A Brawler w/Lawler

I was the asshole.

Can’t sleep and I have to get up in four hours for a flight to Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Maybe my body is keeping me awake as long as possible to delay as long as possible my time in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. That’s a joke. I’ve never been there and I’m sure it’s “great.”

Also troubling me tonight is we taped an episode of Have I Got News For You tonight featuring the very funny Joyelle Nicole Johnson and Republican Congressman Mike Lawler. Congressman Lawler represents NY’s 17^th Congressional District and is, in fact, my co-captain Amber Ruffin’s congressman. Any Republican is a good sport to show up on our show where it’s pretty much assured you’re going to get shit on. And, friends, I shit all over Congressman Lawler. Which is why I can’t sleep.

Let me be clear: he seemed like a nice guy and he took my abuse like a champ. I was rude, pedantic, and didn’t let him finish a sentence. So I apologize to Congressman Lawler. On the other hand, I was 100% right.

Here were the two issues that arose tonight, and which you’ll be able to see tomorrow on CNN. The first was Ukraine. Lawler has been on the record as a strong supporter of Ukraine, and made a point of contradicting the president’s assertion that Zelenskyy is a dictator, so props to him for that. But then we got into a heated conversation about next steps. Lawler, like me, believes that Zelenskyy deserves a place at the negotiating table.

Congressman Mike Lawler. Nice guy. Supports bad policy.

Where we got into it, however, was my point that if we want Ukraine negotiating from a place of maximal strength, don’t we want to give them as many weapons to use as they see fit, in order to bolster their negotiating position, a position which Lawler himself got into it with the Biden administration. At the time, Lawler was arguing that Biden should be giving them everything they want and letting them use it however they see fit. I didn’t have a strong opinion about that subject at the time because I didn’t understand the logic of holding back (I assume it was to try to prevent even worse escalation).

Now, though, Lawler seems to be saying that he no longer thinks we should be supplying Ukraine with the same meteriel that he once supported sending them. I’m not sure why and I didn’t get a straight answer out of him, other than he thinks they should be negotiating. With whom? They’re not invited. Anyway, that was one point of contention. It got a little tense because I felt like he was walking back a deeply held position he had right up until the moment Trump came into office, at which point he seemed to suggest that the War in Ukraine was over and they should take whatever scraps Russia, the US, and the Saudis decide to give them. That being said, I do think he supports Ukrainian independence. Does he support the absurd reparations Team Trump wants to inflict on them? I don’t know, but he certainly didn’t say he didn’t. Not good.

The other time we got into was while discussing the Republican budget bill. Lawler has been clear that he will not vote for a bill that cuts Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Which I obviously agree with. The problem is that the current Republican proposal cuts $880B in Medicaid funding. When I asked him if he’ll vote no, he said he won’t vote for any cuts to people receiving their Medicaid benefits.

Which sounded like a dodge to me, so I said, “If the bill comes forward and there’s one dollar less for Medicaid, you’ll vote against it?” He said if the money cut was to go to the beneficiaries then he would vote against it, but if Medicaid was reduced because of the buzzy “waste, fraud, and abuse,” then he’s all for it. Which sounded like bull pucky to me because the only way you’re going to get to an actual accounting of whatever waste, fraud, and abuse that may or may not be plaguing Medicaid is to have the Inspectors General look at the program. But they can’t because Trump just fired all the Inspectors General. So, what the fuck? Are we going to rely on the word of Chancellor Underpants, last seen in shades and gold chain waving a chainsaw around CPac?

I must’ve asked him about ten times if he was going to vote on any budget that cut Medicaid by a dollar and he dodged the question ten times, at which point, I said he was giving me politician doublespeak and it was bullshit. Yes, I said all that, and now I feel kind of guilty.

Picture of me taken right before I gave Congressman Lawler the business.

Because, as always, when we invite you onto our show, I’m inviting me into our home, and I don’t want to call you out to your face at my house. But I will. The truth is, he struck me as a nice guy with a decent Trump impression. He’s clearly angling to be the next governor of New York, and who knows? Maybe he’ll win. Personally, I don’t have a strong opinion about New York’s current governor, other than I wish she’d kicked that crook Adams right to the curb. I don’t know if Lawler would be better or worse, but I did get the sense from him that he loves his job and is committed to serving the people of his district to the best of his ability (and so long as it doesn’t piss off POTUS too much).

So Congressman Lawler, I apologize for giving you such a hard time. You took it on the chin, which is probably more than I would have done had the roles been reversed. I appreciate you coming on the show and I hope you had a good time. And just know, if you ever decide to come back, I will be exactly as rough as I was tonight. But that’s just because I can’t help it. When I see something wrong, I have one of those mouths that compels me to speak on it. And right now, this administration is just wrong. So I look to leaders like yourself to speak out. I’m sorry you weren’t able to do so more forcefully. Because I know you’re as embarrassed by that guy as the rest of us. Nobody who represents the heavily Democratic/artsy area of New York State that you do could feel otherwise. Certaily not if they plan on keeping their job.

So yes, I tried to get you to say some things you were unprepared to say. And that’s on me. But you can’t blame a mediocre comedian for giving it his best. In all seriousness, you were a great sport and I hope you’ll consider returning. To get shit on some more. You can see the episode tomorrow night at 9 on CNN. I’ll be curious to see what they kept.

Team White Co-Captain Michael Ian Black signing off.