Posted on 10/03/2023 10:15:37 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Tuesday offered a mixed message on his future prospects when talking to reporters. McCarthy was pressed on whether or not he will actually survive a vote to vacate, which he promised to hold later today.
After initially voicing absolute confidence that he will remain speaker, McCarthy was pressed by ABC’s Rachel Scott on the actual vote count and conceded that he “probably” doesn’t have to votes to remain speaker, unless the Democrats help him, which he had ruled out as an option.
“We just had a really good conference in there. We talked about what we’re going to take on the floor. We got our appropriation bills up. I’m going to bring up the motion to vacate today. We’ll do it in the first series and move through this,” McCarthy began.
“Will you still be speaker of the House by the end of tonight?” asked a reporter.
“You know, if I counted how many times someone wanted to knock me out, I would have been gone a long time ago,” McCarthy replied.
“Can you explain a little bit about why do it today?” asked another reporter as McCarthy has two days to schedule the vote.
“You want to rip the Band-Aid off here or what?” added the reporter.
“Why not? You know, okay, I think Matt has planned this all along. It didn’t matter what transpired. You know, he would have done it if we were in shutdown or not. I firmly believe it’s the right decision to keep the government open, to make sure our military is still paid, our border agents are still paid. And if that makes a challenge based upon whether I should be speaker, I’ll take that fight,” McCarthy replied.
After a quick back and forth about McCarthy’s conversations with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), an off-camera reporter asked, “Are you expecting Democrats to back you?”
“No, I personally, I’m not,” McCarthy replied.
Scott then asked, “Do you need their help to remain in leadership?”
“No. If five, if five Republicans go with Democrats, then I’m out. So it’s whether,” McCarthy replied, as Scott interjected, “It looks likely.”
“Probably so,” McCarthy conceded.
The conversation then turned back to why McCarthy is confident he will survive as speaker if he admittedly doesn’t have the votes.
“This a bit of a complex piece of algebra because you don’t know the attendance. You don’t know what’s present votes. I mean, tell me why you’re so confident, based on what mathematical equation?” a reporter asked.
“Because I live in America,” McCarthy shot back.
“No, I know. But I mean, this is serious,” the reporter pressed.
“It is a serious question. Have you ever. Okay. Take the current situation out. Have you ever come to me on no matter what you thought I couldn’t solve that I wasn’t confident,” McCarthy replied before recounting past obstacles he has overcome.
Give him the boot, he has accomplished nothing.
Sure, but he looked good doing nothing....
Myorkis, Garland, Biden still in office.
Sometimes "nothing" is the best option...but I disagree...He got some of the Ukraine money outs there...and stopped what would be a catastrophic shutdown. And frankly, I don't like furloughed wortkers getting paid for doing absolutely nothing "while they're on vacation".
Exactly. He has accomplished nothing. He is Ryan’s chosen successor and it shows
When I see McCarthy I can’t help but think of California dem Gary Condit from years back. The only thing that really differentiates the two is that Frank Luntz hasn’t mysteriously gone missing.
There’s a reason there is no accountability in government, nobody wants to hold anyone accountable.
Personally I’d like to see him answer the substance of the complaint
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Biden needs him.
Lindsey Graham said - he’s needed for the War Policy.
Graham’s actions are all about pushing Joe’s policies to become reality.
we’re sick of that.
And we go to the point where we are sick of that because of people like MCCarthy who made promises and didn’t keep them
8 Months in he still has not release the J6 tapes (PEOPLE ARE SITTING IN JAIL RIGHT NOW OVER THIS FRAUD!!!) He barely squeaked through an impeachment inquiry.
And he hasn’t brought up the vote on term limits.
What else did he promise to do and then forget? Myorkas is still there.
He has accomplished LITERALLY NOTHING. How much more time do you want to give him?
Are they going to replace him with Chip Roy? If not someone of this ilk, what is the point?
Wow! This has suddenly gotten to be a real and serious situation. This ain’t idle chit chat or grumbling in the shadows.
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Yes. Who would be surprised to find Luntz has some rich new income stream.
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The point? It's called accountability.
He became speaker on an agreed set of terms. Those terms could give him the boot if he didn’t hold true to his commitments, which he has certainly not.
That begs the question, who will replace him?
There is nothing conservative about contorting yourself in the name of Governance in order to increase the involvement of govennment in people’s lives.
He lied to his caucus. He didn’t tell them about his side deal. That was to get the CR passed.
There is no way he can remain Speaker after that deception of his own majority.
Emmer will suck.
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