U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson looks excited about his job. Credit: Shutterstock / lev radin

Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s recent trip to the Texas-Mexico border with 60 or so GOP colleagues suggests he’s got all the political chops of his bumbling predecessor, the recently ousted Kevin McCarthy.

During the trip to Eagle Pass, the Louisiana Republican told reporters that he and the rest of his clown car contingent aren’t willing to work across the aisle to revamp the nation’s broken immigration system. Instead, they’re doubling down on the hardline immigration bill House Republicans passed in May with nary a single Democratic vote.

In case anyone needs a refresher, that’s the same bill President Joe Biden promised to veto and Democrats described with adjectives including “cruel” and “inhumane.” Incidentally, that veto threat rings hollow. There’s virtually zero chance the proposal will gain traction in the U.S. Senate, which is narrowly controlled by the Dems — even as Johnson and his cronies hold Ukraine aid hostage.

Amping up the absurdity of Johnson’s visit, he argued that Border Patrol agents don’t want $14 billion in supplemental funds that the Biden White House requested for dealing with the surge in border crossings.

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, rightly put Johnson on blast for his bullshit, pointing out during a CNN interview that the funding would allow the government to hire new 1,600 asylum officers to speed claims processing, along with 1,300 Border Patrol and 1,000 Customs and Border Protection agents to bolster enforcement.

“So no, I will disagree and say that they need the funding,” Crockett said. “But I will also agree that there needs to be policy changes as well. It’s not about doing one or the other. It’s about doing both.”

With border crossings at historic levels and the immigration courts suffering what some experts describe as a years-long backlog, it’s clear the nation’s immigration system is in need of the major overhaul Crockett is talking about.

What’s also clear from Johnson’s border photo op is that this assclown has no interest in solving the issues at the border before the November election. His intent is to prolong the problem.

Voters should call Johnson and his party out on their asinine antics.

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This article appears in Jan 10-23, 2024.

Sanford Nowlin is editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Current. He holds degrees from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative...