Republicans in Charge, Day 3

I’m reading that McCarthy has made more concessions to the wackjob caucus, meaning he’s not giving up. I fear we’re in for more of wash, rinse, repeat. Well, it’s just past noon EST, so I assume they’re starting up again …

Annie Karni at the New York Times points out that at no time all week has Kevin McCarthy bothered to address the House to make a case for himself.

Update: Matt Gaetz just voted for Donald Trump for speaker.

Update: Some Republican reps were missing from the seventh vote, but it’s still pretty much the same as the last vote, and McCarthy falls short.

Update: In the seventh vote McCarthy gained not a single vote from previous votes. He’s stuck at 201 votes. Nobody is budging.

Update: Here comes the eighth vote.

Update: In the Ss. No movement toward McCarthy yet.

Update: I’m getting behind. Now they’re in the ninth vote. When McCarthy loses this one, it will break the 20th century record for speaker votes, I believe.

Update: McCarthy lost a vote in the ninth round. He’s down to 200.

Update: It has been noted that since Gaetz has voted for Trump twice, Trump now ties John Quincy Adams for most speaker votes cast for a former president.

Update: They’re discussing whether to do another vote today, I believe.

Update: Yep, they’re doing a tenth vote. The 20th century record is broken. I sincerely hope they aren’t going for an all-time record. The 1855-1856 speaker election lasted for 133 ballots over nearly two months.

18 thoughts on “Republicans in Charge, Day 3

  1. Matt Gaetz just said the quiet part out loud. Did he screw the pooch or is this their plan?

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    • Donald Trump is too lazy to accept the job of Speaker of the House.  

      Lauren Boebert just another 30 seconds of fame by voting for Kevin…….Herd of Oklahoma.  

      McCarthy's apparent strategy of giving away everything but his hide and chipping away at the Never Kevin group does not seem to be working.  

      I wonder if the members of the Never Kevin group have not gone down their path so far that changing any votes to McCarthy will be viewed in their districts as betrayal of "the cause".

      Sooner or later, McCarthy will have to give up his ambition to be Speaker or the Never Kevin group will have to do what will be perceived as surrendering to the swamp.

       

  2. I'm enjoying it. Normally we get to watch a battle between good and evil, but watching a battle between evil and evil is a lot more entertaining

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  3.  With all this idle time, you would think that lonesome George could make friend or two.  He could bring in a magic eight ball and work on his decision-making skills. 

    Someone needs to keep track of how much this exercise in futility costs per day. Remember that all just got done running expensive elections.  Why anyone voted for, or donated to, a republican is beyond me. Only by losing over and over will they learn to nominate candidates who know how to govern.  This tendency to nominate and vote for the biggest wack-job did not start yesterday.  At least lonesome George ran unopposed in his primary.  Way to go, NY district #3.  Have you thought about sending him with a support dog or do they reject him too now?

  4. The Democrats have been consistent in their support of Jeffries. They COULD suggest a compromise candidate, like Hogan or even Cheney (at least she’s got balls -eggs?) and all it would take would be a half dozen “R+1”-ish Republicans to make everyone happy.

    Kevin should not promise ANYTHING  to the squawking vulture caucus.

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  5. Since the Dems have 212 and no one else  has over 200, can't we just have Dems take over as the majority with confidence.

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  6. "I'd rather rule in Hell, than serve in Heaven!"

    Satan.

    And also maybe too, Kevin McCarthy.

    What a dummy!

    Oh, if only Kevin could have grown-up to be like his smarter, funnier, and more level-headed brother, Charlie McCarthy…*

     

    *Only the Oldsters here will get that.

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  7. Also too (or three):

    Who, and why, would ever want to try to be the RepubliKKKLAN Speaker?!?!?

    Herding cats would be easier.

    Being Speaker of this GQP KKKauKKKus is more like trying to lasso quicksilver!

  8. Uhm…

    Second comment went bye-bye, but it's still listed in "Recent Comments?"

    Whaaaaaa?!?!? 🙂

    • One important detail left out from Olbermann's fantasy solution is the demand that George Santos not be seated if possible or support a resolution to expel him if he is seated. That is a critical element necessary if there is to be any hope of reforming Congress. It's draining the swamp 101. Start with calling out or casting out the blatant lying. It reflects on the whole institution.

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  9. What did we learn from the 1/6 hearings?  For sure we learned that the Republican party is at least three political parties.  McCarthy went with Liz Cheney right after 1/6 then one would assume sold out to Trump and provided at least a level of cover-up.  He got to get re-elected and a shot at speaker of the house.  Liz Cheney got booted from the top administrative level and lost a primary of a very safe district in Wyoming. Remember here that Liz had an impeccable record as a conservative and knew the definition of conservative.  Let us all remember that TFG was at best a faux conservative.  Liz Cheney retained her reputation and now leads the never TFG wing of the party.  McCarthy is in the Rupert Murdoch wing of the party.

    So, what is Murdoch's wing of the party?  It is reported that Sean Hannity has one position and Tucker Carlson another on the Cabal (third wing) of the party. Murdoch is playing both sides perhaps, as these talking heads are his puppets we can assume.  Here Rupert goes with fair and balanced.  He doesn't have to take sides and his media outlets provide a large group of ditto heads.  He rules as the de facto leader of the party's propaganda outlet and exerts much influence on lesser media barons.  He can put a thumb on the scales at any time.  So far, fair and balanced is a ratings winner.  Also remember the major media channel that did not air a single episode of the Liz Cheney show (hearings).  

    The Cabal is the third wing.  McCarthy was able to swing some members (not enough) to vote for him.  Remember here that the Cabal wing are not the "normies".  They are the fringe of the fringe of the party.  They do not trust McCarthy at all and probably shouldn't.  As the wind changes so does McCarthy, who lost his integrity by opposition to the 1/6 investigation.  We learned that a select few were in the loop for the coup plots, and fewer yet were in the loop for the 1/6 one.  Some House members need power just in case justice comes knocking we can guess.  

    The last thing we learned from the 1/6 investigation (more from its interaction with TFG tax releases) was that TFG avoided a mandatory audit when he was president.  He also defunded the IRS and gave the uber wealthy a giant tax break.  Yes, he appeared to be able to use the IRS as a political tool, and to provide favorable treatment for some of the "right" people including himself.  Considering how dishonest people such as Lonely George seem to be, some favorable treatment might be needed by that "politically neutral" organization in the future.  Lonely George needs more than that.  I might have to start calling him Bus Fodder.

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