Behind SpeakerJohnson's Conversion on Ukraine Aid

[okaawhatever]

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) did something rarely, if ever, seen in the MAGA era when he won passage Saturday of a $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

Snip

The other three top congressional leaders Mitch McConnell, Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer— pushed Johnson on how Russia would expand its war beyond Ukraine absent new weapons. Jeffries called it a "Churchill or Chamberlain moment."
President Biden's national security team, most importantly CIA Director Bill Burns, methodically walked Johnson through the damning intelligence.

Snip

The intelligence was so eye-opening to Johnson that he soon begged colleagues to go to the secure government chamber to see it themselves, the N.Y. Times.

https://www.axios.com/2024/04/21/behind-the-curtain-speaker-johnsons-historic-road-to-kyiv-conversion

I must say, the intelligence gathered must be quite concerning. I shudder to think what Putin’s plans are.

[Irish_Dem]

1. Yes I wonder what the specifics are.

Maybe that Putin plans to go after the Balkans next, then NATO?

[maryellen99]

2. Yep plus Johnson's son just got accepted into the Naval Academy nt

[Deuxcents]

3. There ya go..maybe the intelligence he received got a little too close to home?

[maryellen99]

4. Republicans only care when it affects them personally nt

[Deuxcents]

7. I was gonna add that because I thought the same thing...

[Irish_Dem]

21. A list of everyone taking Russian money and Putin's election help.

[Irish_Dem]

20. So a senator did him a favor.

[okaawhatever]

5. The NYT article said Putin would go after the Baltic states first then force a showdown w/NATO in Poland. nt

[Disaffected]

9. That's an odd way of stating it as

the Baltic states are in NATO.

[okaawhatever]

12. NYT quoted Speaker Johnson as saying

“I really do believe the intel,” Mr. Johnson said. “I think that Vladimir Putin would continue to march through Europe if he were allowed. I think he might go to the Baltics next. I think he might have a showdown with Poland or one of our NATO allies.”

But yeah, good catch. I don’t know if he misspoke or if he doesn’t know the Baltics are NATO.

[Disaffected]

16. Probably the latter.

Hell, from that text, it looks like he might not even know that Poland is in NATO.

[onetexan]

19. Wouldn't doubt it. Guy's dumb as the rest of the GOP.

[Irish_Dem]

22. Yes that is likely Putin's plan.

Just like China's plan to go after Taiwan and the Pacific.

I have been saying this for some time.

Putin gets Europe.
China the Pacific.

That is the plan.

[oasis]

6. Time for bootin' Putin in his ass

[MarineCombatEngineer]

8. So that's why he looked shaken after coming out the that intelligence briefing,

he must of been shown some solid intelligence of Russian intentions for the rest of Europe, I mean he looked like he'd been punched in the gut.

[Disaffected]

10. One would have thought the stupid mope

would have pretty much known that or at least considered it a distinct possibility w/o an intelligence briefing.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

11. You would think so,

but at least he did the right thing for once, even though it should have been done long before now.

[Talitha]

17. "..he looked like he'd been punched in the gut."

That's what happens when shit gets real.

And God forbid if anything happened to Joe and Kamala, Mikey would be president - with the whole thing dumped in his lap.

Yeah Mikey, this shit is real.

[Irish_Dem]

23. Yes MCE, Johnson defiantly looked green around the gills leaving that meeting.

Yes he got hit between the eyes with something.

[Warpy]

13. There was no conversion, just a collapse of "wait and see"

spurred by the lunatics who believed Putin when he said no aid from the US would quickly end the war. It didn't.

Opposition to aid collapsed and Republicans who still have a nodding acquaintance with reality started to play hardball, making some very credible threats to turn the House over to the Democrats.

So he skedaddled town to Mara Lardo to kiss the Poop's, er, ring and inform him the jig was up and he couldn't stall any longer in the House.

TFG didn't like it much. Good.

So Johnson didn't have any sort of conversion. He was just desperate to keep his job and with it, his pension as an ex Speaker.

[AllyCat]

14. I think Dems will vote in large enough numbers to keep him.

Even some repubs are not going to vote him out.

[The_Zephyr]

15. Whatever Johnson's Reasons . . .

. . . the passage of Ukraine Aid is, for me, an answered prayer.

Putin-the-Poisoner certainly underestimated the resolve of the United States.

I thank God, Speaker Johnson, and all of the members of Congress,
who voted to pass this most important Defense Bill.

Only anti-democracy traitors would fail to defend our ally Ukraine against Russian oppression.

[Cha]

18. " All these votes underscore how Jeffries, leader of House Dems.."

All these votes underscore how Jeffries, leader of House Dems, is an unsung hero in all of this — the only one to deliver majorities of his members on every bill. In many ways, he's Johnson's savior.

Thank YOu!