As senators work on a compromise deal to address border security and immigration, at least one Republican is suggesting politics is a key motivator for him.
“Let me tell you, I’m not willing to do too damn much right now to help a Democrat and to help Joe Biden’s approval rating,” Republican Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas told CNN this week. “I will not help the Democrats try to improve this man’s dismal approval ratings. I’m not going to do it. Why would I?”
Nehls indicated he’d accept only a proposal similar to HR 2, a hardline immigration bill that got zero Democratic votes when it passed the House last year.
This is standard, decades-long GOP mantra, championed by Mitch McConnell. It’s also quite effective. Give a man a boogeyman to blame for all of his problems, and he’ll follow you anywhere.
It’s worse than that now. Democrats rolled their eyes, started setting up a deal to address their boogeyman, and now there’s Republicans saying they refuse because it might help the other side.
The GOP has nothing useful to say or do.
Enact policies that create pain in your own supporters.
Create an “enemy.”
Blame the pain on the “enemies.”
Present themselves as strongmen who can defeat the “enemies.”
And anyways that’s why I might not get to grow old. Fun stuff.
If he’s an idiot who believes that there’s a boogeyman to blame for all his problems, anyway.