U.S. Politics January 2023: Kevin McCarthy's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Life

trump or bust am i too late

Xxpost that's if people fail to show for roll call and vote. Majority needed regardless

I nominate my good self.

do we have to have a speaker of the house? what if no one ever wins this vote?

House is over

McCarthy claims Matt Gaetz told him he wouldn't care if speaker stalemate ends with Democrat leading the House

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDWIGkv5bJk

What exactly is their beef w McCarthy? He’s not Trumpy enough?

he's not really one of them, not a made guy (seriously, like George H.W. Bush)

Could start going another way when he thinks he can, is what they think, I think.

So how long can Jordan afford to stay with him?

Did y'all read last week's New Yorker profile. Guy's a soulless glad-handler. He's not vicious enough.

"your moments of clarity disqualify you sirya fucking douche!"

if this doesn't end in a kanye nomination, all politicians should be legally declared cowards.

Guy's a soulless glad-handler. He's not vicious enough. Yeah, like Poppy Bush to them. Also, he yelled at Trump about Jan. 6. (before going down there and trying to make nice, but there's the shit you can't take back)

(Even though he became "My Kevin.")

He's not vicious enough.

considering his caucus, this is a surefire recipe for failure

Democrats already sending out emails trying to fundraise off of the "utter chaos on the House floor."

Did y'all read last week's New Yorker profile.

Maybe for $5 a word, paid in advance. Otherwise, fuck no.

Such loyalty

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump declined to say if he's sticking by his endorsement of Kevin McCarthy for speaker tonight, telling me in a brief phone interview he's had calls all day asking for support, and "We'll see what happens. We'll see how it all works out."

— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) January 3, 2023

If you get on board the Trump Train, you will, at some point, be thrown off.

Democrats already sending out emails trying to fundraise off of the "utter chaos on the House floor."

They adjourned so they can't even say my $10 would go toward catering their dinners.

I have received four emails from Hakeem Jeffries in the last 30 minutes.

Lol I was gonna say "not me", and then lo and behold

Minnesota politics continue being endearingly unique ... first trans lawmaker sworn in by governor juggling a tin of bars in his other hand:

Leigh Finke ( @leighfinke ) first #transgender person elected to the state's legislature, attends the first day of the 2023 legislative session in Minn. @MPRnews pic.twitter.com/63XOjn5n5j

— Kerem Yücel (@keremyucel) January 3, 2023

Re: the Speaker race... I see no indication that tomorrow won't be a replay of today. This is viewed by the trumplings as a personal branding exercise, rather than coherent legislation

The only thing I remember from the New Yorker profile is that a young Kevin McCarthy ran a deli out of his aunt and uncle's yogurt shop.

https://www.republicanleader.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/kevin-o-deli-2.png

Santos trying to leave the Capitol tonight, still not answering any questions pic.twitter.com/L4OcDZEF4m

— Caitlin Huey-Burns (@CHueyBurns) January 4, 2023

Like Sinema - just utter contempt for any non-donors

I think at this point he has no friends at all. He lives in an era when he’s expected to carry on even though everyone knows he’s a fraud. In the past it would have been rough but he would’ve been forced down by now, out of...what was it? Shame? I forget how it used to work.

Santos/Sinema '24

Republicans need to settle this, they are rapidly running out of time for the Hunter Biden trials

"I didn't mean that holocaust, I said hellacaust!"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/01/03/george-santos-first-day-in-congress/

I feel like this conversation is happening somewhere in DC this evening:
Santos: I can't do this! I can't take 2 years of this!
Shadowy figure: We're paying you to do this, so you're going to fucking do it. You know what happens if you don't.

...or I've been watching too much tv.

nah that sounds about right

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/01/03/heres-all-the-legal-trouble-george-santos-faces-as-he-joins-congress/?sh=2cb8ba3a6ac1

Of course they really neeeed him in the House, so---?

the GOP works in deleterious ways

As much as I have worried about a slide into some form of authoritarianism — and still do — I have always allowed the caveat that these guys are incredibly dumb and capable of fucking up just about anything.

my proposal: Santos for speaker

the Santos hilarity is played out at this point

Not generally much of a fan of humor-based political stunts on the House floor, but honestly, Democratic MOCs arriving with vats of popcorn is a solid bit.

— mstdn.social/@emilylhauser Emily L Hauser אלה אסתר (@emilylhauser) January 3, 2023

I'm not so much amused as amazed at Santos: just how far does his fraud go, and how much does it matter, legally and politically? Too soon to know, esp. if somebody gets him some really ace legal advice: either cop to a plea and get it over with as quickly as possible, or maybe brazen/ draw it out as long as possible and sink back into the news cycle---either way, while in or out of office---I suspect further revelations will be upstaged by factions of House members, and what they get whichever Speaker to do.

I'm also surprised that nobody checked his claims, incl his basic bio ffs, until he was about to take office. Apparently if McCarthy was already in and doing business, Santos would be too.

not quite true

A tiny paper broke the George Santos scandal, but no one paid attention

popcorn buckets is a played out bit

why check his claims when McCarthy has his vote?

George Santos told his first lie of the New Year, falsely claiming to have been sworn in as a Congressman by the Speaker of the House on January 3rd.

The House has no Speaker, and no Congressman has been sworn in. pic.twitter.com/dGY0iV4osi

— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) January 4, 2023

I'd be fair on this one and say his staff likely set an e-blast to go out days ago. But it's still funny

GOOD MORNING