patrick.net

Here's a problem:

DOGE can id spending for recession. However, DOGE has a lot more departments to review. They probably won't be able to dive into everything by September, but they certainly need more than the few weeks they've had so far.

To permanently remove it, it's gotta be in a spending bill. Federal Judges are going to howl no matter what, that's a given. The cases involving recessions the federal judges are trying to stop are almost certainly going to SCOTUS.

However, a spending bill or budget is going to be THE Congressional Battle of the this Session.

There are a ton of Republicans in swing or mild "R" districts or States where cutting is going to hurt and hurt bad,

The budget is probably going to be the "Summer Slog". But we certainly can't have this battle right now, or Trump will get bogged down fighting in the Raputitsa Swamp Mire while he's got the momentum going right now and every week is making sweeping advances.

So bypass the Pripyet Marshes of Budget until the dry summer, but keep advancing around it towards Vilnius on the road to Moscow to maximize the initiative of the current advance.

I think Massie and the Dems would LOVE for a halt Trump on a range of issues. For Massie, that includes both slowing tariff and the border enforcement. The builders and Koch brothers that fund his campaigns want the imports and the cheap labor and as a lolbertarian he doesn't understand business lost to outsourcing, with the same infrastructure, drains revenue from a smaller tax base. The tariff offsets that AND encourages domestic production, broadening the tax base and making it easier to keep taxes low.

Another big issue with spending is funding the aforementioned Judges, possibly getting rid of the retarded DC Circuit entirely and spreading those cases randomly over other circuits. This is the age of Zoom and PDF, so distance really isn't a consideration.

Patrick says

How much does the latest kick-the-can-down-the-road CR increase spending?

Massie was claiming ~$330B, but I'm sure he's using a worst case.

That adds 1% to our ~$37T budget.

BUT, Doge has found just over $100B in waste in 2 months, or about $50B/month.

The waste has to be identified to be permanently cut. If the Budget negotiations begin in June, perhaps $200B in waste may be found. And that waste is a PERMANENT cut.

Over 4 years, that is $800B. So the benefit of delaying the budget to June is a net savings of $470B. And those savings are permanent.

That's not including completely axing the Dept of Ed, PBS, etc.

Why couldn't the CR spend at least slightly less than the previous one if it's spending slightly more?

Just moving in the right direction (less spending) would be epic, but somehow these CRs never do that.

https://oldschoolcounselor.substack.com/p/massie-is-plus-three-over-trump

Massie is plus three over Trump

The courageous congressman from Kentucky is correct about the harmful influence of Israel, immediate spending cuts, and the failure of Operation Warp Speed that lead to the COVID Democide. ...

Like the venerable Congressman Ron Paul before him, Massie does not do what is expedient or popular, even if his party tyrants or the major power players in Washington threaten him as they have done repeatedly. He has a liberty compass and he follows it. ...

Massie believes as many of us do, that Israel is a foreign nation that has too much influence in Washington because they effectively bribe and blackmail politicians. ...

Spending cuts never happen, even if they tell us they will happen. Something always occurs in the dead of night to keep the cash flowing. DOGE is talking a good game, and that makes President Trump look like a common sense hero, but the Trump Administration wants the cuts to come later (which means they may never happen). I agree with Massie and fellow Libertarian Senator Ron Paul. Cut now. I do not believe President Trump actually wants to cut any spending that might alienate any voters. Massie is correct. Trump is wrong. That is plus 2 for Massie.

Most importantly, Congressman Massie has been advocating against government abuse during the COVID Plandemic since March of 2020. He was doing this while President Trump championed the disastrous Operation Warp Sped that ended up being a key driver of the democide. Massie was correct. Trump was disastrously wrong on the most important issue of our time. That is plus 3 for Massie.

If I had the choice I would replace President Trump with Congressman Massie.

I agree. I want:

1. No funding for Israel or any other foreign country, except food aid to the starving.
2. Immediate spending cuts, not an eternal cycle of CRs that increase spending every time.
3. Accountability for the worst crimes against humanity ever: Fauci's virus and the mandates to inject mRNA.

Patrick says

1. No funding for Israel or any other foreign country, except food aid to the starving.

Why did Massie endorse DeSantis in 2024, one of the most pro-Israel politicians in America?

You can depend on Massie to shut down any border enforcement amendments and vote no on any bills about it.


Why? Look at his top donors - Construction and Koch.

AmericanKulak says

You can depend on Massie to shut down any border enforcement amendments and vote no on any bills about it.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2023/05/09/why-massie-is-against-the-gops-border-security-bill-n2622999

Republicans are about to make a huge mistake.

Biden forced millions of Americans to take VACCINES by threatening their JOBS, and turning EMPLOYERS into enforcers.

Imagine giving Biden the ultimate on/off switch for EMPLOYMENT called E-verify.

Might as well call it V-verify.

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 7, 2023

National E-verify bill contains vague references to two pilot programs of non-photographic technology you must use to prove your identity to DHS in order to get a job.

What is it? Fingerprints? DNA? Retina? Why not just say it in the bill? Is E-Verify actually Patriot Act 2.0? pic.twitter.com/0vKxxkWiM3

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 9, 2023

AmericanKulak says

Patrick says

1. No funding for Israel or any other foreign country, except food aid to the starving.

Why did Massie endorse DeSantis in 2024, one of the most pro-Israel politicians in America?

Are there any politicians in America who are not pro-Israel?

Patrick says

Are there any politicians in America who are not pro-Israel?

Sure. Trashida, AOC, Al Green, etc. ... and Massie.

Yet DeSantis is one of the most pro-Israel politicians in America.

Being anti-Israel aid is part and parcel of a Libertarian, so that's not my issue with Massie. I EXPECT a libertarian to be opposed to foreign aid.

Patrick says

Republicans are about to make a huge mistake.

Biden forced millions of Americans to take VACCINES by threatening their JOBS, and turning EMPLOYERS into enforcers.

Imagine giving Biden the ultimate on/off switch for EMPLOYMENT called E-verify.

Might as well call it V-verify.

— Thomas Massie (RepThomasMassie) May 7, 2023

National E-verify bill contains vague references to two pilot programs of non-photographic technology you must use to prove your identity to DHS in order to get a job.

What is it? Fingerprints? DNA? Retina? Why not just say it in the bill? Is E-Verify actually Patriot Act 2.0? pic.twitter.com/0vKxxkWiM3

— Thomas Massie (RepThomasMassie) May 9, 2023

Distraction Technique.

* SSN for tax filing matches your full legal name and birthdate
* At least one Legal picture ID that has verified that and any citizenship/valid visa status upon issuance to get a job
* Takes far less time to complete than a W2 or ordering the #3 Chow Mein special from China Moon.

!= Total Cyber Dystopia. This was asked for since before the 21st Century.

I literally did this for "Nationally Famous Mutual Fund company based in Boston" for a Summer as a college job. I could literally check two dozen people in half an hour by phone, and you had to call back every 3 checks, after waiting a few minutes for a Federal Employee to answer the hotline, and spell out each name completely letter-by-letter. You'd not be surprised how many Rosa Rodriguez born in 1979, a cafeteria applicant, were not gelling with an SNN in the name of Elmer Van Horne, born 1929, died 1975 in Osh Kosh, Wisconsin.

Give me a break, Charlie Brown with the comparisons to the Patriot Act.

A better explanation to me is Massie's donors in the Construction Industry and Koch Brothers (who have LONG been opposed to E-Verify) hate it.

They don't want to lose Ignatio Geraldo working for $13/hr shoveling gravel because he's got the SSN of poor Elmer from Osh Kosh.

Also it would greatly facilitate deportation - every time local cops ran a D/L through the system they'd be able to track another major problem, visa overstays: "Abdul Al-Haram's student visa expired in 2021. Driver holds no current valid visa, green card, or naturalization status at this time. Dispatch is notifying ICE for transfer, detain."

Which is also the real reason Massie voted against the Border Enforcement link during the 2023 spending/debt increase fight.

*Deleted* Grok was counting bills like "Billboards on Federal Highways" as CRs that had no CR component, when I double checked.

https://notthebee.com/article/maga-land-is-coming-after-matt-walsh-for-defending-thomas-massie-after-trump-signaled-massie-is-excommunicado

Massie is a dye-in-the-wool constitutionalist who actually wants to cut federal spending. Like Sen. Rand Paul (also of Kentucky), the guy doesn't budge when it comes to government waste.

Trump, meanwhile, wants to cut waste, but is also pushing some serious spending proposals of his own.

https://x.com/jeremykauffman/status/1899218225596150028






https://x.com/nicksortor/status/1899301179659546881



Interestingly enough, Trump's usual tactic seems to be failing here.
Trump will usually force his target to the negotiation table by putting them on blast. It works great, say, when he's cutting through the virtue signaling and political correctness to expose the woke grift of his opponents. It also works when dealing with people who are trying to take advantage of America's wealth and generosity, like Panama making special deals with the Chinese to get rich off the canal America built.

But when he tries it on a beloved congressman with the most conservative voting record in Congress ... well, just see the replies on Truth Social itself...

https://nitter.poast.org/RepThomasMassie/status/1899577763981365297#m

remember what i said about Trump before? he never was a cut spending guy, he signed every omnibus that landed on his desk. He will continue the same.

Patrick says

Massie: Once upon a time, I introduced a bill to eliminate the Department of Education.

Everybody: What happened?

Massie: Nothing. But it shows that I'm the real deal, the King of Cuts, The Lance of Liberty, unlike pfffth... that Orange MAGA cult. I feel very fiscally conservative, libertarian even.

Trump: Hours after her appointment, his Sec of Ed lays off half the Department via RIF.

It was a good idea, but Massie didn't have the power to do it. Trump does.

Not intending to be personal here, just liked this one.

I admire people who stand up and speak the truth when the crowd is wrong.

FortwayeAsFuckJoeBiden says

remember what i said about Trump before? he never was a cut spending guy, he signed every omnibus that landed on his desk. He will continue the same.

I'm worried that you're right.

Trump could do the right thing and demand actual spending cuts immediately, in the current CR, but he refuses to do it.

Patrick says

Not intending to be personal here, just liked this one.

Yep, We're just having fun.

Patrick says

Trump could do the right thing and demand actual spending cuts but he refuses to do it.

Trump is doing it the right way - back to seriousness for a moment.

He's doing the death of 1000 cuts, using recission, RIFs, etc. and a whole shitload of lesser known but generally long used tactics with precedence, to get it done. That's what he and his team concluded in the wilderness was the optimal way forward.

It takes a simple majority to get recessions approved permanently; budgets are a helluva fight and have a far higher bar to cross.

The Great Irony being he's using the "Imperial Presidency" or "Supreme Executive" that the Federalist Society have long pushed forward, but are mad Trump is taking advantage of

Numbers USA on Massie



https://grades.numbersusa.com/search/

"Thanks for the money you gave me for being seduced by my big words and no actions! I'm gonna be your new Big Mouth, No Deeds Senator from Kentucky to replace Mitch! Defeat the Uniparty by losing with principles! !"


Massie is the new NeverTrump leader.

Trump has never been tight with spending, but I prefer a measured approach, so let's give him some time and see where we stand wrt deficit in a year or two. Massie will be 10 times better than yurtle the turtle. Numbers USA likely bs. Yurtle certainly didn't vote better than this on immigration:
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/132068/thomas-massie/40/immigration

Not everyone who opposes Trump on a particular issue is his enemy. Trump's got to dial down the vengeance but trust his paranoia. He's doing this, and I think this is why:

I really think that Trump and Musk now know to a gross extent how deep and extensive the corruption is, and it horrifies them. They have to figure out how many congresspeople they can turn to rat out the worst, then get rid of the rest in the midterm elections. The fact that every member of Congress has gone from six figures net worth to eight figures in 4-5 years means that the corruption is universal. This probably includes Massie as well as Paul.

The Numbers USA number are accurate; Massey usually finds a reason to vote no on border enforcement bills.

I'm thoroughly convinced Massie is a Koch Tool to weaken MAGA from the "Right"/"Libertarian" Flank.

When I see Massie being practical for today, not principled for the far off fantasy future, I'll change my mind.

Noticing a pattern among Massie boosters:



A pattern of Massies: Wait till the last minute, make no provision for alternatives, do not work in advance for alternatives, and announce His Great Princuhpuled Stance

10 Print "MAGA: So what Budgets will Massie write that 7 Democrats will also vote for?";
20 Print "Massholes: You want the status quo!"
30 GOTO 10