November 6, 2021

GOP betrays its base — again! 13 GOP members help pass Biden's porky $1.2-trillion 'infrastructure'

By Rajan Laad

Yesterday, thirteen House Republicans bailed out Joe Biden's and Nancy Pelosi's agenda by voting to pass their $1.2-trillion "infrastructure" bill.

This list of defectors includes Reps. John Katko (R-N.Y.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Jefferson Van Drew (D-N.J.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Don Young (R-Alaska), Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) who voted "yes" on the bill.

The bill advances the following items promoted by the woke and far-left:

• "Gender identity" as a protected class
• "Digital equity" grants partly based on racial or ethnic minority status
• State-mandated carbon reduction programs
• Funding for "zero-emission vehicles"
• "Over-the-road bus tolling equity"
• Roughly $2.5 billion to expand U.S. border-processing stations for migrants from impoverished Central American nations and other regions around the world claiming asylum.

It seems likely after the elections in Virginia and New Jersey that the Democrats are going to suffer a series of defeats during the midterm elections in 2022.  Hence, they are going to use this period to push their agenda as far as they can.

The Democrats know they can count on certain Republicans to enable them to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Democrat Voters are Among the Most Gullible People on Earth

Before we pass judgment on these 13 Republicans, let's go back to 2016, when Donald Trump won the presidency.

It was a rude awakening for Democrats and a time to look inward and take remedial action to win back voters.

Instead, the Democrats behaved like the jilted lover who cannot accept rejection.  They refused to concede that the public had voted against them.  The voters were blamed for being ignorant and bigoted.

In time, they launched their most audacious disinformation campaign of Russia-Trump Collusion.

There was not an iota of evidence, but it was endorsed by Democrats on the Hill, rogue intelligence personnel, and liberals beyond Washington.  It passed through the cacophonous echo chambers of the legacy media.

Such was the impact of the campaign that Republicans on the Hill, members of Trump's Cabinet, and even pro-Trump voices in the media were shamed into conceding that there was Russian interference — i.e., the election was rigged.

It caused the appointment of a special counsel to investigate.  The "investigation" cost the taxpayers $32 million and more than two years of uncertainty.

What is amazing is that this occurred when the Republicans controlled the House, the Senate, and the White House.

Trump was obviously exonerated, but Democrats insisted they were right.  They blamed then-Attorney General Bill Barr for concealing the report and the White House for destroying the evidence.

Even now, they will continue with their lie despite the Durham probe now exposing their falsehood.

It has been almost a year since Biden occupied the White House, and his record has been a disaster.

Inflation is out of control; gasoline prices have risen; the supply chain crisis means that essential items may not reach shopping centers; the IRS wants to monitor bank transactions; and the border is open, leading to a historic surge of illegal aliens.  They are considering $450,000 payments to illegal migrants separated from their families at the border.  Vaccine mandates are hampering essential services and causing unemployment.  Afghanistan was a total disaster of chaos, defeat, and instability, while China is emboldened.

Hunter Biden brokered shady deals in Ukraine and China that earned him millions when Joe was vice president, and now, when he is president, Hunter's paintings fetch a price higher than works of Claude Monet and Edgar Degas at anonymous art auctions, pointing to likely bribery and influence-peddling.  This merits the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the conflict of interest and to know if Biden is compromised or is susceptible to blackmail.

How do the Republicans react?

A majority remain silent.  The Senate and House minority leaders are missing.

Some Republicans appear on Fox News to condemn the Democrats.  Others have "testy" exchanges with Biden officials during Senate and congressional hearings.

But beyond the theatrics, nothing is done to block or remedy the missteps of the Biden administration.

If challenged, these Republicans in name only helplessly say the Democrats control Congress, the Senate, and the White House.  They urge you to vote for them in 2022 for change to occur.

However, in 2016, the Democrats were in an identical position that the Republicans are in today but managed to wreak havoc.

It's the result of Republican inaction that the Democrats are behaving like monarchs who do as they please.

We focus on the Democrat-led Washington establishment, which is the root cause of this problem.  Members of the establishment include government officials, leadership in the armed forces and intelligence services, members of the legacy media, showbiz, foundations, most billionaires, and academia.

The establishment subscribes to "groupthink," and anybody such as President Trump who challenges this status quo is treated with extreme ferocity.

The establishment funds the political campaigns of its members.  If any member were to lose an election, the establishment ensures that the members get lucrative jobs as lobbyists or media pundits.

The establishment helps family members secure positions in prestigious places of employment.  The establishment specializes in legalized corruption to ensure that its members live well.

The establishment has ceaseless contempt for the working class, middle America, conservatives, and above all MAGA-supporters.

Owing to the myriad benefits of the establishment, everybody in Washington, including Republicans, is desperate to be accepted.

Most Republicans are also fearful of vicious attacks from the establishment-run legacy media, hence they endorse climate change, identity politics, BLM, and more.

It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the Republicans may have devised a strategy to placate both the establishment and their voter base.

They put on a performance on Fox News or during hearings.  The voter watches videos of his representative or senator excoriating the behemoths of the establishment, conflating words with action.  The deception is complete.

The trick is to offer the voter an illusion that they are different.  But irrespective of who controls the House, the Senate, and the White House, it is the establishment that runs the show.

Perhaps these Republicans have a tacit understanding with the establishment.  They will put on a show for their voters, but when it is time to vote — i.e., when real change has to occur — they side with the establishment, for which they will be handsomely rewarded later.

An ineffective ally is worse than an enemy.  The enemy is doing what is expected by attacking you.  But the real betrayal is when the ally becomes either a passive bystander or a covert supporter of the attacker.

The rapidly changing news cycle often causes us to forget the past and focus on the present.  This is exactly what the 13 Republican defectors are hoping for.

It is time for voters to wake up.  

It is time to thoroughly evaluate candidates by their actions and not by empty words.

It is essential to primary out all the pretenders and defectors.  Replace them with brave, confident, and ideologically committed candidates in their place.

Merely electing Republicans is not enough if their loyalty lies with the establishment.

The likes of President Trump, Glenn Youngkin, Ron DeSantis, Rand Paul, Devin Nunes, and a few others have shown how they can be effective, fearless, and independent.

Time to elect more from this fearless tribe