The Speaker’s gavel finally in Kevin McCarthy’s grasp, we might try to understand the intense, historic opposition to his speakership by twenty republican Freedom Caucus members. An enmity that was never really explained, unfortunately, but that’s rather elementary.
Basically, the animosity results from this: caucus members are tired of being Paul Ryan’d—and McConnell’d. And Bush’d. And Cheney’d. And Romney’d. And Boehner’d. And Kinzinger’d.
And ultimately, establishment republican’d.
In other words, Freedom Caucus members are tired of a deeply corrupt liberal establishment controlling and imperiling the country. A fetid swamp that, yes, includes GOP republicans. A majority of the party, actually—leadership-wise, at least. Reliable liberals pretending to be republicans. Turncoats, opposing on the margins, but invariably dutiful to a swamp in peril.
But, let’s stick with Paul Ryan.
Finally gaining access to documents in a secure facility in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) chairman, Devin Nunes, investigating the Obama administration’s treasonous Russian collusion plot, was shocked at what he found.
“At first I couldn’t fathom the scope of it,” Nunes said. “These corrupt bastards were unmasking every report with a Trump official in it, every report with anyone remotely related to Trump.”
In other words, while Hillary Clinton was running a Trump/Russian collusion media campaign with crooked lawyers, opposition research firms, and the national news media. Obama was using the nation’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies to spy on the Trump campaign. And they weren’t just spying to be spying. They were spying to manufacture a phony data trail to compliment Clinton’s fake Russian collusion media plot, and to frame, yes frame, members of the Trump campaign. Conspirators, they were manufacturing crimes and setting obstruction and perjury traps for the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, duly elected.
An act otherwise known as: treason.
Nunes was on to them. To the point, what did he do next with these and other investigative revelations?
He briefed House Speaker, Paul Ryan.
“I told him that I was going to speak to the press and the president. I told speaker Ryan this had nothing to do with Russia. They were just spying.” Spying on Donald Trump and his campaign to, initially, prevent his presidency and, later, to impeach and eliminate him.
An act otherwise known as: treason.
So then, and on point, Ryan, third in line to the presidency and comprehensively briefed, knew what Clinton, the Obama administration, the FBI and CIA had done and were doing to Trump, a duly elected President, and that all were involved in a treasonous conspiracy. Incontrovertibly up to speed, he knew historic crimes had been committed not only against Trump, but against democracy and the American people.
Yet, and still on point, Ryan spent his speaker’s tenure badmouthing and undermining Trump, before ultimately retiring because of him (reasoning Ryan disputes). Retirement not only for his personal dislike of Trump, which is evident, but primarily because Trump had arrested control of the Republican Party from Ryan and his fellow establishment republicans—establishment the operative term.
Despite his political attempts to portray otherwise, Ryan despises Trump still.
“I’m proud of the accomplishments [during the Trump administration] – of the tax reform, the deregulation and criminal justice reform – I’m really excited about the judges we got on the bench, not just the Supreme Court, but throughout the judiciary. But I am a Never-Again Trumper. Why? Because I want to win, and we lose with Trump. It was really clear to us in ’18, in ‘20 and now in 2022.”
First, all those pride-generating accomplishments of which Ryan boasts, coupled with the historic successes: stock market, oil, unemployment, defeating ISIS, et al. It sounds like Trump was a pretty good leader. A “winner,” one could say, definitely not a loser. And all this winning while fighting off a treasonous coup, no less, and an entire establishment determined to manufacture his administrative and personal demise. A concrete fact that didn’t make it into Ryan’s calculations, interestingly.
Or rather, tellingly.
Second, the well-established rule: “Everything before the “But” is BS” applies to Ryan’s remarks, too. Pathetic though the attempt, it’s politics. Ham-handed politics, but politics nonetheless. The “pride” and “excitement” Ryan feels for Trump era accomplishments are, in fact, results of Trump’s leadership and of his policies. Ryan offers the compliments, if indirectly and ham-handedly, not because he wants to, but because he knows the vast majority of republican voters (a) know what Obama, Clinton, and the liberal establishment did to Trump and the country, and (b) still vehemently support Trump.
The “But” is what you say before you reveal your true self. In this case, that you’re an establishment republican who has lost control of the Party to flag-hugging interloper. You know, like, the black waiter at the club who came into new money and is now a member. Having cocktails with the crew at the club bar, it’s like, “How ya’ doin’, bro?” But everyone knows he doesn’t really belong, that he hasn’t really, earned it.
An establishment member, Ryan was always a Never-Trumper. He “worked” with Trump because he had to, because via democracy, ugh! eyeroll, he was forced to. And like every other establishment republican, he undermined Trump the whole time. Like snickering at the former black waiter when he abandons the crew for the club facilities. He should know where the restroom is, boys. He cleaned it! [Raucous crew laughter]
Again, establishment the operative term.
Third, in the discussion with ABCs Jonathan Karl, another card-carrying establishment member, incidentally, where are the remarks about the treasonous plot? About Obama, Clinton, the establishment, and what they did to Trump, democracy, and the American people? To include Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, not so incidentally. A sacred veteran. A war hero, no less, who establishment members deemed a traitor, framed with manufactured crimes, and financially ruined—all verified in declass documents per Kash Patel and former Director of National Intelligence, Rick Grenell.
Ryan briefed on all of it, where is the patriotic outrage?
Why no discussion of the treasonous plot, and no criticism of the conspirators?
Why isn’t treason an issue for Ryan? And Karl?
Per the plot, the establishment essentially said to the American people: Democracy is dead, plebes. We run things now. This is precisely what the coup means, and to say it’s a crisis is a grotesque understatement. It’s communism, unveiled. Then there’s Hunter Biden’s laptop proving financial corruption between the President of the United States and the Chinese government; that’s a crisis, too. There are the “Twitter Files,” proving collusion between the Biden administration, the FBI, CIA, and Big Tech to censor speech and rig elections, also crisis status. There’s the entire news media, to include Karl and ABC, refusing to utter a word about any of it, which is no surprise given they are proven conspirators in establishment crimes.
All this and yet, here’s Paul Ryan attacking Trump … still. As he’d done the six years previous. We can’t win with Trump. Trump’s gotta go. The GOP has to dump Trump. One thing that does get to stay? And receives no criticism from Ryan?
The establishment.
It’s clear from Ryan’s remarks who he favors—the laughing and collegiality with fellow establishment member and Never-Trumper, Karl. The fawning over a corrupt Nancy Pelosi and her husband, and over “traditional GOP candidates.” Or rather, traditional establishment candidates who need to replace Trump’s candidates.
Again, establishment the operative term.
So, this is Ryan choosing sides with the establishment. There is nothing more anti-American and undemocratic and dangerous than an administration and political actors, and a nation’s FBI and CIA, no less, attempting to rig elections and take leadership choice and control from the hands of the American people. It’s communism, pure and simple. And rather than help the man, and the country, that were attacked by the traitors, Ryan and his establishment republican club crew want to get rid of the target and enable the traitors.
In other words, nothing is more important than the establishment. Not even treason.
“You run a coalition government when you’re Speaker of the House … you have to run a coalition,” Ryan says. Really? Have to? Well, democrats don’t run a “coalition government” when they are in control. They unite and railroad right over republicans, even have help from republicans to run over the voters—help from establishment republicans, that is.
Not recognizing the abusive disparity, Ryan and the rest of his establishment republican crew are either blind, naïve fools or establishment loyalists. Comrades whose hearts belong to the regime, which is apparently the case, which brings us to current speaker, Kevin McCarthy, via Donald Trump.
From the moment Trump announced his candidacy in 2015, he was crystal clear about his mission: returning rightful control of the government to the American people—“returning” to obviously mean control was lost. Or rather, arrested. Trump, on the campaign trail:
“Our movement is about replacing a failed and corrupt political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American people. The Washington establishment, and the financial and media corporations that fund it, exist for only one reason: to protect and enrich itself. The establishment has trillions of dollars at stake in this election. For those who control the levers of power in Washington, and for the global special interests, they partner with these people that don’t have your good in mind. Our campaign represents a true, existential threat like they haven’t seen before. This is not simply another four-year election. This is a crossroad in the history of our civilization, that will determine whether or not ‘We the People’ reclaim control over our government. The political establishment that is trying to stop us, is the same group responsible for our disastrous trade deals, massive illegal immigration, and economic and foreign policies that have bled-our country-dry … this is a struggle for the survival of our nation, and this will be our last chance to save it. This election will determine whether we’re a free nation, or whether we have only the illusion of democracy, but are in fact are controlled by a small handful of global special interests.”
Trump not only scared the hell out of the liberal establishment with these remarks, but the republican establishment, too—establishment being the operative term. Equally frightened, isn’t it then clear that the establishment carries no political distinctions? Is it not then clear the establishment a unified force of both republicans and democrats?
Indeed it is clear, and it’s precisely why the republican establishment worked so desperately to undermine Trump and rid the party of their own presidential candidate, pre-election and post-election. Wherein the treasonous establishment plot was executed and made manifest, crimes of which each and every republican, establishment and otherwise, was made fully and knowingly aware. A list to include:
Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
After the January 6th incident on Capitol Hill—another establishment scheme in a long, scroll-like list of manufactured anti-Trump schemes—and with Trump blamed for insurrection. McCarthy had a phone conversation with establishment republican and virulent anti-Trumper, Liz Cheney, both of them fully informed and aware of the treasonous establishment plot against Trump, democracy, and the American people.
Referencing the 25th Amendment, a constitutional process for removing a president from office, Cheney: “What happens if it gets there after he’s gone? Is, is there any chance? Are you hearing that he might resign? Is there any reason to think that might happen?”
McCarthy: “I’ve had a few discussions. My gut tells me no. I’m seriously thinking of having that conversation with him tonight … I’m going to call him … The only discussion I would have with him is that I think [the 25th Amendment] will pass [congress], and it would be my recommendation you should resign. Um, I mean that would be my take, but I don’t think he would take it. But I don’t know.”
In terms of blame, there are all kinds of problems with the January 6th “insurrection”: Nancy Pelosi’s dereliction of duty in protecting the capitol, Ray Epps and FBI involvement. Amazingly—in the sarcastic sense, we can locate a cave-dwelling terrorist in the mountains of Afghanistan but, domestically, can’t find Ray Epps or the person who placed bombs around the capitol the day before “Insurrection Day.”
The point: intelligence can find who it wants to find.
Nevertheless …
Given the history, given the long list of manufactured, anti-Trump, establishment schemes of the previous six-years, all failed and exposed. The first instinct for Cheney and McCarthy should be: This is just another establishment ruse to get Trump. Clearly, however, there is no such instinct for either of them and, as with Ryan and Karl, no discussion of the treasonous plot, either.
Treason punishable by death, is it not logical to presume that getting rid of Trump is, for the conspirators, paramount? And that the ceaseless six-year assault on him—all the lies, fraud, and establishment treachery—is an effort to avoid the dire consequences? Are those impossible calculations?
Well, they are if you’re an establishment conspirator.
Here’s how the McCarthy/Cheney conversation should have gone:
Cheney: “The establishment traitors are now trying to get rid of Trump with the 25th Amendment, just as they have done repeatedly for the past six-years. How are we going to protect democracy and the American people?”
McCarthy: “I will talk to him tonight and develop a plan.”
Again, both Cheney and McCarthy were/are fully aware of the treasonous plot against Trump, democracy, and the American people. Yet here they are plotting Trump’s demise. And in assistance to whom?
The establishment—plotting and establishment the operative terms.
Behavior. It never lies. It’s how you know.
All 222 republican congress members are fully aware of the treasonous plot against Trump, democracy, and the American people. And the point is, you choose a side. The House Speaker matter is settled now, but originally only 20 members, essentially the Freedom Caucus, the “Trumpers,” sided with Trump, democracy, and the American people. 202 republicans remaining, and 212 congressional democrats already fully devoted to the establishment. It’s an indication of the mountain yet to climb before “replacing a failed and corrupt political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American people,” as Trump put it.
The 20 members opposed McCarthy because he had revealed his establishment allegiance, and because they were tired of being establishment republican’d. Tired of being Ryan’d, McConnell’d, Bush’d, Cheney’d, Romney’d, Boehner’d, Kinzinger’d
And for his apparent allegiances, McCarthy’d.
This is how the establishment does it. We’ll let you have your little Freedom Caucus, the establishment’s republican wing says. But when it comes to pulling the strings and control, we’ll wield the power, which in this case is the Speaker’s chair. Freedom Caucus members well understood this. Thus, the hostilities and defiance in the new congress’ opening rounds.
Obviously, the establishment—establishment republicans, the Democrat Party in toto, the news media—wants a reliable fellow club member in the Speaker’s chair. Interestingly, or perhaps inexplicably, so does Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Gov. Mike Huckabee, and other usually dependable anti-establishment, pro-America, -Trump, and –democracy conservatives.
During the congressional drama over McCarthy, Hannity had a hostile exchange with Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Freedom Caucus member and fervent Trump supporter. In their nightly television lineup, Hannity, Ingraham, and guest Huckabee all sat squinty-eyed and, making faces, annoyed as caucus members tried to explain, if rather poorly, the reason for their objections to McCarthy.
“Maybe it’s time for you to step down!” Hannity said to Boebert. “Is this a gameshow [to you]?”
“What’s the endgame?” Ingraham said sarcastically to another caucus member.
Under fire, Boebert said plainly, “I do not trust Kevin McCarthy to deliver on [his] promises.” And why the distrust?
For McCarthy’s establishment friendly behavior.
For him not laying the wood to Liz Cheney during their Jan. 6th phone exchange.
For saying, “I’ve had with this guy,” meaning Trump.
For virtually ignoring the treasonous conspirators, and Hunter’s laptop revelations, and voter fraud, and the scroll-like list of establishment lies, scams, and crimes of the past six years.
For suspiciously not having the same passion for these issues as the Freedom Caucus.
That’s why.
Hannity, Ingraham, Huckabee—all knew about these McCarthy issues, just like they know all the details of Clinton’s and the Obama administration’s treasonous plot. They know all-too-well about establishment republicans, too, and how they undermined Trump for six years. And in fact, the Freedom Caucus members, the Trump and America and democracy fighters, are their people. People who, like Trump, are trying to break the establishment wheel. A corrupt system Hannity, Ingraham, Huckabee, and the entire nation and world now knows to exist for six years of comprehensively exposed establishment treachery.
When you go to do big things, and especially the right and just things, like breaking the corrupt establishment wheel. This the kind of pressure, grief, and ultimate persecution you will endure for being in the minority, for standing on truth and principle, and for being unafraid of public embarrassment and humiliation. Because that is what the establishment does: publicly embarrasses and humiliates people who challenge establishment doctrine, rules, and supremacy. It is the favored establishment tool, a tool of conversion. Employed so that dissenters forfeit their beliefs and accept and support establishment beliefs.
All hail the establishment! Or face public scorn and humiliation.
So it is with these caucus members, who know full well what the problem is, and why they’re doing what they’re doing. They see the establishment for what it is, which is precisely what Trump said it was: “failed and corrupt.” As to the claim’s veracity, the past six years have removed all doubt, and it is a genuine and undeniable crisis for American democracy.
Freedom Caucus members don’t want establishment republicans in control via the Speaker’s chair, because they have seen what establishment republicans do: align with their establishment brethren. It doesn’t portend well when getting to the bottom of establishment crime and punishing the criminals—democrat and republican alike.
Establishment republicans like Ryan and McCarthy say they’re proud of Trump’s accomplishments and such. Yet, unlike Freedom Caucus members they never, with passion and purpose, take up Trump’s wheel-breaking cause. They don’t fight for Trump, democracy, or the American people, none of the three. Clearly, they fight for the establishment, for the established order, and for establishment power and control.
There isn’t a better reason to fight than a treasonous plot; there will never be a better reason, in fact. Yet, establishment republicans are mute. Only, they’re not mute. There’s their behavior, a language in itself. Unlike Freedom Caucus members, they leave the treasonous crimes of the establishment virtually unspoken, and help the establishment rid America of the individual who vowed the establishment’s demise and to return power to its rightful owner, the American people.
Freedom Caucus. Who couldn’t get behind something so, American, but people oppose to such antiquated nonsense?
Pouring over the Twitter Files, investigator Matt Taibbi concluded the US government was “in the censorship business in a huge way.” What he is actually saying is the United States government, under establishment control, was undermining democracy. Only for a billionaire’s purchase of the Twitter platform are we able to know this. In the same way, only for the miraculous 2016 victory of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton are we able to know of her and the Obama administration’s treasonous coup. Tellingly, establishment members, republican and democrat alike, don’t want to talk publicly about either revelation, or about any of the establishment fraud and crimes of the past six years.
It means, simply: members are determined that the establishment wheel remain intact, and that members remain in power, and in control. Which then means: but for 20 congress members, and perhaps a few more, the United States government has anointed itself king, and demoted the American people to subjects. You know, like it used to be, and is nearly everywhere else in the world.
To know the times, one need only read the signs.
©JMW 1/2023
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John Mark Warren 