Appearances

I haven't seen the video, but I have heard the audio and the follow-up comments, and I've read about what happened in the House of Representatives last night.

It may have been a screw-up, as I heard the (temporary) speaker say, but it does appear the vote was gaveled shut early. There are consistent reports of the (temporary) speaker gaveling the vote shut on a signal from the leadership. And it's certain more votes were added and/or changed after the vote was "closed". (Sounds like elections in Chicago in the 1960's under Mayor Richard J. Daley!)

The (temporary) speaker admitted he screwed up — "mistakes were made" — but I haven't heard of any action to fix the results of the screw-up. I have also read that the records of this vote were deleted from the House computer system — another (and larger) violation of rules, ethics, and all legitimacy. The rest is dictatorial; that is Big Brother-ish. (Meanwhile, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said no mistakes were made, which makes it sound like last night's several rule violations were deliberate.)

While there could be a legitimate explanation for last night's actions, it very much appears the Democrat leadership acted dishonestly because that was the only way they could prevail. And that wouldn't be so bad if this action weren't taken to give taxpayer money to people who have no right to be in this country in the first place.

To me, this looks like one more piece of evidence that this is the most dishonestly run Congress in my lifetime — which makes it quite the antithesis of the "most ethical Congress in history" we were promised.

UPDATE: The record has been amended to include the "result" of the disuputed vote — reported by the Democrats as a 216-212 loss for the GOP, though C-SPAN clearly shows it to have been a 215-213 win for the Republicans. The evidence is clear: The vote was stolen — and the Democrats have apologized for their "unprecedented over-reach". But the Democrats don't want to reinstate the actual vote outcome. Instead, they have agreed to the formation of a special select committee which is to investigate what happened, deliver an interim report by September 30, and deliver a final report a year later. That sop shouldn't save the Pelosi bacon, however. The Republicans are justifiably demanding the actual gaveled final vote (to send the bill back to committee for amendment) be honored. And, as Captain Ed says,

If they do not get that, the Republicans will likely embark on a series of parliamentary manuevers that will keep House leadership from accomplishing any of their top agenda items. After all, the Republicans have nothing to lose as long as Nancy Pelosi disregards the results of legitimate votes and rules by decree instead.