Kevin McCarthy must be the most prominent and baffling victim of Stockholm Syndrome ever. He’s effectively been taken hostage by the domestic terrorists in the far right of his conference, and even though he has the power to break the bonds, he digs himself in deeper. Each concession he makes to his captors only results in more demands—that’s how it always works if you try negotiating with terrorists. The wild part of it is that he can stop it. He might not be able to save his own professional bacon, but he could save the institution of the House of Representatives by accepting reality.
He’s not going to do that on his own. Obviously, or we wouldn’t be gearing up for the 12th failed vote in his bid to be speaker of the House. This is where his allies should come in. They could be saving him—and the House—from himself. Instead, they seem to be more interested in grousing to the gossipmongers. They persist in ruling out the solution staring them in the face: a coalition government with the Democrats.
“He needs to move several people from the ‘no’ column so he can keep the temperature down with the members who are becoming, as you well know, very impatient,” one anonymous McCarthy backer told Politico. “There is a limit to how much of this crap we can take.” Oh, really? What’s that limit? Twenty failed votes? Thirty? A month of this stalemate?
RELATED STORY: Thursday saw McCarthy losses seven through eleven. House returns at noon Friday for number twelve
That’s one of the lawmakers, apparently, who is “privately angry that McCarthy is empowering hard-liners with rules changes to the point that they worry it will be difficult, if not impossible, to govern.” Or part of the group that is “fed up with his apparent willingness to hand plum committee posts to his detractors.” They’ve supposedly “forcefully” rejected McCarthy’s handing over committee gavels to the maniacs, but McCarthy hasn’t publicly withdrawn the offer, or publicly denied that he’s considering it.
“Not a good idea. That would be rejected,” Rep. Mike Simpson, a McCarthy guy, told Politico about the possibility of the maniacs getting committee gavels. “Would be”? When would it be rejected? Some mythical day after McCarthy gets his speakership?
Rep. Robert Aderholt, veteran appropriator, chimed in “as far as skipping over people’s seniority ... I think we’ve gone too far.” Again, who is the “we” he’s talking about and what’s he going to do to stop it?
Clearly nothing thus far. McCarthy is still, unsuccessfully, wheeling and dealing with the maniacs who actually think what they are doing passes for statesmanship. At least, that’s how they’re trying to sell it.
“This is actually, a really beautiful thing,” Rep. Lauren Boebert warbled in one of her nominating speeches for “bidnessman” Rep. Kevin Hern. She said it was the most debate she’s seen in Congress “and I love it.” She thinks this is “debate.” She’s not the only one.
“We have had more discussion and debate over the last three days than I have participated in on this floor for the past two years,” Rep. Matt Rosendale said in his nominating filibuster for a not-Kevin candidate. “And it’s healthy. It absolutely promotes the collegiality that everyone is striving to obtain.” He really said that.
Only a generation of politicians raised on Fox News would think what’s happened on the House floor this week passes for “debate.”
Meanwhile, the “serious” Republicans are issuing stern statements about how this is bad for national security. “The Biden administration is going unchecked and there is no oversight of the White House, State Department, Department of Defense, or the intelligence community. We cannot let personal politics place the safety and security of the United States at risk,” said the statement from GOP Reps. Michael McCaul, Mike Rogers, and Mike Turner. The maniacs are keeping them from doing the serious business of issuing more subpoenas for Hunter Biden’s laptop.
The solution sitting across the aisle watches and waits, in total unity. “They’re not desperate enough yet,” said Rep. Elissa Slotkin. “We’re going to need to sit here and stay united while they figure out who they want to be.”
“This is a fight between them right now, between their right wing and their extreme right wing,” said Rep. Jim McGovern. “They’ve got to figure this out.”
“They have to make a decision. They wanted to have control of the House. They have to take responsibility to do that,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “We can help with legislation. We can help with upholding the dignity of the House of Representatives, but it’s up to them to help themselves to elect the speaker of the House.”
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He’s not going to do that on his own. Obviously, or we wouldn’t be gearing up for the 12th failed vote in his bid to be speaker of the House. This is where his allies should come in. They could be saving him—and the House—from himself. Instead, they seem to be more interested in grousing to the gossipmongers. They persist in ruling out the solution staring them in the face: a coalition government with the Democrats.
“He needs to move several people from the ‘no’ column so he can keep the temperature down with the members who are becoming, as you well know, very impatient,” one anonymous McCarthy backer told Politico. “There is a limit to how much of this crap we can take.” Oh, really? What’s that limit? Twenty failed votes? Thirty? A month of this stalemate?
RELATED STORY: Thursday saw McCarthy losses seven through eleven. House returns at noon Friday for number twelve
That’s one of the lawmakers, apparently, who is “privately angry that McCarthy is empowering hard-liners with rules changes to the point that they worry it will be difficult, if not impossible, to govern.” Or part of the group that is “fed up with his apparent willingness to hand plum committee posts to his detractors.” They’ve supposedly “forcefully” rejected McCarthy’s handing over committee gavels to the maniacs, but McCarthy hasn’t publicly withdrawn the offer, or publicly denied that he’s considering it.
“Not a good idea. That would be rejected,” Rep. Mike Simpson, a McCarthy guy, told Politico about the possibility of the maniacs getting committee gavels. “Would be”? When would it be rejected? Some mythical day after McCarthy gets his speakership?
Rep. Robert Aderholt, veteran appropriator, chimed in “as far as skipping over people’s seniority ... I think we’ve gone too far.” Again, who is the “we” he’s talking about and what’s he going to do to stop it?
Clearly nothing thus far. McCarthy is still, unsuccessfully, wheeling and dealing with the maniacs who actually think what they are doing passes for statesmanship. At least, that’s how they’re trying to sell it.
“This is actually, a really beautiful thing,” Rep. Lauren Boebert warbled in one of her nominating speeches for “bidnessman” Rep. Kevin Hern. She said it was the most debate she’s seen in Congress “and I love it.” She thinks this is “debate.” She’s not the only one.
“We have had more discussion and debate over the last three days than I have participated in on this floor for the past two years,” Rep. Matt Rosendale said in his nominating filibuster for a not-Kevin candidate. “And it’s healthy. It absolutely promotes the collegiality that everyone is striving to obtain.” He really said that.
Only a generation of politicians raised on Fox News would think what’s happened on the House floor this week passes for “debate.”
Meanwhile, the “serious” Republicans are issuing stern statements about how this is bad for national security. “The Biden administration is going unchecked and there is no oversight of the White House, State Department, Department of Defense, or the intelligence community. We cannot let personal politics place the safety and security of the United States at risk,” said the statement from GOP Reps. Michael McCaul, Mike Rogers, and Mike Turner. The maniacs are keeping them from doing the serious business of issuing more subpoenas for Hunter Biden’s laptop.
The solution sitting across the aisle watches and waits, in total unity. “They’re not desperate enough yet,” said Rep. Elissa Slotkin. “We’re going to need to sit here and stay united while they figure out who they want to be.”
“This is a fight between them right now, between their right wing and their extreme right wing,” said Rep. Jim McGovern. “They’ve got to figure this out.”
“They have to make a decision. They wanted to have control of the House. They have to take responsibility to do that,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “We can help with legislation. We can help with upholding the dignity of the House of Representatives, but it’s up to them to help themselves to elect the speaker of the House.”
RELATED STORIES:
McCarthy's problem isn't the Freedom Caucus. It's the GOP who gave the House to them years ago
The internet has jokes. Kevin McCarthy is the butt of them all
Republicans like to run against 'woke,' but right now they are demonstrating the meaning of 'weak'
McCarthy is losing votes, Trump is losing his influence. The Republican Party is a hot mess