Posted on 12/31/2022 8:12:31 AM PST by RandFan
Whether or not Kevin McCarthy becomes speaker under the incoming House Republican majority, the Jan. 3 floor election to determine who will take the gavel from Nancy Pelosi is poised to be the most dramatic in a century.
A small faction of “never Kevin” Republicans is threatening to ensure McCarthy is denied the 218 votes needed to win the speaker’s election. But a larger group of Republicans who have pledged to vote for “only Kevin” are making clear they won’t support any other returning members of Congress for the role.
The two positions are seemingly irreconcilable, and members on both sides of the intra-party standoff predict the speaker’s election will require multiple ballots for the first time since 1923.
McCarthy and his allies are still trying to negotiate a truce that will allow him to get the votes he needs on the first ballot, but as of Friday afternoon no compromise had been reached.
The House rules package, which the chamber will vote on after a speaker is elected, has become the primary focus of negotiations in which McCarthy could offer some concessions to his opponents.
But McCarthy’s detractors are not all on the same page, making it difficult to come up with a rules package that would satisfy enough of those who have yet to commit to supporting his speaker bid without turning off the members who already support him.
Five Republicans — Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Bob Good of Virginia, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Matt Rosendale of Montana and Ralph Norman of South Carolina — have publicly broadcast plans to vote against McCarthy on Jan. 3. The five have organized as a bloc and vowed McCarthy can’t peel them off individually; any concessions he offers would be debated among all five.
(Excerpt) Read more at rollcall.com ...
There is no other Republican possibility.
You tell me: Is it more likely that 188 McCarthy votes will switch, or that 4 RINOs will switch?
I mean…c’mon, man!
Conversely, the Senate can't do much without companion bills in the House.
If a strong leader in the House says, "Up yours" when the Senate liberals put forward their cockamamie schemes, that will be a good thing.
Maybe nothing constructive will get done - but nothing liberal will get through to Brandon's desk, either.
Sounds like they need a compromise candidate. I can’t imagine who that would be.
A moderate trusted by populist conservatives and establishment rinos alike???
Does such a person exist?
It’s more likely that a dozen dems will peel off the support McCarthy.
Its either Kevin or Scalise.
Even Gingrich?Yes! Even Gingrich.
Newt cost us the House with his "historical" bullshit about the party in power etc. so he decided to not campaign.
He's also a loose canon that likes to hear himself speak. So he runs off at the mouth saying things he shouldn't...which is why he was never in the Trump administration.
His loss of the House resulted in Bush thinking the Democrats had a mandate. So he gleefully went along with everything they wanted.
All the result of Gingrich "historical" lunacy would maintain the House.
The new Republican blood sport - busting horns.
The bull buffalos can square off and charge full tilt at the bull buffalos lined up on the other side, who are making a countercharge of their own.
There will be blood and gore on the floor. A very small minority has this vainglorious belief that somehow, the other 98% will be converted to their One True Path, while being overwhelmed and trampled in the stampede.
Nancy Pelosi could whip up absolute conformity on her side, and make it stick, enough so that the poorly organized Republicans were stymied at just about every turn.
Dennis Hastert
That’s the guy.
With the same thin majority, Pelosi had the Congressional democrats running like a machine. I knew the republicans couldn’t do it. Guaranteed they would screw it up. Just watch.
I really think Trump would be the best speaker America could have in that seat right now. YES, he has said he would not take the seat even if offered. I say...”Why Not?”
He could quit at any time and in a matter of hours he could be replaced.
In the meantime, the marxist bastards skulls in the Uni Party, Democratic Party and Corporate (main stream) media would be exploding one after the other like firecrackers.
As Speaker, TRUMP, like a HUGE vacuum cleaner, each hour of each day would suck up all the MEDIA attention in the world in that job.
I’ve heard that talk for a number of years, but only out of pundits. Not out of politicians holding power.
Who’s supporting him for that position?
McCarthy lost my support when he had the affair with Congresswoman Renee Elmers of NC and cost her the election.
In Congress, IDK.
I’m supporting him here!
Beware of the Democrat plan to put Liz Cheney in as Speaker.
It could happen.
I don't think Scalise wants the job, if he did his team would have leaked the hell out of that fact.
No these guys are giving McCarthy the opportunity to recruit the necessary number of Blue Dogs to his cause without promising them anything. Of 19 remaining Blue Dogs, he needs only what? 10 at most.
Just bad juju all around.
Jim Jordan
Self-fulfilling prophecy. Then McCarthy gets to brag and swag about starting his term as Speaker in 'pure bipartisanship', the first Speaker in ages to be installed with the other side putting him over the top. And now McCarthy will have license to shut down Freedom Caucus asks/budget requests.
Then again, I despise McCarthy's rent boy Luntzberace....
"Bring the candelabra, Kevin. Gym Rat, er, Hamster Holder, er, Paul Ryan, turn the lights down. We're going to have a Schplethel Evening. I'll start with Bach's Fugue-You..."
Honestly, I don’t see the big deal.
In addition to throwing the senate election and handing the senate to the democrats, Mitch McConnell also worked with Schumer in order to pass that huge omnibus which castrates the house until (September?) I believe.
That means we have at least 8 months to pick a speaker. There’s nothing else going to happen within that time frame anyways. What, is the establishment going to hold some hearings and write some strongly worded letters? That’s a waste of my time and it’s a personal insult to me.
I hope we can ram it right down McConnell’s nose when we defeat McCarthy and someone else finally steps up to give it a try. McConnell neutered the house. McConnell deserves to see a fight that drags on for months on end.
Instead of me being insulted and you being insulted, let’s insult the republican establishment for a change. No McCarthy.
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