Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Republicans with a Spine?

Kevin McCarthy has now failed to secure the speakership after 6 votes.  It is time to step aside and let someone else be speaker.  Of course, he's not going to do that.  He may yet arrange for Democrat votes to push him over the needed votes.  Imagine what sort of concessions that will require.  If he was truly interested in the good of the party, he would negotiate for another role and give up the speakership.  Really, the last Congress already settled the budget until September and the divided government means that anything the Republican House does will just be canceled by the Democrat Senate.  If ever there was a time for this sort of intraparty fight, now is it.  Once it's resolved, they won't get anything done anyway.  It's gridlock until January 2025, at minimum.

The great thing about the handful who have taken the fight this far is that they have been shown to possess something very rare among elected Republicans: a spine.  Yes, if McCarthy is finally elected, which he probably will be, he is going to be vindictive to these insurgents.  They know that, and still they protest.  Now, if only the rest of the Republicans could muster such sangfroid.

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