Yes, he is supposed to be a Christian– a Southern Baptist, in fact– but his performance as House Speaker has been a huge disappointment. A Tucker Carlson interview with Marjorie Taylor Greene has made the rounds; and the question is raised as to whether he is being blackmailed.
It should be pointed out that the US House possesses enormous power under the constitutional framework. Why? The House is the place where all revenue bills must originate. That gives Johnson enormous leverage in terms of setting the starting point for negotiations. But it is necessary to be able and willing to use that leverage. Here is the text from Article I, Section 7:
All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.
Greene makes a very strong case that Johnson has gone astray:
Who wants the job of Speaker of the House ?
I don’t, not for all the tea in China !
It’s a tough job with a shrinking, narrow majority and a divided caucus, Fred. Still, he has near total control over what bills will be heard. The key to this is being willing to walk away from bad legislation and defend that action publicly. That is something none of them are willing to do.
Marjorie Taylor Greene lays it out well. With the leadership of the Republican Party, it is merely the junior marketing dept. for the ruling class.
I would admit, Healey, that it requires a certain amount of spunk to be willing to “shut down the government” in order to stare down the criminals. There are public relations implications, and one would have to manage that. But you have to show you’re willing to do this if you are going to have any negotiating leverage. Of course, when the government is “shut down”, many functions continue to proceed.