Right-wing dissidents are again threatening a civil war in the U.S. after the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government has authority over state government, specifically that of Texas. In a 5-4 ruling with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Comey Barrett agreeing with the three progressive justices, U.S. border agents may cut razor wire that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott installed for dozens of miles in the Rio Grande River, wire killing migrants seeking asylum. The wire also bars people from using a park and the only boat ramp in the area. Ironically, the threats for a “second Civil War” was again centered around minorities, like the slavery issue over one and a half century ago.
Despite the order from the highest court in the U.S., Abbott refuses to respect the rule of law; he’s joined by Deposed Donald Trump who is calling on all GOP governors to send their national guards to fight the ruling. Abbott declares the state’s “constitutional authority” as “the supreme law of the land.” Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) wrote that “the feds are staging a civil war, and Texas should stand their ground.” House Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson has joined the 25 Republican governors who declared support for Texas action. [Red states supporting Texas, in blue.] Only Vermont’s GOP governor, Phil Scott, doesn’t support Abbott.
Earlier, Florida created Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Florida State Guard which cannot be federalized. A proposed bill removes the requirement “that Florida State Guard be used exclusively within state.” Texas also has a state guard that cannot be federalized. Also pushing a civil war are Fox & Friends’ Brian Kilmeade, podcaster Steve Bannon, and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin are gloating about the possibility of civil war in the U.S., stating that it would end the war in Ukraine with a Russian win.
A truck envoy espousing Christian nationalist rhetoric and calling itself an “Army of God” will head toward the southern U.S. border with the theme “blessed are the peacemakers.” Organizers of the “Take Our Border Back” convoy claims a mission to stand up against “globalists” who, they claim, conspire to keep U.S. borders open and destroy the country. They plan to leave Virginia Beach on Monday and stop at Jacksonville (FL) before several stops along the border before splitting for rallies on February 3 in Eagle Pass (TX), Yuma (AZ), and San Ysidro (CA).
Texas’ biggest newspaper, the Houston Chronicle, blasted the state’s governor for his rejection of the high court ruling:
“Abbott, a former Texas Supreme Court justice, apparently thinks he knows better than the highest court in the nation what the U.S. Constitution says.”
The newspaper also called out Abbott’s hypocrisy:
“The governor of a state that has maimed migrants with razor wire, deprived them of water in the summer and left to them to drown in the river is arguing self-defense.”
In opposition to the U.S. Constitution, Abbott asserts that Texas law “supersedes” federal law, so legal experts and congressional members are calling on President Joe Biden to federalize the Texas National Guard, now used to defy federal law and the court ruling. Abbott declared that he will lay down more razor wire and block federal border agents from accessing the U.S. border. Using the term “invasion,” he invokes the right to overrule the U.S. Professor of law and political scientist Anthony Michael Kreis compared Abbott to VP John Calhoun, defender of slavery and supporter of nullification, who maintained the alleged “right” of a state to “nullify” a federal law it claims is unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court ruling had vacated a 5th Circuit Court injunction to leave the wire in place. The Circuit Court will hear arguments on February 7 about whether agents violated Texas law when they cut the barrier.
Ultra-conservative Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) blames DDT and House GOP leaders for not passing a border security bill in 2018 that would prevent the current crisis. The refusal to give money to DDT for his border wall led to the 35-day government shutdown in 2018-2019, the longest one in history. The government reopened with no money for the wall.
The same conservative GOP congressional members advocating civil war refuse to pass a tougher immigration bill because DDT told them to not support it. They hope that a lack of immigration control will elect DDT and other Republicans later this year. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) had supported the bill until DDT told him to oppose it. Republicans excuse their opposition with the claim that they won’t get everything they want although the final bill has not been drafted. Johnson joined the naysaying senators for a press conference slamming the deal. Joined by Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), Johnson is trying to save his job by insinuating that the bill would be “dead on arrival” in the House. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) called the idea “utterly ineffective,” but his Democratic opponent, Rep. Colin Allred, is even with him in the polls.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said the GOP refusal to solve the border problem, using it to campaigning against Biden, “is really appalling.” Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) called the proposal “by far, the most conservative border security bill in four decades.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that they can’t get a better deal “if President Trump wins.” Sen. John Thune (R-SD) stated:
“The Democrats will not give us anything close to this if we have to get 60 votes in the United States Senate in a Republican majority. We have a unique opportunity here. And the timing is right to do this.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), usually more conservative, had even stronger language about DDT’s blocking the bill when he urged colleagues to not follow a candidate’s wish:
“I didn’t come here to have the president as a boss or a candidate as a boss. I came here to pass good, solid policy. It is immoral for me to think you looked the other way because you think this is the linchpin for President Trump to win.”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), the chief Democratic negotiator, said it should be expected that DDT “doesn’t want to fix the border” because he and “a lot of Republicans” are used to seeing it as “a political issue, not an actual policy problem.” Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), up for reelection called it “Bull-loney” and said that the naysayers “need to resign from the damn Senate.”
Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that “negotiators will work all weekend in an effort to get this done.”
Even the conservative Wall Street Journal criticized Republicans for rejecting Biden’s border bill, warning them that they may pay a political price for following DDT. The editorial board called this action “a self-inflicted wound”:
“President Biden would claim, with cause, that Republicans want border chaos as an election issue rather than solving the problem. Voter anger may over time move from Mr. Biden to the GOP, and the public will have a point. Cynical is the only word that fits Republicans panning a border deal whose details aren’t even known.”
The editorial also expressed doubts that DDT could broker a better deal even if he were in the White House, “especially if Mr. Trump sabotages a bipartisan deal now.” The GOP refusal to continue Ukrainian aid could also backfire on Republicans because their blocking the bill leaves them with “responsibility for whatever happens next in Ukraine. Kyiv’s defeat will be signed with the party’s signature. Do Republicans want to sponsor the 2024 equivalent of Saigon 1975?”
The border deal is tied to aid for Ukraine, and GOP supporters search for Plan B, moving the assistance to a funding bill. Congress passed a continuing resolution in mid-January to allow time until March 1 and March 8, the new deadline for a government shutdown if appropriations bills aren’t passed. The House has 14 working days until the first deadline and another five days before the second.
Biden announced he would use new emergency authorities to “shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed” if Congress passes the bipartisan immigration bill, but the House wants to torpedo any Democratic assistance in solving border problems. The situation is a more blatant version of Henry Kissinger helping Richard Nixon block the peace deal for the Vietnam War in 1968 to get him elected and John Connally, Jr. helping to stall Jimmy Carter’s plan to get Iranian-held hostages released in 1980 so that Ronald Reagan would be elected.
The GOP may be shrinking: DDT plans to purge anyone from the GOP who doesn’t follow MAGA. DDT is putting together a blacklist, most recently announcing that anyone contributing to Nikki Haley’s campaign will be “permanently barred from the MAGA camp.” He also plans to eliminate security officials, intelligence agents, and justice officials who target “conservatives, Christians, or the left’s political enemies” as well as anyone who worked for one of his opponents like Jeff Roe, a member of DeSantis’ team. Lack of loyalty to DDT will automatically cause removal from being a Republican.
The conservative Wall Street Journal lambasted DDT for his blacklisting to “purify” the party. The editorial called this “retribution” a form of “political weakness” because a majority of Haley voters in New Hampshire stated they won’t vote for DDT.
The dictator has spoken, however, and MAGAites will follow.
Nel's New Day 