Congressional Charlie Foxtrot

[Ben]

Man, what a cluster this Speaker of the House vote debacle has become!

While I get the holdouts not wanting to continue establishment business as usual, all they're doing is a Republican version of "But Trump!!!". They seem to have zero prep of concrete items they want done differently, and the guy they want as speaker (Jordan) says he doesn't want the job and has been voting for McCarthy.

The dems have been getting a pretty good laugh out of this, especially on the heels of the failed red wave.

[Perd Hapley]

So what I said after January 6th 2021 is still true - what happened that day makes more sense than anything that will come after.

[HankB]

And while the House GOP is squabbling about confirming the established House GOP minority leader as Speaker, over in the Senate the established Senate GOP minority leader is appearing with Biden so they can engage in some mutual backslapping about passing a trillion dollar plus  "infrastructure" bill that provides for things like a 20 million dollar heated sidewalk in New Hampshire and a non-racist 25 million dollar birdwatching pedestrian bridge in Arizona. (As I've written before, infrastructure spending is a GREAT way to convert public funds into private profit.)

Some of the opposition apparently wants things like committee assignments - weren't some kicked off of committees by the D's?

[Ben]

What they're talking about during the vote:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1610463707049623553

 

[MechAg94]

IMO, the failure is on the GOP House leadership for not making sure they had the votes they needed.  I don't blame the people who are holding out.  That negotiation should have already been done. 

All that said, is it really a "charlie foxtrot"?  The media is making a big deal about it, but I don't care.  A little chaos isn't a bad thing.  When everyone falls into line is when we should worry (what HankB said about the Senate). 

[Ben]

I still consider it a CF, because as your first sentence implies, this should have all been figured out at least a month ago, if not in place for a potential win months before. Right now it's incredibly bad optics showing that the Rs can't get anything done even on day one of the majority. We're at vote #6 right now, and McConnell is having a boys night out with Brandon just this minute.

Also who the *expletive deleted*ck is Byron Donalds? Because he's getting the 20 votes now instead of Jordan.

[zxcvbob]

https://babylonbee.com/news/in-11-hour-vote-buffalo-guy-elected-speaker-of-the-house

[charby]

As much as I dislike Pelosi, she had her ducks in a row for her vote, even with the "squad" wanting her out.

[RoadKingLarry]

"Congressional cluster *expletive deleted*ck" is redundant term.

[sumpnz]

This just showcases how unserious the Rs are about conservative values.  There’s like 20 Rs that are holding up the show, and they’ve asked for a few things that, at least on the surface don’t seem so unreasonable.  They want floor votes on a balanced budget, border security, and probably a few other things.  They know many won’t pass, but they want the votes on record (which of course is why McCarty doesn’t want those votes).  If it were the Ds making comparable demand you know damn well McCarty et, al would fold in heartbeat in the name of bi-partisanship.

[zahc]

I heard there was a record from the 1800s where they voted hundreds of times before they elected a speaker. So it might still be a while.

[WLJ]

[WLJ]

In Overnight Vote, Buffalo Guy Elected Speaker Of The House
https://babylonbee.com/news/in-11-hour-vote-buffalo-guy-elected-speaker-of-the-house

[Ben]

What the hell happened to Dan Crenshaw? Did he get some big insider trading tips from Nancy Pelosi or something? He seems to have gone full establishment.

https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2023/01/04/rep-dan-crenshaw-calls-republicans-opposed-to-kevin-mccarthy-terrorists-and-clowns/

[MechAg94]

What the hell happened to Dan Crenshaw? Did he get some big insider trading tips from Nancy Pelosi or something? He seems to have gone full establishment.

https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2023/01/04/rep-dan-crenshaw-calls-republicans-opposed-to-kevin-mccarthy-terrorists-and-clowns/

I have been hearing people refer to him as EyePatch McCain.    

His district is in the Houston area.  Not sure how much chance there is of kicking him out next time. 

[MechAg94]

One comment I heard just now referred back to the election.  We just saw how McConnell pulled funding from some key Republican candidates that he didn't like and possibly sponsored primary challengers.  I think it is likely the House leadership did the same thing.  I remember hearing that Boebert barely squeaked by on her election.  I imagine if some of these R's were victims of that, they aren't very happy with the leadership including McCarthy. 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/03/politics/20-republicans-voted-against-mccarthy/index.html

Here are the lawmakers who voted against McCarthy on the third ballot:

    Rep. Andy Biggs
    Rep. Dan Bishop
    Rep. Lauren Boebert
    Rep. Josh Brecheen
    Rep. Michael Cloud
    Rep. Andrew Clyde
    Rep. Eli Crane
    Rep. Matt Gaetz
    Rep. Bob Good
    Rep. Paul Gosar
    Rep. Andy Harris
    Rep. Anna Paulina Luna
    Rep. Mary Miller
    Rep. Ralph Norman
    Rep. Andy Ogles
    Rep. Scott Perry
    Rep. Matt Rosendale
    Rep. Chip Roy
    Rep. Keith Self
    Rep. Byron Donalds

[K Frame]

Even Nancy Pelosi is commenting on what a CF it is.

[Ben]

The "motion to vacate" appears to be one of the sticking points:

Defectors want to ensure they are not forced to give up committee assignments; they want investigative inquiries into the FBI and others and they want to reinstate the motion to vacate — a process of the majority party voting out the current speaker, should they lose faith in his or her leadership.

The motion to vacate can be initiated by any single majority member — a figure well under the 20 defectors McCarthy is currently facing. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., previously abolished the longstanding process.

If Pelosi abolished it, then a reversal should be an easy concession for McCarthy. Of course it would make it easier to remove him later, so...

[dogmush]

This is the most hilarious *expletive deleted*it I've seen in a long time.

And the tweets.   Oh the tweets....

Rep-Elect Bacon from NE calls them the dissenters the "Taliban 20".

Matt Gaetz replies:

Bacon refers to me as the “Taliban”

Well….as hurtful and false as that is….I too am prepared for an extended battle that I will ultimately win.

[dogmush]

And another:

https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/1610674726170689538

McCarthy is losing it.

He texted one of my colleagues who didn’t vote for him:

“I am ready to fund an endless war”

I’m assuming this is in *addition* to Ukraine.

[dogmush]

And it seems like McCarthy has gone hat in hand to the Democrats.  I wonder if they made him beg AOC.

Reportedly, and according to rumors swirling around Capitol Hill, McCarthy and the GOP establishment are preparing to negotiate a deal with Democrats to make McCarthy or a “consensus candidate” the next Speaker of the House.

One way to reach his goal would be by manipulating the voting process.

[Ben]

"Consensus candidate". Holy hell.

[MechAg94]

"Consensus candidate". Holy hell.

So Yes, it is CF.  Or more specifically, Rep. McCarthy is a CF of a leader.  Compromise with Democrats rather than a group of fellow Republicans.  Just shows how extreme the establishment is in their desire to stamp out any wrong-think. 

[Ben]

Tucker Carlson makes some good points:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1610810708421218305

[MechAg94]

Tucker Carlson makes some good points:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1610810708421218305

He said they "pressed them into a corner".  This is a small minority and it appears the leadership isn't even trying to negotiate or give out a few concessions for their votes.  I have to wonder what has been going on over the last two months since the election.  How much did they really try to get everyone on board?   Were they assuming many of them would end up losing their seats?

Finally, everything he said about "those people" and how they are full of themselves, it all applies to himself.  Look in a mirror.