The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived ✡️🌻✡️🌻✡️🌻

Alchemy:  On Saturday, Speaker for now Mike Johnson put his already hanging by a thread position further in jeopardy by bringing votes on aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan to the House floor. Instead of moving forward with the bill already passed in the Senate, he broke the House bill into five parts, one for each region, another one on banning TikTok and one more for border security. Everything except for the border security package passed. With a significant lift by Hakeem Jeffries’ Democratic contingent, the $60 billion aid package for Ukraine, the part that puts Speaker Johnson deep in quicksand, passed 311 to 112. As expected, a majority of the Republican caucus voted against it, Democrat Rashida Tlaib voted present because that’s how she rolls more often than not on anything that doesn’t involve aid to the Palestinians.  The $26 billion military aid package for Israel which includes $9 billion for humanitarian aid for Gaza passed on a bilateral basis, 366 to 58 with 21 Republicans and 37 Democrats voting against it. The $8 billon Taiwan/Indo Pacific aid package also passed with bilateral support, 385 votes in favor to 34 opposed with all the no votes coming from the Republican side of the aisle.  Again, odd duck Tlaib only voted present.  The TikTok ban which is intended to force the sale of the company to a US entity passed 360 to 58.  With 215 aye votes, all but five from the Republican side of the aisle, the border security package did manage to obtain a simple majority but failed because it, unlike the other parts of Johnson’s magical solution, required two thirds support for passage. Moscow Marge and the rest of the pro-Russian Republicans, including their pro-Russian leader Trump aren’t happy about having pissed off Vlad Putin who was counting on them blocking Ukraine aid. Ukraine President Zelenskyy however was beyond pleased and took to the airwaves to express his thanks.  No doubt most of Europe’s leaders were also relieved that at least for now the US has come through.  The House package still needs to be voted on by the Senate but since the Senate has already passed most of what was in the House bill and are anxious to put this mess behind them, expectations are that the House version will fly through the Senate and that aid will start flowing to Ukraine ASAP. As to Johnson, it’s believed that he finally let the Ukraine aid come up for a vote because as Speaker he’d become privy to intelligence revealing just how dire the country’s situation was. Whatever the reason, he finally did the right thing. If Moscow Marge goes through with her threat and calls for a motion to vacate vote, he’ll need support from Hakeem Jeffries, AKA the Shadow Speaker, to survive. Johnson will be effectively neutered but he might make it through to November only because the Republicans don’t have another Speaker candidate who can win but then again, it’s not like doing stupid performative acts has bothered them before. By the way Trump’s planned North Carolina rally was cancelled on Saturday due to an incoming storm. Maybe someone upstairs was sending a message?

Guilty As Sin?   Small Man Trump has a busy and expensive week ahead of him, not on the campaign front but in court. With the jury seated, the NYC election interference/hush money case moves forward today.  It’s not just the NYC trial that will keep his legal team occupied, a hearing on Trump’s $175 million hinky bond, the one he put up for the New York fraud case, is scheduled to take place today as well. NY Attorney General Tish James’ position is that the company that put up the bond isn’t adequately capitalized to cover it, in other words, she’s concerned that there isn’t enough money there for NYS should Trump lose his appeal. Tomorrow, Judge Merchan who is overseeing Trump’s NYC case, is holding a hearing on Trump’s alleged multiple gag order violations and the Supreme Court will be hearing arguments in Trump’s presidential immunity case on Thursday.  Over the weekend, various news outlets reported that the PAC that has been paying Trump’s legal bills is scraping bottom.  Somehow or other that’s not all that surprising and likely explains the gold sneakers, the special edition Bible, the upping of his take from funds raised by down ballot candidates who use his name in their solicitations and, my personal favorite, Melania’s sale of $245 Melania themed Mother’s Day necklaces.  Note to all, unless your mother or wife is totally red pilled, stick with roses.

Tortured Poets:  The situation at Columbia University has gone from bad to worse with pro-Palestinian demonstrations devolving into full on anti-Semitic hate fests.  Over the weekend, Rabbi Elie Beuchler, the director of Columbia University’s Orthodox Union-Jewish Learning Initiative, recommended that Jewish Columbia and Barnard students “return home as soon as possible” and that they stay away until conditions improved substantially because their safety was endangered.  Later last night the University’s Hillel (Jewish Center) sent out a notice acknowledging the deteriorating security at the university while lambasting the school’s failure to provide a safe environment in the face of “escalating anti-Semitic harassment.”  They reiterated that the Hillel’s Kraft Center would be staying open to give students a safe place to celebrate this week’s Passover holiday, adding that the NYPD would be providing the center with round the clock security.  In further recognition of the deteriorating situation, classes at Columbia are now being held virtually. How terribly awful and disgusting that here we are in 2024 and Jews in NYC, the city with the largest number of Jews in any city in the world has a student population that feels so endangered. Demonstrators are entitled to demonstrate for causes they believe in, but they are not entitled to threaten others.  Sadly, Columbia isn’t alone, the virus of hate has spread and is spreading. 

A friend in Israel messaged overnight that in Israel for Passover  “we do not say happy hag (holiday) this year but silent hag. So silent hag”.  ☹

#BringThemAllHomeNow