If there’s such a person as the anti-Dale Carnegie, it would be Kevin McCarthy, as he continues to lose friends and alienate people in his slim majority caucus. After McCarthy appointed fifth ranking Jason Smith to chair the Ways and Means Committee, the guy who thought he would get that post, Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan, exploded: “You f**ked me! I know it was you. You whipped against me!” Florida Politics:
Sources close to Buchanan would not confirm the phrasing but acknowledged words were shared between the men.
“Vern simply expressed his disappointment to Speaker McCarthy,” said Max Goodman, Buchanan’s political adviser.
The Puck report suggested the interaction between Buchanan and McCarthy became so heated security had to step in between the men, something McCarthy’s office denied.
The same sources who offered a more colorful verbatim account to Puck suggested angst has grown around what Buchanan may do next. Many wondered if the episode and McCarthy’s betrayal will prompt Buchanan to leave Congress early. That’s something that could deliver a blow to McCarthy as he leads a slim 222-seat Republican majority in the House.
That would put McCarthy even further up the creek than he is now, that’s for certain.
The Ways and Means results were a surprise to many in his orbit. Buchanan had seniority on the panel over all other Republican members. And while there were reports McCarthy had encouraged Smith to run because he felt Buchanan had more loyalty to Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Buchanan’s political team always believed McCarthy could support the Florida lawmaker, the only Sunshine State Representative seeking a full committee gavel this Congress.
Most likely Buchanan will calm down. On the other hand, he’s 71 years old, it’s not like he needs to stick around if he truly doesn’t want to. This could go either way. If it goes against McCarthy, then it’s just going to erode what little influence he has left.
You can’t lead like this. McCarthy doesn’t grasp the essence of leadership. First and foremost, you have to stand for something. Secondly, you have to be trusted, and thirdly, you have to be consistent. Leaders with these characteristics tend to endure. McCarthy has none of these going for him. He goes whichever way the wind blows at any given moment.
Regardless of what Buchanan does, McCarthy is not going to be around all that much longer. McCarthy is a lot like his idol Trump, he’s a study in the art of political seppuku.
I’d imagine that will be a common enough thing in the House GOP but I can’t help but think of an adage of Rachel Maddow’s – Don’t watch what they say – Watch what they DO. Because in the end they won’t DO jack shit. Yes, there is talk of major GOP donors being unhappy (especially with this debt ceiling showdown happening) and withholding money for their PACs for re-election. But history teaches us that’s nothing but a PR stunt. They make a show of cutting off their largesse, and months later quietly contributing again! And that’s what these GOPers figure will happen again. As long as their donors get their goddamned tax cuts and the continued cutting (or at least severe limiting of) regulations when it matters the campaign money will come in at fire hose strength if that’s what it takes. If I were a House GOPer that cared FAR more about my re-election than the country (kind of a given to be a Republican wouldn’t you say?) I’d place my bet on the donors coughing up the money – but allowing me to vent a little now and then. I know Murf keeps writing about the “moderates” flexing their own muscles and I hope he’s right & they do but I am far less certain than he is that will happen. If forced to, I’d place my bet on the GOP causing many of our worst fears to be realized and getting their asses kicked in 2024.
And once again ignoring the lesson said ass-kicking will have sent them.
One thing to watch: what the “moderates” (couldn’t agree more with the quotation marks; most of that faction are just W-style Republicans who lost control of their one-time shock troops) do on the serious stuff that the crazies want to derail. Remember that without the Senate, the GOP are pretty contained, powerless to deliver either donor priorities or MAGA threats. Add in how McCarthy is the weakest Republican Speaker ever and telling him FU has never been easier. The REAL folks I see making a break are the ones Murf always cite, the newly-elected from purple districts. Not as much seniority, less beholden to any longstanding faction, totally out for themselves…plenty to work with potentially.
Yes, that group of around twenty newly elected GOPers from swing districts is worth monitoring. However, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that during their orientation period as they were being feted by Party stalwarts, donor and lobbyists all the perks of being a Congress Critter didn’t seduce some, perhaps many of them over to the dark side. Remember, they started out as Republicans so it’s not like those steps over into Party before country loyalty were either long or numerous. We will see soon enough with this fight over the debt ceiling upon us. Unless these people are playing their cards very, very close to the vest (if any have spoken up about a showdown being a really bad idea I’ve not heard or read about it) then I think they are inclined to fall into line. To keep their heads down and go with the flow. And rationalize both to themselves and their constituents that “this isn’t the time or fight” where they should make their stand, that “bigger” fights are yet to come. Doesn’t get much bigger than defaulting on the national debt though. And even if Treasury had to start juggling for a few months to keep things afloat keep in mind history teaches us that even the THREAT of this shit does real and signficant damage to the economy. Both here and abroad. And that damage is felt most keenly by regular and poor folks, not the upper classes.
What you described, Denis, is predicated on a party unity that hasn’t been in evidence since the start of this year. This debt ceiling fight gets bad enough, the ruling philosophy of “every man for himself and God against all” should likely kick in with a vengeance. So whatever messages the freshmen were given is going to matter less than what they decide when the rubber hits the road.
If I were this Vern dude, I’d fuck McCarthy badly by resigning. Then I’d support the dem candidate vying for his seat. As long as your fucking someone, might as well fuck them up the ass.
Oh, please. That’s so much ado about nothing.
If he REALLY wants to screw over McCarthy, he’d stay in the House and just vote against every GOP bill put forward (or simply not vote if he’s too afraid from being seen as voting “with” the Democrats).
He’s just the first. He won’t be the last.