How Jeffords saved the GOP

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James Joyner, in the course of noting Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-VT) coming retirement from the Senate, says: “I have nothing but contempt for the slimeball Jeffords.” This seems to be the typical Republican view of the guy, who abandoned the GOP in 2001 to give Democrats control of the Senate. Fair enough—and plenty of Democrats have cast scorn on Zell Miller for similar turncoat-ism—but it’s also worth noting that Jeffords essentially saved the floundering Bush presidency back in 2001.

Really? Really! Jeffords, recall, first told the president about his planned defection in late May 2001, right as the initial tax cut bill was wending its way through the Senate. Had Jeffords defected immediately, Democrats would have taken control of the chamber before the tax cut passed, and control of the legislative agenda would’ve passed to new Majority Leader Tom Daschle. On the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus (D-MT) would’ve replaced Chuck Grassley (R-IA) as chairman, and the White House would have been unable to pass a tax cut of its own design and choosing. The president’s first major initiative would’ve faltered, and the then-unpopular president would have become an instant lame duck.

But Jeffords promised the president to defect only after the tax cut was passed—he even voted for the bill—and the White House came out victorious. So sure, call him a “slimeball” if you must, but if Jeffords had really wanted to stick his knife in the president’s back, he could’ve done far, far worse.

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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