House Speaker Ongoing Melodrama

[Luvnit2]

(10-29-2023, 02:06 PM)pally Wrote: like believing black people were subhuman and only capable of serving their white masters

Mike Johnson says America’s problems today are because “we didn’t maintain 18th century values” pic.twitter.com/X6fEldboua

— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) October 27, 2023

 It was Democrats who enhanced and promoted slavery. It was democrats who fought to keep black people enslaved.


It was Abe Lincoln and Republicans (not liberals) who ended slavery. 

[*Nately120*]

(10-31-2023, 11:39 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The conservatives have a core belief in God. Liberals and other do not. Just because others have no faith in God will never change our views because it has nothing to do with marketing strategies.

Each individual is responsible for their own faith or lack there of and the judge some day will be God, not man.

You're making my point for me by revealing your perception of this.   You even tossed in the false belief that I'm trying to make you stop believing in god and you tossed in the usual threat of judgment. 

God has been around a lot longer than the post 1980 American GOP.  

[*Nately120*]

(10-31-2023, 11:47 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote:  It was Democrats who enhanced and promoted slavery. It was democrats who fought to keep black people enslaved.


It was Abe Lincoln and Republicans (not liberals) who ended slavery. 

Do you go around and ask people with Confederate flags if they regret voting for Biden?

[*pally*]

(10-31-2023, 11:47 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote:  It was Democrats who enhanced and promoted slavery. It was democrats who fought to keep black people enslaved.


It was Abe Lincoln and Republicans (not liberals) who ended slavery. 

CONSERVATIVES fought to keep slavery.  LIBERALS ended it.


But, frankly, I don't care what people believed in 1861.  It is not liberals who fly a confederate flag today...it is conservative.  It is not liberals who want to recreate the past...its conservatives


Oh, and conservatives don't get to claim God for themselves.  I know it is hard for you to believe because Fox tells you differently, but many liberals are religious.  They just don't feel the need to lord it over people like a belief in God somehow makes you a superior, more righteous person

[*Nately120*]

(10-31-2023, 12:32 PM)pally Wrote: CONSERVATIVES fought to keep slavery.  LIBERALS ended it.


But, frankly, I don't care what people believed in 1861.  It is not liberals who fly a confederate flag today...it is conservative.  It is not liberals who want to recreate the past...its conservatives


Oh, and conservatives don't get to claim God for themselves.  I know it is hard for you to believe because Fox tells you differently, but many liberals are religious.  They just feel the need to lord it over people like a belief in God somehow makes you a superior, more righteous person

I'm under the cynical belief that conservatives delude themselves into thinking they are the only Christians because they can't handle the idea that eternal paradise may actually contain people with conflicting political views.

[Belsnickel]

(10-31-2023, 12:32 PM)pally Wrote: CONSERVATIVES fought to keep slavery.  LIBERALS ended it.


But, frankly, I don't care what people believed in 1861.  It is not liberals who fly a confederate flag today...it is conservative.  It is not liberals who want to recreate the past...its conservatives


Oh, and conservatives don't get to claim God for themselves.  I know it is hard for you to believe because Fox tells you differently, but many liberals are religious.  They just feel the need to lord it over people like a belief in God somehow makes you a superior, more righteous person

The "Abe Lincoln was a Republican" crowd don't realize that neither party was wholly conservative or wholly liberal until the mid-twentieth century. Why do they think that the era of Theodore Roosevelt was called the "Progressive Era?" It's not because TR was a conservative, and he was absolutely a Republican (which was his complaint about his nephew, FDR, that he was a Democrat). It was the backlash to FDR that really began the ideological divide.

[*pally*]

(10-31-2023, 01:37 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: The "Abe Lincoln was a Republican" crowd don't realize that neither party was wholly conservative or wholly liberal until the mid-twentieth century. Why do they think that the era of Theodore Roosevelt was called the "Progressive Era?" It's not because TR was a conservative, and he was absolutely a Republican (which was his complaint about his nephew, FDR, that he was a Democrat). It was the backlash to FDR that really began the ideological divide.

that's why I don't cling to party names as a mantra.  It is far better to understand the political philosophy of each party at the time period being talked about.

[*Nately120*]

(10-31-2023, 03:54 PM)pally Wrote: that's why I don't cling to party names as a mantra.  It is far better to understand the political philosophy of each party at the time period being talked about.

If we're going to pretend nothing in politics has changed since 1860, take a look at the states Lincoln won.  He won Commiefornia and Washington state, and the crime riddled liberal hellholes of NY and Illinois while the democrats (there were two of them and one who wanted to avoid secession so I guess there were 2 democratic parties and one democratic leaning party) won all the southern red states...er, I mean green and orange and blue states  Pretty wild.  

[GMDino]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/does-new-speaker-of-the-house-mike-johnson-have-a-bank-account?ref=home

Quote:Does New Speaker of the House Mike Johnson Have a Bank Account?

MIKE CHECK
Speaker Mike Johnson has never listed a bank account on his financial disclosure. In fact, on his newest disclosure he doesn’t list a single asset at all.

[/url]Roger Sollenberger
Senior Political Reporter


Updated Nov. 01, 2023 10:12AM EDT / Published Nov. 01, 2023 4:50AM EDT 

[url=https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Fdoes-new-speaker-of-the-house-mike-johnson-have-a-bank-account%3Fsource%3Dtwitter%26via%3Ddesktop&via=thedailybeast&text=Does%20New%20Speaker%20of%20the%20House%20Mike%20Johnson%20Have%20a%20Bank%20Account%3F&counturl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Fdoes-new-speaker-of-the-house-mike-johnson-have-a-bank-account]

[/url]

EXCLUSIVE



Newly elected Speaker of the House [url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/mike-johnson]Mike Johnson (R-LA) does not have a bank account.

At least, that’s what Johnson reports on years of personal financial disclosures, which date back to 2016 and reveal a financial life that, in the context of his role as a congressman and now speaker, appears extraordinarily precarious.

Over the course of seven years, Johnson has never reported a checking or savings account in his name, nor in the name of his wife or any of his children, disclosures show. In fact, he doesn’t appear to have money stashed in any investments, with his latest filing—covering 2022—showing no assets whatsoever.

Of course, it’s unlikely Johnson doesn’t actually have a bank account. What’s more likely is Johnson lives paycheck to paycheck—so much so that he doesn’t have enough money in his bank account to trigger the checking account disclosure rules for members of Congress.

House Ethics Committee filing guidelines state that members must disclose bank accounts they have at every financial institution, as long as the account holds at least $1,000 and the combined value of all accounts—including those belonging to their spouse and dependent children—exceeds $5,000.

The rules cover all “interest-bearing, cash-deposit accounts at banks, credit unions, and savings and loan associations,” including checking, savings, and money market accounts, along with certificates of deposit and individual retirement funds, or IRAs. (Johnson reported receiving a $10,485.53 distribution from a New York Life IRA in 2017, his first year in office, possibly from a retirement account he had listed the previous year.)

It’s certainly not uncommon for Americans to have less than $5,000 in their bank account. Most Americans—57 percent—couldn’t handle an unexpected $1,000 expense, according to a report earlier this year. And the median amount that Americans keep in their bank account is $5,300. But Johnson’s household income puts him in the top 12 percent of earners in the United States. And it’s extraordinarily rare for members of Congress to not list a qualifying bank account—let alone zero assets whatsoever.

The Daily Beast reached out to Johnson’s office for comment but did not receive a reply.

Brett Kappel, a government ethics expert at Harmon Curran, told The Daily Beast it would be “very unusual for a Member not to have to disclose at least one bank account.”

Jordan Libowitz, communications director for watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, offered a more blunt assessment, saying that if Johnson truly doesn’t have any assets, it “raises questions about his personal financial wellbeing.”

"It’s strange to see Speaker Johnson disclose no assets,” Libowitz told The Daily Beast. “He made over $200,000 last year, and his wife took home salary from two employers as well, so why isn’t there a bank account or any form of savings listed?”

Johnson has also carried debts over for several years, which Libowitz said would sharpen the question.

“He owes hundreds of thousands of dollars between a mortgage, personal loan, and home equity line of credit, so where did that money go?” Libowitz said. “If he truly has no bank account and no assets, it raises questions about his personal financial wellbeing.”

That fact, he said, could be seen as a vulnerability to exploit.
“One of the reasons we have these financial disclosures is to know whether politicians are having financial difficulties—which could make them ripe for influence buying,” Libowitz said.

Johnson’s financial disclosures paint a picture of a man of “modest” means, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. But he doesn’t appear to have a negative net worth, unlike the -$671,000 worth that Roll Call once put on another recent contender in the speakership race, Steve Scalise. Johnson’s Benton, Louisiana, home is valued around $600,000, according to a Zillow estimate. The home’s value, along with his income, would cover his reported liabilities. (Bossier Parish records show he is up to date on his taxes.)

The year before joining Congress, Johnson reported over $200,000 in combined income, a total he and his wife seem to clear annually. He topped that number again last year, reporting his $174,000 federal salary along with roughly $30,000 from his Liberty University online teaching gig—a steady side hustle Johnson first reported in 2019.

His wife also reported income last year from two nonprofit groups, “Onward Christian Education Services, Inc.” and “Louisiana Right To Life Educational Committee.” Members aren’t required to disclose how much money their spouses earn, just the sources. But two of Johnson’s previous reports do provide a dollar amount, showing about $50,000 in those years from various clients. (His latest disclosures just say “N/A.”)

All in all, Johnson and his wife appear to have steadily earned more than $200,000 a year, which will see a nice bump under his $223,500 salary as speaker. However, they do face some steep costs—among them raising four children and a second place for Johnson to crash while he’s in D.C.

While Johnson might not have money in a bank, he does have a relationship with them. That is, he deals with banks on the liability side, with his disclosures revealing three debts at Citizens National Bank: a 2013 home mortgage valued between $250,000 and $500,000; a personal loan from 2016, between $15,000 and $50,000; and a home equity line of credit he took out in 2019, for an additional amount between $15,000 and $50,000.

He also appears to have a relationship with bankers. In 2019, the Louisiana Bankers Association issued a press release showing Johnson meeting with executives from a number of banks—including Citizens National, which owns all of Johnson’s liabilities, including the line of credit that he had taken out earlier that year.

Another one of those liabilities, Johnson’s 2016 personal loan, has been paid down. That loan, which was pegged between $50,000-$100,000 on his first disclosure, went down to between $15,000 and $50,000—the next reporting range—on his second disclosure. Neither that debt nor the others have changed since.

But Johnson’s retirement savings do seem to be dwindling. In his first filing, as a candidate in 2016, Johnson only lists a state government Fidelity retirement account valued between $1,000 and $15,000. That year, Johnson reported earning about $171,000 from legal work at Kitchens Law and his own practice, in addition to his $25,000 salary from the Louisiana House of Representatives.

Johnson appears to have carried that retirement account over to a federal program called a Thrift Savings Plan. He put some money into that account, topping out between $15,000 and $50,000 in 2020. (The previous year, Johnson had taken out the line of credit on his home.) In 2021, he appears to have cashed out that retirement account entirely, and it does not appear at all in his 2022 report.


Johnson also doesn’t list any accounts with the Congressional Federal Credit Union, a frequently used institution among House members following the congressional check-bouncing scandal of the 1990s. Even the notoriously opaque Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has disclosed a CFCU account.

As Johnson takes the speaker reins, his entire life—personal and political—is under new scrutiny. While a low net worth is far from the worst disclosure about Johnson, it’s revealing in several ways. For one, his complete lack of assets shows that, for a conservative, Johnson isn’t as conservative with his own finances as he strives to be with the federal government’s. For another, it could be indicative of his post-Congress plans.


ADVERTISEMENT
With Johnson appearing to not have even a single dollar in the stock market, a savings account, or a retirement plan, the new speaker may have plans to use his congressional position as a springboard to something more lucrative once he’s done in government. That could happen once he’s done in government, but if the new speaker sees a boon while in office, he certainly wouldn’t be the first member of Congress to do so.

[Luvnit2]

(10-31-2023, 12:32 PM)pally Wrote: CONSERVATIVES fought to keep slavery.  LIBERALS ended it.


But, frankly, I don't care what people believed in 1861.  It is not liberals who fly a confederate flag today...it is conservative.  It is not liberals who want to recreate the past...its conservatives


Oh, and conservatives don't get to claim God for themselves.  I know it is hard for you to believe because Fox tells you differently, but many liberals are religious.  They just don't feel the need to lord it over people like a belief in God somehow makes you a superior, more righteous person

I have never seen Fox tell anyone liberals are not religious. But, I have seen many liberals in this forum dismiss God. Of course there are liberals who believe in God, for anyone to say otherwise is wrong. My statement was meant to say not all liberals believe in God, sorry if I was not clear.

God is not exclusive to conservatives, to Americans or any Nationality. Do you find it strange Chuck Schumer is calling Mike Johnson a far right extremists because he believes in God. Those of us who have a relationship with God should never hide it, it should help guide us in all aspects in our life. If my strong faith in God makes me a a far right extremist, what doe those who dismiss God as their Lord and Savior get labeled by liberals?

Why are you offended and outraged by a small majority of choose to fly a confederate flag, but dismiss Talaib planting a Palestinian flag (they hate Jews and Gays) in front of her office.

[*pally*]

(11-01-2023, 01:23 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I have never seen Fox tell anyone liberals are not religious. But, I have seen many liberals in this forum dismiss God. Of course there are liberals who believe in God, for anyone to say otherwise is wrong. My statement was meant to say not all liberals believe in God, sorry if I was not clear.

God is not exclusive to conservatives, to Americans or any Nationality. Do you find it strange Chuck Schumer is calling Mike Johnson a far right extremists because he believes in God. Those of us who have a relationship with God should never hide it, it should help guide us in all aspects in our life. If my strong faith in God makes me a a far right extremist, what doe those who dismiss God as their Lord and Savior get labeled by liberals?

Why are you offended and outraged by a small majority of choose to fly a confederate flag, but dismiss Talaib planting a Palestinian flag (they hate Jews and Gays) in front of her office.

Where have I dismissed anything Congresswoman Tlalib has done?   

And why are you outraged by her yet not outraged with the people, who identify with YOUR party, who fly the Confederate flag and quite publically espouse white nationalist, anti-semitic views, and homophobic views?

[*pally*]

Fall out from the Speaker battle, freedom caucus member Ken Buck, who went against the caucus, has announced he will not run for reelection. He represent Colorado's 4th District which is reliably Republican

NEW: @RepKenBuck says he won't seek re-election during interview with @mitchellreports: "I’ve decided that it is time for me to do some other things. I always have been disappointed with our inability in Congress to deal with major issues and I’m also disappointed that the…

— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) November 1, 2023

[GMDino]

(11-01-2023, 02:08 PM)pally Wrote: Where have I dismissed anything Congresswoman Tlalib has done?   

And why are you outraged by her yet not outraged with the people, who identify with YOUR party, who fly the Confederate flag and quite publically espouse white nationalist, anti-semitic views, and homophobic views?

Because they tell him they believe in god.

[*pally*]

(10-31-2023, 10:39 AM)pally Wrote: Mike Johnson: we support Israel

also Mike Johnson: we support Israel only if the IRS budget is cut by the same amount

The Republican's cost cutting plan

? CBO says the House Israel bill will add $12.5 billion to the deficit.

The reason: GOP’s $14.3 billion in IRS cuts lead to a $26.8 billion reduction in revenue, budget office projects.

The new report ? pic.twitter.com/t3icYYPFxC

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) November 1, 2023

  

[Sociopathicsteelerfan]

(11-01-2023, 02:08 PM)pally Wrote: Where have I dismissed anything Congresswoman Tlalib has done?

Where have you condemned her?  I ask because your next sentence demands the same of Luvnit.   

Quote:And why are you outraged by her yet not outraged with the people, who identify with YOUR party, who fly the Confederate flag and quite publically espouse white nationalist, anti-semitic views, and homophobic views?

Why are you outraged by them and not the antisemite who not only identifies with your party, but is a HoR rep for it?

[Housh]

Iv totally stopped following politics.

I can’t get over the idea that both parties work together and benefit off racial tension.


Id just feel stupid if i believed shit they said.


I’m just tired of it always being your side vs my side.

[NATI BENGALS]

(11-01-2023, 01:15 PM)GMDino Wrote: https://www.thedailybeast.com/does-new-speaker-of-the-house-mike-johnson-have-a-bank-account?ref=home

Man that is weird. Something smells fishy

[NATI BENGALS]

(11-01-2023, 04:12 PM)pally Wrote: The Republican's cost cutting plan

? CBO says the House Israel bill will add $12.5 billion to the deficit.

The reason: GOP’s $14.3 billion in IRS cuts lead to a $26.8 billion reduction in revenue, budget office projects.

The new report ? pic.twitter.com/t3icYYPFxC

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) November 1, 2023

  

I was looking in to the Israel aid tied to cutting IRS funding last night.

Didn’t realize a concession that was made to prevent a government shutdown over the summer resulted in a $20 billion cut to the IRS over a period of time.

Tell me they are trying to destroy America without telling me they are trying to destroy America.

Wtf man

[grampahol]

(10-31-2023, 11:39 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The conservatives have a core belief in God. Liberals and other do not. Just because others have no faith in God will never change our views because it has nothing to do with marketing strategies.

Each individual is responsible for their own faith or lack there of and the judge some day will be God, not man.

Me and my very liberal wife argue about god all the time. She's opposed to my faith in the Tooth Fairy while she clings to her belief in the magical, invisible, completely silent being who will undoubtedly send me to the center of the earth when I die to burn forever and ever and ever and ever because he loves me..
meanwhile my deity actually sent me cold hard cash under my pillow at around 6 years old.. But I have full faith that every time you lose a tooth god rewards you with cash under your pillow too.. 

[GMDino]

Speaker Mike Johnson admits his son monitors his porn viewing. ?

Speaker Mike Johnson “admitted that he and his son monitored each other’s porn intake in a resurfaced clip from 2022,” Rolling Stone reports.

Johnson talked in a video about how he installed “accountability… pic.twitter.com/ka6dytsu3y

— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) November 5, 2023

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