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Republicans go MAGA, elect Mike Johnson speaker

by Joan McCarter for Daily Kos Liveblogs

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 at 8:12:46am PDT

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 11: U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks as Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) listen during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol May 11, 2022 in Washington, DC. Boebert held a news conference to discuss 'defunding the Homeland Security Department's Disinformation Governance Board.â€ (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) — Rep. Mike Johnson, with his ideological allies Reps. Jim Jordan and Lauren Boebert.

It’s Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference Mike Johnson’s turn on the big stage, the floor of the House of Representatives, and another opportunity for Republican “moderates” to deny yet another extremist the speakership. Don’t let the glasses, suit jacket, and decent haircut fool you: Johnson is just a spiffed-up, polished version of Rep. Jim Jordan.

Since the only alternative to him at this point is either more chaos or working with Democrats, those “moderates” will likely fold like wet newspapers and elevate Johnson. We’ll be here for the counting.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:56:58 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

After 22 days of back-stabbing, death threats, and anguish, Republicans have unanimously selected their new MAGA overlord, Mike Johnson. Don’t expect an end to the chaos, however.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:47:28 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Watson Coleman just called Jeffries the only candidate that protects the integrity of this House. Republicans responded with booos.
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) October 25, 2023

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:44:34 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Democrats are heckling the vulnerable New York Republicans from across the chamber, crooning "bye bye" as they fall in line behind Johnson
— Kate Riga (@Kate_Riga24) October 25, 2023

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:41:50 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Pelosi casts Jeffries vote as 'as one who knows and respects the role of Speaker,' earning her a standing ovation from Dems and a hug from Jeffries
— Kate Riga (@Kate_Riga24) October 25, 2023

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:36:19 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Speaking of abortion,

According to this Times story Johnson cohosts a podcast with his wife where they frequently talk about universal abortion bans. so i'd imagine quite a few oppo researchers are cranking up their Apple podcast and Spotify apps atm. https://t.co/M7G6OkIwc9
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 25, 2023

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:34:25 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Telling that Nancy Mace, the self-proclaimed sort of pro-choice Republican who keeps her face in front of the cameras warning about the GOP’s forced birth position just voted for a speaker who, as a lawyer for the extremist evangelical ADF helped engineer the end of Roe.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:29:46 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

With some votes, you can hear quiet "Ughs" from the Dem side when some of the Rs who are centrist/have good ties across the aisle vote for Johnson
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 25, 2023

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:25:43 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

An extremist was always going to get this job—the whole point of tossing McCarthy was to get someone more hardline in. That and he was just a weasel who’d promise anything to anyone. Gaetz and crew—and the puppet-master Steve Bannon—can count on Johnson’s fealty to the MAGA cause. They won't fight him on a continuing resolution, for example, because they trust him to toe the extremist line.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:17:53 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Chavez-DeRemer, D'Esposito, and Diaz-Balar—all Jordan opponents—fold for Johnson.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:16:06 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

This might have been in response to the christo-fascism from Stefanik in her speech. Regardless, a nice moment.

Dem Rep. Angie Craig yells as she votes for Jeffries: "Happy wedding anniversary to my wife! Hakeem Jeffries."

Dems stand to applaud.
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 25, 2023

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:14:22 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

As predicted, the “moderate” GOPers’ spines are crumbling. It is very likely to take only one round.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:10:12 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

As expected, Republican Bacon—who was steadfast against Jordan—voted for his cleaned-up twin, Johnson.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:07:57 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

And the roll call of votes begins.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:04:21 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Aguilar: “This has been about how can appease Donald Trump.” He quoted the NYT calling him “the most important architect” of Trump effort to overturn the election, and one GOP woman (Greene, Boebert?) yelled “damn right.” Because that’s who they are.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 5:02:37 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), once again does the honors for Dem Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who gets very enthusiastic support, once again. “We are back here, 22 days into this Republican-manufactured chaos… just to be back where we where three weeks ago.”

Aguilar hits on the true extremism of Johnson, the litany from abortion to insurrection.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 4:59:46 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Stefanik going in deep on the Bible stuff, a nod to the evangelical fascism Johnson embodies.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 4:55:15 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Stefanik introduces him. Blech. They tried to do a “Mike, Mike” chant, like Democrats have done for Hakeem Jeffries every round, but it fizzled pretty quickly.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 4:53:26 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Dem Rep. Vincente Gonzalez out. He & @RepLouCorrea will miss vote. So 210 Dems.@RepVanOrden expected out

That would make 220 Rs, 210 Ds. Johnson’s number is 216 if all of them vote
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) October 25, 2023

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 4:50:56 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Man, the “moderate” Republicans have really lowered the bar for this guy. Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon says he’s okay with Johnson because he’s acknowledged that they’ll have to do a stop-gap spending bill. Speaking of, you can read Johnson’s dear colleague, in which he said that, here.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 4:47:59 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

There are still four members who haven’t checked in, 1 Republican and 3 Democrats. They don’t have to make this quorum call in order to vote, when the roll call comes around.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 4:28:12 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) has decided to abandon his principles over election denying, and is supporting Johnson.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 4:19:23 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Just to reiterate, though I think we’ve all got this memorized by now, this is a simple majority, roll call vote. The number to win if everyone is present and voting is 217. That number can change depending on attendance and whether anyone decides to vote “present.” The attendance call is going typically slowly.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 4:13:42 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Johnson thinks he’s going to win it on the first ballot.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 4:08:33 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

They’re starting with the attendance call. We’ll find out how many members are present, which will tell us what the threshold for winning will be. Unless there are tricksters in the GOP who want to keep the chaos going, Johnson is likely to wrap this up. Everyone GOP member who is talking is very bullish on him.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 4:06:08 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Kev got his last moment of glory, getting to gavel the place in.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 4:04:23 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Romney’s not wrong. His inexperience is frightening with everything the job demands right now,

Romney on House speaker nominee Mike Johnson:

“Apparently experience isn’t necessary for the speaker job”

“We’re down to folks who haven’t had leadership or chairmanship role which means their administration of the House will be a new experience for them.”
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) October 25, 2023

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 3:58:33 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

“Same menu, new waiter.” Democrat Jim McGovern is good at this.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 3:43:49 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

More greatest hits from this guy.

FLASHBACK: GOP Speaker nominee Mike Johnson called cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security “the #1 priority”

When they tell you who they are, believe them. (From @MeidasTouch)pic.twitter.com/HD2EIw9wcz
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) October 25, 2023

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 · 3:19:28 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Exhausted Republicans are just ready to give in, which is why Johnson decided to take this straight to the floor. The results of last night’s conference roll call vote weren’t released, but he had “minimal opposition.” A couple dozen members did not vote, but Johnson spent the rest of the night lobbying them. Instead of having a full roll call vote in conference again, Johnson decided to take it straight to the floor, where the voting will start at noon, eastern.