Oh, Freedom Caucus, you remarkable idiots. Just when national politics haven't become stupid enough, in you swoop to bring the absurd part of the surreal. Frustrated that they aren't getting any attention and that they aren't pulling leadership strings with their party out of power, so they're pulling the strings they have because, well, there doesn't have to be a because. It's the Freedom Caucus and their timing is, as always, impeccable. They are trying to overthrow House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, clamoring to get Republican leadership behind their plan.
They want Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to offer a "motion to vacate the chair," a tool only he possesses among the party out of power. That would force a floor vote on Pelosi's speakership and Kevin McCarthy is actually entertaining the idea, saying he'll bring it to the whole conference in their meeting next Tuesday. In other words, HE IS THINKING ABOUT DOING IT. Please, please do it. Because there's nothing like an attack on the House speaker six weeks before an election to really unify the majority. McCarthy says "I don't think it's the best move at the moment," but he's not telling his idiots to pound sand. "The best move is to win 218 seats," he says, and that defeats Nancy Pelosi." Because that's going to happen this year.
They're not going to depose Pelosi. There is a cadre of freshmen Democrats who have been unhappy with her strategy on coronavirus and pushing for her to compromise and start voting on bits and pieces of relief, but they are not going to help Republicans attack her, the most powerful member of their party. The one who controls the purse strings. Six weeks before an election. Apparently, Politico says, they think they can "make support for Pelosi a problem for Democrats in key swing districts, and hard-liners believe a vote on the motion to vacate right before the November election would give the issue new life." Yes. It worked so well to run against her in 2018. Because they are delusional.
It's handy for Pelosi, however. There's nothing that can make Democrats rally around her like an attack from the likes of Jim Jordan. Politico says, though, that there's something in it for McCarthy: "It would help him earn major points with House conservatives, whose support will be crucial in any leadership bid post-November." As if the leadership of the House GOP will matter. But the Freedom Caucus managed to force John Boehner and Paul Ryan to just throw up their hands and quit, so maybe they think they can do the same with McCarthy. What that actually does for them is unclear, but since they don't seem to really have a goal beyond chaos, there's that.
What it could actually bring to McCarthy is a censure motion, a senior Democratic aide said, if McCarthy "needlessly brings discredit on the House" for partisan reasons. Which would be a lot of fun.
In the meantime, any moves on the party of McCarthy and his maniacs would probably only serve to get Pelosi the unified caucus she needs to push the next coronavirus relief bill through.