Last week, shortly after Pope Francis "blessed" Washington, John Boehner held a tear-soaked press conference during which he announced that he'll be resigning his seat at the end of the month.
This news sent shockwaves around the halls of Congress, and set in motion a series of events—unfortunate events—that would shake the GOP to its core.
By abdicating the House speakership, Boehner had single-handedly made it possible for the government to keep giving "free stuff" to special interest groups (e.g., women, blacks, poors, etc.)—much to the detriment of liberty.
In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd probably think that he's part of the vast left-wing conspiracy.
Boehner's move was a stinging rebuke to Ted Cruz and his freedom fighting compatriots, who were intent on stuffing the entire federal government into some lady parts.
Luckily for them, thanks to a previously scheduled hearing on Planned Parenthood, they had the opportunity to publicly browbeat a woman, before dispensing with the handouts.
Also, too ...
The GOP-controlled Benghazi Committee was able to drive down Hillary Clinton's poll numbers, which is nice.
Morning lineup:
Meet the Press: Raging Narcissist Donald Trump (R); Others TBD.
Face the Nation: Pre-empted by NFL Coverage.
This Week: Raging Narcissist Donald Trump (R); New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R); Bill O'Reilly (Fox News); Roundtable: (R); Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Greta Van Susteren (Fox News) and Matt Bai (Yahoo News).
Fox News Sunday: Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT); Army Gen. Jack Keane (Ret.); Former Ambassador Ryan Crocker; Roundtable: Brit Hume (Fox News), Julie Pace (Associated Press), Ben Domenech (The Federalist) and Christi Parsons (Los Angeles Times).
State of the Union: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA); Sen. John McCain (R-AZ); Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN); Gun Control Activist Mark Kelly.
Evening lineup:
60 Minutes will feature: a report on self-driving cars (preview); an interview with former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (preview); and, a report on French Catholic priest Father Patrick Desbois' search to uncover the unknown victims of the Holocaust (preview).
After the shooting in Oregon, Stephen Colbert shared some thoughts on pretending and honesty.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert:
Monday: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ); Cellist Yo-Yo Ma; Ballerina Misty Copeland.
Tuesday: Former President Bill Clinton (D); Comedian Billy Eichner; Rock Band Florence and the Machine.
Wednesday: Actress Gina Rodriguez; Former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke; Rock Band Tame Impala.
Thursday: Actress Cate Blanchett: Airbnb Co-Founder Brian Chesky.
Friday: TV Host James Corden; Co-Founder/CEO of VICE Media Shane Smith; Singer Halsey.
And, during his first week in the anchor seat, Trevor Noah argued that Donald Trump would make a perfect African president.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah:
Monday: Actor Seth Rogen; Tuesday: Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin; Wednesday: Documentary Filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky; Rachel Maddow (MSNBC).
Elsewhere...
A Florida state Rep. was caught scheming to lock up a Congressional seat held by a black Democrat.
In a private gathering during last month's Republican Party of Florida quarterly meeting, state Rep. Janet Adkins told a group of North Florida GOP activists that the key to defeating Corrine Brown, a black Jacksonville Democrat, is boosting the number of black prisoners in her district.
"You draw [Brown's seat] in such a fashion so perhaps, a majority, or maybe not a majority, but a number of them will live in the prisons, thereby not being able to vote," said Adkins, a Nassau County Republican, referring to black residents. [...]
On maps passed by both the House and Senate during an August redistricting special session, lawmakers redrew Brown's seat to stretch west from Jacksonville to the Tallahassee region. It currently winds from Jacksonville to Orlando and is considered one of the most gerrymandered seats in the country.
Meanwhile, in the great state of Indiana...
The state House floor leader was forced to step down, after his cellphone fell into the hands of some sex-crazed Canadians ... or something.
Rep. Jud McMillin, a rising star in the state's Republican Party, abruptly resigned Tuesday.
The Indianapolis Star has learned that the surprise resignation came after a sexually explicit video was sent via text message from McMillin's cellphone. It's unclear who sent the text or how broadly it was distributed. [...]
McMillin, whose Facebook page says he is married, did not respond to messages from The Star seeking comment. He said in an emailed statement only that he has "decided the time is right for me to pass the torch and spend more time with my family." [...]
McMillin said in a text message last week, "My phone was stolen in Canada and out of my control for about 24 hours. I have just been able to reactivate it under my control. Please disregard any messages you received recently. I am truly sorry for anything offensive you may have received." [...]
In 2005, his career as an assistant county prosecutor in Ohio came to an end amid questions about his sexual conduct. He admitted to a relationship with the complainant in a domestic violence case he was prosecuting, but he insisted the relationship began after he stepped off the case, according to the Dayton Daily News. He resigned a week after he stopped working on the case.
And, finally...
In the wake of the latest mass shooting, Tennessee's Lt. Gov. urged his fellow Christians to join God's army.
Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (R) was quickly criticized after calling on Christians to arm themselves following Thursday's mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon.
According to The Tennessean, Ramsey made the remarks on his official Facebook page.
"While this is not the time for widespread panic, it is a time to prepare," he wrote on Friday morning. "I would encourage my fellow Christians who are serious about their faith to think about getting a handgun carry permit. I have always believed that it is better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it. Our enemies are armed. We must do likewise." [...]
"The recent spike in mass shootings across the nation is truly troubling," Ramsey wrote. "Whether the perpetrators are motivated by aggressive secularism, jihadist extremism or racial supremacy, their targets remain the same: Christians and defenders of the West."
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.
- Trix