Last February I posted about self-styled Leninist Steve Bannon’s interview with Congressman Cline after President Biden’s latest State of the Union address.

Bannon began the interview by claiming that President Biden’s assertion that some Republicans want to cut Social Security is a “bald-faced lie.” (It’s not.)

Cline replied: “We have to put out a balanced budget that preserves and protects Social Security and Medicare and does not go after those essential programs.”

Bannon then asked: “What are your constituents telling you after they heard the State of the Union?”

Cline said: “They’re furious and so am I.”

……….

He continued: “[Biden] baits us by saying, ‘Oh you all want to cut Social Security and Medicare.’ Well, of course we’re going to object in the middle of his speech…When somebody lies to your face, you’re gonna tell them they’re lying to their face. And that’s what we did during the State of the Union.”

But Biden was not lying. Cline proved it when he helped engineer a plan to cut Social Security and weaken Medicare.

The largest bloc of House conservatives offered up a fiscal blueprint Wednesday that promises to balance the federal budget in seven years, make GOP tax cuts permanent, and slash domestic spending.

The plan offered by the 175-member Republican Study Committee would gradually raise the age at which future retirees can start claiming full Social Security benefits from 67 to 69, a politically fraught proposal that’s all but certain to appear in Democratic campaign ads.

The document also proposes a “premium support” plan that would subsidize private insurance options that compete with traditional Medicare. That would be similar to budget plans proposed by Rep. Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., during his tenure in Congress that were panned by Democrats and some Republicans, including former President Donald Trump.

……….

“The RSC budget would implement common-sense policies to prevent the impending debt disaster, tame inflation, grow the economy, protect our national security, and defund [President Joe] Biden’s woke priorities,” said Virginia Rep. Ben Cline, chairman of the group’s Budget and Spending Task Force.

……….

Cline said the group has proposed gradually raising the Social Security retirement age, but not for current retirees or those nearing retirement. He said those now aged 59 would see an increase in the retirement age of three months per year beginning in 2026. The retirement age would reach 69 for those who turn 62 in 2033.

While any financial fix will require a bipartisan compromise, Cline said, “We are taking action, whereas the White House and Democrats refuse to acknowledge that Social Security and Medicare are facing insolvency.”

Biden and congressional Democrats thus far have focused their efforts to reduce those two programs’ budget shortfalls by reining in Medicare prescription drug costs, and by raising Medicare and Social Security payroll taxes on high-income earners.

As the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities points out, workers planning an earlier retirement will see lifetime payouts reduced if the full retirement age is raised.

The impact of all this would fall hardest on older low-income workers doing physically demanding jobs who are more likely to stop work due to health issues– in other words, a large portion of the constituents that Cline purports to represent.

Cline will claim that he only wants to cut benefits for future Social Security recipients. But he needs to be reminded by all of us: a cut is still a cut.

This book is a detailed, documented examination and refutation of everything Congressman Cline purports to believe about “big government,” taxes and regulation.

He won’t read it but you might want to.

Congressman Cline is turning into an anti-“woke” parody of himself.

(Fact check.)

Does Cline really believe that the Chinese base their military tactics on our military’s pronoun policies?

Expect a lot more of this shtick from Cline. It’s easier than dealing seriously with the real problems faced by his Sixth District constituents– including the fact that 44 percent of them are poor or otherwise struggling to make ends meet.

Gov. Youngkin’s latest partisan stunt is at the expense of Virginia’s taxpayers and the National Guard personnel who will be needlessly separated from their families, their jobs and their communities.

But that’s fine with Congressman Cline:

Much as Youngkin and Cline want us to believe otherwise, the fact is that Fentanyl is primarily smuggled into the United States through legal ports of entry by US citizens– not across unguarded borders by foreigners.

One can question how much Congressman Cline has done to “drain the Swamp” instead of plunging into it.

But now he says he cannot “in good conscience” support the debt ceiling compromise negotiated by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden.

Many of us are unhappy with the deal (for very different reasons from Cline’s) but realize that the alternative– a catastrophic default– would be vastly more damaging to tens of millions of ordinary Americans.

And for the record: Last January Cline voted FIFTEEN TIMES for the Speaker he now accuses of capitulating to the “Liberal Left.”

UPDATE: The House approved the deal by a vote of 314 to 117. According to Cline, 149 of his fellow Republicans voted to capitulate to the Liberal Left.

In his eagerness to exploit fears about supposedly surging illegal immigration, Congressman Cline posted this on his Twitter account on May 13.

Shocking and disturbing if true. But for Cline and other Republicans who latched onto this report, there’s one problem: it isn’t true.

The Hill reported on May 19:

A sensational story about hotels in upstate New York throwing out homeless veterans to make room for migrants bused from New York City turned out to be false, according to a local news outlet.

New York state lawmaker Brian Maher (R) told The Times-Union the story was false after he had a conversation with Sharon Toney-Finch, the CEO of Orange County nonprofit Yerik Israel Toney Foundation.

Toney-Finch made the original claim about the homeless veterans thrown out of the hotel rooms, setting off a media frenzy this week that was scooped up by conservative outlets Fox News and the New York Post.

But under pressure from Maher to provide evidence, she unraveled emotionally and kept saying she wanted to help the veterans, according to the newspaper. But she failed to provide any evidence, such as bank statements, to the New York state lawmaker.

Maher also talked to the veterans who claimed they were thrown out of the Crossroads Hotel in the city of Newburgh.

At least one of the purported veterans said they were paid by Toney-Finch to lie about being thrown out, according to the Times-Union. And staff at Crossroads Hotel and two other hotels confirmed they never had dealings with the nonprofit or never housed any veterans.

Of course I don’t expect Cline to apologize for believing and spreading this phony story. But for his own sake he ought to delete this tweet to avoid further embarrassment.

On the anniversary of VE Day, Congressman Cline paid tribute to the Americans who fought and died to help defeat Nazi Germany eight decades ago.

But this same week Donald Trump– the man Cline called “our great president” (six months after he stopped being president) and whose endorsement he was proud to proclaim— is hosting supporters of the evil forces those brave Americans helped vanquish in Europe.

The Trump National Doral resort will host two antisemites who have promoted pro-Adolf Hitler propaganda and spread virulently antisemitic conspiracy theories. They will be speaking at an event in Miami alongside numerous Team Trump personalities, including Eric Trump, Lara Trump, and Devin Nunes. 

Trump Doral speaker Scott McKay, who has a streaming show on Rumble, has claimed that Jewish people orchestrated 9/11 and were responsible for the assassinations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and William McKinley. He has also said that Jewish people routinely torture children and eat their hearts.

He has praised Hitler for supposedly trying to take down a Jewish banking system and said, “Hitler was actually fighting the same people that we’re trying to take down today.” 

Trump Doral speaker Charlie Ward, who also streams a show on Rumble, has shared posts praising Hitler for supposedly “warning us” about Judaism; claiming that “VIRUSES are Man (JEW) made”; and attacking the alleged Jewish media for supposedly lying about the Holocaust. 

Congressman Cline: Now that you know about this, it is incumbent on you to denounce Trump and everyone else involved clearly and forcefully. Otherwise you dishonor the heroes you claim to celebrate.

Update: After news of this broke, the antisemites have been barred from the event and Eric Trump won’t appear.

Congressman Cline will meet with constituents on Monday May 8 at noon in Staunton at Applebee’s, 139 Lee Jackson Highway. Register here.

According to Cline’s website: “Citizens of Staunton will be given priority regarding comments during Coffee with Your Congressman. One (1) ticket per registrant. Attendees will be responsible for any food and/or beverages purchased during the event. Signs and noisemakers are prohibited.”

Here’s what Congressman Cline and 216 other House Republicans voted FOR when they voted YES on the GOP’s plan to force spending cuts of about $4.8 trillion in exchange for avoiding a default on the federal debt.

Shutting down at least two air traffic control towers in Virginia.

Jeopardizing outpatient medical care for 162,300 Virginia veterans.

Throwing up to 175,000 Virginians off food stamps and ending food assistance for another 25,000 through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.

Cutting or ending Pell Grants for 162,900 Virginia college students.

Eliminating Head Start for 3,600 Virginia children and child care for another 1,300 children.

Adding at least two months to wait times for Virginia seniors seeking assistance with Social Security and Medicare.

Denying opioid treatment for more than 600 Virginians.

Ending 180 days of rail inspections per year and 1,350 fewer miles of track inspected.

Kicking 13,400 Virginia families off rental assistance.

Unlike his Republican colleague Jen Kiggans from southeast Virginia, he doesn’t have the decency to feel queasy about what he did.

He’s proud of it.

Congressman Cline will meet with constituents on Tuesday May 2 at 8:30 a.m. in Augusta County at Mrs. Rowe’s Family Restaurant & Catering, 74 Rowe Road, Staunton. Register here.

According to Cline’s website: “Citizens of Augusta County will be given priority regarding comments during Coffee with Your Congressman. One (1) ticket per registrant. Attendees will be responsible for any food and/or beverages purchased during the event. Signs and noisemakers are prohibited.”