In the fourteenth round of his failure to bribe his way into the speaker’s chair, Kevin McCarthy missed by one vote. Then McCarthy went up to Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert and tried to get them to change their votes. Whatever Gaetz said in reply, it snapped McCarthy around as he was walking down the aisle and Rep. Mike Rogers had to be restrained—as in grabbed by the head—to keep him from plunging into the seats to get at Gaetz.
No votes where changed, and a few minutes later the clerk read out the results. McCarthy had missed it by this much.
As Republicans tried to cool down their fight-ready members, they moved to adjourn until Monday. Then they failed on that vote. Then they started cheering because apparently Gaetz gave them some kind of assurance that he would toe the line in the next round of voting. So now we’re going into the 15th round just ten minutes before midnight on Friday night. And if Gaetz screws them again, it will be a surprise to no one. Except maybe Kevin McCarthy. Because that guy? He’s a tool.
In anticipation of this evening, the Daily Kos proofreaders braced the editorial staff for the technical language that would be necessary in dealing with this event. These are the vital facts that you should know as we prepare for what may, or may not, be the final round of voting.
“Shit show” is two words. “Clusterfuck” is one word.
What’s going on tonight in the House of Representatives … is beyond words.
What a way to start the new year! On the first episode of season two of The Downballot, we're talking with Sara Garcia, the strategy and outreach manager at Crooked Media—home of Pod Save America—about everything her organization does to mobilize progressives and kick GOP ass. Sara tells us how Crooked arose to fill a void in the media landscape, how it not only informs listeners but also gives them tools to take action, and some of her favorite shows that she loves to recommend to folks.
Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard also discuss the Republican shitshow currently unfolding in Congress—and starkly different outcomes in two state legislatures that just elected new House speakers via bipartisan coalitions; the landslide win for the good guys in a special election primary in Virginia; why George Santos faces serious legal trouble that will very likely end with his resignation; and the massive pushback from progressive groups and labor unions against Kathy Hochul's conservative pick to be New York's top judge.