Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

LetMyPeopleVote

(147,330 posts)
Thu May 23, 2024, 09:08 PM May 23

House Democrat penalized after listing Trump's legal crises

After Rep. Jim McGovern listed a series of Trump scandals, Republicans tried to silence the Democrat. The effort had the opposite of the intended effect.



https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/house-democrat-penalized-listing-trumps-legal-crises-rcna153673

For those who don’t follow Congress closely, the phrase “taken down” probably doesn’t mean much, but for members engaged in debate on Capitol Hill, it’s quite important. NBC News reported, for example, on some unexpected drama on the House floor yesterday.

Action on the floor of the House of Representatives paused for more than an hour Wednesday after Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., listed off the criminal charges against former President Donald Trump.


As the former president’s legal crises have intensified, it’s become common for members to reference Trump’s troubles during floor arguments, though it’s usually Republicans peddling conspiratorial nonsense while defending their party’s presumptive 2024 nominee.

Yesterday, however, McGovern took some time to mock his Republican colleagues who traveled to New York to show their support for Trump during his criminal trial. “Maybe they want to distract from the fact that their candidate for president has been indicted more times than he’s been elected,” the Massachusetts Democrat said......

In general, the relevant rules are supposed to discourage House members from personally attacking each other during floor remarks. In this instance, however, Republicans concluded, after a surprisingly lengthy delay for deliberation, that McGovern wasn’t allowed to go after the former president, either — even though everything McGovern said was almost entirely true.




.......Once again, the GOP might want to familiarize itself with a phenomenon known as the Streisand effect. The Merriam-Webster definition is as good as any: “The Streisand effect is a phenomenon whereby the attempt to suppress something only brings more attention or notoriety to it.”

In other words, the more someone tries to divert attention away from a story, the more it ends up having the opposite effect.

I have no idea whether McGovern planned for this — he is, by any measure, one of Congress’ most clever members — or whether Republicans stumbled into the misstep all on their own. Either way, it was good to see the Democrat’s list get some deserved attention.




21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
House Democrat penalized after listing Trump's legal crises (Original Post) LetMyPeopleVote May 23 OP
K&R! liberalla May 23 #1
Keep doing this Dems. Make Republicans have to continuously suppress the truth. OAITW r.2.0 May 23 #2
Did those brain-dead, dumb ass's forget, he tried to have his vice president killed??! Omnipresent May 23 #3
I like McGovern's backbone. greatauntoftriplets May 23 #4
Consider the source. Cha May 23 #9
So, did his remarks get taken down and just because Houchin "demanded" it?? Sogo May 23 #5
Yes, they were taken down. former9thward May 23 #7
They should have backups. ananda May 23 #16
If Our Most Prominent Crime Boss Can Arrange for Surrogates to Do His Lawsuit-Tampering The Roux Comes First May 24 #18
KNR niyad May 23 #6
Lawrence O highlight on MSNBC oasis May 23 #8
Saw it bdamomma May 23 #14
That 'Bama guy is history. I oasis May 23 #15
If McGovern works this right GenThePerservering May 23 #10
Kicking w/gusto oasis May 23 #11
Yet C-SPAN has it on record LiberalFighter May 23 #12
The gentleman will please stop telling the truth Ohioboy May 23 #13
I figure that in an election year, my satisfaction with Rep. McGovern should take an active form. BadgerMom May 24 #17
Thanks bdamomma May 25 #19
Who shives a git about the hurt feefees of House MAGAts? ProudMNDemocrat May 25 #20
Every House Democrat should repeat McGovern's words on the House floor. Hermit-The-Prog May 25 #21

Omnipresent

(5,848 posts)
3. Did those brain-dead, dumb ass's forget, he tried to have his vice president killed??!
Thu May 23, 2024, 09:47 PM
May 23

Thought i might start reminding people again…you know, so they don’t forget!

former9thward

(32,379 posts)
7. Yes, they were taken down.
Thu May 23, 2024, 10:36 PM
May 23

When a request is made the Speaker, or more likely his designee, makes a ruling. In this case the words were stricken and McGovern was prohibited from speaking the rest of the day.

The Roux Comes First

(1,322 posts)
18. If Our Most Prominent Crime Boss Can Arrange for Surrogates to Do His Lawsuit-Tampering
Fri May 24, 2024, 12:14 AM
May 24

Why not some stand-ins to keep the crime-listing headlines running?

bdamomma

(64,135 posts)
14. Saw it
Thu May 23, 2024, 11:00 PM
May 23

Lawrence was right that Alabama Speaker could not READ!!!!!!!!!

And as Lawrence said "this is where we are in 2024".

oasis

(49,970 posts)
15. That 'Bama guy is history. I
Thu May 23, 2024, 11:08 PM
May 23

understand his seat was recently primaried from under his sorry ass

Most likely we've seen the last of him.

ProudMNDemocrat

(17,253 posts)
20. Who shives a git about the hurt feefees of House MAGAts?
Sat May 25, 2024, 09:01 AM
May 25

Rep. Jim McGovern doesn't!

House MAGAts can't handle the truth about their cult leader! About time Democrats start dishing it back. Tie them all to the DICKtator wanna-be and his Hitleresque leanings.

Hermit-The-Prog

(34,088 posts)
21. Every House Democrat should repeat McGovern's words on the House floor.
Sat May 25, 2024, 09:11 AM
May 25

Frame it as a parliamentary question, as Rep. Crockett did with the 6B question.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»House Democrat penalized ...