the 2023 speaker of the house voting thread of implosion

[SquishMitten 10,497]

Heck of a deal they got worked out last night!

[bolverk 30,325]

 

[Queen Bitch 1,692]

17 minutes ago, Js1 said:

But Chip was supposed to bring 10 with him!!! 4 isn't 10.  

A little over halfway through, and 8 have flipped

[Bullneck 19,528]

3 hours ago, RomaVicta said:

I don't think the credible media should or does advocate for a way this should be resolved. I don't think they meet and decide to shy away from something like an outside speaker. In fact, most of us wouldn't know about the possibility of an outside speaker if the legality hadn't been made clear through broad media outlets.

It may come as a surprise to many Americans to learn that the Constitution does not require the House speaker to be a member of the House. The Constitution provides for election of a speaker but does not require House membership to serve in that position. That’s because the office was not conceived as a partisan agent, but rather as one serving the whole House and, in that role, the entire nation. The Constitution anticipated a leader respected across the broadest possible spectrum of the American people, much as George Washington had presided over the convention that drafted our governing charter in 1787.

The time has come to exercise that constitutional flexibility and choose a House speaker from outside the House.

Though this route might seem extreme or fanciful, it makes sense for the incoming 118th Congress. The severe partisan divisions within the next House of Representatives make it impossible to choose a member who could genuinely serve the general interest of the nation. The slim Republican majority has produced a caucus so fractious that dozens of its members opposed the election of Representative Kevin McCarthy as Republican leader in the House. At least five have pledged publicly to oppose his campaign for speakership.

Even if Mr. McCarthy can corral those opponents and muster the required majority in the full House to choose him as speaker — that vote is to take place on Tuesday — he will be captive to a G.O.P. fringe similar to the one that hampered the speakerships of Paul Ryan and John Boehner. Moreover, Mr. McCarthy’s animus and hostility to cooperating with Democrats doom the prospect of meaningful bipartisanship.

 

 

The incoming Democratic House minority of course lacks the votes to elect one of its own as speaker. The Democrats could, however, offer motions to open the possibility of selecting a speaker capable of working across the aisle. Nominating an experienced, respected Republican from outside the House could trigger a contested ballot leading to a speaker in the mold of the original constitutional conception.

There have been such contested elections, sometimes producing speakers with multiparty support. Most of those contests took place in the 19th century, with one of them running to 133 ballots. (A contest goes to multiple ballots if no one gets a majority the first time.) In the 20th century it took nine ballots to elect Frederick Gillett as speaker of the 68th Congress.

Several Republicans are already expecting multiple ballots for the upcoming vote, and Don Bacon of Nebraska has expressed readiness to work with Democrats to elect a more moderate speaker.

Casting a vote for someone outside the House to serve as speaker is not unprecedented. In recent decades, votes for speaker have gone to Colin Powell and Joe Biden.

One may ask why it is better to look outside the House rather than find a sitting Republican who would be a good alternative to Mr. McCarthy as speaker. In part, that’s because the most likely fallback for Republicans is Steve Scalise, who is, like Mr. McCarthy, a Trump loyalist who would be subject to the same pressures that would distort a McCarthy speakership. With the decimation of the moderate House Republicans — only two who favored impeaching Donald Trump are returning and most newcomers are captive to reactionary constituencies — there appears to be no moderate candidate who has the standing to vault into the role and lead effectively.

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The sad fact is that the Republican caucus is dominated by campaigns and commitments that gravely encumber efforts to define common ground in the political center. That judgment is fortified by recognition that years of rancorous cross-aisle politics have soured so many relationships that one cannot expect a truly fresh start from within the House itself.

For this to work, two things are essential:

First, House members must nominate a plausible candidate to whom disaffected moderates in the Republican caucus can rally and whom Democrats recognize as a promising partner in building cross-party coalitions.

Second, there must be a secret ballot for speaker that would free individual members — primarily Republicans, but also some Democrats — to vote for such a candidate without fearing reprisal in a future party primary.

Falling short of their own majority, Democrats still have the power to make both of those things happen. Their new leader, Hakeem Jeffries, faces the near certainty of a grim relationship if Mr. McCarthy becomes speaker. Mr. Jeffries could identify a proven leader whose candidacy would test how many Republican members are prepared to work toward meaningful coalition building. Doing so would fortify those Republicans who seek to move the party beyond the corrosive Trump era.

Such potential nominees do exist. The list includes John Kasich, a former House Budget Committee chairman who demonstrated a capacity to shape common ground in his service as governor of Ohio. The retiring congressman Fred Upton of Michigan enjoys respect in both parties, as does the departing governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan. Mr. Jeffries will surely identify other prospects for this unique chance to reinforce the American political center. The effort would also be likely to win favor from President Biden, who knows well the dire implications of ferocious Republican opposition during the balance of his term.

A secret ballot could provide a true measure of the individual preferences of members of both parties. A motion for such a ballot might come from a member of the Republican majority — that caucus chose its leader by secret vote — but it would be a more potent signal of serious purpose if offered by the Democrats.

If there were ever an opportunity for constructive innovation within the constitutional framework, election of the next House speaker presents it.

William S. Cohen, a former secretary of defense, served in both the House and the Senate as a Republican. Alton Frye, a former congressional staff director, is the presidential senior fellow emeritus at the Council on Foreign Relations.

[C-Man 27,779]

Scott Perry just flipped to McCarthy.

[Queen Bitch 1,692]

Make that 9

 

[PsychMike 1,553]

1 hour ago, Macanudo said:

The smoke will be brown and smell like shit.

Username checks out.

[Pig Bellmont 8,886]

Holy longcat that’s a dumb article 

[SquishMitten 10,497]

Well, that's 10 flips, which is what we heard was the deal. Let's see if there's anymore

[C-Man 27,779]

McCarthy is going to get this finally. He will be elected Cuckold of the House.

[Incredulity 11,876]

let the real fun begin.

 

Weekly no confidence votes?

Daily?

[Bozo_Casanova 26,851]

4 hours ago, Huckleberry said:

*Maths is. If you're going to feign worldliness to pretend to be wiser than everyone else please try a bit harder. Speaking of...

*harder

*messier

Good post, negged for rep cycle 

[Js1 87,184]

3 minutes ago, C-Man said:

McCarthy is going to get this finally. He will be elected Cuckold of the House.

O/U on first vote to oust him?

I say January 15.

[Gatorubet 30,720]

Nothing is worse for America’s health than that Republican congressman saying that the freedom caucus is going to have far more influence in legislation.

Two year shit show guaranteed.

[henrygandorf 29,225]

23 minutes ago, C-Man said:

What has he promised these fucks to get to this point?

worth posting again, because it's accurate.

[Beau Vine 55,867]

1 minute ago, Js1 said:

O/U on first vote to oust him?

What time is it?

[Beau Vine 55,867]

Scott Perry will be the new House Judiciary Chair?

[Js1 87,184]

1 minute ago, Beau Vine said:

Scott Perry will be the new House Judiciary Chair?

Gym would throw a huge bitch fit 

[Tuco 5,093]

I think the Democrats are probably doing the right thing here by just holding their ground and just letting this story be just about the Republicans.  

But, just to be an armchair qb for a moment, I would like to see them publicly state the following: "We will not support anyone for Speaker who has claimed the 2020 election was stolen.  That is not a policy difference.  That is an attack on our country.  We would consider supporting a Republican for Speaker if we can get an agreement that no election-deniers are appointed to chair committees."

That would do a few things: 1) Change the conversation from a vague "far right" issue to one that is centered on election denial.  2) Give an incentive to any non-denier Republican to play ball as they would suddenly get a much better chance of better positions.  You would only need six of them.  3) If successful, it would shove McCarthy and the MAGA nutballs completely out of the game. 

The reason why this is a bad idea is that it would give McCarthy and the MAGA nutballs a reason to unify. 

 

[Beau Vine 55,867]

Just now, Js1 said:

Gym would throw a huge bitch fit 

Maybe they could wrestle for it?

[Ghost of LL 15,698]

Gosar looks completely defeated.

[C-Man 27,779]

Just now, Ghost of LL said:

Gosar looks completely defeated.

He has some bizarre mannerisms. If there really are Lizard People, I'm reasonably certain he's one of them.

[South Austin 53,227]

11 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

What time is it?

It’s 12:27 and OU still sucks.

[Gatorubet 30,720]

And what have we learned today boys and girls? That the least qualified Republican nut jobs can successfully blackmail Republican House Leadership and largely get what they want.  Any McCarthy efforts to whip them into line in the future on critical votes will be met with, “Fuck you, pay me”!
That is the clear lesson - and it will be the roadmap on all future House votes going forward. 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,860]

Not having a voice is actually funny, these morons are showing their junk. 

[Queen Bitch 1,692]

Re: Gosar

 

[Gap03 3,386]

3 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

And what have we learned today boys and girls? That the least qualified Republican nut jobs can successfully, blackmail Republican House Leadership and largely get what they want.  Any McCarthy efforts to whip them into line in the future on critical votes will be met with, “Fuck you, pay me”!

That is the clear lesson - and it will be the roadmap on all future House votes going forward. 

Absolutely.  Like dealing with 15 Sinemas on crack.  Good luck with that.

[naija 3,064]

Explain to my basic brain, how is it a good thing if McCarthy gets elected Speaker with the Freedom Caucus pulling the strings?

[Bateshorn 9,991]

The “let’s make a deal” going on for these last 3 votes must be insane.

people getting the Johnson Treatment rn:

If I were McCarthy I’d send Graves or another member the Dems don’t hate over and see if they have a request to have a dozen members vote present that I could live with. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by Bateshorn

[Blotto 24,021]

2 minutes ago, naija said:

Explain to my basic brain, how is it a good thing if McCarthy gets elected Speaker with the Freedom Caucus pulling the strings?

There is no "good thing" possible on the GOP side of the aisle. McCarthy will be spreading his cheeks for the next two years. So will Scalise or anyone else. The number of crazy dumb motherfuckers in GQP means this bullshit will take place on a weekly basis. 

[pantone159 729]

3 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

If I were McCarthy I’d send Graves or another member the Dems don’t hate over and see if they have a request to have a dozen members vote present that I could live with. 

Any deal has to include that all the concessions to the nutbars are dropped. So basically McCarthy reneging on everything he has promised so far.

[Captainant 28,539]

5 minutes ago, naija said:

Explain to my basic brain, how is it a good thing if McCarthy gets elected Speaker with the Freedom Caucus pulling the strings?

It's not. They're negotiating with terrorists. 

[C-Man 27,779]

CNN said 14 GQP nut-jobs flipped to McCarthy but there are seven votes for Jordan/Hern. I thought there were 20 "Never Kevin" terrorists. How does that math shake out?

[Js1 87,184]

5 minutes ago, Captainant said:

It's not. They're negotiating with terrorists. 

And enough terrorists to trigger a speaker recall vote anytime they disagree with him.

The House floor at some point is going to look like

[Francisco 2.0 32,595]

Good article about a November post-election meeting on why these folks are as belligerent as they have been over a speaker's vote:

 

https://www.grid.news/story/politics/2023/01/06/the-democrats-the-republicans-and-the-freedom-caucus-inside-the-rights-plans-to-seize-power-in-the-new-congress/

 

Quote

A week after the midterm elections in November, a small group of far-right GOP lawmakers and activists gathered on K Street in Washington, D.C., to discuss strategies to use their narrow majority to extract power in the House. The next Congress, influential activist Ed Corrigan said, could be a “European-style coalition government” run by three groups: “The Democrats, the Republicans and the Freedom Caucus.”

The forum was convened by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and attended by several other lawmakers, including two others who helped block Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) this week from becoming House speaker: Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Victoria Spartz, R-Ind.

 

Quote

The strategy outlined by Corrigan went beyond just extracting concessions from House leaders — it amounted to a game plan for the House Freedom Caucus to operate as a third party in a de facto parliamentary system, essentially co-governing the chamber with mainstream Republicans. As lawmakers prepared for a seventh round of voting on Thursday, House Republicans appeared to be on the precipice of allowing that to happen.

“What would coalition government look like in practice?” Corrigan asked the group, which was filmed and livestreamed but has attracted little notice beyond conservative media. “I would recommend the Freedom Caucus would be granted a specific number of committee assignments, and committee and subcommittee chairmanships,” as well as a variety of other new powers, including putting a Freedom Caucus member as chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee.

 

Quote

This week, McCarthy has reportedly been conceding to a litany of demands from the Freedom Caucus — including the possibility of placing members of the caucus as chairs of committees and adding members to the House Rules Committee, a move that would help Freedom Caucus members steer how many and which amendments are offered for bills on the House floor, a crucial function.

Addressing the lawmakers at the November forum was a four-person panel including former Republican Study Committee director Paul Teller and three leaders of the influential far-right nonprofit Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI): Corrigan, president of CPI and a former member of Donald Trump’s transition team; CPI senior partner Mark Meadows, a former lawmaker who in 2015 filed the “motion to vacate” that led to John Boehner’s removal as speaker of the House; and CPI senior policy director Rachel Bovard, a former longtime Capitol Hill aide.

 

Spoiler

The episode suggests that the endgame for the approximately 20 hard-right House members who have voted against McCarthy for speaker of the House is more ambitious than merely boosting representation in the House for Freedom Caucus members — it is about securing the Freedom Caucus a say in all decision-making made by the new Republican majority.

Rather than extracting concessions from McCarthy, the actions this week by the small group of breakaway Republicans appear to be following Corrigan’s game plan to essentially co-govern the lower chamber of the legislative branch.

Tuesday marked the first time in more than 100 years that the House failed to elect a speaker on the first ballot. Because the House cannot function without a speaker in place, its business has essentially been ground to a halt: preventing the swearing-in of members-elect, stalling congressional oversight efforts, scuttling classified intelligence briefings and barring the consideration of legislation.

After the midterms, Corrigan advised the lawmakers to leverage House Republicans’ narrower-than-expected majority as a negotiating tool.

The House Freedom Caucus, Corrigan said at the Nov. 14, 2022, meeting, “has extraordinary power to negotiate a leadership arrangement” and urged them to try to extract a litany of concessions from McCarthy, some of which had been floated previously by Freedom Caucus members as they prepared for Republicans to retake the House. Freedom Caucus members should “negotiate directly with the speaker for committee positions for Freedom Caucus members,” as well as “a specific number of committee assignments and full committee and subcommittee chairmanships,” he said.

Corrigan suggested the Freedom Caucus ask for changes to the “motion to vacate” rule, which allows members to call a vote over the speakership. As of Thursday, McCarthy appeared prepared to restore the motion to vacate in accordance with conservatives’ demands.

Corrigan also made a case that the Freedom Caucus should negotiate for the chairmanship of the powerful House Rules Committee, “or at least three of the four members.”

The House Rules Committee determines how many amendments and which amendments are offered on the House floor, granting its members extraordinary power to guide the business of Congress. The rules committee is usually made up of tenured lawmakers and allies of the speaker.

In recent days, McCarthy has acquiesced to a number of the Freedom Caucus’ demands — and he may be prepared to go even further as he tries to win the speaker’s gavel. According to reporting from Politico, he has agreed to concessions that include placing more Freedom Caucus members on the House Rules Committee. Freedom Caucus members continue to push for seats on powerful committee and subcommittee chairmanships, which would further help them guide the direction of the next Congress.

At one point, Meadows suggested what he admitted was a “radical idea”: Lawmakers should “quit appropriating for things that are not authorized,” meaning that any government program that had not been reauthorized by Congress on time shouldn’t get funding until Congress reapproves it. Meadows cited the State Department as an example: Congress has not updated the laws governing the department since 2002.

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), a former chairman of the Rules Committee who has voted for McCarthy in the fight over House speaker, was also among the lawmakers in attendance. He seemed to suggest at one point that some ideas being floated during the meeting would make it harder for the Republican majority to function.

“In going through this process, we need to make sure the stability of the majority is still there, while somehow holding the leadership accountable,” Sessions said.

In practice, however, “it would be implausible” for the House Freedom Caucus to control the House through its Rules Committee, said Tim LaPira, professor of political science at James Madison University. The Rules Committee represents one small minority faction within the Republican Party, and enactment of rules requires a majority vote in the House. Any other small group of Republicans could join with Democrats to defeat a hypothetical Freedom Caucus-led rules package.

The breakaway Republicans are not likely to be successful in achieving co-governing status with mainstream Republicans, LaPira told Grid. “They have succeeded in showing everybody that they are not willing to govern responsibly,” he said.

The House Freedom Caucus — an influential, invitation-only group of about three dozen of the most right-leaning members of the House, which does not make its member list public — has close ties to CPI.

The two fundraising arms of the Freedom Caucus — House Freedom Fund and House Freedom Action — are based out of the CPI office, making monthly office rent payments totaling $8,000 to an LLC tied to the institute, according to Federal Election Commission data, and the Freedom Caucus holds its weekly meetings at CPI’s Capitol Hill headquarters.

Members who have voted against McCarthy this week are almost all Freedom Caucus members or were endorsed by the Freedom Caucus’ campaign arm, and many have close ties to CPI. The breakaway group’s choice for speaker on Wednesday, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., appeared last year in a testimonial video for CPI along with Gaetz and Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, each of whom have supported Donalds’ bid for speaker.

Other members who voted against McCarthy this week include Reps. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., who have paid membership dues to CPI, according to FEC records.

The episode also highlights the tensions brewing within the Republican Party.

During the run-up to his bid for speaker, McCarthy forged relationships with some far-right lawmakers, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who has been supporting McCarthy’s speakership bid. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the former chair of the House Freedom Caucus, has continued to vote for McCarthy even though he was the breakaway group’s nominee for the speakership during the second and third ballots on Wednesday.

“We are on day 2 and the same Never Kevin group is now on their 3rd Speaker candidate,” Greene posted Wednesday on the social media platform Truth Social. “People are truly beginning to realize they have no plan, and they are sick and tired of ‘trust the plan’ that’s a complete secret and never produces results.”

Trump has endorsed McCarthy’s bid for speaker, yet his political action committee donated $1 million last year to CPI, and the nonprofit is led in part by Meadows, his former chief of staff.

On Wednesday, another CPI leader — its chairman, Jim DeMint — signed on to a statement with other conservative leaders formally calling on the House to pick a speaker other than McCarthy.

CPI did not immediately return a request for comment.

 

[Gatorubet 30,720]

Hello darkness, my old friend……

[WhatTheBuck 28,930]

1 hour ago, Tuco said:

McCarthy has offered to place his hand in Gaetz's mouth as a guarantee.

Hand? His whole head would fit in there. 

[MC Fresh Breath 4,075]

17 hours ago, Gatorubet said:

Moving this shit show to 6 January is like a chefs kiss. This collection of loathsome traitors will have to eat every reference to the January 6 insurrection that undoubtedly will mentioned.  I hope we have a moment of silence for the officers who died or committed suicide afterwards. 

There will be no apologies or accountability or moments of silence.  As many already stated, they should have automatically lost office the day they voted against certification.  But yeah, if it gets done on the anniversary of the insurrection attempt it would certainly seem appropriate.

[C-Man 27,779]

4 minutes ago, Js1 said:

And enough terrorists to trigger a speaker recall vote anytime they disagree with him.

The House floor at some point is going to look like

[Beau Vine 55,867]

It's over.  At least 4 more will flip on the next vote -- these people are children, and children do not enjoy standing by themselves.  

[Aqua Buddha 14,806]

7 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Good article about a November post-election meeting on why these folks are as belligerent as they have been over a speaker's vote:

 

https://www.grid.news/story/politics/2023/01/06/the-democrats-the-republicans-and-the-freedom-caucus-inside-the-rights-plans-to-seize-power-in-the-new-congress/

 

 

 

 

  Hide contents

The episode suggests that the endgame for the approximately 20 hard-right House members who have voted against McCarthy for speaker of the House is more ambitious than merely boosting representation in the House for Freedom Caucus members — it is about securing the Freedom Caucus a say in all decision-making made by the new Republican majority.

Rather than extracting concessions from McCarthy, the actions this week by the small group of breakaway Republicans appear to be following Corrigan’s game plan to essentially co-govern the lower chamber of the legislative branch.

Tuesday marked the first time in more than 100 years that the House failed to elect a speaker on the first ballot. Because the House cannot function without a speaker in place, its business has essentially been ground to a halt: preventing the swearing-in of members-elect, stalling congressional oversight efforts, scuttling classified intelligence briefings and barring the consideration of legislation.

After the midterms, Corrigan advised the lawmakers to leverage House Republicans’ narrower-than-expected majority as a negotiating tool.

The House Freedom Caucus, Corrigan said at the Nov. 14, 2022, meeting, “has extraordinary power to negotiate a leadership arrangement” and urged them to try to extract a litany of concessions from McCarthy, some of which had been floated previously by Freedom Caucus members as they prepared for Republicans to retake the House. Freedom Caucus members should “negotiate directly with the speaker for committee positions for Freedom Caucus members,” as well as “a specific number of committee assignments and full committee and subcommittee chairmanships,” he said.

Corrigan suggested the Freedom Caucus ask for changes to the “motion to vacate” rule, which allows members to call a vote over the speakership. As of Thursday, McCarthy appeared prepared to restore the motion to vacate in accordance with conservatives’ demands.

Corrigan also made a case that the Freedom Caucus should negotiate for the chairmanship of the powerful House Rules Committee, “or at least three of the four members.”

The House Rules Committee determines how many amendments and which amendments are offered on the House floor, granting its members extraordinary power to guide the business of Congress. The rules committee is usually made up of tenured lawmakers and allies of the speaker.

In recent days, McCarthy has acquiesced to a number of the Freedom Caucus’ demands — and he may be prepared to go even further as he tries to win the speaker’s gavel. According to reporting from Politico, he has agreed to concessions that include placing more Freedom Caucus members on the House Rules Committee. Freedom Caucus members continue to push for seats on powerful committee and subcommittee chairmanships, which would further help them guide the direction of the next Congress.

At one point, Meadows suggested what he admitted was a “radical idea”: Lawmakers should “quit appropriating for things that are not authorized,” meaning that any government program that had not been reauthorized by Congress on time shouldn’t get funding until Congress reapproves it. Meadows cited the State Department as an example: Congress has not updated the laws governing the department since 2002.

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), a former chairman of the Rules Committee who has voted for McCarthy in the fight over House speaker, was also among the lawmakers in attendance. He seemed to suggest at one point that some ideas being floated during the meeting would make it harder for the Republican majority to function.

“In going through this process, we need to make sure the stability of the majority is still there, while somehow holding the leadership accountable,” Sessions said.

In practice, however, “it would be implausible” for the House Freedom Caucus to control the House through its Rules Committee, said Tim LaPira, professor of political science at James Madison University. The Rules Committee represents one small minority faction within the Republican Party, and enactment of rules requires a majority vote in the House. Any other small group of Republicans could join with Democrats to defeat a hypothetical Freedom Caucus-led rules package.

The breakaway Republicans are not likely to be successful in achieving co-governing status with mainstream Republicans, LaPira told Grid. “They have succeeded in showing everybody that they are not willing to govern responsibly,” he said.

The House Freedom Caucus — an influential, invitation-only group of about three dozen of the most right-leaning members of the House, which does not make its member list public — has close ties to CPI.

The two fundraising arms of the Freedom Caucus — House Freedom Fund and House Freedom Action — are based out of the CPI office, making monthly office rent payments totaling $8,000 to an LLC tied to the institute, according to Federal Election Commission data, and the Freedom Caucus holds its weekly meetings at CPI’s Capitol Hill headquarters.

Members who have voted against McCarthy this week are almost all Freedom Caucus members or were endorsed by the Freedom Caucus’ campaign arm, and many have close ties to CPI. The breakaway group’s choice for speaker on Wednesday, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., appeared last year in a testimonial video for CPI along with Gaetz and Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, each of whom have supported Donalds’ bid for speaker.

Other members who voted against McCarthy this week include Reps. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., who have paid membership dues to CPI, according to FEC records.

The episode also highlights the tensions brewing within the Republican Party.

During the run-up to his bid for speaker, McCarthy forged relationships with some far-right lawmakers, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who has been supporting McCarthy’s speakership bid. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the former chair of the House Freedom Caucus, has continued to vote for McCarthy even though he was the breakaway group’s nominee for the speakership during the second and third ballots on Wednesday.

“We are on day 2 and the same Never Kevin group is now on their 3rd Speaker candidate,” Greene posted Wednesday on the social media platform Truth Social. “People are truly beginning to realize they have no plan, and they are sick and tired of ‘trust the plan’ that’s a complete secret and never produces results.”

Trump has endorsed McCarthy’s bid for speaker, yet his political action committee donated $1 million last year to CPI, and the nonprofit is led in part by Meadows, his former chief of staff.

On Wednesday, another CPI leader — its chairman, Jim DeMint — signed on to a statement with other conservative leaders formally calling on the House to pick a speaker other than McCarthy.

CPI did not immediately return a request for comment.

 

If they want to be a third party then be a third party and understand that you have 20 votes and the other two each have over 200.  They're wanting to be on equal footing which is nonsense.

[GenXer 3,437]

[Fastbreak 4,049]

If they want to be a third party then be a third party and understand that you have 20 votes and the other two each have over 200.  They're wanting to be on equal footing which is nonsense.

I remember when Bismarck conceded to minority party in 1933. That was a fun time.

[Celery Man 21,098]

26 minutes ago, Queen Bitch said:

Re: Gosar

 

[tokamak 6,687]

31 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

And what have we learned today boys and girls? That the least qualified Republican nut jobs can successfully blackmail Republican House Leadership and largely get what they want.  Any McCarthy efforts to whip them into line in the future on critical votes will be met with, “Fuck you, pay me”!
That is the clear lesson - and it will be the roadmap on all future House votes going forward. 

It's a direct result of the fact that there are no more moderate Republicans anymore. If it were a serious political party, McCarthy giving literally everything up to the crazies would turn off some moderates. But there aren't any left that aren't on board with, say, endless pointless investigations of Hunter Biden's laptop.

[Valmy77 13,626]

2 minutes ago, Fastbreak said:

I remember when Bismarck conceded to minority party in 1933. That was a fun time.

Hindenburg. Bismarck died in 1898.

[Valmy77 13,626]

9 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

It's over.  At least 4 more will flip on the next vote -- these people are children, and children do not enjoy standing by themselves.  

We'll see.

[WhatTheBuck 28,930]

47 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Gym would throw a huge bitch fit 

That goes without saying, regardless.

[tokamak 6,687]

20 minutes ago, C-Man said:

CNN said 14 GQP nut-jobs flipped to McCarthy but there are seven votes for Jordan/Hern. I thought there were 20 "Never Kevin" terrorists. How does that math shake out?

Victoria Spartz of Indiana has been voting "Present" because she's super-duper principled, or something. She flipped to McCarthy.

[Homercles 10,206]

2 hours ago, Bama Chick said:

You heard right.

I hate lamp