill because the House has constitutional authority to originate all spending [June 15].  The House and Senate budgets are “reconciled” using parliamentary procedures [June 30] and then sent to the President for signature.

The fiscal year begins October 1st.

That’s the regular order process.

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The New York Times is admitting something they previously pretended did not exist, Mitch McConnell is ready to fight Donald Trump.  You guys have watched this battle before, and you guys know that John Thune is the exact same ideological construct as his mentor, Mitch McConnell.  We do not need to pretend here.

An additional aspect to watch closely.  We know the Intelligence Community, the “Six Ways from Sunday” group, are going to do whatever is needed in order to protect their equity interests from the return of President Trump.  Again, no pretending is needed.

Currently, as Senate Majority Leader, John Thune elevates to the intelligence “oversight” group known as the Gang of Eight.  Four members of the Gang of Eight (Go8) come out of the Senate, and four from the House.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, SSCI Vice-Chairman Mark Warner, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are three of the four from the Senate.  However, we still do not know who will join Thune from the GOP side. Who will be the Republican SSCI Chairman?

Internally, Susan Collins is now Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  Mitch McConnell is now Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, a specifically taken position to retain control of Senate rules (think Cloture, Filibuster and importantly, Recess Appointments via Senate schedule).

With Thune on the Gang of Eight, Collins as Appropriations (spending), and McConnell in charge of ‘rules’, who joins Thune on the Gang of Eight?

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It looks like Matt Gaetz is done with DC politics. [Video Below]

During an interview today, Mr Gaetz has big praise for Pam Bondi and says he will remain outside government trying to assist President Donald Trump and the MAGA agenda.

WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said Friday that he doesn’t plan to rejoin Congress after he withdrew his name from consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations.

“I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz said in an interview with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

“There are a number of fantastic Floridians who stepped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service. And I’m actually excited to see Northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation,” he added.

Gaetz, who was first elected to Florida’s state House when he was 28 years old, noted he has been in elected office for 14 years,

“I’m 42 now, and I’ve got other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue — my wife and my family — and so I’m going to be fighting for President Trump,” he said. “I’m going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have. But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress.”

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The RGA as an organization is the state level equivalent of the Mitch McConnell’s federal never-Trump group.  The RGA is notorious for selecting the “approved republican” candidates who are permitted to run for Governor.

If a gubernatorial candidate does not get the approval of the RGA, the candidate can never win the election.  All strategies are deployed to stop him/her.

With the American voters having previously rejected the RGA candidate for Republican president, Ron DeSantis, the RGA announces who will lead their counterattack to regain control.

MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT – The Republican Governors Association (RGA) today announced Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has been elected to serve as RGA Chair, and Montana Governor Greg Gianforte will serve as RGA Vice Chair for 2025. (read more)

The RGA is as predictable as the “six ways from Sunday” organization.

And tomorrow is a Thursday.

…“It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them.”

~ Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince

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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:

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[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.

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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:

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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.”

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