Yesterday CNN reported that at a Cedar Springs townhall meeting on Monday, Justin Amash told his constituents that "the solution for dysfunction in Washington likely boils down to removing House Speaker Paul Ryan and replacing him with someone who is 'nonpartisan... We need either a change in direction from this speaker, or we need a new speaker,' Amash said while answering a question about the perpetual gridlock in Washington." Amash has been talking about the idea of a non-partisan Speaker for several years, writing in 2015 that "It's not that Speaker Boehner isn't conservative enough; it's that he fundamentally misunderstands the role of speaker of the House of Representatives. The speaker's first priority must be to defend the institution on behalf of all Americans. While the speaker may have a role in policy debates, that role cannot trump his obligation to uphold House process. By not keeping these priorities, Speaker Boehner has failed both as a policy leader and as an institutional leader. Speaker Boehner and other Republican leaders have repeatedly favored a "govern by crisis" approach that abandons the regular order of the House. Despite having months to act before legislative deadlines, leaders routinely wait until the last moment to plot a course of action, publicly concede in advance major negotiating points, insist that Republicans have no alternatives, refuse to allow amendments and then criticize colleagues for not voting to avert the crisis leadership caused. This approach produces constant frustration among representatives in both parties and promotes the partisan finger-pointing that angers Americans at home. Instead of making bipartisan compromises to address long-term issues, Congress constructs desperate, last-minute political deals to obtain the requisite votes simply to clear the immediate impasse." He went on to eviscerate, not Boehner personally but a corrupted and dysfunctional system and insisted that "It doesn't have to be this way."
The institution is degraded-- partisan grandstanding proliferates and representatives lose trust-- if rules are followed only when convenient for leaders in the House majority.With Speaker Boehner's resignation, we have a historic opportunity to change course for the better by electing a speaker committed to upholding the open process that allows the body to reflect the policy preferences of the people.Under such leadership, there would be no secret deals or voice votes; legislation would move through the normal committee process; and all of us, regardless of party, would be given adequate time to read each bill and an opportunity to offer and vote on amendments.This is how the House was meant to work-- not as an oligarchy, but as a deliberative body that respects the diversity of its membership.Under regular order, bipartisanship and compromise flourish. With control over the legislative agenda devolved to committees, subcommittees, and individual representatives, more liberal outcomes are possible, but so, too, are more conservative or libertarian outcomes. No one gets everything he or she wants, but under a fair, deliberative process, we all can respect the results. Most important, the outcomes more genuinely reflect the will of the people.
Oh, yeah... and Bannon. Maybe he's too busy protecting his own ass this week to pursue his war against Paul Ryan. Trump may have famously instructed him and Kushner-in-law to "work it out," but in Trump's NY Post interview with Michael Goodwin last night, the mentally unstable presidente seemed to be sending a message that Bannon shouldn't get too comfortable in the White House. The silent quote everyone has been pondering:
"I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late. I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn’t know Steve. I’m my own strategist and it wasn’t like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary... Steve is a good guy, but I told them to straighten it out or I will."
That 4th word-- "but"-- sends a message, whether Señor Trumpanzee consciously intended to or not. It reminds the reader of how the Regime cut Paul Manaforte loose once they realized what a liability he was. Non-person status is just down the road for #PresidentBannon! Meanwhile, Bannon seems to have shifted his ire and poisonous barbs from Kushner-in-law to "Globalist Gary" (Cohn), who he is now blaming for undermining his position with His Trumpiness. (Bannon's neo-fascist core inside the Regime also call him CTC, for "Carbon Tax Cohn.")
