While that might be tongue-in-cheek, that’s literally true. It’s like a police investigation prior to charging someone. You might have suspicions but you won’t levy charges until you see what the evidence says.
(Not that I’m saying things like “evidence” are going to matter in this particular situation.)
I think the best thing would be for McCarthy to totally call their bluff.
If they don’t remove him, it was all a bluff and he can ignore them going forward as the mere powerless spoiled children they are. And if they do remove him, the R House delegation will very publicly tear itself apart for 6 or 12 months creating lots of opportunities for D congressmembers and congressmember wannabes to stoke public resentment over these clowns. Improving the D’s seat haul in 2024.
Whichever result occurs, the USA is better off for it.
The problem with McCarthy doing what he’d doing, repeatedly submitting to the terrorists demands, is that it simply encourages them to wave the same (fake?) bomb around the room again and demand more. And more. And MORE.
Do not negotiate with people like that. Especially do not appease people like that.
Of course if McCarthy bends the knee to their demands in public then all we have is a moment of spunk during the pre-game warm-up.
But it does show may, just maybe, McCarthy is tiring of this game. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
I was thinking the same thing. If he was seen to be working with the Democrats, that’s what would unite all of the Republicans, full wacko and less wacko alike, and they’d make sure he was out of there ASAP.
I’ve seen this before. It’s part of the Russian playbook in Ukraine. If you send or use such and such a weapon here or there; will go nuclear. It’s a bully threat from a playground near you. Unfortunately for Americans, this playground is the seat of government.
Let’s get the government financing bills done first, though.
A different option is for the Dems to abstain on the motion to vacate. (Did someone else post that upthread?) They could just say that this is an internal problem for McCarthy to solve, within his own conference. Get back to us when you’re ready to deal with real business, not your party squabbles.
Well, we’ve seen the opposite of it with Russian nuclear threats in Ukraine. Nobody in positions of importance has ever taken them seriously; they’ve been blindingly obvious bluffs. To condense Perun’s video on the topic down, nations publicly declare their nuclear doctrines specifically to make it very clear to potential adversaries what they consider to be actions that could result in a nuclear response. Providing the country they have invaded with specific types of military hardware has never been grounds for nuclear escalation by Russia, or any other country for that matter.
Is it common for police to start an investigation into a person when they don’t even know what crime they are investigating? I mean, I guess a corrupt police chief could just investigate people he didn’t like to see what he could come up with…
Assuming it takes another nine weeks for the Republicans to choose a new speaker, this is a good does this mean that nothing could happen legislatively during the vacancy period?
You want Democrats to give McCarthy something he wants now, in return for something the Democrats want later; have you learned nothing about dealing with Republicans in the age of Trump?
There would be an acting speaker. The current speaker has to provide a list when he or she is elected of members who can fill a vacancy due to illness, death, or being ousted. That person serves until a new speaker is elected.
Under the rules of the House, the speaker, “as soon as practicable after the election of the speaker and whenever appropriate thereafter”, must deliver to the clerk of the House a confidential list of members who are designated to act as speaker in the case of a vacancy or physical inability of the speaker to perform their duties.[50]
Oh dammit, I was just writing this up when you sniped me. 
I’ll just add, the rules state that the Member acting as Speaker pro tempore during a vacancy may exercise such authorities of the Office of Speaker as may be “necessary and appropriate” until the election of a new Speaker. It’s not clear what authorities would fall under that “necessary and appropriate” umbrella, or who even gets to make that determination.
Is there any rule that that acting speaker can’t also be voted out?
They’ve said what they’re investigating; corruption. That’s not a mystery. They’ve been howling about it for a long time. They’ve been open about that for a long time. Specifically, corruption in regards to money deals with foreign entities, misusing his VP position to get money in Ukraine and China. On top of that, he’s accused of using his current position to force the DOJ to sweep Hunter’s crimes under the rug.
Of course, all of those accusations are based on nothing. There’s no “probable cause” to use the law enforcement term. But there’s never been a mystery in regards to the accusations.
If he can update the list at will, can he change it to designate a Democrat?
Ooh! Or maybe he already made a Democrat his designee when he was elected to put a poison pill in the agreement to get the gavel!
Anyone think he’s that smart?
Or that the MAGA nuts are that dumb?
Hell, that proposition isn’t even controversial. And it does say that the list is confidential.*
*Which I concede is not synonymous with “secret.”
Accepting “Hakeem Jeffries” as McCarthy’s replacement would be a new level of MAGA nuts shooting themselves in the foot, though, virtually assuring McCarthy a lock on holding onto the speakership.
It would be interesting to know who this person is, because it’s hard to imagine anyone who’d take the designation other than a MAGA nut, but it’s harder to imagine that McCarthy would designate one of them to replace him since that gives them an enormous motive to zotz him immediately.