re: Gaetz just torched Graves.

Graves said this:

quote:

---

THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK THE GENTLEMAN FOR YIELDING. WE'VE BEEN HERE EIGHT MONTHS WITH ONE OF THE TIGHTEST MAJORITIES IN MODERN HISTORY. YET LOOK AT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THIS CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY WITH THE MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS VOTING FOR, THE STRONGEST BORDER SECURITY OF MY LIFETIME, FIGHTING AGAINST THIS INCOMPENSABLE ENERGY POLICY DRIVING UP ENERGY COSTS 40%, UTILITY AND GASOLINE PAYMENTS, PUSHING AMERICANS INTO ENERGY POVERTY. WE PASSED LEGISLATION TO UNLEASH AMERICA'S ENERGY RESOURCES, PUSHING BACK THIS ADMINISTRATION'S BRAINLESS POLICIES ON ENERGY. WE'VE PASSED LEGISLATION TO PULL BACK, TO STOP SPENDING, $4.8 TRILLION I WANT TO MAKE NOTE. MY FRIENDS THAT ARE CARRYING THIS MOTION TO VACATE OPPOSED. WE PASSED LEGISLATION TO STREAMLINE REGULATIONS PERMITTING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS. AGAIN, MY FRIENDS HERE OPPOSE. WE STRENGTHENED WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR WELFARE TO GET PEOPLE BACK INTO THE WORK FORCE. AGAIN, MY FRIENDS OVER HERE OPPOSED. I KEEP WONDERING WHAT IS GOING ON? ARE WE REDEFINING WHAT CONSERVATIVE IS? WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY? WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS BODY WHERE YOU HAVE FREEDOM WORKS HERITAGE, CHIP ROY AND JIM JORDAN SAY SOMETHING IS CONSERVATIVE AND THESE FOLKS SAY IT'S NOT AND THEY'RE RIGHT. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY PHONE KEEPS SENDING TEXT MESSAGES, TEXT MESSAGES SAYING HEY, GIVE ME MONEY. OH, LOOK AT THAT. GIVE ME MONEY. I FILED THE MOTION TO VACATE. USING OFFICIAL ACTIONS, OFFICIAL ACTIONS TO RAISE MONEY. IT'S DISGUSTING. IT'S WHAT'S DISGUSTING ABOUT WASHINGTON. MR. SPEAKER, WE'VE WATCHED AS THESE FOLKS RIGHT HERE THAT HAVE BROUGHT UP THIS MOTION TO VACATE HAVE REFUSED TO PAY OUR MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS, REFUSED TO PAY THEM. I WANT TO QUOTE MY DELEGATION MEMBER, MY SENATOR FROM LOUISIANA, JOHN KENNEDY. IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO PAY OUR SERVICE MEMBERS, IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE THERE TO PROTECT US NEXT TIME SOMEONE INVADES AMERICA, CALL A CRACKHEAD AND LET ME KNOW HOW THAT WORKS OUT FOR YOU.

I HEARD THEM MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS JANUARY AGREEMENT, MY FRIENDS FROM ARIZONA AND FLORIDA. LET ME BE CRYSTAL CLEAR, NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEM WERE IN THE ROOM. YOU KNOW WHAT? THE SPEAKER DIDN'T MEET THE TARGETS OF THAT JANUARY AGREEMENT, HE EXCEEDED THEM. THE GREATEST SAVINGS IN AMERICAN HISTORY, THE GREATEST SAVINGS IN AMERICAN HISTORY. MR. SPEAKER, THIS ISN'T ABOUT FUNDRAISING, THIS IS ABOUT OUR COUNTRY. IT'S ABOUT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR GRANDCHILDREN. WE NEED TO STAND BEHIND THE SLIM MAJORITY.

WE NEED TO STAND BEHIND THE SPEAKER WHO DELIVERED THE BEST CONSERVATIVE WINS FOR THIS COUNTRY. I YIELD BACK.

---

Then Matt Gaetz with the BOOOOM:

quote:

---

MY COLLEAGUE SAYS WE PASSED THE STRONGEST BORDER BILLS IN HISTORY. LOOK AT THE BORDER RIGHT NOW. WE DIDN'T USE SUFFICIENT LEVERAGE IN THE DEBT LIMIT OR ANYTHING TO GET RESULTS ON THE BORDER. THE BORDER IS A DISASTER, REALLY SOMETHING I DON'T THINK YOU'LL BE CAMPAIGNING ON YOU FIXED THE BORDER. SECOND, YOU SAID YOU STREAMLINED REGULATIONS. WHAT THE GENTLEMAN FROM LOUISIANA DOESN'T TELL YOU IS THAT ALL THE REGULATORY REFORM HE WAS JUST BRAGGING ABOUT IS WAIVABLE BY THE STROKE OF A PEN OF SOMEONE IN THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE. YOU REALLY THINK YOU'VE GOT ANYTHING FOR THAT? IT'S A TOTAL JOKE. FINALLY, THE WELFARE TO WORK THE GENTLEMAN FROM LOUISIANA SAID WE GOT. THE WELFARE PROGRAMS THAT THEY SAID THEY STREAMLINED WITH THEIR WELFARE TO WORK STUFF, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO GROW, BECAUSE WHILE THEY DID WORK REQUIREMENTS, THEY BLEW OUT THOSE PROGRAMS WITH EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY. I'M GLAD YOU GUYS DIDN'T PUT WORK REQUIREMENTS ON MEDICAID, PROBABLY WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN MEDICAID EXPANSION. WHEN IT COMES TO HOW THOSE RAISE MONEY, I TAKE NO LECTURE ON ASKING PATRIOTIC AMERICANS TO WEIGH IN AND CONTRIBUTE TO THIS FIGHT FROM THOSE WHO WOULD GRAVEL AND BEND KNEE FOR THE LOBBYISTS AND SPECIAL INTERESTS WHO OWN OUR LEADERSHIP -- BOO ALL YOU WANT, WHO HAVE HOLLOWED OUT THIS TOWN AND BORROWED AGAINST THE FUTURE OF OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS. I'LL BE HAPPY TO FUND MY POLITICAL OPERATION THROUGH THE WORK OF HARD-WORKING AMERICANS 10 AND 20 AND $30 AT A TIME AND YOU ALL KEEP SHOWING UP AT THE LOBBYIST FUNDRAISERS AND SEE HOW THAT GOES FOR YOU. I RESERVE

---

quote:

---

It was a complete mic drop.


Only if you ignore the money coming from entities such as US Sugar, Lockheed Martin, etc...

---

This is a potentially reasonable point. It is interesting, though, that when you switch the year from 2020 to 2022, US Sugar and Lockheed are no longer in the top 20. At a glance they appear to have fallen out of the top 100 donors, so not sure these particular interests support Gaetz any more.

If this is true (I may be missing the correct way to understand the data as I just casually switched only the year while viewing on my phone), then perhaps Gaetz is truly more independent than many of his peers and not beholden to such interests, no?

Somebody, please run against him.

quote:

---

Has Gaetz ever passed any meaningful legislation, or does he just provide entertainment?

---

He just vacated the Speaker's chair.

You are Graves ‘ blow buddy, mother, wife. ? Tell us what ?

quote:

---

He just vacated the Speaker's chair.

---

And reversed the Republican primary front-runner's course in the House.

Graves is much worse than McCarthy.

quote:

---

Has Gaetz ever passed any meaningful legislation, or does he just provide entertainment?

---

Name me a Congressman or Congresswoman from the Republican party who has in the last 20 years. I'll wait.