US House of Representatives 4: Day One And The Clown Caucus is Already in Disarray.

[Shrubbery]

Someone politically more savvy than me explain, please, how nominating now three candidates is going to demonstrate the unity of the GOP? Because that is, I think, one of their „arguments.“

I do wonder why Gaetz pulled Jordan back into the game, but who knows how the decaying pile of feces that is inside Gaetz‘ head operates.

[AnywhereButHere]

Vote 12 is underway.

Our players this Friday are McCarthy, Jeffries, Hern, and Jordan. Poor Donalds had his day in the sun but is consigned back to the bench for this round.

McCarthy got four flips so far, so he must be feeling good (or as good as he could be).

I've got my popcorn!
 

Edited January 6, 2023 by AnywhereButHere

[fraurosena]

Just when you think you know what a terrible person Santos is…

 

51 minutes ago, AnywhereButHere said:

McCarthy got four flips so far, so he must be feeling good (or as good as he could be).

 

 

[Shrubbery]

What, no counter-nomination from either Gaetz or Boebert? Did they get stuck on an escalator? 
 

It can’t be that they decided to compromise, surely?

Not that I’d be thrilled with a McCarthy victory, mind you. 
 

ETA: Boebert did vote Jordan again.

Edited January 6, 2023 by Shrubbery

[AnywhereButHere]

Yeah, There's a core group of 7 who seem to be channeling early Grinch and trying to prevent Christmas/government from coming at all. 

[Ozlsn]

I think there are a small group who have really forced themselves into a corner - unsurprisingly they are the same group who have no ability to negotiate or compromise (demand is different). About the only good thing if McCarthy ends up back as Speaker is that he seems to me to have a long memory and ability to bear a grudge, which may bode for a lot less tolerance of that group and possibly less grandstanding.

[formergothardite]

If I was them, I would assume that after voting against him so many times that any promises he makes are false promises and he will get revenge somehow once he is in power. At this point they are more trouble than they are worth and might just get the Cawthorn treatment. 

[fraurosena]

If one thing has become abundantly clear about McCarthy it's that he has a severe lack of negotiation skills. And these skills are the most important prerequisite for the role of Speaker. If you can't even negotiate to get yourself enough votes to become Speaker and he's been defeated 11 times over four days, how on earth can he get votes for legislation later on? It's ludicrous that he keeps on giving concessions to the small contingent on the far right. Even if he were to renege on these concessions as @formergothardite suggests, it would further undermine any future negotiations, because no one would ever be able to take him at his word. In other words, how can he do his job, if he can't control his side of the isle? If he can't get the differing factions to work together and to compromise?

He is so very unfit for the role.

[thoughtful]

He's like a person sitting in a job interview, answering every question about their skills, goals, education and other qualifications with "I really want this job," over and over and over . . .

Spoiler

 

 

Edited January 6, 2023 by thoughtful
took out extra word

[AnywhereButHere]

Maybe at the 10:00 PM vote we’ll get a decision. Not holding my breath and dreading the mess that will be coming after the decision, but this is getting ridiculous. 

[Ozlsn]

14th loss in a row. This is Trumpian in its' constant losership. McCarthy may even out-lose Trump if this keeps going.

[Ozlsn]

OK is it wrong that I really hope the 15th vote fails too? Just to watch McCarthy deck Gaetz?

[AlmostSavedAtTacoBell]

10 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

This is just lovely. :s

 

 

I really didn’t think it could get worse than Boebert and Cawthorn. Look at this bowl of mayonnaise that has been left out in the sun for hours then added to potato salad that has raisins but no actual flavor acting like he’s a badass flashing that sickening hand signal when in reality he’s the kind of guy who would lock his car doors if he saw a POC walking on the sidewalk two blocks away. He’s trying to tout “white supremacy” when he is three evolutions away from being the Missing Link. He’d lose “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” to a 2nd grader. He beat an actual tree stump for the role of “tree stump”.  His biggest personal hero is the Jan 6 Buffalo “Shaman” and he has dressed as the guy the last two Halloweens- and he still goes trick or treating. The only way he can get dressed is if his mom sews Garanimals tags onto his clothes. His grandma still sends him checks for $5 every birthday and Christmas- and he cashes them because he needs the money. He thinks he has “Miami Vice” era Don Johnson vibes but he oozes “ Three’s Company” Don Knotts. Registered Sex Offenders insist on knowing his current address so they can avoid him because “he’s too creepy.” The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers won’t let him sit at their lunch table because they think he’s making them look bad. Even Kyle BangBang will probably ignore his calls. 

[Xan]

At least Gaetz was denied his adjournment until Monday afternoon.  They're having to stick around and work for it.

I wish they would have let Mike Rogers land a good punch on Gaetz's stupid face.

[onekidanddone]

23 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

14th loss in a row. This is Trumpian in its' constant losership. McCarthy may even out-lose Trump if this keeps going.

An hour or so ago all the headlines said the vote was going to go Kevin’s way as he had flipped 15 or so votes. 

I can’t believe he was so stupid as to agree to a rule change that allows only one member to call for a vote to remove a speaker. 

I mean doesn’t he know BoBo and Matty will try to oust him at the first gavel?

Or is he the smarty* party and have revenge on his mind. 

*Okay I know library paste is smarter than Matt and what’s her name. 

[noseybutt]

11 minutes ago, onekidanddone said:

An hour or so ago all the headlines said the vote was going to go Kevin’s way as he had flipped 15 or so votes. 

I can’t believe he was so stupid as to agree to a rule change that allows only one member to call for a vote to remove a speaker. 

I mean doesn’t he know BoBo and Matty will try to oust him at the first gavel?

Or is he the smarty* party and have revenge on his mind. 

*Okay I know library paste is smarter than Matt and what’s her name. 

These votes are going to continue for two years. Lord have mercy.

[Loveday]

Well, damn it. McCarthy did it, finally. 😕 

[Xan]

McCarthy finally got his majority on the 15th vote.  They way the Repubs are cheering and patting each other on the back, you'd think that this wasn't the shitshow that it's been.  15 rounds of votes!  That's not much to celebrate.

[Ozlsn]

The pause when they went back to Rosendahl (sp?) and there was a moment of "please vote present, please vote present" being audibly thought by the crowd.

[Dandruff]

I don't know whether the rats won or the roaches but am glad this bout of incestuous clusterfucking is done so they can move on to more important business...like swearing in that putrid, lying lump of pig bile from NY.  As if anyone on this planet could expect him to keep an oath.

[AlmostSavedAtTacoBell]

2 hours ago, Dandruff said:

I don't know whether the rats won or the roaches but am glad this bout of incestuous clusterfucking is done so they can move on to more important business...like swearing in that putrid, lying lump of pig bile from NY.  As if anyone on this planet could expect him to keep an oath.

I know it was just a small dream but I was hoping that somehow Jeffries would come out the Speaker. I kept thinking maybe maybe maybe some of the moderate Rs would decide to send a hearty “fuck you very much” to the MAGAts” and to the rest of the party whose governing philosophy is “own the libs” and cross the aisle. Geez, Obama had notable R Ray LaHood in his cabinet. Even if they didn’t get re-elected, they would land on their feet. Adam Kinzinger is a one and done but he already has a sweet media gig lined up that will pay him nicely and let the book rollout begin! He will probably be wealthier now than if he had stayed a Trump ass kisser and been re-elected. (I don’t think money was his motive. I do think he chose his path out of his own moral compass.) But given that Trumpmania has died down significantly, my humble opinion is that moderate Rs had little to lose and potentially much to gain by getting a D nominee seated on SCOTUS when the handmaiden was rejected or better yet if Gaetz had  been suspended. 

[Dandruff]

47 minutes ago, AlmostSavedAtTacoBell said:

I know it was just a small dream but I was hoping that somehow Jeffries would come out the Speaker. I kept thinking maybe maybe maybe some of the moderate Rs would decide to send a hearty “fuck you very much” to the MAGAts” and to the rest of the party whose governing philosophy is “own the libs” and cross the aisle.

You're more optimistic than I am, at least re. Jeffries.  I had no hope that he'd become Speaker.

While I believe some of the moderate Rs would like to give a hearty fu, or worse, to the MAGAts, I doubt they'd dare.  Theirs is a Party with a virulent and incendiary subcategory of followers, any one of whom could - who knows? - decide to take some rage out on a "disloyal" R or someone close to the R.  Which R is willing to potentially become a target?  Could they trust each other enough if they tried to band together that no one would spill the beans or decide to change their vote at the last moment?

I'm concerned that some of the deal-making done by McCarthy will end up protecting or otherwise benefitting TFG.  Guess we'll know soon enough.

[GreyhoundFan]

I love Hakeem so much:

 

[Howl]

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Awesome), I love you SO HARD! 

 

[47of74]

Qevin will probably last longer than Theodore Pomeroy as speaker.  Pomeroy only served one day.  That was because the previous speaker had resigned as he had been elected Vice President and the House wanted to honor Pomeroy as he was leaving Congress the next day, hence the one day term.

I somehow doubt Qevin will last 257 days as speaker.  That's the next shortest speaker term, which was served by Michael Kerr.  Kerr died in office in August 1876.  It wouldn't surprise me if his term was shorter than that of Liz Truss.  Granted different offices but that would still be embarrassing for someone like Qevin to get ousted so soon.