Now that Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy is Speaker McCarthy of the US House of Representatives, let’s take a look at just how much he gave up to get his lifelong dream fulfilled.
Top News Today :
Late Friday night and after 14 rounds of unsuccessful voting led by a deeply divided Republican conference, Speaker McCarthy was finally sworn-in and handed the gavel to lead the 118th Congress on the 15th round. However, for anyone who was watching the events unfold live on national television, the process of him eventually obtaining the power he has long coveted was not at all a pretty sight.
During the Donald Trump era, the GOP allowed a bunch of democracy-dismissing, election-denying, bat-shit crazy conspiracy theorists and MAGA/QAnon ReTRUMPlican nutjobs to infiltrate their party. Although that strategy helped get Trump elected in 2016 and effectively loaded up the US Supreme Court with a pack of ultra-conservative justices, it came back to bite the GOP in the butt just as they won slim control of the US House of Representatives and set out to prove to the nation that they were the leadership we’ve all been waiting to see.
On Tuesday, Republicans took control of the House but then immediately failed at their easiest task: electing a leader.
Led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado (among others), the once Grand Ol’ Party staged a divisive three-ring circus of infighting never before seen in modern politics.
Round after round after round, Kevin McCarthy entered his name into running to become Speaker of the House — only to see members of his own party actively work against him and successfully defeat him time and time again. Pledging to seize the speakership by any means necessary, McCarthy then slowly sold his soul to the devil — handing out favors, committee chair deals, rule changes, and more — just for the bragging rights of being able to say he won and didn’t lose in the end.
Well, on Friday night and after a week of clownish stunts and frivolous voting, he finally won. Except, did he really?
As of this writing, it’s not yet clear what Kevin McCarthy gave up to force those who vowed he’d NEVER be Speaker to backpedal and eventually allow him in. However, what we do know is that he was held hostage by members of his party and forced to promise that he’d launch multiple investigations into President Biden as payback for the Democratic investigations of Donald Trump; that the 118th Congress would be beholden to Trump and use their powers to be vindictive and seek revenge over actual governing; and that it would only take a single member of Congress to no longer desire Speaker McCarthy as their leader and begin procedures to oust him.
It’s hard to believe Speaker McCarthy actually agreed to give away so much power just as he was coming into power. It’s hard to believe Republicans held the country hostage with a week’s worth of failed leadership in choosing a leader (is this what they promised the American people during the 2022 midterms?). It’s hard to believe Republicans almost resorted to fisticuffs late Friday night when the Trump/MAGA faction of the party defeated McCarthy for an embarrassing 14th time, prompting one congressman into a barrage of profanity while lunging at Matt Gaetz.
However, welcome to the real Republican Party. May they reap what they sow.
Speaker McCarthy may have danced in the aisles of Congress on Friday night after being handed the leader’s gavel and sweet office suite overlooking the Washington Monument. However, it’s too bad he appears to be the last to know just how much he’s in for an extremely rude awakening.
If he thought trying to get elected Speaker was tough, just wait until he has to govern or lead this motley crew of misfits and maniacal MAGA/QAnon crazies. Just wait until he has to attempt to corral his slim majority of divided Republicans into voting for a bill against the fiercely united Democratic Party. Just wait until Matt Gaetz or Lauren Boebert stands up and actually uses the “Gotcha Card” McCarthy agreed to dole out that could oust him under any circumstances.
Oh, Speaker McCarthy. Be careful what you wish for. Too bad you actually got it!
OK WASSUP! discusses the Top News Today:
Speaker McCarthy sells out for victory.
CNN: Kevin McCarthy faces the first test of his capacity to cling onto power on Monday after he effectively gutted the House speakership of much of its authority so he could secure his dream job. McCarthy finally won the gavel on the 15th ballot early Saturday morning amid chaotic scenes after pleading with holdouts to relent and caving to the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus with repeated concessions. Now, the new speaker must manage his conference in his first order of business: Attempting to pass a package of House rules that is effectively a ransom on power required by his party’s most extreme elements. The risk for McCarthy is not just that he undermined his own tenure by agreeing to one particular rule change that means a single member can call for a vote to topple him at any time. It is that he has empowered extremists who could alienate mainstream… Read more »