# Kevin McCarthy, Mike Johnson, and the Dems
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-mccarthy-mike-johnson-and-the-dems/1001065
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [May 2, 2024, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-mccarthy-mike-johnson-and-the-dems/1001065 "2024-05-02T15:27:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2024, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-mccarthy-mike-johnson-and-the-dems/1001065/1 "2024-05-02T15:27:39Z")
One reason I’ve heard as to why the Democrats will block an attempt to oust Mike Johnson while they let Kevin McCarthy twist in the wind is that McCarthy repeatedly broke promises he made to the Democrats while Johnson, whatever else you might say about him, has been truthful to them.
Is this true?
If so, what are some specific instances of McCarthy breaking promises he made to the Dems?
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-mccarthy-mike-johnson-and-the-dems/1001065/2 "2024-05-02T15:34:16Z")
> In a statement released before the vote, Jeffries explained his reasoning, saying McCarthy had brought this on himself by using his short tenure as Speaker to cater to extremists in his party. He pointed to the chaotic 15 rounds of voting that the House endured back in January to pick McCarthy as Speaker, a process in which McCarthy made concessions to far-right Republicans, including allowing any one member to force a motion to vacate.
> From here: [Why House Democrats Refused to Save McCarthy | TIME](https://time.com/6320202/house-democrats-refused-save-kevin-mccarthy/)
> Also this:
> “I think he’s likely the most unprincipled person to ever be Speaker of the House,” Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Virginia Democrat, told reporters ahead of the vote. “He’s disdainful, he lies about us, he lies about the process of governance. It’s not even a question of whether or not we should take any particular action.”
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Here is a nice summary of lies in general total by McCarthy:
> **[Fact-checks | PolitiFact](https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/list/?speaker=kevin-mccarthy)**
>
> PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter.
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2024, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-mccarthy-mike-johnson-and-the-dems/1001065/3 "2024-05-02T16:13:43Z")
Thanks for that, but I’m really looking for specific betrayals, like him saying “Do this for me and I’ll do that for you” and then not delivering.
The Time article showed that a lot of people found him oily and unprincipled, which was clear when he was sucking up to Trump. The Politico article was more about him whitewashing history, which I would bet Johnson does too.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-mccarthy-mike-johnson-and-the-dems/1001065/4 "2024-05-02T16:15:46Z")
I don’t think anyone has expressed a specific grievance in public. But as he lies a lot by even politician standards, there are probably many.
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-mccarthy-mike-johnson-and-the-dems/1001065/5 "2024-05-02T16:23:01Z")
(edit, never mind, off topic)
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2024, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-mccarthy-mike-johnson-and-the-dems/1001065/6 "2024-05-02T16:53:01Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#):
>
> Thanks for that, but I’m really looking for specific betrayals, like him saying “Do this for me and I’ll do that for you” and then not delivering.
Jeffries is saving those for his book.