2023 Republican House Follies

[Octavious]

Mitch has been in office since 1984 and yet only got elected this time because of Trump? Until the day I die I will never understand how people blindly followed that f'n idiot. I'm pretty sure he recommended McCarthy last week too, but nobody gives a shit about what he says now.

[Defiant]

Couldn't the Democrats then torpedo McCarthy by implying they were in talks with him and then vote him into Speakership?

This is genius.

[Unagi]

Also, "fly home to a very broken California". I mean, he does know which state McCarthy is from, right?

He was talking about Pelosi flying home

[Skinypupy]

Also, "fly home to a very broken California". I mean, he does know which state McCarthy is from, right?

He was talking about Pelosi flying home

I realize that.

McCarthy - the guy he's endorsing - is also from "very broken California"

[Unagi]

Also, "fly home to a very broken California". I mean, he does know which state McCarthy is from, right?

He was talking about Pelosi flying home

I realize that.

McCarthy - the guy he's endorsing - is also from "very broken California"

Lol. Duh hickie.
I just woke up.
Sorry bout that.

[Octavious]

Good thing the budget got rammed through. Somehow defaulting would be the Dems fault. I'm actually kind of surprised that not a single person threw Trump as a vote yet.

[Kurth]

I'm sure Trump's tepid, after-the-fact endorsement this morning will push McCarthy over the top.



Also, "fly home to a very broken California". I mean, he does know which state McCarthy is from, right?

Every time I think Trump's posts couldn't be more cringey, I'm proven wrong. This one hits so many buttons.

Misogynististic? Check.
Xenophobic? Check.
Racist? Check.
Delusions of Grandeur? Check.
Complete Idiocy? Check, check, check.

I'm with Octavious: "Until the day I die I will never understand how people blindly follow[] that f'n idiot."

[Jaymann]

So "Dog Catchers" in Kentucky ironically don't catch any dogs?

[malchior]

Good thing the budget got rammed through. Somehow defaulting would be the Dems fault. I'm actually kind of surprised that not a single person threw Trump as a vote yet.

This is WHY it was pushed through. Everyone saw the trainwreck coming.

On another front, word is now coming in that the Republican are going to try to vote to adjourn because they don't want to hold a Speaker vote. McCarthy is eventually going to have to throw in the towel if this keeps up.

[malchior]

Every time I think Trump's posts couldn't be more cringey, I'm proven wrong. This one hits so many buttons.

Misogynististic? Check.
Xenophobic? Check.
Racist? Check.
Delusions of Grandeur? Check.
Complete Idiocy? Check, check, check.

I'm with Octavious: "Until the day I die I will never understand how people blindly follow[] that f'n idiot."

You just listed out the reasons.

[Kurth]

Every time I think Trump's posts couldn't be more cringey, I'm proven wrong. This one hits so many buttons.

Misogynististic? Check.
Xenophobic? Check.
Racist? Check.
Delusions of Grandeur? Check.
Complete Idiocy? Check, check, check.

I'm with Octavious: "Until the day I die I will never understand how people blindly follow[] that f'n idiot."

You just listed out the reasons.

Too true.

[Pyperkub]

One little editorial note. Fuck reporters who keep focusing on talking about how embarrassing this is for the Republicans. This is wrong. This is embarrassing for *all of us*. The United States is signaling political instability again. This is the type of stuff that in the past was in the orbit of the battling before and after the Civil War.

Step it back further.

It is embarrassing that a man who has already (IMHO) broken his Oath of Office (re: no Impeachment for Jan 6th, etc) can even be *considered* fit to be *Third* in line to become President.

Also, that the Congresspersons voting (especially ALL of the 20), campaigned on actively breaking their Oath of Office (if they didn't already break it in voting against Vote certification and Impeachment for Jan 6th), are even allowed to do this.

If/When these jackasses are ever sworn in, they should be publicly asked and forced to answer about actually upholding their Oath of Office, and why the American People should trust them to do so for their term.

Never forget:

[malchior]

Here we go with another vote. This time the nutjobs nominated Byron Donalds.

[Smoove_B]

Here we go with another vote. This time the nutjobs nominated Byron Donalds.

Florida man!

In late 2020, Donalds was identified as a participant in the "Freedom Force", a group of incoming House Republicans who "say they’re fighting against socialism in America".

In January 2021, Donalds voted to object to the certification of electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania in the 2020 presidential election.

[Octavious]

I don't know. I think the more times they vote, the more chances that 5 of them just give the finger and blow everything up.

[Skinypupy]

Here we go with another vote.

Aaaaaaand…McCarthy has failed again.

[malchior]

I think the theme is pretty clear. They are nominating each other to say 'we need need blood'. In this case, the last "defector". The CW looks right. McCarthy will never be Speaker.

[Kurth]

So who will they go to after rejecting McCarthy?

I think back to the post-election bullshit when McCarthy was trying to spin the GOP taking the House as a huge accomplishment and minimizing the incredibly narrow margins by which they did so.

Bet he wishes he had some more margin now!

As entertaining as it is to see the leopards eat the face of McCarthy and the GOP, I’m solidly in the camp that says none of this is good. I’ll keep on beating the drum that we need both the Dems and the GOP to be at least marginally functional. The fact that the GOP clown show is this dysfunctional is not good for the country. Not at all.

[Smoove_B]

How long has the Senate been dysfunctional? Why should the House be any different now? I joke...but maybe not so much.

[Alefroth]

Have Pillow Guy's efforts been for naught?

[$iljanus]

A big talking point I keep hearing from various Republican politicians about the ongoing “process” is that democracy is messy and this is what makes our country great. I understand that democratic rule can be somewhat chaotic but still is a good alternative to autocratic rule. But sometimes a mess is really just…well, a mess.

[geezer]

I like this idea

From the article:

"I would need Democrats," Upton says. "I could get a significant number of Republicans."

Upton is prepared to offer Democrats an incentive to back him. As speaker, he says, he would assure that all House committees contain equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, a shared power arrangement unheard of in modern politics.

If I'm a (D) House member, I'm all in on this. Realistically, it's the very best you could hope for, and a massive win to get equal representation on House committees.

[El Guapo]

One little editorial note. Fuck reporters who keep focusing on talking about how embarrassing this is for the Republicans. This is wrong. This is embarrassing for *all of us*. The United States is signaling political instability again. This is the type of stuff that in the past was in the orbit of the battling before and after the Civil War.

Step it back further.

It is embarrassing that a man who has already (IMHO) broken his Oath of Office (re: no Impeachment for Jan 6th, etc) can even be *considered* fit to be *Third* in line to become President.

Also, that the Congresspersons voting (especially ALL of the 20), campaigned on actively breaking their Oath of Office (if they didn't already break it in voting against Vote certification and Impeachment for Jan 6th), are even allowed to do this.

If/When these jackasses are ever sworn in, they should be publicly asked and forced to answer about actually upholding their Oath of Office, and why the American People should trust them to do so for their term.

Never forget:

I will say that I think this leadership vote stuff is far more embarrassing to the Republican Party than it is to the country as a whole. This type of public intra-party strife around leadership isn't that unusual for a democracy - see the ongoing prime minister struggles in the UK, or the multiple undecisive elections in Israel. It's certainly embarrassing, but that kind of stuff happens periodically.

Now, if we don't have a speaker a few months from now, say, or if we wind up with MTG or Boebert or Gaetz as Speaker, *that* will be truly embarrassing.

[El Guapo]

So who will they go to after rejecting McCarthy?

I think back to the post-election bullshit when McCarthy was trying to spin the GOP taking the House as a huge accomplishment and minimizing the incredibly narrow margins by which they did so.

Bet he wishes he had some more margin now!

As entertaining as it is to see the leopards eat the face of McCarthy and the GOP, I’m solidly in the camp that says none of this is good. I’ll keep on beating the drum that we need both the Dems and the GOP to be at least marginally functional. The fact that the GOP clown show is this dysfunctional is not good for the country. Not at all.

I do think there's some value to denying McCarthy the speakership. Trump's rise was greased by people who accommodated themselves to his nuttery in order to try to ride it to power. This blowing up publicly in McCarthy's face is a useful public lesson to such people as Trump plans his next run. Not that anyone's likely to heed that lesson, but good that it gets hammered home as often as possible.

As to where this goes from here...who knows. If I had to guess I suspect that McCarthy eventually works out some kind of face-saving deal with the rebels after vote 20 or something. If it's not that it's one of about 10 implausible scenarios (a far right lunatic, some sort of deal between the Democrats and a GOP moderate, Speaker Trump, etc.), and which one seems hard to predict.

[Alefroth]

I like this idea

From the article:

"I would need Democrats," Upton says. "I could get a significant number of Republicans."

Upton is prepared to offer Democrats an incentive to back him. As speaker, he says, he would assure that all House committees contain equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, a shared power arrangement unheard of in modern politics.

If I'm a (D) House member, I'm all in on this. Realistically, it's the very best you could hope for, and a massive win to get equal representation on House committees.

Can that be binding, or would they just have to take him at his word?

[malchior]

I will say that I think this leadership vote stuff is far more embarrassing to the Republican Party than it is to the country as a whole. This type of public intra-party strife around leadership isn't that unusual for a democracy - see the ongoing prime minister struggles in the UK, or the multiple undecisive elections in Israel. It's certainly embarrassing, but that kind of stuff happens periodically.

If this was isolated I'd agree. In the larger weave where the democracy in the United States is seen as failing this is another signal to the world that the United States is in trouble. It's not just embarrassing. We are weaker for it.

[Kurth]

So who will they go to after rejecting McCarthy?

I think back to the post-election bullshit when McCarthy was trying to spin the GOP taking the House as a huge accomplishment and minimizing the incredibly narrow margins by which they did so.

Bet he wishes he had some more margin now!

As entertaining as it is to see the leopards eat the face of McCarthy and the GOP, I’m solidly in the camp that says none of this is good. I’ll keep on beating the drum that we need both the Dems and the GOP to be at least marginally functional. The fact that the GOP clown show is this dysfunctional is not good for the country. Not at all.

I do think there's some value to denying McCarthy the speakership. Trump's rise was greased by people who accommodated themselves to his nuttery in order to try to ride it to power. This blowing up publicly in McCarthy's face is a useful public lesson to such people as Trump plans his next run. Not that anyone's likely to heed that lesson, but good that it gets hammered home as often as possible.

As to where this goes from here...who knows. If I had to guess I suspect that McCarthy eventually works out some kind of face-saving deal with the rebels after vote 20 or something. If it's not that it's one of about 10 implausible scenarios (a far right lunatic, some sort of deal between the Democrats and a GOP moderate, Speaker Trump, etc.), and which one seems hard to predict.

I'd love to see the Dems get behind a GOP moderate -- like Geezer posted above regarding recently-retired Fred Upton -- in exchange for a power-sharing arrangement. Doesn't have a snowball's chance, but that would be a great outcome.

[malchior]

So who will they go to after rejecting McCarthy?

I think back to the post-election bullshit when McCarthy was trying to spin the GOP taking the House as a huge accomplishment and minimizing the incredibly narrow margins by which they did so.

Bet he wishes he had some more margin now!

As entertaining as it is to see the leopards eat the face of McCarthy and the GOP, I’m solidly in the camp that says none of this is good. I’ll keep on beating the drum that we need both the Dems and the GOP to be at least marginally functional. The fact that the GOP clown show is this dysfunctional is not good for the country. Not at all.

I do think there's some value to denying McCarthy the speakership. Trump's rise was greased by people who accommodated themselves to his nuttery in order to try to ride it to power. This blowing up publicly in McCarthy's face is a useful public lesson to such people as Trump plans his next run. Not that anyone's likely to heed that lesson, but good that it gets hammered home as often as possible.

As to where this goes from here...who knows. If I had to guess I suspect that McCarthy eventually works out some kind of face-saving deal with the rebels after vote 20 or something. If it's not that it's one of about 10 implausible scenarios (a far right lunatic, some sort of deal between the Democrats and a GOP moderate, Speaker Trump, etc.), and which one seems hard to predict.

A few things that I think stand out is that CW is that McCarthy was sort of an entitled prick and also not the best politician. This pretty much proves that out. He has demonstrated essentially no strategy for this even though everyone saw it miles away. And now he's penned in the Republicans and our democracy. His inevitable capitulation will further embolden the crazy which has been building for years. I don't think the lesson in time will be don't appease the crazies. In the GOP the history is to bring them in from the cold and this type of action is how that works it way in to their "mainstream" mix. This type of action isn't some new development. Ryan and Boehner left because of these forces. McCarthy was too foolish and selfish to avoid this. So I don't think this is good. It's very much the opposite of good. Not that I loved the idea of McCarthy or any GOP Speaker but this...this is bad stuff.

[malchior]

I'd love to see the Dems get behind a GOP moderate -- like Geezer posted above regarding recently-retired Fred Upton -- in exchange for a power-sharing arrangement. Doesn't have a snowball's chance, but that would be a great outcome.

That'd be potentially be a decent outcome but it'd take awhile to get there. Perhaps we will but the road to there is full of boulders.

[pr0ner]

[Smoove_B]

The idea that TFG has any influence over what's happening now should fill people with shame. Even more of a reason as to why he should be incarcerated right now instead of pulling strings in the GOP.

[Skinypupy]

The idea that TFG has any influence over what's happening now should fill people with shame. Even more of a reason as to why he should be incarcerated right now instead of pulling strings in the GOP.

I'm not sure he does have any influence. After Trump's "full throated endorsement", McCarthy actually lost votes today. The only silver lining to this mess seems to be that Trump is mostly just getting ignored. That's a somewhat encouraging development, I suppose.

And I fully agree with malchior that, schadenfreude aside, none of this is good. I suspect we're going to end up with someone who is now entirely beholden to the lunatics. That said, I don't know that it changes much of what they ultimately do. It was all just going to be about culture war grievances, nonsense investigations, and Hunter Biden's laptop anyways. I don't think any of this theater changes that, unless we end up with a moderate like Upton. I'd put the chances of that at 5% or less.

[Alefroth]

Boebert even contradicted Trump and said he needs to tell McCarthy to give up. Not without calling him her favorite president though.

[Smoove_B]

I'm not sure he does have any influence. After Trump's "full throated endorsement", McCarthy actually lost votes today. The only silver lining to this mess seems to be that Trump is mostly just getting ignored. That's a somewhat encouraging development, I suppose.

I guess that his name would be invoked at all as part of this process (that there are people beholden to him in any way) is embarrassing.

And I fully agree with malchior that, schadenfreude aside, none of this is good. I suspect we're going to end up with someone who is now entirely beholden to the lunatics. That said, I don't know that it changes much of what they ultimately do. It was all just going to be about culture war grievances, nonsense investigations, and Hunter Biden's laptop anyways. I don't think any of this theater changes that, unless we end up with a moderate like Upton. I'd put the chances of that at 5% or less.

Absolutely. This is not a good sign. I mean, I like watching the GOP eat itself and I laugh at their dysfunction, but I know deep down this is telegraphing a much larger problem and it's not going to be good for everyone.

Also, self reflection is important. Hold up a mirror Representative Crenshaw.

“These fucking people,” Rep. @DanCrenshawTX tells me after leaving the House floor. “Now they’re just being clowns.”

[LordMortis]

I'm sure Trump's tepid, after-the-fact endorsement this morning will push McCarthy over the top.



Also, "fly home to a very broken California". I mean, he does know which state McCarthy is from, right?

Didn't Trump put her in charge of an entire cabinet position? But he's not wrong about Mitch and his interests and how he should never have had his interests pushed through, making him terrible for the country, though. The PoS sat three of Trumps SC nominees to say nothing of the incalculable damage he had done leading up to the damage that will last well past my lifetime he managed to cause by coordinating with TFG, the 45th president, traitor in chief.

Never forget:

Neither I nor my blood pressure ever will.

...

I also think none of this is good for the nation and that's sad because McCarthy is objectively terrible for the nation. Giving into Boebert/Geatz/Gosur nutcases is worse though. Putting up a "centrist" candidate that actually spoke out against Jan 6th and getting Dems to cross the line is best for the nation, putting 20 babies in the corner. Neither Dems nor the GOP would go for that though.

[Isgrimnur]

Strike 5

Kevin McCarthy suffered yet another stinging defeat on Wednesday as he lost in the fifth round of voting to elect a speaker – a major blow that increasingly imperils his bid and heightens uncertainty over whether he can still secure the gavel or if a viable candidate will emerge as an alternative. The House is now moving to a sixth vote.
...
The final tally for the fifth vote was again 201 votes for McCarthy, 20 for Donalds and one present vote.

[Octavious]

5? That's rookie numbers. We're already up to 6 as 19 voted for Other Florida Man.

[Kurth]

Putting up a "centrist" candidate that actually spoke out against Jan 6th and getting Dems to cross the line is best for the nation, putting 20 babies in the corner. Neither Dems nor the GOP would go for that though.

Yep. And this, my friends, is why we’re so supremely fucked. Rather than eating popcorn and enjoying watching the GOP clown show embarrass itself and the country, the Dems should be tirelessly working to find a moderate GOP centrist they could all support for Speaker. But I just don’t see that happening.

A question as McCarthy is about to lose his 6th vote: Is McCarthy the one that keeps calling for these votes? If so, why? Presumably, if any of the Taliban 20 were going to switch and vote for him, he’d know it. They aren’t, so if he’s the one directing this circus, why keep having these embarrassing votes. It’s not a spectacle that makes him look good at all.

I would think the prudent thing to do would be to not have another vote until there was some kind of material change in the situation. What am I missing?

[Skinypupy]

Rather than eating popcorn and enjoying watching the GOP clown show embarrass itself and the country, the Dems should be tirelessly working to find a moderate GOP centrist they could all support for Speaker. But I just don’t see that happening.

Because they know that would be an entirely wasted effort?

That said, it would be good for them to be able to say "Hey, at least we tried" instead of just eating popcorn and watching the meltdown.

[Smoove_B]

A question as McCarthy is about to lose his 6th vote: Is McCarthy the one that keeps calling for these votes? If so, why? Presumably, if any of the Taliban 20 were going to switch and vote for him, he’d know it. They aren’t, so if he’s the one directing this circus, why keep having these embarrassing votes. It’s not a spectacle that makes him look good at all.

I'm not sure on whether or not there are specific rules for the House, but I'd expect that any GOP member can raise a vote by nominating someone as long as they're in-session.

I would think the prudent thing to do would be to not have another vote until there was some kind of material change in the situation. What am I missing?

I think it's pretty clear they're trying to make sure Kevin knows he's not welcome. And the ~20 are reinforcing that by refusing to vote for him, no matter what. Though I am guessing they do have their price. I can only imagine what they want in exchange for a vote, I'm guessing key/critical committee appointments.