Posted on 06/02/2023 3:05:54 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is nothing if not a political survivor.
Underestimated from the start, the Republican who cruised around his California hometown of Bakersfield and stumbled into a career in Congress was never taken too seriously by the Washington establishment.
With overwhelming House passage of the debt ceiling and budget deal he negotiated with President Joe Biden, the emergent speaker proved the naysayers and eye-rollers otherwise. A relentless force, he pushed a reluctant White House to the negotiating table and delivered the votes from his balky House GOP majority to seal the deal.
"You still ask the same questions each week: Do you think you can pass the bill this week. Do you think you will still be speaker next week," McCarthy chided reporters after Wednesday's late night vote.
"Keep underestimating us," he said, "and we'll keep proving to the American public that we've never given up."
It's a turn-of-the-narrative for McCarthy who came to office viewed as one of the weakest House speakers in modern memory, but has strengthened his grip on power during the debt ceiling fight.
While hard-right conservatives are still reviving calls for McCarthy's ouster, complaining the deal he struck with Biden did not go far enough in their demands to cut spending, their voices are muted for now, lacking the numbers needed to execute their plan.
And perhaps most importantly for McCarthy, who has worked hard to maintain a relationship with Donald Trump, the former president gave a subdued nod of approval to the deal struck by the ally he used to affectionately call "My Kevin."
(Excerpt) Read more at channel3000.com ...
Outwardly, McCarthy looked like he was breezing through nearly three weeks of grinding negotiations — bike riding on the National Mall, carting tortilla chips into the Capitol for reporters staking out his office, posing for selfies with tourists under the dome.
When he finally announced that he and Biden had reached a deal the Sunday evening of Memorial Day weekend, the exhaustion was apparent, his voice raspy and remarks short.
"Underestimated? For damn sure. Kevin McCarthy has always been underestimated," said one of the deal negotiators, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. The votes, he said, "prove out why that is the wrong proposition here in Washington."
And here I thought DJT would be the one to destroy the Republican Party 🎉
McCarthy did good. Give the guy the credit he so well deserves.
Is the deal perfect?? Of course not. Did you expect it to be?
Not saying I am agreeing with what Kevin did... but the bottom line is this... he is now the most powerful man in Washington DC.
1) He has all the money he needs for the next 18 months.
2) He can zero out any budget he wants and his conference will back him.
3) He can subpoena anyone he wants and his conference will back him.
4) He can impeach anyone he wants and his conference will back him.
The only question now is how will he use his power?
The only thing Kevin has to worry about is not being removed as speaker by his own conference as long as he backs the rights accountability plays I think he is safe... We will know the answer by 1 October, if we aren’t in the kinetic phase of WWIII by then...we are in WWIII already, people just don’t understand that our enemy is killing us by non kinetic means. I don’t know if Kevin understands... would like to know this myself.
You are either being sarcastic or you are a severely mentally impaired idiot.
Well it’s true , in any negotiation, we are unlikely to get everything we would hope for.
I cannot believe the comments from some FReepers regarding the budget deal. We have a very divided federal government. Conservatives are a distinct minority in the US Senate.
I listened to McCarthy after negotiations, and he could barely speak. His voice was shot. It was either compromise or default, and I think McCarthy wrangled a pretty good deal out of Biden all things considered. McCarthy fought a good fight against nearly impossible odds…and won.
Have FReepers forgotten how this has all played out in the past? The MSM has always managed to blame Republicans. Have Republicans ever managed to win any significant concessions on previous debt limit battles?
People still want to get “paid”, hence extending the debt ceiling which is the popular play. Past the point of no return, even Trump is pimping debt spending which is the favorite arsenal of the Deep State. Riddle me that.
“Underestimated”
McCarthy capitulated several days ahead of schedule.
Hakeem Jeffries is now the most powerful man in DC. All that McCarthy did was surrender.
Your an idiot
Never forget, the GOP leadership hates the base of the party.
They hate members of MAGA more than they do the Rats. The ultimate goal for them, is the elimination of patriotic constitutionalist conservatives.
For cretins like Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy, their main objective is to protect and expand the Deep State apparatus.
“Never forget, the GOP leadership hates the base of the party.
They hate members of MAGA more than they do the Rats. The ultimate goal for them, is the elimination of patriotic constitutionalist conservatives.
For cretins like Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy, their main objective is to protect and expand the Deep State apparatus.”
^THIS!^
*BUMP*
Hakeem asked for some perks for himself and the folks he needs for his position... Hakeem is vicious and opportunistic... He just is not that smart.
The Uniparty strikes again, and McCarthy is its leader. Anytime that the D.C. Swamp acts bipartisanly, it means the Swamp is screwing us all.
“All the wrong people/media are praising him. That’s all you really need to know about how good a deal this is.”
Exactly.
When the AP says he’s, “All that and a bag of chips...” you know ‘We The People’ are screwed. :(
Freepers tend to take a very hard line position on things.
Well, maybe some people underestimated how much of a tool of the Deep State McCarthy is.
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