This is very troubling. And sets a VERY bad precedent. “If you have the dough, we’ll send the National Guard to do your bidding”.
Yeah, I have to ask: is it constitutional (or just legal) for a private citizen to directly fund government projects they’re interested in? Does it matter if the project is a military one? How does this compare to, I suppose, donations for government-funded research?
It isn’t “setting a precedent;” it’s “returning to form”.
In all honesty as much as I oppose this move, and enjoy ragging on Republicans, I think this is a bit hyperbolic. It isn’t as if the governor rented out the national guard to the highest bidder. Sending the National Guard to the Mexican border is something she wanted to do anyway, and as Governor,and as far as I know has the unilateral power to do. All the wealthy donor is doing is providing her with political cover so that she can’t be accused of wasting tax payer money.
It would be different it she sent the national guard to do something that she would otherwise have no interest in, such as my tongue in cheek request that they weed my back yard, or specifically guard the donors house. It would also be different if the state legislature denied funding for the dispatch and this was a way to get around that prohibition. But so long as the governor had the power and motivation to dispatch the troops on her own, and there is a mechanism for a wealthy donor to make a voluntary contribution to the general fund its going to be hard to prosecute.
You win one internet.
I assume, and expect, that Noem working through the Nat’l Guard chain of command, will call for volunteers among the Guard to accept the Texas assignment, and will get plenty of them.
But NEXT time… hmmm. 
They test the envelope to see what they can get away with. Calling for a mob to storm the Capital of The United States of America is now OK. IOKIARDI.
Qevin MqQarthy compares Democrats supporting Critical Race Theory to the racist days when they supported slavery, pushing Jim Crow laws, and supporting the KKK.
Then he should be fine with the history of the Klan being taught in schools…as per Critical Race Theory.
Or another less generous way to put it: the Governor was motivated to deploy the National Guard by a financial contribution. If not for the donor, the guard would not be deployed.
Yes, she wanted to anyway. But now she’s not beholden to tax payers when she makes that unilateral choice, just one rich guy.
What Republicans mean by “critical race theory”, and what they object to, is acknowledging that racism exists.
So is the billionaire’s payment a political contribution? (of course it is Steve - he’d like a nice cushy cabinet position or ambassadorship).
Will his lawyers/accountants try to justify a tax deduction? (Steve - you are so naive. Of course he/they will).
Qevin MqQarthy told Devin Nunes to bring up Fucker Carlson’s claims that the NSA is spying on him before the House Intelligence Committee. Doesn’t he remember when Fox argued in court that everything Fucker said on his show was bullshit and wasn’t to be believed?
This isn’t new; read up on the history of the labor movement. The wealthy have long used the power of the state to oppress and murder the poor, even in the US.
Each of those words, in and of themselves, is a trigger:
Critical - ‘how dare you criticize us/me!’
Race - ‘I don’t see color’
Theory - ‘liberal, college going elitists with their theories.’
Isn’t Tennessee stupid enough to go along with this? Did the Johnsons have to travel THIS far afield to find complicity?
Is there hope for the South?
Dan
The National Guard is being hired out now? Can I get a squad to mow the lawn and trim the shrubbery?
MqQarthy told the House Republicans that he will strip them of committee seats if they participate in the 1/6 commission.
Is that what kids are calling it these days? Except it didn’t take a full squad.
Kinzinger’s response: “Who gives a shit?”