MT "I'm not a team player" Greene napalms Speaker Mike Johnson as the 'honeymoon' ends
It seems 2024 will just be more of 2023
MAGA luminary, Rep. Marjorie Greene (R-GA) does not demand much from the Speaker of the House. As long as he does what she wants — everyone else can go feck themselves — peace will reign in the lunatic fringe. Mike Johnson has a different view of his job. He preaches collegiality. As his spokesperson said, “Speaker Johnson takes into consideration the input of each and every one of the members across the Conference.”
This ecumenical approach to leadership has angered and distressed Greene — or, more accurately, has kept her on the boil. She is not a woman who places any stock in teamwork. If politics is football, then Greene is Keyshawn (Me-Shawn), “Just give me the damn ball” Johnson (no relation). I am not making this up. In an interview with The Hill, Greene said, “I’m not the Republican team player. I never have been.”
She went on to back up her words with a scathing criticism of Johnson’s ability to adjust to changing circumstances. She is pissed that Johnson, as Speaker, did not do what Johnson, as a mere Representative, had voted for.
Her latest beef was inspired by a piece of political realism from Johnson. He had lobbied for and passed a ‘clean’ continuing resolution to keep the government in business, Greene lashed out at his common sense. And she ignored that a government shutdown would have dynamited the GOP House’s already rocky 2024 prospects.
“He went from having a voting record to literally a month later … going against his own voting record and being Speaker of the House. Literally all of a sudden talking about doing things that he had literally voted against only a month before that. And, you know, that was unacceptable to me, and it still is.”
She adds, “And then the next thing he starts immediately talking about is funding Ukraine, that shocked me. I was like, why would he even be talking about that? He voted against it.”
Greene lacks the mental breadth to grasp that representing a congressional district grants a freedom of action denied to a Speaker with national responsibilities. Before the Speakership, Johnson was beholden to the residents of Louisiana’s 4th district. As Speaker, part of his responsibility is keeping GOP incumbents representing Biden-voting districts in office past 2024. Kissing Greene’s ass will not achieve that. Which is the real reason Green is pissed off.
Toxic egotism is blind to the needs of the larger group. And egotism is a core value for Greene. She proves this by again making it all about her when she discussed her path to Washington.
“I wasn’t a team player. I wasn’t even involved. I was a regular American, a very successful business owner, a mom who raised my kids, and a Republican voter who felt let down by Republicans in Washington, D.C. So that’s who I am, and I’m still that person.”
Investigative journalists have debunked Greene’s claim that she was a successful business owner. In brief, from 2007-2011, she was listed as the CFO of a general contracting company founded by her father and bought by her husband. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution review found that
“while the Trump acolyte touted her experience as a construction company executive running her family business, there’s little evidence of her involvement in the company’s operations.”
Instead, she was a cross-fit fanatic who allegedly enjoyed adulterous tantric fornication with gym rats. But enough salacious detail.
Her hypocrisy was not just religious and marital. The Hill reported:
“But Johnson had told GOP lawmakers in a “dear colleague” letter hours before his election as Speaker that he would put a short-term stopgap bill on the floor if needed to avert a shutdown — and Greene supported his candidacy despite that plan.”
So whence this feigned shock? I suppose the fact that Johnson announced he was going to do something, and then did it, confused Greene — who is unaware that Republicans can sometimes tell the truth. Mind you, who can blame her? There is so little evidence for the contention.
Greene’s hostility to Johnson was inflamed when she had to yank her second attempt to impeach Home Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Johnson and other Republicans showed no enthusiasm for the idea — they knew there were no grounds to do so. At the time, she was mollified by Johnson’s promise to get it done in the indefinite future (the political equivalent of “please just go away”)
However, she did put Johnson on notice.
“It’s still early in his Speakership, so I have given him — I’ve been patient, but the honeymoon’s over,” Greene said of Johnson minutes after she moved to force a second vote. “So at this point, yes, I’m frustrated.”
Now, her hair is on fire.
Greene is like the neighbor’s dog who will not stop barking. It makes no sense. It is often hard to know what set it off. And you try to tune it out while it continues to be pointlessly annoying.