The big day is here, folks, and today we’re going to find out whether leadership of the 118th congress of the United States will be pass into the hands of David Duke Without the Baggage or the Molester Protector. Sounds like an insane WWE match, does it not? But no, it’s just normal life in the Republican party, circa 2023. And no, we don’t know whether they had to check their guns at the door, only their phones.
Imagine a caucus where a majority of Representatives supported the attempted overthrow of the same government in which they are currently working.
— John Daly (@TheDalyPlanet) October 11, 2023
Oh yes. Twilight Zone references abound. How could they not with the choice of “leaders” which are up for election?
What a choice! Steve Scalise once described himself as "David Duke without the baggage." And Jim Jordan has more baggage than the belly of a 747. This was like choosing between sour milk and rotten cheese. Let's see how the floor vote goes for Scalise. Chaos still possible. pic.twitter.com/1RZ9GPpFz9
— Russell Drew (@RussOnPolitics) October 11, 2023
Talk about holding your nose and voting for sour milk or rotten cheese. But I have to admit the analogy is apt.
And while we wait for further developments, here’s Nancy and Harriet having a normal one.
I think Harriet Hageman captured him with her lasso. pic.twitter.com/MwMrT43BVW
— Hoodlum 🇺🇸 (@NotHoodlum) October 11, 2023
Well, Harriet’s got a future at Cheyenne Frontier Days if Wyoming ever comes to its senses and votes her out. Good to know. And Nancy will be a talking head on Newsmax. That spot was going to go to Bobo, but Bobo bombed at Beetlejuice and so Nancy has filled the vacuum in Wingnuttia left by Bobo’s excommunication.
The last time they were this mad pic.twitter.com/HEXWa6t7Q7
— Donati (@BlowMe_RightNow) October 11, 2023
And Obama is undoubtedly reaching into his pocket for the styrofoam coffee cup and the jar of Dijon mustard, the other two emblems of disgrace during his eight years. Ahhh, for the days of No Drama Obama.
And the New York Times just called it:
Republicans narrowly nominated Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana on Wednesday as their choice to lead the House after the sudden and dramatic ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week.
By a vote of 113 to 99 during a closed-door party meeting, Mr. Scalise turned back a challenge by Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a favorite of the hard right. His candidacy will now go to the House floor, where chaos reigned the last time Republicans tried to elect a speaker and the divisions in the party could make for another raucous election.
Still, given the slim margin, it was not entirely clear whether that coalition would be enough to propel him to victory on the House floor, where he must win a majority to claim the speaker’s gavel. Some Republicans already were vowing to force a fight on installing Mr. Jordan, the far-right co-founder of the Freedom Caucus.
“I’m not switching my vote,” said Representative Max Miller, Republican of Ohio. “I’m Jim Jordan all the way.”
The next speaker faces a formidable challenge in navigating the same dynamics that made the party ungovernable for Mr. McCarthy: a minuscule majority that has empowered a far-right faction that will not tolerate compromise with Democrats who control the Senate and the White House.
Here’s what to know:
The nomination next moves to the floor. The full House will gather at 3 p.m. and each party will nominate its candidate for speaker. Democrats have said they will nominate Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York. To earn the gavel, the next speaker has to win a majority of the lawmakers in the chamber, currently 217 if every member is present.
The House has been paralyzed since a far-right faction forced Mr. McCarthy out. Lawmakers were growing increasingly worried about the impact of continuing to operate without a duly elected speaker, including that the chamber might not be able act to support Israel after an invasion by the Palestinian group Hamas that has led to more than 1,000 deaths and scores of hostages being taken.
Mr. Scalise gained ground after Republicans killed an effort to change their party rules for nominating a candidate for speaker, requiring a public roll-call and a higher threshold that would have made it more difficult for him to prevail. Republicans voted 135-88 to table, or kill, the rule change. It had been billed as an attempt to minimize chaos on the House floor and avoid another situation like what played out in January, when it took Mr. McCarthy 15 rounds of votes to win the speakership.
The elevation of Mr. Scalise, 58, who has been the No. 2 Republican in the chamber, is a vote of confidence for a man who has overcome great personal hardship to rise in the ranks of Republican leadership.
In Congress since 2008, he was diagnosed with blood cancer over the summer and is now undergoing intense treatment, which has prompted him to wear a mask to vote on the House floor and attend news conferences. And in 2017, during a practice for a congressional baseball game, an anti-Trump extremist shot and seriously wounded Mr. Scalise. He still walks with a limp.
Let’s see where it goes from here. If the GOP sticks together, they can make this happen. If they go nutso again, it could be a replay of the 15 rounds of votes that McCarthy endured.
But for the moment at least, Jordan, Trump’s choice, has fallen by the wayside and Kevin McCarthy’s last minute Hail Mary bid to be restored to Speaker is history. Scalise looks to be the man. We have David Duke Without The Baggage leading the lower chamber of our congress. Swell.
Two things. Scalise is David Duke without the white robe (and pointy hat).
Second is Nancy Mace who’s clearly making a bid to be Trump’s VP pick. Trump wanted McCarthy gone and Mace went all in on that. She’s going to vote however Trump wants her to for Speaker and that means “Gym, HE GROPED ME COACH!” Jordan. Now I’m going to step in you-know-what by being a “guy” and pointing out a couple of things that Trump will sure as hell notice. First is less offensive, in that Mace who has quite dark hair seems to be adding “highlights” in the process of turning herself into a blonde. That’s something Trump will notice. The second is rather more guy/Trump in that she’s wanting to draw attention to her “rack.” Sometimes she does and sometimes not but with all this crap going on and knowing cameras will be on her all the time she wore that “Scarlett A” white shirt under her blazer. It was meant I’m sure to draw Trump’s attention to her boobs. Take a good look at how mishshapen it is. The cross to the A under the boobs and the top of the letter points to her cleavage! She might as well be shouting to Trump “Look at me! I can be a blonde, and I have a bigger rack than the other gals you’re looking at for VP. (Oh, and I’m divorced now)”
But you’re right that she might be gone from office next year but will get a hosting gig in RWNJ media. This stuff I pointed out meant to play to Trump will go over well in that world.
More performative politics by the clown car circus.
Like I said last week, they ARE getting want they want: a govt shutdown WITHOUT CALLING IT a govt shutdown!!!
“…a vote of confidence for a man who has overcome great personal hardship to rise in the ranks of Republican leadership.” Gag me MSM. The only personal hardship he suffers is that more of his constituents aren’t suffering even more, but he’ll show ’em! “Sure, I got shot, but I support gunz so more people can share my experience and get shot, too, even KIDS!!!
The “coverage” of this willful SABOTAGE is sickening. No one is ever calling them out for what they are actually doing. Mindbending.
I’m waiting for someone to catch on that a scarlet ‘A’ was something inflicted on a woman convicted of adultery.
A ‘scarlet letter’: ” the letter A in red; Puritans required adulterers to wear it”
Speaker Jeffries is a non-zero probability.
Jeffries better be in secret negotiations with some moderate Republican who is willing to share some power. So far we have hard right crazy insurectionist jordan and might be a klan member with cancer scalise. the freedom caucus would pitch a fit, but a moderate with 9 or 10 rebup votes and the dem caucus could bring some sanity back to the House. I don’t think you could get a repub to support Jeffries, but a moderate republican, that would work.