GOP Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's no-good, very bad week just got a lot worse. CNN is reporting McCarthy is now officially among the list of GOP lawmakers for whom the House Select Committee wants their Jan. 6 phone records preserved. In addition, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming—the person who has effectively made it her mission to keep McCarthy from becoming Speaker—has been appointed vice chair of the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol siege.
“Every member of this committee is dedicated to conducting a non-partisan, professional, and thorough investigation of all the relevant facts regarding January 6th and the threat to our Constitution we faced that day,” Cheney said in a statement. “I have accepted the position of Vice Chair of the committee to assure that we achieve that goal.”
The news comes during a week in which House Republicans flipped into full panic mode over the possibility that the private communications of about a dozen GOP members on Jan. 6 could eventually be made public. The committee has asked some 30 telecom and social media companies to preserve those phone records.
In response, McCarthy and other House Republicans threatened any company that complies with a forthcoming subpoena. A GOP majority, he pledged, "will not forget."
News of Cheney's promotion triggered another round of backlash from some GOP members whose Jan. 6 communications are reportedly under scrutiny. Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia led calls to purge both Cheney and the panel's other Republican representative, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, from the Republican Party and the House GOP caucus.
It's sometimes hard to cut through GOP hysteria to find real meaning. Still, Cheney's elevation to the panel's second-highest post does signal an escalation of the threat level for some Republican members. Cheney has clearly thrown herself into the investigation, and Democrats are obviously impressed with her dedication and willingness to take the venom directed at her. One might also surmise that Cheney’s insights about the caucus in the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6—when she was still the House GOP's third in command—are proving very useful. Cheney may not know exactly where all the bodies are buried, but she likely knows which bodies to look for, which is at least half the battle.
On top of that, Cheney's new post gives her an even bigger messaging role. Not only will that elevated platform amplify everything she says about her political rivals like McCarthy and Trump, but it will also be a constant reminder to the American public that the committee is indeed bipartisan.
None of that is likely to calm McCarthy's rattled nerves.
“Every member of this committee is dedicated to conducting a non-partisan, professional, and thorough investigation of all the relevant facts regarding January 6th and the threat to our Constitution we faced that day,” Cheney said in a statement. “I have accepted the position of Vice Chair of the committee to assure that we achieve that goal.”
The news comes during a week in which House Republicans flipped into full panic mode over the possibility that the private communications of about a dozen GOP members on Jan. 6 could eventually be made public. The committee has asked some 30 telecom and social media companies to preserve those phone records.
In response, McCarthy and other House Republicans threatened any company that complies with a forthcoming subpoena. A GOP majority, he pledged, "will not forget."
News of Cheney's promotion triggered another round of backlash from some GOP members whose Jan. 6 communications are reportedly under scrutiny. Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia led calls to purge both Cheney and the panel's other Republican representative, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, from the Republican Party and the House GOP caucus.
It's sometimes hard to cut through GOP hysteria to find real meaning. Still, Cheney's elevation to the panel's second-highest post does signal an escalation of the threat level for some Republican members. Cheney has clearly thrown herself into the investigation, and Democrats are obviously impressed with her dedication and willingness to take the venom directed at her. One might also surmise that Cheney’s insights about the caucus in the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6—when she was still the House GOP's third in command—are proving very useful. Cheney may not know exactly where all the bodies are buried, but she likely knows which bodies to look for, which is at least half the battle.
On top of that, Cheney's new post gives her an even bigger messaging role. Not only will that elevated platform amplify everything she says about her political rivals like McCarthy and Trump, but it will also be a constant reminder to the American public that the committee is indeed bipartisan.
None of that is likely to calm McCarthy's rattled nerves.