First things first. I didn’t come up with the term Judas Caucus to describe the group of Democrats that have stabbed President Biden. I saw a Politizoom reader (Scott Sammuel Jackson) use it and I think it’s perfect. What I want to talk about is one reason why I think some, especially many of the relatively unknown names who started coming out agains President Biden have done so. I hope I’m wrong about them. But ask yourself a question. I’m sure you’re familiar with PACs and Super-PACs that almost every elected official in DC have. Someday unless they die in office, either through retirement or being beaten athe ballot box. What happens to all that money in their Super-PACs? They can make it disappear without a trace and into their own pocket if they are so inclined. EVERY Super-PAC is a potential retirement slush fund if someone wants to take advantage of the system. If you think no one, or at least no Democrat would be tempted I’ve got a Trump Time-Share to sell you.
Money. It’s said to make the world go round. It’s also said to be the mother’s milk of politics. Lot’s of saying and metaphors but it’s a fact that one of the first things (if not THE first) newly elected Senators and House members hear is to start raising money. And how much they’ll need to raise every day to get re-elected. And fundraise they do. But while small dollar donations can add up to run and win campaigns the real money is in getting support from mega-donors and corporations. Individual campaign donations to any givee candidate by a person or couple in a campaign cycle are limited by law. However, the Citizen’s United decision opened giant loopholes that made this meaningless because it gave rise to the creation of PACs and Super-PACs. As I’ve said the system is ripe for corruption and abuse.
It’s an ugly fact of political life. Even uglier is how awash our politics have become with political money that frankly is often legalized (for politicians) bribery. Worse, the infamous Citizen’s United decision allowed unlimited money to flow that could be hidden. Certain mechanisms, all completely legal (right and wrong don’t factor in) allow a person to give millions, tens of millions, or however much they want and for a politician to take it – and it’s remarkably easy to hide who takes how much from who. Including the very politicians with Super-PACs who might so easily one day give the money to themselves by signing a one page form.
Think I’m kidding? If you look at the title Pic, way back when he cosplayed a conservative “opinion journalist host” on Comedy Central comedian Stephen Colbert teamed up with a former FEC lawyer to show just how easy it is to create a PAC, then a Super-PAC and abuse both. And THEN dissolve it without disclosing where any unspent money went. Colbert was completely transparent of course with both expenditures (a bit of admin and producing some commercials) but after a time decided he’d made almost all of his point and dissolved his Super-PAC. There was roughly three quarters of a million left of the 1.2 million he’d raised so he openly donated it to four (worthy) charities. However, as was humorously noted he could have simply created a means to give every cent to himself. Anonymously!
You can read about the whole thing on Wikipedia. There was also a nice write up back then from Vox that’s not nearly as detaileds Wikipedia but gives you some basics:
Back during a election 2012, Colbert decided to give his viewers a crash course in our new, post-Citizens United campaign finance regime. In a series of hilarious segments, he formed a PAC, a Super PAC, a shadowy nonprofit group, and briefly announced his own candidacy.
There’s also a series of videos of many of the segments of Colbert’s multi-part education on campaign finance on YouTube. Here’s a sample and it’s both funny and worth your time (If you want to skip to where details start getting explained jump to the four minute mark):
There were quite a few other segments which you can view at this link, but the one I most wanted to include in this article is somehow nowhere to be found. (Makes me wonder if some powerful politicians used influence or Super-PAC money to get t removed? Forever?) I’m talking about that last one where the Super-PAC was dissolved that shows both how easy an election lawyer can make it, and how anyone dissolving theirs can, if they are so inclined pocket the money. There’s no other way to say it – for someone that’s a money grubbing sleaze they can LEGALLY pocket any money left in their Super-PAC once they leave politics and we’ll never know where the money came from. Or that the politician put some or all of it in their own bank account!
To be sure, several of those who’ve turned on Biden have vast sums in their Super-PACS (someone can have more than one) and use a lot of it for legitimate expenses and to help other members of their Party. But lesser known officials can, given enough time and the power of incumbency build up millions over time that wind up going unused for their own or anyone else’s re-election. The thing is, it takes time to build up a war chest that’s both large enough to ensure re-election but to also have a surplus. Usually multiple cycles although if they have an “angel investor” and in effect take a legal bribe (under our campaign finance law it’s not hard anymore to make it legal) they could pocket a million or more in one fell swoop. Some minor Congress Critter no one outside their District or State ever hears about can amass many millions of unused money in their Super-PAC given enough time.
They just have to keep getting re-elected and no matter how much money they have on hand, they continue to solicit donations and a call to any of a myriad of lobbyists can bring in a nice donation at least once a year. It all adds up. One thing that’s emerged from the crisis Democrats have fomented is that an awful lot of members of both chambers fear that the “Red Tsunami” that didn’t happen in 2022 will happen this fall. In a panic over their own electoral prospects they have convinced themselves will be a quick and easy fix. Replacing President Biden as our nominee.
I’m not suggesting all of them have come to view their Super-PACS as retirement slush funds but I damn well believe some of them have! There’s not enough in there for them so as I said they are looking out for their own butts in the hopes of politically surviving and building their war chest cum retirement fund.
I’ll close with this. I really think we need to push the term Judas Caucus. Whether for the reason I’ve suggested or just because they want to hold onto their seats and in a panic decided disemboweling President Biden is the way to do it they’ve all betrayed him. Whether for their proverbial ’30 (million) pieces of silver’ or just for power and prestige it’s nothing short of outright betrayal of a good and decent man who’s served our country honorably and with distinction. And quite capable of doing so for four more years.
And again spare me the nauseating bullshit we hear from the top Democratic leaders (and even many of the turncoats we never heard of until now) about wanting to “provide Joe Biden with a (puke) dignified exit.’ His legacy will now be tarnish by this disgraceful betrayal from his Fellow Democrats and “friends.” The evoke thoughts of the old adage “With friends like these who needs enemies?”
Look, we should all work our hearts out and give everything we can to helping elect Democrats up and down the ballot no matter what. However, I’m not going to let go of this: once the election is done, not matter how it turns out wherever you are your mission should be to name and shame every, and I mean EVERY Democrat who’s turned on President Biden. And help primary every f**king one out of their seat!
“They evoke thoughts of the old adage “With friends like these who needs enemies?” ”
And in my family our saying is ” We have family, we don’t need enemies!”
“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
1 Timothy 6: 7-10
From the letters of Saint Paul, a former Pharasee, a learned man, and a Roman citizen, who converted after a supernatural event on the road to Damascus, and was crucified in Rome for his faith.
This is, I believe, is at the core of how blind and corrupt our culture has become. We worship and elevate the rich no matter how they obtained their money. We listen to athletes for insights who happen to reap the rewards of tv money. The same with celebrities, and those that inherit money. We are trained to be unhappy with our material situation, forgetting the billions that live without shelter, clean water, safety, food, medical attention, or the freedoms we enjoy. We are trained to need constant entertainment and stimulation, resulting in interior lives that are as barren as the surface of the moon. We are trained to compete not to cooperate. We are trained to need certainty in a universe where that is an impossibility. We live in perpetual states of self delusional thinking, going so far to imagine Gods to fit our small interior spaces. We are trained to believe we are ‘classless, clever, and free’ as John Lennon said, and replied: “you still look like phucking peasants to me.” I think this is why such a man like Trump rose to power, and has remained for a decade, while exhibiting the broad spectrum of evil in full view of us all. Yet, moral men and women of character are killed, jailed, and demonized. Joe Biden is a moral man who has suffered much, came from humble beginnings, and has turned trump’s horror around without the support of the other two branches of government. Yet he’s the one on trial with our culture playing the red queen shouting OFF WITH HIS HEAD! Yes, Judas betrayed Jesus. Yet he
apparently had a conscience and went and hung himself. The question looming for America is DO WE HAVE A CONSCIENCE, CHARACTER, OR A MEMORY OF OUR HISTORY? Or…are we rotten to the core because of our love for money, comfort, and an illusion of certainty? If that is the answer, then be prepared for a darkness that descends upon those who enter HELL. I’ve survived a near death experience. It doesn’t make me an expert on what you will face when you die, but I can say with certainty that there are ‘more things in heaven and earth’ as Hamlet opined, that lie outside our belief systems. That includes supernatural evil. Money will not save you. That you can take to the bank.
I’d call it the corporate caucus myself. As new names come out, we are seeing exactly which Democrats are most indebted to big money donors. Frankly, some of those reveals are highly disappointing, and some are downright painful (like Jamie Raskin.) I notice the progresices are staying with him, with the exception of a few who dont know how foreign policy gets done.