Good, and thank you for the links. But think of it more as an "ethical" concession pending my opportunity to review the literature. There is a difference, of course, between modifying the text of a writing and altering the terms of an agreement by one's actions.
In any event, we have reached a stable plateau for a time and it remains an enjoyable exchange. [:^)
That freed up Pelosi to name them all, and she only went with Cheney and Kinzinger.
Was she being sneaky with the rules or did she outmaneuver McCarthy? Would Republicans have been better off with the remaining three picks even if Pelosi still put Cheney and Kinzinger on the committee?
Honestly, I don't think McCarthy thought things through completely. Pelosi said she removed Jordan and Banks because of "statements made and actions taken by these members," but I believe that was just cover to keep one of them from becoming the ranking member of the committee. Jordan has been in the House since 2007 and Banks joined in 2017. Jordan would have been the ranking Republican on the committee.
Cheney also joined in 2017 with Banks, while Kinzinger joined in 2011. Kinzinger wasn't named the ranking Republican because Pelosi named Cheney first on July 1 and gave her that title. She added Kinzinger on July 25th.
Of the other three of McCarthy's picks, Davis joined in 2013, Armstrong joined in 2019, and Nehls joined in 2021. If McCarthy had not pulled out all the rest, that might have forced Pelosi to name Davis as the ranking member instead of Cheney, because Davis was McCarthy's pick. If Pelosi jumped seniority and still named Cheney as the ranking member, all heck would have broken out on the committee.
So I believe that McCarthy's retreat of pulling out all the members was a tactical mistake that allowed Pelosi to completely shape the committee.
-PJ