As expected in this corner, hope for a rally around Steve Scalise as House Speaker has failed. Talk of a “Temporary Nonpartisan Caretaker” emerges.
Shades of EU Technocrats
What is this, the EU? Talk of a nonpartisan Speaker of the House emerges.
The Wall Street Journal reports Steve Scalise Struggles to Build Support for House Speaker Post
Scalise narrowly won the party’s nomination Wednesday over Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) in a 113-99 vote, but the party didn’t immediately move to hold a vote on the House floor because of protests from Jordan supporters and a slim chance of success.
House Republicans gathered in the basement of the Capitol to hash out their differences, with no sign of how the matter would be settled.
“I have no idea,” said Rep. Mike Gallagher (R., Wis.) who laughed when asked Thursday morning how the speaker race would end. “It could end with Scalise as speaker today or next week. It could end with Jordan as speaker. Or…it’s not impossible that it could end with some sort of nonpartisan caretaker speaker.”
The number of Scalise opponents is thought to stretch to as many as 20 members, beyond the dozen or so who have publicly rejected him. Those holdouts include Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Max Miller of Ohio and Chip Roy of Texas.
“It’s been really, really hard for this Republican House to govern,” Rep. Dusty Johnson (R., S.D.) told reporters Wednesday night. “We have incredibly tight margins, and frankly, some members who have a hard time getting to yes on almost anything.”
Many of the current holdouts said they viewed electing Scalise as simply extending the status quo, while others have specific objections tied to strategy around spending bills or the process used to conduct the speaker election.
Late Wednesday, signs emerged of hardening opposition to Scalise. “So we oust Kevin McCarthy and all other leaders are rewarded with promotions?” Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R., Pa.) wrote in a social-media post. “How does that make sense or change anything? We need to chart a different path forward. Meanwhile, I plan to vote for Jim Jordan on the floor.”
“House Democrats have continued to make clear that we are ready, willing and able to fly a bipartisan path forward,” he told reporters outside Scalise’s office.
Pathetic or Amusing?
If you are a Democrat this is more than a bit amusing.
If you are a Republican this is more than a bit pathetic.
A “Gang of 8” led by Matt Gaetz ousted McCarthy. Dissents over any candidate cannot exceed 4 without help from Democrats.
Magic Number
- The magic number is 217 out of 221.
- The number of Scalise opponents is thought to be as many as 20 member.
- Jordan only has 99 certain votes.
How Do We Get to 217?
That’s the question of the day.
It’s impossible as long as at least 5 say “No” to Jordan and at least 5 say “No” to Scalise.
Nonpartisan Caretaker?
Is a nonpartisan caretaker possible? No. And this is my hoot of the day.
But it is possible enough Democrats could back the temporary acting speaker or someone similar. He or she would have to be a Republican.
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., has been acting as speaker pro tempore since the House voted to remove McCarthy.
But an elected speaker is needed to pass legislation.
Compounding the problem at passing legislation, Jordan does not want aid for Ukraine despite bipartisan support in the House and Senate.
Smucker wants a “different path forward” but the only path that’s different needs support from Democrats as long as Republican infighting continues.
There’s still another problem. Under current rules, a single Republican can demand a vote to vacate the Chair. Somehow that rule needs fixing.
This mess is what happens when 8 think they can make rules for 217. They demand a new path, but they are not in a position to demand anything. And the path they demand is invisible.
Finally, some think Matt Gaetz is acting responsibly. We may agree or disagree with his demands, but politically speaking, his demands are impossible. One must deal with reality as it exists, not as imagined. Besides, where was Gaetz when Trump was president?
To a person, they are all budget hypocrites demanding more money for what they want. And they all want more money for something.
The interim feuding can only strengthen Democrats, especially is another government shutdown happens as a result.
Republicans Nominate Steve Scalise for House Speaker in Secret Ballot
For more on the background to this mess, please see Republicans Nominate Steve Scalise for House Speaker in Secret Ballot
My prediction still remains.
No One Will Fix This
“Compromise is always more spending for this in return for more spending on that.”
“Neither party will fix the deficits. Neither party will do anything about mounting debt. No one will do anything about anything because the political system is totally broken.” Mish
For discussion, please see Debt to GDP Alarm Bells Ring, Neither Party Will Solve This
Meanwhile, US May Send a Second Aircraft Carrier to the Mideast, Can That Possibly Help?
This is not exactly a great time to be unable to pass any legislation. But here we are.
Democrats have poor leadership. Republicans have no leadership.
If they settled this with a tournament in the octagon, Jim Jordan would be the clear favorite. If they had a pay per view, it would raise a ton of tax money. I would pay $100 just to see Jim Jordan fight Adam Schiff.
I have distilled this mess of a Congress, long ago, as occupied by Corporations, via a Massive Bribery Scheme (code word: LOBBYING) and we have no say, so why waste your time holding breaths. NOTHING is going to change. This is a ONE RING CIRCUS created to wow the audience (Voters, and that is NOT ME)…
Scalise is clearly not what the Republican/America First Agenda is seeking. Anyone that votes for Ukraine $$$ is not going anywhere, nor should they IMO. Our Countries Republican Party wants the BS Excuses for everything Not getting done for OUR Country.
We are Literally paying Billions upon Billions of Our Taxpayer $$$ on Ukraine’s Borders, while Our Countries Borders are totally open for entry to Anybody.
Why?
Would You Pay to put alarm systems on all your neighbors homes, and only if they are bought, paid for and installed Before Yours is?
You ARE!!!
Maybe Jordon can, and IMO should get the votes, but the RINO’s, Establishment and Pack/Seed $$$ may not allow it, but Only IF they can Pur$uade enough Republicans to not go along until they say so. We shall see soon enough, because something must give and sooner rather than later…
Scalise has dropped out.
What a sh*t show.
Another reason I can’t be bothered to vote.
“If voting could change anything it would be made illegal!”
– Robert Borden
This is all because the Federal Govt has been allowed to garner way to much control over our lives. We look to Uncle Sugar for EVERTHING.
It’s our own fault the mess we have allowed to become the US FEDERAL Govt.
Trump.
No Trump suits this hand.
Love him it hate him, he’s the one who will lead the way out of this sh*t show.
Don’t MAKE me get out the kookwhistle….
What we are seeing is one of the possible outcomes of our Constitution. There is nothing wrong with its concept. When Congress can’t form an agreement; then nothing gets done. It’s up to the voters to decide if nothing is better than harming the country fiscally. And I really think the gang of 8 is going to get their spending cuts by government shutdown. The irony is their tactics are infantile, but the are being the fiscally responsible adults in the Rotunda.
The establishment is a Hydra.
I should have built that rope factory, I’d be selling it all to GOPers before it’s even made
The choice is between budget cuts or no budget. All speaker contenders voted for a continuing resolution so they cannot be elected. So far Matt Gaetz is the only representative with integrity to submit departmental budget cuts and only compromise speaker available.
… but they’re gonna take him down with the minor sex trafficking thing that was a-ok a year ago.
Gaetz is a moron. The only reason he holds office is he comes from a wealthy family.
Sure, hundreds of politicians representing over 300 million people voting in lockstep is always a good thing. I mean look at China. Their equivalent of the house is much bigger and represents over a billion people AND they always agree! And note this is while they are all the same party. Something republicans can learn from!
If we could just be like China and never have any disagreements at all in the house everything would be perfect.
Has Scalise indicated he will support any effort to reduce spending? As long as the status quo persists it doesn’t matter who is House Leader. I don’t care what either party does or doesn’t do. They are all clowns, it is all a circus.
exactly
1st order of business is to fund perpetual wars with endless weapons(all paid for via debt we can’t repay)
“ This mess is what happens when 8 think they can make rules for 217. ”
This post is what happens when you don’t understand how voting works. I mean jury holdouts should probably just go with the other 11 jurors because they think they can make the rules for the other 11. Same logic. If Scalise wants their votes he will have to convince them just like you have to convince a holdout juror.
In the meantime no mischief is occurring, no blank checks for Ukraine, no taxpayer handouts to Israel. As far as I’m concerned they can keep voting for the next year without coming to a conclusion.
about time they stop the worthless neocons/RINO’s
pushing endless perpetual wars
When the national government cannot does not function, we need a way for the nation and the states to set aside the national government and to resume governing, each state as it sees fit.
(P.S. We see instead executive branch officers itching to set aside Congress and rule by pen and phone and decree, like Maduro of Venezuela has.)
called convention of states
I think it is safe to say that when there was enough money (and/or credit) to spread around 30-50 years ago, we happily bought off both sides, made everyone content and moved along. With the money to buy off both sides getting scarcer and scarcer (amongst the general population as well), one side must win. The phase where both sides must now “nuke each other” is what comes next.
I would add that the amount of money each side wants has also expanded by several orders of magnitude from 30-50 years ago.
So yeah. Let the hunger games begin!
it’s a UNIPARTY
To be fair, this is what you’d expect from a political party that has given up on actual policy. Without any basic underlying principles, it’s become grifters and nihilists who mostly just want to fight, and aren’t picky about who they’re fighting as long as they can keep their names in the headlines and campaign contributions rolling in.
Note that this is not an endorsement of the Democratic party, which has plenty of it’s own problems.
They share a lot of those problems, the republicans are just have them worse.
the UNIPARTY you mean
made up of spendthrift NEOCONS/RINO’S and dumwitted democrats
shut it down
We need Zardoz to cue the circus music…the stage is set for a new circus show.
(In the style of the great Lawrence Welk) And a one, and a two….
I was very happy this afternoon when I saw scabby boy get demoted
remember 1st item of business is to pass MASSIVE WEAPONS BILL TO fund perpetual wars for the TERRORISTS OF DC
—
keep it shut down – I love it
thank you rep Gaetz
and do not change rules