There were times when R’s had majorities in both houses and the Presidency and did not control the border, or spending, or the national debt…. It’s really a both/and on leadership and rank-and-file.

There are never “enough” R’s no matter how many there are. If R’s have a Senate majority, they need a filibuster-proof majority. If R’s have a House majority, it’s always too slim, or they need the Senate too. If they have the Senate too, they don’t have 60 or they don’t have the President or both. If they have both houses and the Presidency it’s now the Supreme Court’s fault.

R’s and especially their leadership are used to being in the minority and their primary motive for being in Congress is to appropriate, not to legislate.

Since January 2023 the Republican House could have shot down every dollar of spending with no need of a Senate majority. But that would mean their cronies didn’t get paid, so they rolled over to the Dems and got their spending out. They really only want to appropriate, not to change anything.

The House was in Republican hands from January 2011 to January 2019. In that time, the national debt went from $14.2 trillion to $22.0 trillion. The House did not have to allow one dime of that additional spending. But if they didn’t allow the Dems to get their share, they couldn’t get their own share, and here we are. Granted that the Dems from 2019 to 2023 ran it up to $31.4 trillion, which was another $9.4 trillion. But I think we should expect better of Republicans than to be 60% less bad than the Dems, and since January 2023 the Republicans have run it up to $36.2 trillion, which is almost exactly as bad.

So to review:

Republicans 2011 – 2019: $7.8 trillion in 8 years, $0.98 trillion per year
Democrats 2019 – 2023: $9.4 trillion in 4 years, $2.4 trillion per year
Republicans 2023 – 2024: $4.8 trillion in 2 years, $2.4 trillion per year

What can’t go on, won’t. We fix the GOP so that it actually starts to reverse the problem, or math will fix it all for us in a way we won’t care for. Trump and DOGE can’t do it all, and continuing to make excuses for the GOP just won’t get us their. The magnitude of the coming fiscal disaster will make moot whether we blame the red lizards or the blue lizards for it.

[I think you know this already, so maybe I am misunderstanding you? Your maybe view is limited to the R leadership? ]

the Open Borders strategy discussed from a high platform as a blatant Democrat effort to shift US demographics in favor of Democrats. Nothing more, nothing less … None of the Republican leadership, as I recall, pointed out that it was a blatant fraud to shift US demographics in favor of the Democrat Party.

Republicans blathered about “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” and “Our Broken Immigration System,” and accomplished nothing. I think that Rubio was part of the Gang of Eight who preserved the status quo. Businesses (who finance campaigns) liked cheap labor, and Big Labor wanted illegals to grow their membership. GWB’s administration was focused on loosening immigration controls while Al Queda was setting 9/11 in motion.

I’m just expressing my wonderment that Democrats could open our borders without any discussion and pretended that was just the way it was.

None of the Republican leadership, as I recall, pointed out that it was a blatant fraud to shift US demographics in favor of the Democrat Party.

Perhaps my memory is faulty.

It is therefore no coincidence that their members or supporters figure strongly in the army of domestic Tesla vehicle attacks of arson and every manner of mayhem.

I too was impressed by Musk’s townhall:

https://commoncts.blogspot.com/2025/03/full-video-elon-musk-holds-town-hall-in.html

This was the first time I’ve heard the Open Borders strategy discussed from a high platform as a blatant Democrat effort to shift US demographics in favor of Democrats. Nothing more, nothing less.

I have trouble recalling anything comparable in US history.

Er, um, yeah, eh. Turnout in 2020 was still only 66.6% so I can’t say that any of the 3.2 million definitely didn’t exist, and neither can you, though you can snark about it monosyllabically as much as you like, that’s your right as an American.

I’d be surprised if every single ballot cast for Biden was legitimately cast by an eligible and registered voter, but I think ballot harvesting probably explains a lot of the 2020 election. In 2024 there was less of that.

Er, um, “OR”?, eh?