host pictures
Posted on 10/11/2023 5:53:42 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The House GOP’s long and embarrassing nightmare is over. Or has it just taken a pause? After more than a week of leadership battles and a moribund House, the Republican caucus nominated Steve Scalise as the next Speaker of the House.
It was not by acclamation, needless to say:
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is the GOP’s next pick for speaker.
The Louisiana Republican defeated Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) in a secret-ballot vote on Wednesday, securing a simple majority of the GOP conference.
The 113-99 vote count came from Rep. Darrell Issa, although it is not yet official. The split raises the obvious question — can Scalise unite the caucus when it comes to the floor vote, presumably later today? The fact that the final vote total looks to be nine short of the House GOP caucus’ total of 221 seems a bit of a caution on that assumption.
On the other hand, perhaps the events in Israel have provided more of a humbling context in which to proceed. Scalise and Jordan are only really different in temperament; they both supported Kevin McCarthy, and both will face the same obstacles McCarthy did. Having flexed their muscles on McCarthy and facing a choice between going back to work and facing even more scorn over their unseriousness, even the Gaetz Eight and/or the Freedom Caucus has to figure that there’s not much more juice in this squeeze, if there was any at all from the beginning.
Or … maybe not:
Still, given the slim margin, it was not entirely clear whether that coalition would be enough to propel him to victory on the House floor, where he must win a majority to claim the speaker’s gavel. Some Republicans already were vowing to force a fight on installing Mr. Jordan, the far-right co-founder of the Freedom Caucus.
“I’m not switching my vote,” said Representative Max Miller, Republican of Ohio. “I’m Jim Jordan all the way.”
Well, that’s just peachy. Isn’t that why the caucus held a nomination process in the first place? This is nonsense, and it only makes Republicans look more unserious than their Democrat counterparts.
Anyway, we’ll add updates as events merit, although the actual speaker election in the full House will merit its own post. Meanwhile, let’s hope seriousness prevails, especially as Americans die and are held hostage in the Middle East. That matters a little more than House members’ butthurt over personalities and process.
Addendum: Don’t forget that a Scalise promotion to Speaker will require new elections for House Majority Leader, and that could cascade into a full recalculation on House GOP leadership.
Update: Matt Gaetz has had enough, though:
Update: Rep. MattGaetz said he will support Steve Scalise in the House floor vote. https://t.co/oNyWeEEFqX
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 11, 2023
Hopefully, this will grease the skids for a one-ballot election, and everyone can get back to business.
Update: This is even better news:
NEWS — JIM JORDAN just offered to nominate Scalise on the House floor.
JORDAN getting behind Scalise.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 11, 2023
Holy cow, folks, House Republicans appear to have learned a lesson!
NO MORE CRs!
I’d rather see Jordan as Speaker, but then all things work to the good despite ourselves.
Not a good choice. He’s McCarthy’s man. The MAGA group will have to hold his feet to the fire and see if he keeps his word. Otherwise he’ll need to be taken out as well.
.
Let me guess, Scalise will uphold the backroom deals that McCarthy agreed to with Joe Biden.
It’s all about Joe Biden
Deliver for Joe.
bttt
I’ve got no problem with it. Scalise was the one shot by a leftist at the Congressional Baseball Game, IIRC.
Dear Conservative inc morons
Finally after all these years stop being part of the con game
Here is how this has played out since 1994. US House GOP “Oh we have to come up with bills that will pass the US Senate and be signed by the President. We have to show we can govern”
No you complete idiots you do not. You are there to represent your voters. Your job is to pass legilation based on representing your voters. If the US Senate or the White House want to oppose it, MAKE THEM. Make them go on record instead of hiding behind you.
Instead what the GOP House always does is they believe this mythology so they pass bills the DC Establishment wants and then get the GOP House gets the blame from the voters instead of the Establishment.
Grow up you propaganda stooges. Stop fanboin because you are flattered and given access to the pollical machine. Stop trying to sell DC to your audience and start telling DC to pay attention to your audience for a change
Now, we need to act quickly to unify and vote in our SOTH.
We are in interesting times, we need our one house of congress.
Scalise and McCarthy were NOT buddies. There animosity has been widely reported. But Scalise was enough of a professional to get along.
If you think that this very-thin majority caucus is going to get anything done without discipline, cooperation, and compromise, you’re living on another planet.
If Scalise turns out to be another uniparty RINO who won’t stand up to the Democrats, there’s no point in having him be speaker.
McCarthy’s ouster by just 8 Republicans has inflated the egos of all Republicans. With Jordan endorsing Scalise that should be the end of it. But you know that it isn’t.
Yes, Exactly !!
“If Scalise turns out to be another uniparty RINO ...”
IF. Well, then I suppose no one should be selected because, who knows?, maybe he’ll disappoint once he gets the gig.
Meanwhile Jim Jordan endorsed him.
Finally after all these years stop being part of the con game
Here is how this has played out since 1994. US House GOP “Oh we have to come up with bills that will pass the US Senate and be signed by the President. We have to show we can govern”
No you complete idiots you do not. You are there to represent your voters. Your job is to pass legislation based on representing your voters. If the US Senate or the White House want to oppose it, MAKE THEM. Make them go on record instead of hiding behind you.
Instead what the GOP House always does is they believe this mythology so they pass bills the DC Establishment wants and then get the GOP House gets the blame from the voters instead of the Establishment.
The indications I’ve heard about Scalise are not good. Like I’ve said we will see if he is better than McCarthy or if he is more of the same.
It was always going to be Scalise
Meet the New Boss.
Same as the Old Boss.
But at least we had a nice little Kabuki theater play to enjoy for a few days.
So it’s Kevin McCarthy light? How stupid.
We have to get rid of the rinos or this party won’t survive.
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