TOTAL CHAOS
No one is less of a Mike Johnson fan than me. At the same time, I am a fan of a government that can run itself. That seems an almost impossible task if the MAGA contingent remains in office. Last week, Johnson struck a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Even as Republicans began to complain, Johnson held firm. What good is a speaker if you can’t let him lead? His job is to help make decisions that keep the country running and that make the most sense, and it makes no sense whatsoever to let the government shut down for reasons that shouldn’t matter. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the worst rabble-rousers in Congress, refuses to vote on the new bill because it contains aid to Ukraine. We’ve been giving them aid for quite some time, and whether you agree with the war or have no opinion, we should finish the job we started. In speaking with reporters last week, Johnson said: “Our topline agreement remains. We are getting our next steps together and we are working toward a robust appropriations process, so stay turned for all of that to develop.”
The typical response of Republicans was talk of removing Johnson as they did with McCarthy, but they have a problem this time around. Moderate Democrats plan to support Johnson in any efforts at removal. It’s not that Democrats like Johnson better than McCarthy-they’re peas from the same pod-but Democrats are tired of the chaos and simply want to govern. Once again, it’s the “hardliners” who don’t want to cooperate with Democrats to keep the country running. Why did they run for elected office if they didn’t want to work with the other side? Surely, they knew compromise was part of the job. If they didn’t, they’re in the wrong job. Leading is not easy, and Johnson seems to at least be rising to the occasion.
Talks of removal are, of course, inevitable, but Johnson has found unexpected allies in moderate Democrats. One (unnamed) senior moderate House Democrat told NBC News: “Yes, we would back him.” Another Democrat said: “I probably would [support Johnson]. We can’t do another three-week standstill. As it is, we’ve gotten nothing done in the 118th Congress. Look, he’s not my favorite person in the world but, on the other hand, it’s a terrible and tough job in this Congress.” The two Democrats who spoke under condition of anonymity were joined by a third: “I would be very surprised if there aren’t a number of Democrats who would support Johnson. I think we are so tired of this.” Democrats also acknowledge the chaos that resulted from McCarthy’s ouster, and they want no part of another. As said earlier, they haven’t gotten a whole lot done, and some of the blame goes to the Judiciary Committee and their imaginary investigations.
It’s time for everyone in Congress to grow up and handle the people’s business. All this controversy, fighting, and chaos do no good for anyone. Suck it up and do your damned jobs, and if you can’t, we need to vote your asses out.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years