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

Mr. Gracia, who emigrated from the Dominican Republic as a young man and is now 57, described himself as “old-fashioned” in his ideas about leadership, spending time reading about emperors and famous generals. That informed his views of Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Trump, he said.

“I have always been a great admirer of guts and being aggressive, and they both have this behavior of a true leader,” he said, musing aloud whether the two Republican rivals could run on a joint ticket. “I see in both of these men a drive and a strain that is extremely needed in the kind of world we live in today.”

GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told his conference he has given his all ahead of the crucial speaker vote. In a closed-door session, McCarthy made clear that there is no more to negotiate, according to people in the room. One person emphasized just how strongly McCarthy came out against detractors, scorning them for moving the goal posts again. As he was wrapping up, a lawmaker shouted, “Preach it, baby!” Members applauded and gave him a standing ovation. A defiant McCarthy yelled into the microphone, “I’ve earned this job,” and added an expletive.

just report the fucking expletive

Can't wait till Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has to meet with Biden and Speaker Jeffries next week.

“I’ve earned this job,” and added an expletive.

"fuckbois."

all of their worst members are expressing outrage this morning, I won't link because they are obnoxious af, but it is amusing to see them tear each other apart.

yeah it's looking like jeffries might have the most votes at the end of round 1, lol.

to counterbalance all this, i'm reminding myself that almost no one in this country is paying attention or will care, even if a series of really hilarious and humiliating events occur for mccarthy. but i'm warmed by the thought that it is going to be almost impossible for a GOP-led house to get anything done at all. i assume they'll unite on hunter biden and things of that nature, but otherwise you couldn't count on them to organize a barn wedding at this point

if only 8 GOP members could be convinced to vote for jeffries, "as a goof"

from yesterday:

This is very interesting. DON BACON tells us if McCarthy ends up bowing out, he may run a candidate against SCALISE if he runs. He said the candidate he has in mind is currently serving in congress, but won’t be in the next congress.

He declined to say whether it was fred upton

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 2, 2023

going to be totally unsurprised when the "nothing's changed, I will not vote for him" crowd eventually votes for him and he agrees to do things behind closed doors and pretends publicly that they caved.

I frankly can't predict what will happen. These ghouls are so adamant about strategy being a symptom of selling out that I can't see them bowing.

Congress will kickoff in March

Andy Biggs still saying he doesn't have the votes, before launching into a stirring rendition of "Dadow Shancing"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az5dzXRRh4E

Elise Stefanik manages to be in the background of so many of these pictures. She's someone who will say or do anything to advance her own career.

Lots of "bend the knee" talk

These people wanna be on TV and publish ghost-written books.

Aguilar deploying Biggie quotes in nominating speech

Gosar nominating Andy Biggs

What a fucking shitshow. They seem bound and determined to find the lowest common denominator.

Good title, A+

About to go to the House Floor. pic.twitter.com/81QVxmbHBb

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 3, 2023

Already up to 4 non-McCarthy votes from Republicans

this thing where he has like 10 people who won't vote for him, and his trick to get them to vote for him was to tell them that 5 members can initiate a vote of no confidence if he wins. doesn't seem like a good trick!

You know what I think of Beschloss but you must admit this is rather good. https://t.co/bgBetTTIeF

— Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) January 3, 2023

Catie Edmondson
Jan. 3, 2023, 12:56 p.m. ET7 minutes ago
7 minutes ago
Catie Edmondson

Some light guffawing from Democrats as two Republicans vote against McCarthy before the House clerk even gets to the “C” surnames.

now there are 7 votes-- so McCarthy can only lose 3 more?

“I earned this job,” Mr. McCarthy said.

“Bullshit!” came the response from Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, one of the hard-right Republicans opposing him. (She later told a reporter she did not shout anything during the meeting, but would not say whether she had spoken up.)

Gaetz votes for Biggs.

Gosar -- Biggs

10 votes now.

“But since moving to Florida in 2019 and starting a new congregation that meets in a former nightclub in downtown Miami, he rarely hesitates to speak about political issues.”

We should really spend some time thinking about this sentence

So Jeffries is going to end up with the most votes--which means a bunch of Resistance Libs will be temporarily very excited

McCarthy down 12.

lol so what happens now?

12 noon sharp and Republicans just had the metal detectors removed from the House floor #118thCongress pic.twitter.com/IRi8Q7LWJl

— Sarah Groh (@sarahgroh) January 3, 2023

xp - feverish manuevering

Plenty of time to make McCarthy sweat before the gavel falls

13 against McCarthy

Which is to say, it seems there's an opening for people to change their protest votes before all's said and done?

If concessions are being handed out for votes, why not get in line for the goodies?

Should start a betting pool on which GOP numbnuts will be the first to have a gun slip out of their pocket or purse and discharge on the House floor.

Which is to say, it seems there's an opening for people to change their protest votes before all's said and done?

― عباس کیارستمی (Eric H.), Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Now that the floodgates have opened this looks less likely. The opposition will grow.

My guess is we endure several speakers before the 2024 election. Maybe one of them will be Speaker Jeffries.

Down 16 now.

McCarthy tries to convince all but 9 of the reps who voted for others to switch? Someone more palatable to both sides is nominated?

Here's why it's bad for McCarthy:

Ralph Norman votes for Andy Biggs. Norman had said he would vote against McCarthy on the first ballot.

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 3, 2023

I see. Jim Jordan could ask the people who voted for him to throw their votes to McCarthy, but Biggs now has enough votes to keep McCarthy and Jeffries at a tie.

So the ultimate outcome is that we get House Speaker Scalise, leaving most everyone wishing it had been McCarthy?

Since they removed the metal detectors, we can only hope that means that this will end in a protracted gun battle.

Scalise has the experience then

lol you beat me to it

plus what he's doing at New College of Florida has nothing to do w/ said act

Florida’s Soviet Commissars

https://media.tenor.com/ufd9dOqNr4UAAAAM/peepshow-jerking.gif

don't turn around

really expecting that unless we miraculously finally get a Democratic governor in office (for the first time since I was a fucking teenager) in this state, no matter what laws are struck down by a court, we'll basically see the predictable flight of quality professors leaving for other universities, as well as diversity shrinking significantly at all Florida colleges.

at this point would see the only chance of that happening is a George Santos-esque left wing character who runs as a Republican and then reveals he was kidding after he gets elected.

i just remembered that ben sasse resigned so that he could have the honor of being a figurehead in this movement. fucking horrible person

Who knows. None of these guys wear masks and the woke mind virus is spreading fast.

the term "woke", like "fake news", has been so thoroughly subverted by conservatives that i don't even know what "the woke mind virus is spreading fast" means anymore, tbh

but the stuff in FL is spreading

NEW: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves urged lawmakers to pass a "Parents Bill of Rights," allowing parents to inspect and opt their children out of education materials in school.

The @ParentsCampaign calls it "anti-teacher." From @KayodeCrown: https://t.co/7vTfi4AeOQ

— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) January 31, 2023

If you don't know what the WMV is then you probably already have it.

Mississippi also banned teaching one of the bedrocks of higher-tier Algebra, invisible numbers, quite a few decades ago. They’ve always been dead last in nationwide educational outcomes for a reason, but the state next to them which is shaped like a urinal is plummeting, too

I have no fucking doubt that DeSantis will become POTUS in 2024, especially if Biden dies/steps down and Harris won’t move aside

I have a lot of doubts he'll become president – and I live in Florida.

yeah, his appeal is, uh, 'limited'

I really think this book-banning stuff doesn't go over well. It doesn't make people feel good, appeals to a fairly small group. All of the anti-woke stuff I think they're just way overplaying. Lots of people do not give much of a shit about it.

yeah this culture war shit won't get him very far on the national stage. really his anti-education agenda is just an admission that Republicans want their constituents to be stupid and hateful

will enough people see it that way?

Yeah a lot of people are normal

The Democrats, as I've learned, no longer need the state with the prettiest name.

If DeSantis really understands the prototype established by Trump, once he enters the primaries he'll expand his crazy shit to include more than just pandering to dominionists and neo-fascists, and start promising a return to some pre-civil rights era White Person Eden, including fabulous health care for Good People Like You, high-paying jobs, and show trials for the Democrat Commies held at NASCAR rallies.

Mississippi also banned teaching one of the bedrocks of higher-tier Algebra, invisible numbers, quite a few decades ago.

wait what?

do you mean imaginary numbers? numbers that are not easily understood, like infinitesimals, zero, and imaginary numbers have a long history of being banned by various authorities, like the catholic church. zeno's paradox is ungodly!

Believe they are based on square roots, as in rootless cosmopolitans, so yeah.

i just remembered that ben sasse resigned so that he could have the honor of being a figurehead in this movement. fucking horrible person

I live in Iowa and have had to deal with associated bullshit forever but the idea of a Nebraskan ideologue is a thought beyond. Good luck with that, Sasse

I thought he was just in for the money (better salary than a senator, although you’d think fewer opportunities for $ via corruption (?)) but he must have been drawn to the more direct opportinity for ignorant cruelty? Or maybe it’s some sort of stepping stone? If desantis succeeds in national
office he’ll be rewarded? Again, just a horrible person

Nikki Haley is running for president.

Lucky us. Maybe when the February thread starts tomorrow we can not follow up on that and let it sit here like a lump in a demolished outhouse.

Nikki Haley has always and never been running for president

Maxine Waters taking no malarkey from this weirdo

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) just formally testified to the Republican-led House Rules Committee that the real threat to democracy is House Republicans.

😂

— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) February 1, 2023

Time for a new month of political nattering. Who who's brave enough to bell the cat?

US Politics, February 2023: No classified documents found in Justice Department search of ILX

farewell, kevin, you miserable bastard