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I think the Democrats looked bad with this.

Disagree. Ryan looks like a wimp. He allowed them to run all over the rules of the House and continued to allow them to do so with their social media broadcast.

He should have had the place cleared.

“Ryan looks like a wimp.”

Agreed! But then doesn’t he always. A strong Speaker would have taken five minutes with the ringleaders telling them they had to leave, then have the Capitol Police start arresting, cuffing, and removing them from the chamber. It’s just political correctness run a muck!

Correct. Sam Rayburn would have never let something like this happen on his watch. He would have headed it off by bringing the insurgent congressmen into his secret cubbyhole office known as the Board of Education. Only Speaker Sam's close friends and colleagues were admitted to this inner sanctum where bourbon and branch water was served and sage political advice was given.

Once admitted, they would have received a tongue lashing from the leadership. Speaker Sam's moods could be gauged by one word. When it came out "shi-i-i-i-i-it" in a drawled manner, all was well with the Speaker. When it came out as a clipped "shit," it was best to hide in the nearest closet or behind the nearest piece of furniture. The recalcitrant congressmen would hear the word repeated many times in that clipped manner. The tirade would end, "This is a large body. There are 435 of you. You could get lost easily in a crowd like that."

Even Newt would have headed this off before it became a problem. My own thought: It would be best for House Republicans to find themselves a new Speaker.