The Rose Garden and White House happenings: Listening to voters’ concerns
"Bad government is the natural product of rule by those who believe government is bad."
(Wikipedia quotes Thomas Frank on his book The Wrecking Crew (2008))
They've been working toward this for quite a while. Outcome tbd but not looking good.
Well, McCarthy has lost again, so what's it going to take to kick this guy to the curb and nominate someone else who CAN get the 218?
Also, Gaetz just voted for Trump. Does that count in the same way as a Present vote? If another 6 people voted for Trump, but he hasn't yet been nominated, and Spartz votes present again, does that bring the threshold down to 2012 and Jeffries wins?
ridski said:
Also, Gaetz just voted for Trump. Does that count in the same way as a Present vote? If another 6 people voted for Trump, but he hasn't yet been nominated, and Spartz votes present again, does that bring the threshold down to 2012 and Jeffries wins?
LOL! Their stupidity could catch up with them. If this gets traction, there will be a big chunk of the GOP caucus who will simply be unable to vote for anyone else.
GoSlugs said:
The irresponsible antics of the Republican Party bode poorly for the future of the US.
Actually, its the irresponsible antics of the American public that elects them.
There will always be predators. A public that elects and empowers them should not expect or even deserve to keep their democratic republic.
‘A republic, if you can keep it.’- Ben Franklin
The fault or responsibility lies with the public. As Franklin well knew. He didn't say if we, meaning the politicians, can keep it. He meant if you, the public.
Wall Street Journal editorial as quoted in NYT:
“The problem any G.O.P. leader faces today is that too many Republicans don’t really want to hold and keep political power,” a Journal editorial said on Wednesday. In the minority, it added, “you can rage against ‘the swamp’ without having to do anything to change it. This is the fundamental and sorry truth behind the speaker spectacle and the performative G.O.P. politics of recent years.”
(I'd say, they may want to "hold and keep" political power, but they don't actually want to do anything useful with it, maybe they don't even know how?) The ones who won't vote for McCarthy must be pretty confident that they can be re-elected no matter what.
And Round Nine voting is going on now ...
nohero said:
The ones who won't vote for McCarthy must be pretty confident that they can be re-elected no matter what.
And Round Nine voting is going on now ...
McCarthy lost Round Nine as you were typing this.
If this goes on another day, I'm going to know the last names of every representative along with party affiliation based on who they voted for by heart.
ridski said:
If this goes on another day, I'm going to know the last names of every representative along with party affiliation based on who they voted for by heart.
Another day and I'm not so sure whoever they send out next to make the nomination for Donalds will be able to put together two coherent sentences.
ridski said:
Also, Gaetz just voted for Trump. Does that count in the same way as a Present vote? If another 6 people voted for Trump, but he hasn't yet been nominated, and Spartz votes present again, does that bring the threshold down to 2012 and Jeffries wins?
it could end up that these people are so dumb that enough of them may vote "present" to hand the Speakership to Jeffries. But of course they'll just vote to vacate the seat after the House is sworn in, and start the whole idiotic process all over again.
ml1 said:
it could end up that these people are so dumb that enough of them may vote "present" to hand the Speakership to Jeffries. But of course they'll just vote to vacate the seat after the House is sworn in, and start the whole idiotic process all over again.
How does that work -- when/who gets to set the House rules? I know McCarthy made concessions to lower the threshhold to start a vote to vacate the seat, but is it the speaker who sets the rule (in which case, clearly Jeffries would not do so)?
For you crossover baseball fans out there, from a friend:
“If McCarthy fails again on the 9th ballot, does he get to start the 10th ballot with a runner on second?”
PVW said:
ml1 said:
it could end up that these people are so dumb that enough of them may vote "present" to hand the Speakership to Jeffries. But of course they'll just vote to vacate the seat after the House is sworn in, and start the whole idiotic process all over again.
How does that work -- when/who gets to set the House rules? I know McCarthy made concessions to lower the threshhold to start a vote to vacate the seat, but is it the speaker who sets the rule (in which case, clearly Jeffries would not do so)?
Isn't there a House Committee for this? https://rules.house.gov/rules-and-resources
jimmurphy said:
For you crossover baseball fans out there, from a friend:
“If McCarthy fails again on the 9th ballot, does he get to start the 10th ballot with a runner on second?”
looks like he has too many righties in his lineup.
Do you reckon by the end of tonight we'll have this? (RIP Anita Pointer)
Do they realise (or even care) how this looks to the rest of the world??
And then they throw tantrums that everyone else ‘disrespects’ the USA…unlike the Good Old Days… Sigh.
For heavens’ sake, just find someone who knows Robert’s Rules. (Yes, I know Congress discussions are a little more technical than that)
Maybe the solution is to find a better nominee? But who? Who, from the list of 222 toadies, useful idiots, white supremacists, and frauds could take over the position? Obviously not Hern or Donalds. I see Gaetz voted for Trump a few times... Could you imagine Trump as Speaker? He wouldn't show up until noon, get bored, be unable to shut up and pee his depends all day. Lordy, you Republicans are a massive joke.
Lawrence O'Donnell had a good analysis of the Republican clusterflock. If you can dig up tonight's episode watch his opening monologue.
While the world awaits, the resident wordsmiths on MOL can peruse this from the NYT…
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/05/opinion/robert-caro-robert-gottlieb-and-the-art-of-the-edit.html
mtierney said:
While the world awaits, the resident wordsmiths on MOL can peruse this from the NYT…
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/05/opinion/robert-caro-robert-gottlieb-and-the-art-of-the-edit.html
you need Jesus…
mtierney said:
While the world awaits, the resident wordsmiths on MOL can peruse this from the NYT…
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/05/opinion/robert-caro-robert-gottlieb-and-the-art-of-the-edit.html
Already read it this morning, in my paper version as I ate my bowl of Shredded Wheat.
Spoiler alert - Robert Moses is not a "hero" in Caro's biography of him.
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133 ballots actually, over two months. That was in 1855, a couple of years before open warfare broke out amongst the states and a couple hundred thousand Americans killed each other.
The irresponsible antics of the Republican Party bode poorly for the future of the US.