Random Politics

[China]

'Extraordinary': GOP governor accidentally vetoes state's housing budget

A Republican governor made what one insider called an "extraordinary" error this week, mistakenly vetoing his state's $35 million housing budget.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that Gov. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) took up an agency budget bill approved by the legislature. He planned to veto a couple of line items on Monday, but instead accidentally vetoed $35 million for the state’s housing budget. He had meant to ax a $150,000 grant to fund a Native American homelessness liaison position.

The state now must regroup and figure out how to work around the veto flub.

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Meanwhile in Nebraska...

Nebraska biennial budget vetoes fail to go into effect after governor misses deadline

A mix-up in the Nebraska governor’s office has likely cost Gov. Jim Pillen his veto power for the state’s biennium budget.

Gov. Pillen signed LB 261 and LB 264 with line-item vetoes on Wednesday. They made it to his desk on May 15. He made multiple modifications to the 2025-2027 biennial budget, which included:

• Reducing the Supreme Court’s budget increase to mirror the rate of increase provided to the University of Nebraska
  Using existing agency funds to cover Fire Marshal salary and health insurance premium increases
  Reducing the additional appropriation provided to public health departments, thereby, bringing funding back to a pre-pandemic level
  Cutting an $18 million cash fund reappropriation for recreational upgrades at Lake McConaughy

Gov. Pillen’s office was supposed to deliver the line item vetoes to the Clerk of the Legislature by midnight Thursday morning. However, 10/11 learned that the vetoes got there after 9 a.m. this morning.

Per State Statute lV-15, the Governor has five days - excluding Sundays - to get his vetoes to the Clerk’s office after a bill is passed, or it becomes law.

The governor’s office will consult with the Attorney General’s Office and other council on next steps.

It’s unclear where the Nebraska Legislature goes from here, but per state constitution, LB 261 and LB 264 without the vetoes are now law.

Click on the link for the full article

[The Sisko]

Republicans unveil steep cuts to Medicaid in portion of Trump tax bill

Legislation introduced by House Republicans late Sunday would slash Medicaid spending significantly by imposing new restrictions on Medicaid beneficiaries such as work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks, but the most controversial changes floated to the program were not included.

The bill from the House Energy and Commerce Committee comes ahead of what’s expected to be a marathon committee hearing Tuesday.

The legislation released Sunday did not include specific spending estimates, but claimed it would save roughly $900 billion.

It appears to cater more to the moderate wing of the party than the conservatives, who had been agitating for drastic cuts to the program. But it remains to be seen if leaders found the right balance between the two factions.

In a Wall Street Journal opinion article published Sunday ahead of the bill’s release, Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) indicated the changes to Medicaid shouldn’t be seen as a cut.

Still, millions of people would lose health insurance under the plan through policies such as work requirements and a new cost-sharing requirement for certain beneficiaries.

The bill also touches on a host of social issues. For instance, it would prohibit Medicaid funding being used for gender-affirming care for minors. It would also stop Medicaid from reimbursing community health providers such as Planned Parenthood that provide family planning and abortion services.

“Let’s be clear, Republican leadership released this bill under cover of night because they don’t want people to know their true intentions,” committee ranking member Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) said in a statement.

Democrats late Sunday released a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis showing the legislation would increase the number of people without health insurance by at least 8.6 million in 2034.

Click on the link for the full article

The good news is that the Grand Oligarch’s Party has a great retirement plan for everyone: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/s/C483eTAcc0

[China]

Fans Chanted “You Suck” At Governor Ron DeSantis On WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event (Video)

[The Evil Genius]

I was this old when I learned that French President Macron was groomed. His wife was his teacher in school. He was 14, she was 39.

[88Commanders00]

[China]

Sickening that people would vote for this corrupt slimebag, but I shouldn't be surprised; they voted for Trump.

Ken Paxton leads John Cornyn by 9 percentage points in U.S. Senate race, TSU poll finds

A new poll released Wednesday shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton with a commanding lead over incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in either a two-person race or a three-person race in next year’s Republican primary. But Paxton's lead in the poll shrinks dramatically against potential Democratic rivals in the 2026 general election.

The poll from Texan Southern University's Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center shows Paxton leading Cornyn by 9 percentage points in a two-person race and by 7 points if U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston enters the primary.

"Right now, if it's a head-to-head race between Paxton and Cornyn, Paxton is a very strong favorite, and it's tough to see how, absent, say, a Trump endorsement of Cornyn, Cornyn could effectively flip the table on Paxton," said Mark Jones, political science fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute and co-author of the survey with TSU's Michael O. Adams.

But Paxton's lead drops to 3 points in a hypothetical matchup against Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro of San Antonio and to just 2 points against former Dallas Congressman Colin Allred, putting either Democrat within striking distance of victory. The poll shows both Cornyn and Hunt leading either Democrat by larger margins.

Click on the link for the full article

[88Commanders00]

[88Commanders00]

[China]

Sad, it seems Fetterman's stroke has affected himm profoundly:

‘Why Does Everybody Hate Me?!’ John Fetterman Left Staffer in Tears After Melting Down During Meeting: Report

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) reportedly slammed the table and erupted during a meeting with Pennsylvania teachers union reps last week — just one day before New York Magazine published a blistering exposé raising serious questions about his mental health.

Two sources briefed on the closed-door meeting told the Associated Press on Thursday that the senator devolved into an emotional outburst, slamming his hands on a desk and shouting.

“Why does everyone hate me, what did I ever do?” he allegedly said.

The meeting then ended abruptly when a staffer called it to a close and ushered the union officials out of Fetterman’s Washington office. That staffer reportedly broke down in tears in the hallway, visibly shaken by the scene.

The timing could hardly have been worse. Just a day later, New York Magazine’s Intelligencer published a lengthy piece featuring former aides and advisers raising alarm bells over Fetterman’s mental health.

One of the most damning sources was a 2024 letter from his former chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, to Fetterman’s neuropsychiatrist. In it, Jentleson warned that the senator was veering off his recovery plan and exhibiting “long, rambling, repetitive and self-centered monologues.”

Click on the link for the full article

A summary of the Intelligencer piece (their article is blocked by a paywall):

5 Most Shocking Details From Bombshell John Fetterman Exposé

1. Fetterman Allegedly Walked into Traffic and Was Almost Hit by a Car

In February 2023, Fetterman joined other members of the Senate for a caucus retreat at the Library of Congress.

Fetterman, fresh off a hard-fought victory in the cycle’s marquee race, should have been riding high. Only he wasn’t. A staffer recalled getting a text from a person at the retreat asking if their boss was okay. Fetterman was sitting at a table by himself, slowly sipping a Coke and refusing to talk with anybody. Later that day, another staffer heard an alarming report from a journalist: Fetterman had just walked, obliviously, into the road and was nearly struck by a car.

2. Fetterman’s Wife Tearfully Pleaded for Him to Alter His Stance on Gaza

Not long after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Fetterman began to openly express his unconditional support for the country. Some of his staffers anonymously published a letter calling his support for Israel a “gutting betrayal.”

In early November, just weeks after the attack, Gisele arrived at her husband’s Senate office and, according to a staffer present, they got into a heated argument.

“They are bombing refugee camps. How can you support this?” the staffer recalled her saying with tears in her eyes.

“That’s all propaganda,” Fetterman replied.

Later, a still visibly upset Gisele pulled the staffer aside. She asked him if members of Fetterman’s team were pushing him to take these stances for political reasons. The staffer told her that the opposite was true: Many of them were as upset as she was. “If you’re pushing back on this, there’s no hope,” the staffer recalled her saying. “This is horrible news.”

3. Fetterman Began to Neglect His Strict Medical Regimen Following a Mental Health Episode

Not long after Fetterman allegedly walked into the road in February 2023, he was admitted into Walter Reed Hospital. At the end of his six-week stay, his mental health dramatically improved and doctors developed a comprehensive plan that included medication and regular blood checks. That plan, staffers said, seemed to have been abandoned that fall — right around the time Gaza became a focal point:

The endless fights over Israel, which saw Fetterman draw further into himself, coincided with setbacks in his recovery regimen. At that point, Fetterman hadn’t gotten his blood drawn for months, despite bloodwork being a crucial component of the plan. In the final weeks of 2023, a Senate physician called the office, according to a staffer, to say that he had seen Fetterman “acting bizarrely” near the underground trolleys that shuttle people between the Capitol and nearby office buildings. He had witnessed Fetterman, seemingly unaware of his surroundings, walk directly into a group of people, nearly bowling them over.

4. Staffers Wouldn’t Let Anyone See Fetterman Some Days for Fear of Him Saying “Really Fucked-Up Shit”

One staffer told me there would be entire days when they couldn’t let anyone outside the office be around him because he was in “some sort of state” and might say “really fucked-up shit to constituents.” Sometimes he would just “shut down,” according to one former staffer. He was saying “unhinged shit,” according to one text, and spending more time on social media. Stern wrote to the group that it seemed to him like Fetterman was “spiraling” and that his constant “doomscrolling” — “I think he’s on essentially all day now?” — would only make things worse.

Click on the link for the rest

Fetterman’s chief of staff leaves amid string of departures

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman’s chief of staff is leaving her post, two people familiar with the matter confirmed to POLITICO on Tuesday. The move is yet another key departure for a congressional office that’s been marked by turnover amid mounting questions about the Democrat’s health and shifting political persona.

POLITICO has learned Cabelle St. John, who previously served as Fetterman’s deputy chief of staff, senior adviser and scheduling director, is taking over as his new top aide.

“Cabelle St. John has been a trusted advisor since day 1 in the office. I’m lucky to have her taking over as my Chief of Staff and I’m confident she’ll do a great job,” Fetterman said in a statement. “I’m grateful for Krysta’s work. She’s been an invaluable member of the team for over two years and I wish her all the best.”

In the last year and a half, the senator’s former chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, top communications aides and legislative director all left his team. Two more aides departed Fetterman’s office in the last couple months.

In addition to concerns over his health, some ex-staffers have been frustrated with Fetterman’s hardline support of Israel and recent meeting with President Donald Trump.

Click on the link for the full article