Kevin McCarthy intends to send Congress on Snipe hunts
Rather than doing the work of the American people
Please forgive the confusion. This is yesterday’s post. I didn’t realize until too late that when I posted it, this only went to paid subscribers. It is meant for everyone.
Thanks everyone for your patience and my best for your Tuesday
Snipe Hunt
A snipe hunt is a practical joke that involves experienced people making fun of newcomers by giving them an impossible or imaginary task.
Hunter Biden and the coming investigation agenda, of a dishonest party
I didn’t want to start Thanksgiving week on this note, but Speaker of the House wannabe, Kevin McCarthy is forcing my hand. In fact, he and his fellow disruptors in the House of Representatives, have apparently decided to focus on Hunter Biden and a long list of politically driven investigations, rather than doing the job, which we the taxpayers pay for. In last Thursday’s TAT, I wrote with cautious optimism, that after the worst midterm showing by the “out” party, just maybe the GOP would do their job and finally do the work they are paid for. These selfish politicos, have in the space of a few days, chosen the same path they were on when they sold their soul to Trump. Now they are victims of their own follies.
I would much rather discuss the criticality of supporting Ukraine against a genocidal Putin, a game-changing uprising in Iran, the arc of Chinese aggression, extremism and domestic violent extremism. I was hoping that the GOP members in Congress would also wish to do the same after failing to do so in the Trump era. McCarthy’s pressers in the past few days have replaced my normal optimism with a return to hyper-vigilance to protect our democracy. Even his announcement of a committee on China wreaks of duplicity. Today, I’ll offer some insight as to why McCarthy and his henchmen, continue to be threats to our national security.
First and foremost, Congress does have the power to investigate as they please. This is an important tool in sustaining the values we hold dear. This tool, when used exclusively for political stunts is the exact opposite. If Hunter Biden is indeed guilty of something, by all means he must be held accountable by the proper authorities. His alleged tax and gun violations though are already, long in the hands of the US Attorney for Delaware. Congress is NOT that authority. Nothing at all about Hunter Biden matters to the US Congress. In fact, Hunter, President Biden and POTUS’s brother have been investigated by both, US Attorneys and Congress when under exclusive Republican leadership and other entities. They found NOTHING to refer to the authorities.
The following is, then Rep. Kevin McCarthy telling the FOX audience why the GOP forced the fruitless, expensive Benghazi hearings. This statement, on national TV, cost him the Speaker position in 2015 and he will now double down on another political stunt that we pay for. He hasn’t learned and is in fact, now more extremist. He couldn’t lead a stampede if he were at the head of the herd.
"And let me give you one example. Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she's un-trustable. But no one would have known any of that had happened had we not fought and made that happen."
- Kevin McCarthy
Sean Hannity show
September 29th, 2015
In case McCarthy hasn’t noticed, our NSS, National Security Strategy showcases a long list of threats and issues that are critical to US and global security, health and prosperity. His selfish preference for dirty politics over doing his job has become the defining characteristic of the now dominant, extremist wing of the GOP. As oft mentioned, I could care less about political parties. I care that people who are elected owe the nation their best efforts to solve our problems, not selfishly undermine our national security. Does this make Democrats perfect… hell no, but at least they are working on our threats and problems, unlike those on the opposite “side of the aisle.”
Back to the Biden investigation (s):
1. Just before the 2020 election, the GOP’s long congressional investigation of then candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, fizzled in the announcement, that they had found nothing to pursue. Yes, you read that right. The same GOP that could find nothing in 2020, want to spend our tax dollars doing the same investigation over again as a political stunt.
2. Then AG Barr, announced that he would not pursue a “Special Counsel” for Hunter Biden’s alleged tax issues. He made this announcement, December of 2020 and stated a couple of reasons why he wouldn’t make such a recommendation. The primary reason was that the US Attorney in Delaware was already handling the ongoing investigation
In the scant few days since the AP/ Associated Press called the House for the GOP, McCarthy’s two most significant statements are cause for deep concern.
1. First was his intention to curtail spending on support to Ukraine. This would rank among the worst national security decisions of the past 50 years. Despite the price tag for supporting our fellow freedom-seeking allies against a genocidal Putin, we will achieve what has been elusive for the past century, the near collapse of Russia’s once prestigious military status. When costs are analyzed, destroying Putin’s Russia as a power-player is “Costing Peanuts for the US to Defeat Russia.”
2. Secondly, McCarthy’s ambitious investigation agenda does absolutely nothing for US national security and in fact, undermines it because Congress won’t be working together on those threats. They will be tied up with extremist political stunts like their investigation list for the next two years. Every item is directly tied to dishonest claims from the GOP that will help build their case for 2024. Every item in the linked article is worthy of a TAT post and will be at some point.
Another of their politically driven investigations (actually a political stunt) is their investigation of our Afghan withdrawal. As ugly as it was and as many that were finally recovered, criticism from McCarthy and the other Trumpists has been exclusively political. Not only did McCarthy and 99% of the GOP support Trump’s decision to cut the Afghan government out of peace talks, but they also scheduled a first of May withdrawal date. Problem was, they did exactly nothing to prepare for a beginning of May withdrawal.
The Biden administration rescheduled to the beginning of September, based on the Pentagon’s timeline for being ready. Obviously, we weren’t. Also, Pompeo’s gutting of the State Dept. left it unprepared to deal with the hundreds of thousands of SIVs/ Special Immigrant Visas required for our Afghan partners and friends. There is plenty of blame to go around and there have already been serious investigations on this issue. The best and most credible investigation was done by the SIGAR, a Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. These extremists impersonating congressmen, wish to have us pay for their political stunt to point blame at only one side. Ridiculous!! Not one of them contributed to the efforts to help solve problems or prevent them. It was more important at the time for them to support the most corrupt man to ever occupy the Oval Office when he destroyed any chance for an exit of dignity.
I could go on regarding Afghanistan, for pages but will stop here. I have a deep affinity for the people of the country who have endured so much since the 1979 Russian invasion. I have a deep affinity for the US military due to being a retired Army Warrant Officer who spent part of 5 years straight, deployed there. Let blame fall where it belongs, not exclusively on one person, party or entity. The American people always deserve what they will never get from the McCarthyites… truth.
I sincerely hoped that we could all put the shenanigans of the right behind us, after their near record poor showing in the midterm elections. That hope has been eviscerated. If the GOP can ever return to control, by those with principles, things will be different. For now, the gloves are off and will remain off until there is no more GOP, or they return to arguing principles based on the whole truth. American democracy thrives on the passionate debate of principles. America fails when one of our two major parties thrives on conspiracy theories and drama. In their current state, the GOP is the biggest threat to US national security.
America needs leadership, not drama queens
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