Here it comes: Democrats pile on ‘appalling,’ ‘dangerous’ Speaker Johnson

Here it comes: Democrats pile on ‘appalling,’ ‘dangerous’ Speaker Johnson

October 25, 2023 03:17 PM

That was fast, but not unexpected.

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) hadn’t been elected the 56th House speaker for three minutes and the Democratic attacks started to land.

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One of the first came 2 minutes, 26 seconds after the House approved Johnson. It was an email from Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ).

“Today Republicans found their goldilocks candidate: a person just extreme enough to satisfy their far-right base but not yet a household name to engender organized opposition,” said Pascrell.

Seven minutes later, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) added, “Mike Johnson isn’t a household name, people are googling him just to find out who he is. But let me warn you right now: he’s as dangerous as anyone in the speaker’s chair.”

Even special interests got into the act.

The left-leaning League of Conservation Voters offered their spin on the mild-mannered Johnson, described by many as “Mr. Nice.”

The group called the new speaker “MAGA Mike Johnson” and said the pro-drilling energy state conservative and Trump supporter “has an appalling” record on anti-energy producing issues.

“Johnson has led attacks on our elections, denied that climate change is a result of fossil fuels and polluters, and appears poised to continue to cater to Big Oil and Gas allies as speaker,” said League of Conservation Voters Vice President Tiernan Sittenfeld.

And Democratic advisers who have helped the party frame election issues were teeing up Johnson to whack, including Simon Rosenberg, who declared, “Mike Johnson is a dark moment for American democracy.”

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While Johnson was a last-minute and apparently welcome compromise for Republicans, his team was ready for the attacks.

Supporters, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), saw the election as a kick-start to the GOP agenda. “It’s time to work for the American people and stop the Democrat destruction of our country,” she posted on X.

And in a note to reporters, spokeswoman Corinne Day answered the first obvious question many had. “Many of you have written, tweeted, and asked on air, ‘Who is Mike Johnson?’” Without fanfare, she dished the answer.

Along with his resume, she offered, “Johnson is a father of four, and lives in Benton, La. He holds both a Bachelor’s Degree and Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University. He is the eldest son of a Shreveport firefighter critically burned in the line of duty.”

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