Tag Archives: Kevin McCarthy.

Dec 14 2023

Sad Meatball – Chris Sununu Slights DeSantis, Endorses Nikki Haley


Posted originally on the CTH on December 13, 2023 | Sundance

This stuff is so predictably pathetic it can make your skin crawl, or you can laugh at it. Choose the latter.

Chris Christie and Ron DeSantis both chased the ‘coveted‘ Chris Sununu endorsement in New Hampshire. However, as predictably predicted, Nikki Haley became the #1 best hope of the professionally Republican political class to challenge President Donald Trump. After all other efforts were exhausted by the billionaires and multinationals, they have collapsed into the Alamo Nikki Haley represents. Meanwhile, the vulgarian horde, the unwashed masses of deplorables, deconstruct their schemes and defenses.

The result – Chris Sununu falls into place and gives Haley his 0.05% polling boost with an official endorsement. Haley jumps from 7% to 7.05%, lolol.

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu endorsed Nikki Haley for president on Tuesday night, giving the former South Carolina governor a boost in a key early state.

“You bet your ass I am,” endorsing Haley, an energetic Sununu said to a cheering crowd packed into a ski lodge here.

“When you look at the poll numbers and you look at the ground game that Nikki has laid, it has been absolutely unbelievable,” Sununu said. “To see her out there, to see her connecting with folks, to feel that momentum — it is real, it is tangible.”

A beaming Haley walked out to a standing ovation and accepted Sununu’s endorsement with a warm embrace.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” Haley said. “To go and get endorsed by the ‘Live Free or Die’ governor is about as rock-solid of an endorsement as we could hope for.” (read more)

Too funny.

It was always going to be Nikki despite the full-throated first wave of support for Ron.  Why was this prediction below so transparently obvious?  Simply, because DeSantis sucks as a candidate, and at a certain point the management cannot overcome the candidate weakness.  The principal has to stand alone, and Ron DeSantis is not the guy to be able to handle that responsibility; he’s just too weak and controlled.

So yeah, it was always going to be Nikki as the hopeful GOPe nominee to block Trump.  CHECK DATE:

Dec 12 2023

Zelensky Visits White House Today – A Disgrace to Democracy


Posted originally on Dec 12, 2023 By Martin Armstrong 

ECM Ukraine Russia War

After threatening to send American troops to die in Ukraine if Congress did not approve the latest blank check for Ukraine, Biden has invited Zelensky to travel to the White House today. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the invite will “underscore the United States’ unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s brutal invasion.” Who has unwavering support for Ukraine besides the Neocons? Joe Biden’s approval continues to decline as his support for Ukraine rises. Our elected officials have repeatedly voted to cease funding. And yet, our president has chosen to dismiss the wishes of the people and their representatives.

2023_06_20_21_30_33_Zelenskyy_Questions_US_Presidential_Candidates_Calling_for_Ukraine_Peace_Deal_

America has already sent Zelensky over $111 billion to fight this proxy war. Billions have gone missing from the Pentagon since the war in Ukraine began, and there is no telling how much the government actually gave to Zelensky. Biden’s latest check would be worth $61.4 billion, bringing the US closer to having spent $200 billion on Ukraine since 2022. The entire Ukrainian government is on the US payroll on top of the endless funding to combat Russian aggression.

Do the people not see how offensive Zelensky’s visit is to US democracy? The people said no, the elected officials said no, but the “big guy” at the top is acting as a dictator and dismissing the wishes of the people. The American public has had a significantly lower standard of living since Biden took office, and I cannot think of anyone who wants to pass off our money to a foreign government to fight an undefeatable war.

Zelensky’s presence in Washington is an absolute disgrace to democracy. If the president of the United States cared about his country, he would invite the US Customs & Border Patrol to the White House and focus on redirecting funds to fix America’s broken border. Americans simply want to afford groceries and housing again, but the Biden Administration is DELIBERATELY making it harder for everyone to stay afloat.

Dec 12 2023

46 Deep State Officials Including Rosenstein, Clapper and Morell Urge Congress to Pass HPSCI Version of FISA-702 Renewal to Expand Domestic Surveillance


Posted originally on the CTH on December 11, 2023 | Sundance 

For those confused. There are two bills to modify the FISA702 reauthorization in the House.  (1) HR 6611 from the House Intel Committee and (2) HR 6570 from the House Judiciary Committee.  The intel committee bill expands domestic surveillance authority under the modifications; the judiciary committee bill requires the DOJ to get a search warrant before they can look at the incidental collection of American citizens.

Both bills came out of committee and were scheduled for a floor vote tomorrow, which has been cancelled due to public outcry (good job).  Speaker Mike Johnson initially planned to let both bills get voted tomorrow and the bill with the most votes advances to the Senate.  That’s a hot mess.

The House Intel Committee bill organized by Chairman Mike Turner is absolutely horrible. It expands FISA702 surveillance and makes things much worse.  The House Judiciary Bill organized by Chairman Jim Jordan is not structurally that much better, but it does put strong curtailments on the 702 surveillance authority by forcing the DOJ to get actual court approved search warrants on American citizens.

It should not come as a surprise to see a panel of 46 experts in Deep State weaponization come out in support of the Intelligence Committee bill, and then decry the insufferable 702 limitations put into place in the Judiciary Committee bill.   The bad guys want the House Intel version.

That’s a who’s-who list of 46 Deep State weaponization operatives, all supporting the Mike Turner version.

Turner lied when he said his HR 6611 bill was supported by John Ratcliffe and Devin Nunes.  It’s not, and they don’t.   Both Nunes and Ratcliffe support a panel within the process who have eyes on everything that is being done and can conduct immediate oversight.  Chairman Mike Turner is a big fibber, and y’all can tell him I said that.

The Deep State folks love the Turner bill (6611) because it makes the surveillance even easier by granting even more authority in their warrantless searches.  The Deep State folks do not like the Jordan bill (6570) because it requires a search warrant to look at the material, which means a predicate justification must exist.

Both bills suck, but the Jordan bill sucks less.

Speaker Johnson abandoned the competing same-day floor vote effort, and no one is sure where it goes from here; but that’s probably why the Deep State guys are writing a letter trying to influence Johnson on what bill to permit a vote.

In the meantime, the current FISA-702 authorization will likely be “short-term” renewed through April 19, 2024, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), while congress figures out which long-term reform bill to send to the Senate.

It’s all a hot mess.

We The People just don’t want to be under surveillance, but we have no representation.

Dec 10 2023

The Ukraine Narrative Fully Implodes


Posted originally on Rumble By Glen Greenwald on:Dec 9, 7:00 pm EST

Dec 9 2023

Brilliant Mask Dropping – Kevin McCarthy Proves Republicans Only Love Money


Posted originally on the CTH on December 8, 2023 | Sundance 

Before watching this short statement by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy {Direct Rumble Link}, let me remind everyone of the baseline truth.

Democrats want power; Republicans want money.  Threaten Democrats power, they get vicious.  Threaten Republicans money, they get vicious.  Democrats use money to get power; Republicans use power to get money.  The ideology of the democrats drives their donor activity.  The donor activity drives the republican ideology. 

This is the core and essential difference between both wings of the DC UniParty, two wings of the same vulture.  This is the truth of the thing. Underline it, put it on Post-It notes, remind yourself of this baseline in all review of both parties.  This is the core motive behind everything!

To hammer this point home, listen to this soundbite from Kevin McCarthy speaking at Oxford University, U.K. WATCH:

Why does Kevin McCarthy only see rich white republicans? Because Kevin McCarthy only sees rich, white republicans.

Get it?

The MAGA base is invisible to Republicans.

The MAGA base is the most diverse coalition in U.S. political history. MAGA cuts across all races, national origin, color and creed definitions. MAGA is a massive cross section of every American segment. MAGA is pure American! The republican party cannot see it, because the republican party cannot see it.

In many ways, We The People are in an abusive relationship with government.

If you do not agree with the agenda as it is controlled by a small a powerful self-described elitist class, then we become the problem.

The division is not determined by our definitions, the conniving and corrupt administrators of the system are the ones creating the division we are accused of perpetrating.   However, there is no division in a social context as clear as the division between the working class and the investment class rulers who consider themselves above such arbitrary labels.

When you peel the issues down to their essential core, what you will always find, always find, is the money of the thing.

The created system of control is maintained through economics, and any America-First policy that threatens to close the divide between the ‘haves and have-nots’ is viewed against their interests.  This is the essential core of the opposition we face.

A thriving middle class is a powerful political balance. But a working class struggling for scraps doesn’t have the time to deliver accountability.  This division of wealth is what the Washington DC UniParty exploits.  Despite their pontificating lies to the contrary, all of the DC systems are created to take advantage of the wealth gap.

The social structures which create and maintain society are easier to control with a divided nation.

President Trump and the coalition of MAGA represents a true existential threat to this perpetuated system of division.  The America-First economic agenda created exclusively by Donald Trump is the main problem at the heart of all MAGA opposition.

Quite simply the America First agenda puts *their* money at stake, and collectively that amounts to trillions of dollars in multinational globalist financial control.  The scale of the money behind the MAGA opposition is really the biggest challenge; it is almost unfathomable, and that scale is represented within the size of the war chest they assembled for Ron DeSantis.

The top of this financial pyramid holds a grip on political power that is threatened by the worldview, outlook and economic nationalist policy of Donald Trump.  The top this system will not ‘lose’ with America-First Trump; however, they will gain at a slower rate.  This group will not leave their throne, they only see a slower assembling within their vaults.

The Blackrock, Vanguard, State Street and World Economic Forum crews will follow the America-First policy and invest in America, they will just hate doing it.  They will hate the best-play of slower gains because the returns are not as lucrative, expedient or fraught with the simple indulgences of their custom.

However, underneath that top-tier, there are many layers of vested financial interests at lesser but more generational risk. The Cornwallis crowd will see a much more difficult time advancing their influence and affluence with America-First in place.  For this tier of powdered wigs, a loss for them could really change things.  This reality is why you see demographic polling showing the more affluent the respondent, the less supportive of MAGA their responses.

It’s not a class war, per se’, it is something far deeper within the psyche and outlook of people. The need for control is a reaction to fear.  Losing influence and affluence is the fear behind the division.  If we make the totalitarians a better sandwich, if we reach across the aisle and afford benefit of high-minded doubt, maybe our professional abusers will permit us to keep a little more…  Ultimately, the chase for scraps.

This sensibility, this triggering of selfish fear, is a powerful tool.  This is exactly what is being intentionally and purposefully triggered by those who are professionally political, and they are doing it for their own benefit.  It is not necessarily about creating a class war; it is more akin to controlling the wealth of a nation and then forcing groups to position themselves for what remains.

The ‘us -vs- them‘ scenario is not Republicans -vs- Democrats, it’s We The People, represented by MAGA, -vs- the totalitarian rulers in both parties.

WATCH:

We the people are the heart of America

We will win….

It is not a question of if, it is only a matter of how!

Dec 9 2023

RNC Never Sanctioned Iowa and New Hampshire Debates That CNN Announced – But It Gets Weirder


Posted originally on the CTH on December 8, 2023 | Sundance 

When CNN announced they were hosting two debates for the GOPe candidates in Iowa and New Hampshire, the supposition was that the RNC had given two debates to the network.  The assumption was because the RNC, and the four remaining first-loser candidates, had previously held an agreement that only RNC sanctioned debates would be permitted, and the candidates would only attend RNC sanctioned debates.

However, it turns out that fake news CNN went rogue in organizing the unsanctioned debates.

There are multiple facets worth considering, and considerable ramifications within the entire construct.

First, the RNC didn’t even know about the plans of CNN.  “The respective debates, set for Jan. 10 in Des Moines and Jan. 21 just outside Manchester, aren’t sanctioned by the RNC, which has organized the first four debates, including Wednesday night’s broadcast in Alabama,” according to Politico.  Additionally, “campaigns have continuously complained about current RNC rules, which say a candidate who participates in an unsanctioned debate is barred from future RNC-approved gatherings. But the RNC’s debate committee is expected to meet Friday to discuss officially removing that rule, according to three people with knowledge of the group’s plans.”

Fake News CNN lived up to their nickname by not even informing the debate venues of their plan prior to yesterday’s announcement.  It’s all very weird and curious:

(New York Times) – […]  With great fanfare this week, CNN announced it would host the network’s first debate of the 2024 presidential campaign, gathering the Republican candidates for a marquee event on Jan. 21 at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.

There was only one problem: Saint Anselm had no idea what CNN was talking about.

“We were surprised to be included on a press release by a network about a debate which we had not planned or booked,” Neil Levesque, executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm, said in a statement on Friday.

The chairman of New Hampshire’s Republican Party, Chris Ager, went a little further.  “The CNN thing came out and everybody’s like, ‘What the heck?’” Mr. Ager said in an interview. “I’m still scratching my head. And I still haven’t been contacted by CNN at all.” (more)

By midday on Friday, CNN was being battered with questions from Republicans, candidates and other media outlets.  It’s all just seemingly bizarre.

The RNC made an official statement today saying the RNC is no longer hosting debates for the 2024 GOP primary.   This is a little funny considering that Donald Trump never participated, and the candidates who aligned with the RNC debates have lower support numbers now than before the debate series began.

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee is pausing its participation in 2024 GOP primary debates, the organization decided Friday.

The RNC’s decision, made by a 16-member internal body, means that any forthcoming debates will be hosted by networks independently of the committee. Two outlets — ABC and CNN — have announced plans to host future debates in Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of early state voting. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis already said he will attend CNN’s planned Iowa debate before next month’s caucuses and ABC’s planned New Hampshire debate.

“We have held four successful debates across the country with the most conservative partners in the history of a Republican primary. We have no RNC debates scheduled in January and any debates currently scheduled are not affiliated with the RNC,” the RNC’s Committee on Presidential Debates said in a statement. “It is now time for Republican primary voters to decide who will be our next President and candidates are free to use any forum or format to communicate to voters as they see fit.” (more)

Essentially, it all boils down to this.  The RNC initially thought they could stop Trump; however, the RNC debate series intended to generate that narrative has failed miserably.  Donald Trump is supported more now than he was when the field of first-loser candidates assembled against him.  Having failed, the RNC backs away slowly.

The CNN announcement, and the gleeful almost immediate acceptance by DeSantis et al, reflects a general desperation.  The effort to stop Trump now falls on the leftist corporate media, who are aligned with the remaining four GOP candidates: DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy and Christie.

The agreement and alignment between the remaining candidates, and the corrupt media apparatus, only highlights the fraudulent reason those candidates were assembled in the first place.  The ‘stop Trump’ effort was/is the purpose of their candidacy; actually, winning the GOP nomination was/is irrelevant.   This non-pretending reality exposes the strings on the four remaining marionettes.

It is serendipitous the events rolled out the way they did.  Fraudulent men had plans, but God has a sense of humor.  The implosion of a heavily controlled GOP field is only spotlighted more by the few remaining candidates continuing to compete for first-loser status.

Why would any Republican agree to a CNN debate knowing the nature of the lies and fraud CNN has pushed for the past several years.  Any normally minded Republican candidate would never agree or participate, and therein lies the point.  These are not normally minded politicians; their agenda is something else entirely.

President Donald Trump is unlikely to participate in any debate.  The premise of the debates themselves is silly, and the only reason the candidates are agreeing to more debates is that the corporate and billionaire donors to them are demanding every effort be exhausted.  At this point it is pathetic.

Dec 8 2023

Nikki Haley Exposed as Neocon Fraud & Corporatist Shill, Ivy League Presidents Fold on Free Speech. Plus: Israel-Gaza Debate, w/ Batya Ungar-Sargon & Omar Baddar | SYSTEM UPDATE #194


Posted originally on Rumble By Glenn Greenwald on:Dec 7, 7:00 pm ES

Dec 8 2023

Body Bags Everywhere At The Debate (Ep. 2145) – 12/07/2023


Posted originally on Rumble BY Dan Bongino Show on:Dec 7, 11:00 am EST

Dec 8 2023

Ronna McRomney Schedules Iowa and New Hampshire Primary Debates With CNN


Posted originally on the CTH on December 7, 2023 | Sundance

At a certain point you just start laughing at the insufferable corporate club, a corporation we call the RNC and all those therein.

It’s not really fair to blame Ronna, because just about any other corporate officer from within the corporation would provide the same outcome.  However, that said, Ronna McDaniel has scheduled the Iowa and New Hampshire Republican primary debates to be under the control of CNN; yes, fake news CNN.

CNN – CNN will host two Republican presidential primary debates next month in Iowa and New Hampshire – states that hold the first contests in the race for the 2024 GOP nomination, the network announced Thursday.

The events will provide Republican voters an opportunity to hear the governing philosophies of the leading candidates seeking to challenge the likely Democratic presidential nominee, President Joe Biden, in November.

The first debate will take place on January 10 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, less than a week before Iowa caucus-goers weigh in on the Republican presidential race. The second debate will be January 21 at St. Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire. (read more)

If we retain our non-pretending status, we all know the reason why.  CNN provides the mechanisms for domestic political narrative creation.  The RNC will keep attempting to eliminate the Trump virus from their controlled political operation up until the very end.  The RNC agenda and the CNN agenda are the same; that reality is why this decision. Yes, it really is that simple.

The functional mission of the UniParty apparatus is not based on ideology; the core and consequential baseline revolves around the business of American politics and the motives of the people who control the institutions within it.  For this outline I focus only on the Republican wing, the GOP corporation, one side of the professional business apparatus.

WRITE THIS DOWN, and force yourself to remember it every day.  “The Republican Party priority is to retain their business, to control the outcomes, and this has nothing to do with winning elections.”  The RNC would rather lose elections and retain power, than win elections and lose operational control over the apparatus.

In the past several decades, the motive of a Republican or Democrat politician, advancing their influence by running for political office, has absolutely nothing to do with representing the interests of the American people.  Nothing.  Their interests are to engage within the business of politics, while presenting themselves as qualified actors, to retain the premise of political service.  This is why they will spend $10 million to win an office that only pays $400k/yr.

The business of buying, selling and controlling policy, is the core operation of people within the US political system.  As an outcome, the business has two wings – the RNC and the DNC.  Two private corporations inside the political industry who are in place to retain the overall business model.  The RNC and DNC are both funded by the same interests, banks, corporations, Wall St interests, and even foreign interests who purchase outcomes.

The RNC and DNC are two operational wings inside the industry of politics.  They are in the same business, but they have slightly different business models.

The Republicans (RNC) want money, the Democrats (DNC) want power.  The Republicans use power to get money; the Democrats use money to get power.  The donor activity of the Republicans drives their agenda.  The agenda of the Democrats drives their donor activity.  It is a subtle nuance, but once you really understand it, everything falls into place.

The Republican politicians are ambivalent to the outcomes of the Democrats.  The Republican group only cares about the money.  Threaten the power of the Democrats, and you get a toxic and violent response.  Threaten the money of the Republicans, and you get exactly the same level of response.

Democrats are triggered when you threaten their power, their ability to control.  Republicans are triggered when you threaten their money – their ability to enrich.

The primary of 2024 is the election season when we see firsthand this corporate battle explode inside in the Republican group.  Decades of entrenched power are at stake, and there have been four years of counter positioning and backroom discussion leading up to this moment.

As a consequence, and I know this might sound odd to many people – but winning and/or losing elections becomes a secondary issue.  The people who control the RNC as a private corporation, the people who fund the business, are not focused on winning elections. The RNC corporation is focused on retaining mission control.

The RNC wants to give the illusion of support for MAGA conservatism, because the illusion of choice requires a base voter.  However, every move they make, on an operational level, is exactly in line with their previous outlook toward cocktail-class corporate republicanism.  The MAGA base of support cannot trust this corporate group, and we must not be blind or unguarded about the Machiavellian schemes they construct.

Donald Trump is not a problem for the Republican Party; Donald Trump is our response to the problem within the Republican Party.

Republicans are far more violent, hate-filled and vitriolic than Democrats when their money is threatened.  As long as the money is not threatened, Republicans happily play the game and permit the Democrats to purchase their votes and support.  However, threaten the money of the Republicans, and they will be the very first to go nuclear… including the intentional loss of any/all elections in order to preserve their stake.

This dichotomy, ambivalence and illusion, is what you saw in the 2018 midterms, 2020 general and 2022 midterms from the professional Republicans.  The MAGA team, who identify as Republicans as a method for ballot entry, are the only ones who will fight to change this dynamic.  Therefore, the Republican Party views the MAGA insurgents as the enemy that must be removed.

Now, to Iowa…

The Republican Party of Iowa Central Committee has refused to set a date by which a voter must choose Republican voter affiliation in order to participate in the January 15 caucus.  The private club is positioning to block the MAGA insurgency and advance the DeSantis operation; because if the approved RNC candidate doesn’t win in Iowa, Godzilla Trump will take the momentum and destroy the club.

The result is that Iowa Democrats (who have screwed up their own caucuses, so they will be free on Jan. 15) will swarm the Republican caucuses to cause mischief.  Iowans, who are not stupid, know exactly what “mischief” means in this context.  At best, it means a rough night and some bruises.  At worst, ask Joe Biggs.

This is an inside job by the Republican Party of Iowa.  During the legislative session earlier this year, they were all set to pass a bill setting the deadline for registration at 70 days prior to the caucus date.  Then, suddenly, the “lawyers” said legislators had to take that provision out, and that the Republican Party of Iowa would handle it by resolution.

The private corporation needs control.

As we have witnessed in Georgia, watch the professional party apparatus in Iowa align with a singular mission – to protect their business model.

♦ In Iowa – the SEA ISLAND DeSantis crew have funded and planted Ron DeSantis to camp out.  The RNC, RGA and SI Group are supported by their beneficiary RGA Chair and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.  The goal is to use the Jeff Roe Cruz Crew, and roughly 1,000 paid Never Back Down (NBD) conscripts to do the stop Trump astroturf.

Let me emphasize a key point.  The professionally Republican Party apparatus is not positioning to win the 2024 election. The goal of the Republican Party is to remove the threat represented by Donald Trump.  That’s why the alignment with CNN surfaces.

When you start there, all of the RNC weaknesses or flaws look very different, very purposeful.

Donald J. Trump isn’t the cause of the Republican failure; he is our response to their failure.

The people in control of Republican Club do not care who is in the White House, that is a secondary objective.  What they care about right now is controlling the Republican corporation and stopping the hostile takeover.]

Dec 7 2023

Biden Threatens Direct U.S. Troop Fights Against Russia if Congress Doesn’t Fund Ukraine


Posted originally on the CTH on December 6, 2023 | Sundance 

Earlier today Joe Biden threatened U.S. troop engagement with Russian troops if congress doesn’t provide further funding for Ukraine.  As the premise is pushed, a failure to fund the Ukraine war means Russia will move beyond Ukraine into a NATO country.  The premise is nonsense. WATCH:

White House – […] “Congress needs to pass supplemental funding for Ukraine before they break for the holiday recess.  It’s as simple as that. 

Frankly, I think it’s stunning that we’ve gotten to this point in the first place.  While Congress — the Republicans in Congress is — are willing to give Putin the greatest gift he could hope for and abandon our global leadership not just to Ukraine, but beyond that.   

[…] “I just did a meeting with the G7, which was one of the issues we discussed — all of the European leaders.  We are prepared to stay with us — stay with Ukraine, and our European friends are as well. 

Who in the United States are prepared to walk away from that?  I tell you, I’m not prepared to walk away, and I don’t think the American people are either.

If Putin takes Ukraine, he won’t stop there.  It’s important to see the long run here.  He’s going to keep going.  He’s made that pretty clear.

If Putin attacks a NATO Ally — if he keeps going and then he attacks a NATO Ally — well, we’ve committed as a NATO member that we’d defend every inch of NATO territory.  Then we’ll have something that we don’t seek and that we don’t have today: American troops fighting Russian troops — American troops fighting Russian troops if he moves into other parts of NATO. 

Make no mistake: Today’s vote is going to be long remembered.  And history is going to judge harshly those who turn their back on freedom’s cause.  

We can’t let Putin win.  I’ll say it again: We can’t let Putin win.  It’s in our overwhelming national interest and international interest of all our friends.

Any disruption in our ability to supply Ukraine clearly strengthens Putin’s position.  We’ve run out of money to be able to do that, in terms of authorization.

Extreme Republicans are playing chicken with our national security, holding Ukraine’s funding hostage to their extreme partisan border policies.” (link)