Finally, an Explanation of How Congress Got to be Crazytown

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titutions and their purposes, traditions and goals; are really only interested in their seats as a megaphone for their own aggrandizement and image and to advance their fringe causes, and the entire time have their eyes on the prize: jobs in right-wing media, especially Fox News. A few are eyeing a run for President.I think that’s it. I don’t think I missed anything important. If you read the two pieces, please let me know if I misunderstood them.Some commentators are (probably justifiably) skeptical and especially offer the critical observation that Boehner didn’t seem to do anything about the burgeoning problems he describes at the time he had the power to do so. These are valid criticisms but the overall analysis seems well-reasoned; and viewed simply as an explanation, explains well.The primary reason Boehner’s analysis hangs well is that most of the conditions and circumstances he describes remain present (just a new generation), so are capable of testing. Like a scientific experiment where we want to replicate exactly, we still have Congresspersons who find every excuse not to do their jobs, acting like they really don’t want to be there — and they seem to hold both some very odd views as well as preferring posturing to performance.Currently in Congress:The chance of bipartisan achievement is virtually nil (and many GOP’ers openly say they will not help a Democratic government), even on vitally important ma

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tters. A long-standing rule of no firearms on the floor somehow has become too onerous for certain GOP members to follow — and they try to skirt the security processes (and try to bring firearms into the chamber).Marjorie Taylor Greene (the Queen), from what I can tell, has done nothing of substance since she arrived — other than presenting an Article of Impeachment for Joe Biden on his first day in office, and (oh yea, I almost forgot) erected a notice of how many genders there are. The rest of the time she brings motions every day to bring progress to a halt.Many GOP members won’t wear masks, preferring to make it a political statement. Others will wear masks but insist that the 2020 election was fraudulent; that January 6th was not what we all saw on video as it was happening; and continue to pretend that there is no real problem with gun violence despite all the incidents over the past couple weeks and all the incidents before.The inmates are running the asylum. The children are in charge of the daycare. There is little or no adult supervision. And the business of We The People is not getting done. So, the question is: what do we do about it?The only thing we can do for now is to communicate our concerns in as many ways and places as we can; and write our elected representatives and tell them to do their jobs. And then everybody votes in 2022 and 2024 — except for the folks the GOP doesn’t want voting?</article></body>

Finally, an Explanation of How Congress Became Crazytown — and Apparently It Was Not All the Fault of Donald J. Trump

Now, all we have to do is figure out how to get the inmates back in their seats so Congress can do what it’s there for.

Former Speaker of the House John Boehner has a new book coming out, and an excerpt appeared in Politico recently. It is not only an entertaining read but really explains how the GOP started on its identity crisis — long before Donald Trump even made a single bizarre hand gesture toward running for office.

And in a CNN opinion piece, former Congressman Charlie Dent (R-PA) agreed with Boehner’s analysis and provided some additional insight.

I’ve provided the links for both pieces, but I can summarize briefly: many people who have run for the House or the Senate — as far back as 2010 — don’t really want to do the work of governing; don’t believe in the institutions and their purposes, traditions and goals; are really only interested in their seats as a megaphone for their own aggrandizement and image and to advance their fringe causes, and the entire time have their eyes on the prize: jobs in right-wing media, especially Fox News. A few are eyeing a run for President.

I think that’s it. I don’t think I missed anything important. If you read the two pieces, please let me know if I misunderstood them.

Some commentators are (probably justifiably) skeptical and especially offer the critical observation that Boehner didn’t seem to do anything about the burgeoning problems he describes at the time he had the power to do so. These are valid criticisms but the overall analysis seems well-reasoned; and viewed simply as an explanation, explains well.

The primary reason Boehner’s analysis hangs well is that most of the conditions and circumstances he describes remain present (just a new generation), so are capable of testing. Like a scientific experiment where we want to replicate exactly, we still have Congresspersons who find every excuse not to do their jobs, acting like they really don’t want to be there — and they seem to hold both some very odd views as well as preferring posturing to performance.

Currently in Congress:

The chance of bipartisan achievement is virtually nil (and many GOP’ers openly say they will not help a Democratic government), even on vitally important matters. A long-standing rule of no firearms on the floor somehow has become too onerous for certain GOP members to follow — and they try to skirt the security processes (and try to bring firearms into the chamber).

Marjorie Taylor Greene (the Queen), from what I can tell, has done nothing of substance since she arrived — other than presenting an Article of Impeachment for Joe Biden on his first day in office, and (oh yea, I almost forgot) erected a notice of how many genders there are. The rest of the time she brings motions every day to bring progress to a halt.

Many GOP members won’t wear masks, preferring to make it a political statement. Others will wear masks but insist that the 2020 election was fraudulent; that January 6th was not what we all saw on video as it was happening; and continue to pretend that there is no real problem with gun violence despite all the incidents over the past couple weeks and all the incidents before.

The inmates are running the asylum. The children are in charge of the daycare. There is little or no adult supervision. And the business of We The People is not getting done. So, the question is: what do we do about it?

The only thing we can do for now is to communicate our concerns in as many ways and places as we can; and write our elected representatives and tell them to do their jobs. And then everybody votes in 2022 and 2024 — except for the folks the GOP doesn’t want voting?