41 thoughts on “For the 119th Time”

  1. with age comes wisdom or in today’s case
    wizened-dumb?  

    Congress, once again, is getting older

    Congress isn’t getting any younger.
    In fact, compared with the previous session, it’s 79 days older, and the third oldest in U.S. history.
    With an average member age of 58.9 years old, the 119th Congress is the third oldest since 1789, according to an NBC News analysis of congressional membership and birth-date data. It shows that while the Senate got a little younger, the House aged, and that baby boomers are losing seats to Generation X and millennials.
    The analysis of data from Legistorm, the Almanac of American Politics and the @unitedstates project, a group that tracks congressional information, calculates the age of each session of Congress as of the first day of the session, with the members who were sworn in that day. For instance 73-year-old Sen.-elect Jim Justice, R-W.Va., who will take Joe Manchin’s Senate seat on Jan. 13, was not included because Justice will not be a member of the body on Jan. 3.
    The average age of the Senate, 63.8 years, is still years older than that of the House, at 57.7 years.
    Many people look forward to retirement at 65. But in the Senate, the median age is nearly 65, with 49 members at least that old.
    While a majority of the Senate is still from the baby boom generation, Gen X membership in the House now exceeds that of boomers for the first time: More than 180 representatives are from Gen X, and 170 are boomers.
    To serve in the House, a member must be at least 25 years old; a senator must be at least 30. So those in Gen Z, the oldest of whom turn 28 this year, won’t be eligible for the Senate for another two years, at least.
    Five millennials — including Vice President-elect JD Vance, R-Ohio, who has yet to resign from his seat — sit in the Senate, the youngest of whom is still Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who turns 38 in February.
    Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa — who has been a senator since 1981, and who would have been in elementary school when Jimmy Carter was in high school — is the oldest in the Senate, at 91 years old.
    In the House, Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., is beginning his second term as still the only Gen Z member of Congress, at age 27. At 87 1/2 years old, Eleanor Norton, D.C.’s Democratic delegate, is the oldest member.
    Between both chambers, 20 members are 80 years or older.
    The median age in the U.S. is 39.1 years old, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

  3. Act I

    Mike Johnson faces leadership test as US House begins new session with vote | House of Representatives | The Guardian

    As the House’s first order of business – which is scheduled to begin around noon Eastern time – members must elect a speaker before they can be sworn in. Each representative will stand to declare their choice in a roll call vote, with Johnson needing a majority of all members voting to secure victory.
    Johnson faces a close mathematical path to victory. With Republicans holding a slim 219-215 majority, and Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie already declaring his opposition, Johnson can’t afford to lose a single additional vote without risking multiple rounds of voting reminiscent of last session’s speaker election chaos.
    Assuming all 434 current House members participate (there is one vacancy), Johnson needs 218 votes to win. With Democrats expected to unite behind their leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and Massie planning to vote against him, Johnson starts with exactly 218 potential votes – the bare minimum needed. Any additional defection would deny him a majority and force a second ballot.
    However, members can vote “present” instead of naming a candidate, which would lower the threshold needed for victory by reducing the total number of votes cast for candidates.

    Act II   – to be determined if there’ll be one –

  4. Rep. Jasmine Crockett on today’s House Speaker vote:

    “If it’s all about y’all, you don’t believe in bipartisanship, and you have a Trump trifecta – then y’all work this out amongst yourselves. We’re going to sit on the sidelines and eat our popcorn.”

  5. The Speaker Games

    Current setup: Republicans – 219 / Democrats – 215

    Assuming the Democrats vote in lockstep for Jeffries, Mike Johnson can only afford to lose 2 Republican votes.

    Massie (R, KY) is allegedly a hard no.

  6. This is a reporter I follow on these House intrigues, always seems to have a bead on things:

    Jake Sherman (Punchbowl)

    ☀️ THE 119TH STARTS WITH A MESS
    Yes. Johnson could lose the speakership today. Could. Not a guarantee.

    As of now, he has Massie against him. Chip Roy and a ton of others undecided. He’s not negotiating deals. His allies are saying he won’t make Roy rules chair – as some hardliners are demanding. He’s not negotiating on the rules package.

    One more no besides Massie could sink him. Multiple ballots weakens him, and people will begin looking for alternatives.

    ALSO: Trump world is growing bearish on Johnson’s chances

    Day 436 of the JOHNSON speakership.

    Begins at 12p today.

    Johnson’s jam: It’s a new Congress but the same problems

  8. Looking to watch the show, which starts at 11am EST, and you do not have cable tv for CSPAN?  The House of Representatives has a television camera on a webpage.  Exciting, eh?  I shall put a computer on it for grins or just in case.

  10. Correct me if I’m wrong, but WordPress must have been getting shit for their semi-decipherable captchas.  I’m getting 3 numeric ones instead of 5 alpha-numeric ones like before the new year.  But I digress.
    From WaPo. (I swear)

    In a video posted Thursday night on X, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) urged her colleagues to support Johnson, even though she has disagreed with him over the last year, to quickly advance the Republican agenda.
     

    “Let’s put aside our pride, let’s put aside our egos, and let’s put aside the infighting,” she said. “It’s time to do whatever it takes to make sure that we deliver the mandate that the American people told us to do.”

    Her credibility in calling for “peace” is suspect.

  13. I did that Pogo. Changed the captcha to make it easier. That O or 0 thing was bugging me. Wish we didn’t need it at all but it does a wonderful job keeping bots away, hopefully I didn’t make it too easy for them.

  14. Chip Roy just caved for Johnson

    “President tRUMP wants Johnson.” – Someone up where they are taking the count. Might as well say it’s what Elon and Putin want.

    Cmon, vote Jeffries for democracy!

    I’d love to see some Republicans grow a spine & prove Orange Adolf doesn’t own them.

  16. I watched the entire voting process. Johnson still has a better chance, even as he only won by one vote, 216–215, which is a defeat in reality. Then, 2 holdouts flipped (sorta) and Johnson has won the Speakership. Dammitt.

  19. Now it is waiting for the next go around, whenever that is. They have plenty of time to play games.  For some reason they like to do midnights on the floor.  Good for them. 

  21. What kind of put-down will Mikey have to come up with to out-shine this awesome speech by Jeffries? 
     

  26. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/01/03/trump-fumes-flag-half-staff-carter-inauguration/77436106007/
     
    “American flags have been flying at half-staff at all federal priorities including the Capitol since Dec. 29, when President Joe Biden ordered the measure of respect following Carter’s death. Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president on Jan. 20, which falls within the 30-day window.”
     
    *Even the local trucking company (which is most likely majority MAGAt) is flying their flag at half-staff.
     
    Deep down, Orange Adolf knows he’s unqualified and unloved.  He’s making it all about him.   I wonder how long he wants flags flown at half-staff after those cheeseburgers do him in? 
     
    If he can’t even handle a flag being lowered to honor someone else, it just goes to show the world what a tiny, heartless, weak moron tRUMPsky is….which why Putin and others can so easily control him. He sure can’t control himself.

    tRUMPsky is a weakling.

  29. Ah, so that was you, Poobah.  O, 0 and Q were tough to ferret out.  Actually, Bink informed me a year or two ago that O is always Zero. Seemed to be right. I think the 5 character captcha is hinky. I know I’ve correctly entered the characters and gotten the dreaded “Incorrect Captcha, try again” message. 
     
    Dumbass is a fucking child.  He wouldn’t know respect without someone saluting or saying “Sir” to him if it bit him in the ass.

  30. Yeah, the resident tRUMPer asked if 30 days was the norm.  Looked it up to prove it wasn’t just President Biden giving Adolf the business. 
     
     
    https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/halfstaff.pdf
     
    “The flag should fly at half-staff for 30 days at all federal buildings, grounds, and naval
    vessels throughout the United States and its territories and possessions after the death
    of the president or a former president.”
     
     

  31. How about a horse-trade? Jimmy will accept 21 and 1/2 days of half-mast flag flying if the First Felon agrees to 1/2 day when his own time comes. 

  32. Adolf is so weak.  It’s just like when he didn’t want to face the fact members of the military may be wounded or killed, and told his nephew to let his disabled son die.   
    The good and decent President Carter v the morally-bankrupt tRUMPsky should give MAGAts food for thought if they are actually Christians as they claim. 

  33. Long statement mostly rehashing the years since twenty-sixteen.  Fill it up with derogatory statements about the fat f and his bosses mushy and puttie.  Of course we do not know how long stupid will be in office (or if he is sworn in), so speculation is rampant.

  34. Folks, there are security actions taking place right now.  Nothing serious.  The important thing is that we need to be cognizant of things going on around us.  The old “if you see something, tell someone” is moving to the top again. 
     
     

  36. It’s in character for the First Felon to think the flag at half-staff is a sign of disrespect to him as opposed to respect for a venerable past President. All about him.  

  37. It’s always been half-mast to me, but I might be wrong. 

    Half-mast” and “half-staff” are both terms used to describe a flag lowered to half-way down a flagpole, and they mean the same thing. However, the term used depends on the context:

    Half-mast: Used on ships, where the flagpole is called a mast.Half-staff: Used on land, where the flagpole is attached to a building or stuck in the ground.

    The term “half-staff” is preferred in the Flag Code and in Presidential proclamations, while “half-mast” is preferred by dictionaries and seems more appropriate at sea. 

     

    The tradition of flying a flag at half-mast began in the 17th century. It is a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or sometimes a salute. For example, a flag may be flown at half-staff to honor the death of a government official, or to show sympathy for another country. 

  38. BB – I’m concerned that an uptick in chatter/actual events would pave the way for martial law by the dictator on day one. 

  39. https://www.newsweek.com/matthew-livelsberger-had-theory-about-mystery-drones-alleged-manifesto-2009560

    “In his alleged email manifesto, according to Shoemate, Livelsberger warned that the drones spotted across the East Coast last year, pose “the most dangerous threat to national security that has ever existed.”

    “The email warned that drones are sent from China and “basically have an unlimited payload capacity and can park it over the WH if they wanted. It’s checkmate.”

    “What we have been seeing with ‘drones’ is the operational use of gravitic propulsion systems powered aircraft by, most recently, China in the East Coast, but throughout history, the U.S. Only we and China have this capability,” the alleged email reads. “China has been launching them from the Atlantic from submarines for years, but this activity recently has picked up.”

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