“Not my fault. It’s his fault” has been their plan for years now. It’s why Moscow Mitch simply refused to allow votes on lots of issues, like Obama’s Supreme Court nominations. It let the Republicans block the actions, without anyone other than Mitch having to take an actual stand on an issue. “Not my fault, that Damn Mitch didn’t even let us vote!”
Jeffries: “A dozen of you, huh? Here’s the counteroffer. Vote ‘present’, and in exchange, we will give the United States a functioning House.”
That’s actually a form of approval voting (as used in St. Louis mayoral elections). Those of us in the nation’s tiny election reform community are always happy when alternatives to FPTP are brought to attention.
I think the Democrats taking the completely stupid and totally historically unprecedented act of voting for a Speaker who agenda is to destroy their party, platform and President actually increases the chance of a government shutdown.
Every time a Democrat suggests that Dem House members should cross the aisle and vote completely against their interests, they’re setting a up a situation where the Democrats have to unfairly shoulder part of the blame for a situation that is totally and completely 100% the fault and doing of the Republicans.
This will deepen the both sides bullshit. The Republicans will be more likely to shut down the government if they can continue to play on this false narrative, because they will be able to insist on something previously unthinkable, like refusing to pass the legislation avoiding a shutdown unless the Democrats vote to impeach Biden. Then they’ll blame the shutdown on the Democrats.
I guess if you’re a MAGA Republican you might advocate the Dems working across the aisle, but I’m confident the Democrats aren’t going to fall for it.
Well said.
I think this weekend will determine whether Jim Jordan is going to be Speaker. The difference between opposition to him and opposition to Scalise is that the hard-right Republicans are inherently obstructionist, whereas the “moderate” opposition to Jordan are more naturally inclined to go along for the good of the party. If these “moderates” go back to their districts and hear a lot of opposition to Jordan, it may stiffen their spines. If what they hear is that constituents just want the Republicans to hurry up and elect a speaker, they may quickly fall in line.
Seconded.
Cf. Lucy/football.
All Jeffries would get in response is a puzzled look, one you’d get from a Golden Retriever if you ask him to fix your WiFi.
"Huh? A functioning House? Who gives a shit about that? What’s in it for me? Me me me me me!
ME!
WHERE IS MY BISCUIT?
They did not get into politics to govern, to do anything for anyone else. Not to serve the American people. This line of reasoning would just confuse them.
Right. Part of the mess up to now has been that from whichever faction of the Republicans you are, you are wondering who is it that you least want to disappoint: primary voters for not being hardcore enough, general election voters for not doing your job, your donors, your putative allies, your party elders? They will take whichever is the path of least resistance.
That’s where in a normal world you’d try to explain that w/o an operating House, there is no biscuit. Mind you, the “mainstream” Republicans know that perfectly well but they face, to their horror, the rise of a faction who have realized they can get the biscuit elsewhere (and with fewer legal restrictions) being more influencers and reality stars than legislators.
Exactly right. The biscuits are now coming mainly from grifting the rubes by providing them with a show.
Jeffries has already indicated that the GOP can get a better compromise deal than that:
A Bipartisan Coalition Is the Way Forward for the House
The above article lacks a full plan and is thus open to interpretation. But the offer sounds to me to mean that a lot of Democrats would be willing to vote present, allowing a GOP speaker candidate to win, in return for a rule change where Democrats could bring legislation to the House floor for “up-or-down votes on bills that have strong bipartisan support” — even if most Republicans are opposed.
I may have previously posted against this kind of compromise on grounds that thr Republicans would be making a promise they could break. But on something like this, I”m confident Jeffries knows better then I do.
OMG, the FC would go out of their minds. That definitely seems like a deal worth making. Suddenly debt ceiling and government shutdown crises wouldn’t seem so inevitable.
I saw an interview on CNN last night. They caught McCarthy in the hall and asked about the speaker race, Jordan’s chances, Republican dysfunction… Kevin actually had the nerve to blame all of it on the Democrats for “working with 8 Republicans to remove him” (not a direct quote). As if the Democrats called to vacate the chair and a few Republicans joined in. As if the Democrats had any incentive or responsibility to help him remain speaker. As if this never would have happened if the Democrats didn’t join in to oust him.
It made me want to kick Kevin through my TV, and pinch Manu Raju (probably butchered the spelling) really hard for not pushing back and asking Kevin why he had the absurd notion that the Democrats were responsible for helping him hold on to his job when his own party wouldn’t do it. Or asking what conversations he had with them, what concessions he offered that they refused (knowing that the answer is zero and none).
Can we afford a government shutdown?
If we don’t default on the debt, we can. A shutdown, especially in the run-up to Christmas, seems like a terrible idea, but aren’t we in some ways in a kind of a partial shutdown now? There are things that government can’t do right now, not because finances aren’t allocated but because the house lacks a speaker.
Can we afford (withstand really) government of, by, and for the Gaetz brigade?
Because that’s the alternative, and that way lies not a shutdown of the federal bureaucracy, but the total destruction of national governance.
For a couple weeks?
Certainly.
A Jim Jordan length shutdown? Sounds like a problem.
Allies of Jordan are threatening retribution and primary challenges for any GOP member who opposes him on the floor. (Gift link to NYTimes article)
I’m curious to see how those in swing districts respond to this strategy. It could be an interesting weekend.
Of course he is. 
Next will be cleverly posed death threats, like his deity- trump.
I imagine that for a suitable payment, trump will dox the families of whoever the Jordanians ask him to.