Most lawyers I’ve ever dealt with are looking for solutions, not-to-the-knife fights.
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I disagree. I think it serves a great purpose for the Democrats to first let McCarthy fall, and then in the next efforts to select speaker, let it go a couple of votes before offering support for promises (which is what I voted for).
It shows EVERYONE again, how divided and broken the Republicans are, while the Democrats can show unity behind their own. Sure, it’s political theater, but it’s a show of strength. However, if a team of Republicans come forward with a deal for a non-partisan (or at least, stays bought) candidate who will work for the best of the government, by all means! But make them ask for it.
In other words, make them -own- their crazies and chaos, before giving them an out.
While I could see option 2 happening, I suspect the Dems don’t want to be seen as giving in to MAGA’s demands. And they’re the ones who want a new Speaker.
I think that, even if they didn’t get any sort of deal with McCarthy, they’d still mostly abstain. So, if McCarthy gets kicked out, it would be because a majority in his own party doesn’t want him.
It’s kinda win-win right now for both McCarthy and the Dems to have told MAGA they are irrelevant.
They could go with the more risky strat, but these are the Dems. They don’t play hardball very often, and they just got through doing so.
I voted Other. The motion to vacate will not pass, so we don’t have to speculate about a new Speaker.
That’s boring reality but it has a notion behind it. McCarthy has several times proven he will work with Democrats if pushed to the wall. Any Speaker who wins with conservative backing will be worse. Any Speaker who wins with Democratic backing will be subject to a motion to vacate and/or constant harassment. For both the non-crazy Republicans and the Democratic leaders McCarthy is better than any real-world alternative.
Maybe I misinterpreted, as I considered that option 1.
You are correct.
House comes in at noon today. We’ll see if our boy Matt is standing at the lectern waving around his motion to vacate. He did give himself some wiggle room yesterday, only saying that he would file the motion “this week”.
I thought you were going somewhere else but decided to change it to “motion to vacate.” Heh.
I don’t think McCarthy can do that unilaterally under current rules. My understanding is that appointment to and removal from the Rules Committee and all other House standing committees requires a majority vote of the full House. The Speaker can unilaterally remove members from House select committees and House members from joint committees, but not from House standing committees. Somebody correct me if I’m wrong.
According to the Congressional Research Service 30% of House members and 51% of Senators have Law degrees and have been admitted to the Bar at some point.
“Sidekick of villain in 80s teen drama.”
I think the Democrats should start wielding their power of numbers more and start pulling on that lever…
Hakeem: “Hey, Kevin, do you have a minute? Step into my office for a minute, please.” Puts hand on Kevin’s shoulder, closes the door.
Kevin: “Sigh. What’s up?”
Hakeem: “You look troubled, my friend. I want to help. Here’s what we can do: we’ll both help you keep your speakership AND quash that little mutiny you have going on there. You are going to have to work with us, tho. What say you?”
Kevin: “B-b-b-but, I promised those morons I would not work with you! If I go back on my word they’ll crucify me!”
Hakeem: “Your call. Without us, you will be dealing with this shit for the next six weeks, if you last that long. With us, you can keep your role here, and neuter the stray dogs, as long as we get something out of it.”
Thanks for the explanation. I guess, yes, parties should be able to get enough votes to pass their own bills but it’s really disheartening to see it spelled out like this. So much for trying to meet in the middle and work things out, huh?
What a miracle it would be if both parties were routinely able to leave their extreme wings in the dust and get the moderate majorities to work out sensible legislation. Thin margins just should not matter so much. I wonder if that will ever change as new generations come up.
Democrats already do that, much to the dismay of us extremists.
So Gaetz just now made a fiery speech in the House but ended it without calling for a resolution to vacate the chair. Instead, he suggested it might happen later this week.
I’m beginning to think he’s bluffing.
Thanks, fewer than I had been led to believe.
I think there are various shades of gray with respect to this. For example if there was a bill that was mostly on party lines but had 10 Republicans vote against it and 8 Democrats vote in favor, and none of the 10 Republicans were members of the freedom caucus that would probably not earn Gaetz’s ire, despite the fact that it required Democratic votes to pass But if, like this one, the bill is more popular among the Democrats than Republicans, and in particular the crazy Republicans are against it. That would indicate that McCarthy has gone over to the light side and must be quashed.
Both parties? Nice try, but wack-job amoral Democrats are not a major problem in the House or Senate. 