Matt Gaetz has it backward again. In America, the politicians are supposed to set an agenda, and then the media is supposed to report on it. But Gaetz actually isn’t very interested in actually getting anything done. He simply wants the power and the limelight, a “political arsonist,” according to the New York Times:
The night before the start of a humiliating and historic five-day floor fight in Representative Kevin McCarthy’s quest to become speaker, Representative Matt Gaetz, Mr. McCarthy’s chief tormentor, handed him a list of demands from a hard-right faction ensuring that if Mr. McCarthy’s victory did occur, it would only be a pyrrhic one.
Well, GOP, when all you can manage is a five-member majority, you are going to have to keep the five worst members happy and you – the GOP – have plenty of sewer rats, Gosar, Gohmert, Perry, Boebert, Ronny Jackson…
In the three weeks since Mr. McCarthy ultimately agreed to the price of the portrait, Mr. Gaetz’s role in the melodrama has only entrenched his stature as an attention-craving political arsonist adored by the Trump wing of the G.O.P. — but also, House Republican leaders begrudgingly say, as a lawmaker with new powers.
They ALL have new powers. It is just that not all of them are “craven” enough to threaten to use them on a weekly basis. To be honest, I’m not sure that Gaetz is all that popular, even with the MAGA voters.
Will he continue in his role as an insatiable limelight seeker, one who boasted to colleagues that he began each day instructing aides to call Fox News bookers to determine what message du jour he should be trumpeting? Will he assert himself more on substance and push harder on his far-right agenda? Or is his only goal blowing things up?
Yes, and not because Gaetz was trying to help the team. He surely did so because if he was pushing Fox News talking points all day, then it increased the likelihood that he would appear on the evening shows.
Last thing. Isn’t it strange how Trump and the GOP yell about “the media” (I guess Fox doesn’t count) going soft on Democrats when we’ve heard it proven over and over that Fox News literally coordinates with the politicians? Hannity was practically chief of staff. Gaetz calls in daily for instructions.
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[email protected], @JasonMiciak,
From what I’ve read he has gotten out of several DUIs. He’s a functional drunk. I’m sure his memory loss will be severe should he find himself in a criminal deposition.
One small nit: Gohmert is no longer a member of Congress. He ran for Texas AG and lost. I have no idea who now represents his former district, but chances are it is just as crazy a MAGA as Gohmert.
I just figured out of whom Little Mattie reminds me: a young Meat Loaf in Rocky Horror. Makes sense. After all he only has half a brain; the other half in rattling around in MTG’s otherwise empty skull. Unfortunately, Mattie lacks a leather jacket, a sax, and talent for singing (unless he is somehow implicated in something illegal, and then they’ll turn on each other to hit the high notes).