They’ve been calling McConnell and Boehner and the like RINOs for years.
Sounds reasonable, although there is one possibility that you missed. Namely fairly moderate house Republican gets it but only with some Democratic support. I think that falls somewhere between the “also possible” and “not gonna happen”
I guess the question is what will be the state of affairs come December 11th. If Ryan or some other freedom caucus approved Republican gets in then I figure we’ll end up with another shut down. If the situation lingers on and Boehner is still in the seat at that time, then I think there is a good chance that as the lamest of lame ducks he’ll go ahead and allow a reasonably clean budget to come to the floor, since there isn’t anything they can do against him.
Let’s say you are a business conservative, but not a reactionary. You oppose chaotic Republican governmental shutdowns and prefer lower budget deficits. You understand the need for health care reform given that the US spends a vastly greater share of GDP than other high income countries with middling results, but aren’t too keen on a public option. You prefer smaller stimulus packages and dislike earmarks.
The Republican caucus is broken and is uninterested in governing. Such a conservative would be a Democrat and support someone like Jim Cooper (D-TN5).
ETA:
Nice catch. I’d put it in the also possible category, but below “Some other Republican pulls it together”.
Nope. Looks like Sir John of Orange is stuck with the hot seat for the foreseeable future.
To the contrary, Boehner is stronger today than at anytime since the 2010 midterms. The Freedom Caucus has shot its last bullet, any threats to depose Boehner are laughable since he wants to get out of town anyway. Plus, they haven’t got the votes to replace him with anyone that even remotely qualifies as conservative enough to advance their agenda. Boehner can do what ever he wants and negotiate with Democrats. He might also could use the mere threat of compromise with Democrats as a cudgel to force the Freedom Caucus to get in line and vote for his [second] choice for Speaker. Either vote in his chosen heir, or they will be cut out of the process all together. It is the Tea Party that is the lame duck, not Boehner.
I think you’re saying the same thing, you’re just using “lame duck” differently. Lame ducks by definition have the power of having nothing left to lose, and the weakness of no one having a reason to work with them to curry favor.
So it sounds like the Democrats should nominate Arnold Schwarzenegger for Speaker and hope a few RINO’s go along. But does the Terminator want the job?
I spoke of the devil, and now he says he’s willing to be Speaker(Issa).
Doing “whatever Nancy Pelosi wants” is not putting the good of the country ahead.
Yeah, that’s kinda the Speaker’s job. This is the Straight Dope, spare us the self righteous posturing.
So you’re saying the Speaker’s job is kinda to be a “scumsucker who puts party interest over the good of the country every time?”
Just checking; sometimes crossposts cause confusion, but I don’t think you were responding to my Schwarzenegger post from over 4 hours ago.
The Speaker looks after his party’s interests. The party’s interests should coincide with the country’s interests, and voters should hold the party accountable for their votes. Kinda like the way they did in 2010.
Scurrilous rumors abound regarding Mr McCarthy engaged in missionary positioning with someone not his wife. It is, of course, beneath my standards to link to any such disreputable gossip, and I only advise the Boards so that they may steel themselves to face further indignity. Or sniggering, juvenile* schadenfruede*, depending.
Honestly, luci, that’s so three days ago…
You’re totally right, and I was completely wrong, I admit it, I confess. I docked my ship in the wrong harbor, and beg the forgiveness of my piers.
Anybody know how I can mark this page so that, say, ten years from now I can bring it up when i want to prove I can admit that I’m wrong? Just askin’, is all.
There’s no need for that Luci. There are plenty of folks here who will be happy to remind you, I’m sure.
Getting back to our muttons, how about Ted Cruz for Speaker. He’s already been doing it, so why not give him the title?
Matt Yglesias at Vox: These are the 7 possible paths forward for the House GOP. “All of them, interestingly enough, lead to essentially the same outcome: The Freedom Caucus loses, and the must-pass bills pass.” The last one involves the Freedom Caucus simply coming to its senses and curbing their drama rather than forcing the country to participate in it.
I rolled my eyes so hard I saw my medulla oblongata.
He’s called “The speaker of the House”, not “The Speaker of the Majority Party”. Looking after the interests of the Republican party is the majority leader’s job.