George Santos is hell bent on being the Scaramucci of the House. He can’t stop provoking outrage. As you see, he’s flashing the white power symbol with his left hand, while he casts his vote for Kevin McCarthy. What is the message here, that a vote for McCarthy is a vote for white power? Sounds about right.
I can’t believe he’s this stupid. After all the animosity he’s managed to incur, his only salvation from here on in would be to toe the line and do the best job he can do. He’s not willing to go a day without controversy, evidently. Business Insider:
The then-incoming lawmaker, who was sworn in on Saturday, was pictured making the gesture as he cast a vote for Kevin McCarthy in the 10th round of votes for House speaker.
Santos used his right hand to cast his vote for McCarthy while making a sideways OK gesture with his left hand, which was positioned across his body.
A C-SPAN video of the moment shows that Santos had his arms folded, with his left arm already in position, before he was called to vote.
Reaction was swift and unforgiving, as is quite understandable.
This is truly sick–the fraud about to become our Congressman made a "white power" hand gesture today in Congress as he cast his vote for Speaker of the House.
Hate is a sickness that I refuse to let infect our community. George Santos needs to resign immediately! https://t.co/NzgQJav2O5
— Senator Anna M. Kaplan (@AnnaMKaplan) January 6, 2023
Ritchie Torres has no patience for this clown.
George Santos is not biracial but tri-racial.
He has Latino, black, and now white power.
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) January 8, 2023
I guess this means Santos isn’t Jew-ish anymore. He’s more KKK-ish, wouldn’t you say?
Our country has been living a lie for 240 years. Lies and legal hypocrisy backed by guns have a way of catching up with you!
Kinda like Tom Lehrer’s song Send the Marines:
For might makes right,
until they see the light,
they’ve got to be protected,
all their rights respected,
until somebody we like
can be elected!
I guess I’m ignorant but how can people who’ve not been sworn in cast a vote? It seems counterintuitive that a vote for the speaker that includes the votes of those newly elected comes before they’re sworn in and take their oath. Can anyone explain this?
*None* of them can be sworn in before there’s a Speaker. So it’s fine. (Remember, the House is all 2-year terms. They all have to be sworn in, every time.)
What it actually amounts to is that choosing a speaker is not legislation, and so the vote is not like those having to do will bills before the house. As pointed out, ALL have to be sworn in each session because of the 2-year terms, but without a leader, there isnot anyone to do the job. I assume the clerk is the one who swears in the speaker before the rest happens. It’s a procedural issue and not a legislative one.
I’m also wondering why the people in Santos’s district, who were lied to and conned, don’t start the movement to impeach him. He sold them a bill of rotten goods and they’re just going to take it?
Something like a recall election, or whatever it was that got Schwarzenegger in as California Governor?
Because the power of impeachment lies with the House of Representatives and requires a simple majority vote from the body. Since most Rs have refused to express anything more than performance outrage (they act upset but don’t plan on taking action), it’s unlikely that articles will be brought.
As for Concinnity’s suggestion of a recall election, I think a New Yorker could speak to whether it’s allowed and/or how it operates in the state. Some states do not allow for the voters to initiate a recall election.
There is no provision for state-level impeachment or recall of representatives to the federal congress, unfortunately. However, with the ongoing criminal investigation of Santos in New York and the outstanding charges in Brazil against him for fraud and felony stealing, I am sure the U.S. would entertain the idea of extraditing him to Brazil on its reuest and then maybe deny him re-entry after he gets out of jail. LOL