McCarthy Out As Speaker

[silverscreenselect]

When you screw over both Democrats and Republicans, you run out of friends. Eight hardline Republicans voted against him as did every Democrat.

He says he won't run again, so they'll start next week from scratch. Unlike in January, the House can still proceed for now with Patrick McHenry of Virginia serving as interim speaker.

[Pastor Fireball]

The Daily Show's Twitter/X feed said it best: It was refreshing to see Matt Gaetz f**k someone over the age of 18.

[silverscreenselect]

It didn't take long for Republicans to take out their frustrations on the Democrats. The first thing Acting Speaker McHenry did today was to order Nancy Pelosi to vacate her offices by tomorrow. (By tradition, departing speakers get larger offices when control of the House changes hands.) Unfortunately, Pelosi couldn't take care of this if she wanted to since she's in California attending Diane Feinstein's funeral. Fortunately, some of Minority Leader Jeffries' staff packed up Pelosi's belongings in her absence.

This is is typical spiteful childishness that's par for the course for Republicans nowadays. Stunts like this and endless fruitless committee hearings are what passes for "governance" in the Republican Congress, and that won't change no matter who becomes the next Speaker.

[Ritterskoop]

I was startled yesterday when the vote went down. I really thought there was a chance the Democrats would vote Present, and make it like 8-208, or whatever. But McCarthy burned all his bridges with them, too, so they were like whatever.

I know he'd wanted that job all his life, but it seems like he had to sell whatever was left of his soul to get it, and keep it, so it should be a relief for him, to be done with it.

I would wager on Steve Scalise next, if I were putting down money.

[Weyoun]

Right now this country is in line to let pedophile-adjacent Jim Jordan become Speaker, after pedophile Matt Gaetz toppled non-pedophile Kevin McCarthy.

But Jeffrey Epstein was the problem!

Go see Sound of Freedom!

[Bob78164]

I was startled yesterday when the vote went down. I really thought there was a chance the Democrats would vote Present, and make it like 8-208, or whatever. But McCarthy burned all his bridges with them, too, so they were like whatever.

I know he'd wanted that job all his life, but it seems like he had to sell whatever was left of his soul to get it, and keep it, so it should be a relief for him, to be done with it.

I would wager on Steve Scalise next, if I were putting down money.

For me, it was pretty simple. In politics, your word needs to be your bond. Kevin McCarthy gave his word when he reached a spending agreement in connection with the debt ceiling, and then he broke it. He had to go.

And that's leaving aside his utterly asinine remarks on national television blaming Democrats for the near-shutdown. --Bob

[silverscreenselect]

I was startled yesterday when the vote went down. I really thought there was a chance the Democrats would vote Present, and make it like 8-208, or whatever. But McCarthy burned all his bridges with them, too, so they were like whatever.

I know he'd wanted that job all his life, but it seems like he had to sell whatever was left of his soul to get it, and keep it, so it should be a relief for him, to be done with it.

I would wager on Steve Scalise next, if I were putting down money.

For me, it was pretty simple. In politics, your word needs to be your bond. Kevin McCarthy gave his word when he reached a spending agreement in connection with the debt ceiling, and then he broke it. He had to go.

And that's leaving aside his utterly asinine remarks on national television blaming Democrats for the near-shutdown. --Bob

What this vote showed me was how unified the Democratic party is as a near-majority. It would have been very easy for a few Representatives in more conservative-leaning districts like Mary Peltola and Jared Golden to vote for McCarthy and by my count it would have only required four of them to change their votes to keep him around. Hakeem Jeffries has shown he can deliver the Democratic caucus on key votes, just as Nancy Pelosi did. None of the current Republicans have that ability with their party.

It wouldn't surprise me that if this Scalise/Jordan fight gets ugly, some moderate Republicans might reach out to Jeffries about a possible deal.

[Bob78164]

I was startled yesterday when the vote went down. I really thought there was a chance the Democrats would vote Present, and make it like 8-208, or whatever. But McCarthy burned all his bridges with them, too, so they were like whatever.

I know he'd wanted that job all his life, but it seems like he had to sell whatever was left of his soul to get it, and keep it, so it should be a relief for him, to be done with it.

I would wager on Steve Scalise next, if I were putting down money.

For me, it was pretty simple. In politics, your word needs to be your bond. Kevin McCarthy gave his word when he reached a spending agreement in connection with the debt ceiling, and then he broke it. He had to go.

And that's leaving aside his utterly asinine remarks on national television blaming Democrats for the near-shutdown. --Bob

What this vote showed me was how unified the Democratic party is as a near-majority. It would have been very easy for a few Representatives in more conservative-leaning districts like Mary Peltola and Jared Golden to vote for McCarthy and by my count it would have only required four of them to change their votes to keep him around. Hakeem Jeffries has shown he can deliver the Democratic caucus on key votes, just as Nancy Pelosi did. None of the current Republicans have that ability with their party.

It wouldn't surprise me that if this Scalise/Jordan fight gets ugly, some moderate Republicans might reach out to Jeffries about a possible deal.

I doubt it. They'd get primaried (even the Republicans in swing districts) and they all seem to care more about staying in office than about doing right by the country. There may be one or two remaining exceptions, but most have already been purged. --Bob

[Ritterskoop]

For the record, Patrick McHenry (the temp guy) is from North Carolina, specifically, from Gastonia, NC, indeed the land of WGAS in Gastonia. He's in the district just west of mine, at least until they redraw them again some way.

[tlynn78]

I was startled yesterday when the vote went down. I really thought there was a chance the Democrats would vote Present, and make it like 8-208, or whatever. But McCarthy burned all his bridges with them, too, so they were like whatever.

I know he'd wanted that job all his life, but it seems like he had to sell whatever was left of his soul to get it, and keep it, so it should be a relief for him, to be done with it.

I would wager on Steve Scalise next, if I were putting down money.

For me, it was pretty simple. In politics, your word needs to be your bond. Kevin McCarthy gave his word when he reached a spending agreement in connection with the debt ceiling, and then he broke it. He had to go.

And that's leaving aside his utterly asinine remarks on national television blaming Democrats for the near-shutdown. --Bob

What this vote showed me was how unified the Democratic party is as a near-majority. It would have been very easy for a few Representatives in more conservative-leaning districts like Mary Peltola and Jared Golden to vote for McCarthy and by my count it would have only required four of them to change their votes to keep him around. Hakeem Jeffries has shown he can deliver the Democratic caucus on key votes, just as Nancy Pelosi did. None of the current Republicans have that ability with their party.

It wouldn't surprise me that if this Scalise/Jordan fight gets ugly, some moderate Republicans might reach out to Jeffries about a possible deal.

Ooh, wrong again.

[silverscreenselect]

Ooh, wrong again.

The situation in Israel had a lot more to do with burying the hatchet than any sudden sense of kumbayah among the Republicans. Hopefully Tommy Tuberville will also get the message and allow the fleet in the Mediterranean to be at full strength.

[Bob78164]

The sad thing is that the guy who described himself as "David Duke without the baggage" was probably the better choice. (In this case, the phrase "the lesser of two evils" truly is apt.) The other guy actively cooperated with and encouraged Donny's insurrection, and then refused to cooperate with efforts to get the truth out. --Bob

[silverscreenselect]

For me, it was pretty simple. In politics, your word needs to be your bond. Kevin McCarthy gave his word when he reached a spending agreement in connection with the debt ceiling, and then he broke it. He had to go.

And that's leaving aside his utterly asinine remarks on national television blaming Democrats for the near-shutdown. --Bob

What this vote showed me was how unified the Democratic party is as a near-majority. It would have been very easy for a few Representatives in more conservative-leaning districts like Mary Peltola and Jared Golden to vote for McCarthy and by my count it would have only required four of them to change their votes to keep him around. Hakeem Jeffries has shown he can deliver the Democratic caucus on key votes, just as Nancy Pelosi did. None of the current Republicans have that ability with their party.

It wouldn't surprise me that if this Scalise/Jordan fight gets ugly, some moderate Republicans might reach out to Jeffries about a possible deal.

Ooh, wrong again.

Maybe yes, maybe no. Apparently, Scalise doesn't have all the votes locked down since they cancelled the vote of the entire House scheduled for today.

[silverscreenselect]

Looks like Steve Scalise won't be speaker either.

The Republicans remind me of the lyrics from Proud Mary: "You see, we never ever do nothing nice and easy. We always do it nice and rough."

[Pastor Fireball]

Looks like Steve Scalise won't be speaker either.

Apparently, the shouty jacketless pervo-protector is the only one who wants to be Matt Gaetz's next bottom-bitch... and he may not get the 217 votes, either. One has to be a special kid of atrocious to lose a one-man race, and Gym Jordan definitely fills that bill.