You Can't Handle the Truth: Part III

By Rich Kozlovich 

On November 23, 2022 Sarah Arnold published this piece, More Republicans Oppose Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker: 'No', saying:

Republicans are facing mixed emotions when it comes to supporting House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as the next House Speaker.  On Tuesday, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) didn’t have to think twice about whether he would vote for McCarthy to be the speaker of the House. “No,” Norman said when asked about his thoughts on the matter.  “There are a growing number of us who have just lost faith that McCarthy can do the job, and the speaker is the most important position at this point in this country,” Norman said while appearing on CNN.

Now, my view of McCarthy is that at best he's a leaky vessel.  Take for example how he initially supported Liz Chaney when it was obvious who and what she was, and then later "had an epiphany" .....an epiphany mind you......and turned on her. Does anyone doubt McCarthy is a leaky vessel as an ally?  If the wind changes, so will McCarthy.  

Remember, this is the guy who didn't want Liz Chaney removed from her position as a Republican leader in the house, and later condemned Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. for speaking at the America First Political Action Conference, or AFPAC, calling it "appalling and wrong", and his despicable actions regarding  driving Trump out of politics, was followed by another "epiphany", and ran down to Mar-a-Lago, genuflected and kissed Trump's ring seeking forgiveness "because on reflection he realized just how wrong he was".   

• In case everyone has forgotten: Now Kevin McCarthy calls January 6 a 'violent insurrection': GOP war deepens after Trump attacked Mitch McConnell for calling it an 'insurrection'

You mean he needed time to see what was obvious to the most casual observer?  Wow!  I never knew the words epiphany and polls were interchangeable?  If that's so, and his "epiphany" is called a "poll", then it's a clear demonstration of his "leadership" qualities. That being somewhere between weak to non existent, with no stable moral foundation, especially given the cozy relationship he has with swamp creatures.

His "promises [to] Republicans [that] he shares their values, [and that] he’s on their side......that he will fight for them against permanent Washington, the forces that would like to destroy their lives", runs somewhere between questionable to highly dubious.

So, what does he really believe in?  We can only know after he reads the polls for his next "epiphany".  After all, being a California Republican is an exercise in capitulation and compromise in order to get elected, which I'm told by one of my e-mail correspondents involved in Californian Republican politics, is a major failing in California's Republican leadership.   

It's clear the Republicans will have to come together and pick someone soon if they hope to accomplish anything, and for that reason I've said I thought McCarthy would be Speaker, but I'm not so sure now as this is unfolding.  He absolutely needs the Freedom Caucus, which is now a group of substantial size with 44 members (membership by invitation only) in the House, and they are hot to deal with these outrageous budgets Biden and the Democrats have imposed on the nation.  I'll tell you what.  We'll come back to that. 

As it turns out McCarthy's not willing to give in to them, even on their budget plan, and the "proposed rules changes from the House Freedom Caucus have already been rejected by GOP leadership, creating more tension between conservatives and GOP leaders."  This isn't just a war between McCarthy and the Freedom Caucus, it's a war with the Freedom Caucus and the entire Republican leadership, and the new members coming in who are now more conservative.  

McCarthy has been vindictive in the past to the Freedom Caucus for daring to vote against him as leader,  and now he can't become Speaker without the Freedom Caucus, at least with his current stand on things, and I'm sure there are bad memories and hard feelings in that conservative group regarding McCarthy that are not going to go away.....ever. 

So unless he appeals to the Democrats it seems he can't win.  Remember, the Speaker of the House is mandated by the Constitution, so all members of the House vote for the Speaker's position.  There are no do-overs, and it's beginning to look as if he can't get elected without the Democrats.

Is that possible?   According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS) things have been changing over the last 25 years:

"In 11 of the 14 elections since 1997............some members s have voted for candidates other than the official nominees of their parties. Only in the initial election in 2015, however, were any such candidates formally placed in nomination. Usually, the additional candidates receiving votes have been other Members of the voter’s own party, but in one instance, in 2001, a Member voted for the official nominee of the other party............."

However, if he appeals to the Democrats he could probably win, but then what would he have to agree to and capitulated on to appease them?  Now, if he's elected by Democrats without appealing to them, but they act in his favor because they see a false conservative and a weak leader who can be manipulated by public criticism, can he possibly believe there won't be a massive revolt from the Republican members? 

Jim Hoft posted this article, Kevin McCarthy currently does not have enough votes for Speaker. This is a very good thing, saying:

While Biden, Pelosi and Schumer are destroying the country like never before Kevin McCarthy is way too weak to stand up against this destruction of the USA.  This is because McCarthy has never shown strength.  He’s Paul Ryan’s puppet in the House.... after two years Kevin McCarthy there is no indication that McCarthy will suddenly stand up against the Biden regime............looking at the 220 members of Congress based on their merits, their skills, their qualities, their leadership demonstration that you would settle on Kevin McCarthy at the expense of the other 219 or so Republicans....

After reading this piece, Stopping a Clean Debt Limit Hike Is an Early Test for Republican Leadership, one can reasonably ask: Is McCarthy the man to lead that charge? 

What happens when, or if, it becomes obvious most of the members of the Freedom Caucus will absolutely not vote for McCarthy and he can't get 218 votes, which seems that's the the position of the Freedom Caucus?  Now we're finding the, House GOP leadership rejects 6 of 8 rules changes sought by conservatives, with more pending.  Well, that certainly gives the impression the leadership's position is:  We're in charge, you're all whacko birds, so shove it.   

Does anyone besides me think that's not a good sign they'll convince the Freedom Caucus members to vote for McCarthy?   Just a thought.   

However, what happens if other members start to defect in their support of McCarthy?  What if that starts as a trend and becomes an avalanche? 

In 2018 Jim Jordan said, he was willing to run for U.S. House speaker, but this time he said he's not running against McCarthy, but what happens if they keep voting and McCarthy can't get 218 votes?   Will Jordan change his mind?   Will members decide to support Rep. Andy Biggs, who has openly challenged McCarthy?

But this presents a dilemma.  What about the new members?  It's the Speaker of the House who swears in the new members.  Does it have to be an elected Speaker?  As far as I can find out, yes, it does.  If that's the case, and it appears that it is, they must have a Speaker in place on January 3rd who is sworn in by the Dean of the United States House of Representatives, followed by the Speaker of the House swearing in the new members.

How about this.  McCarthy realizes his position is untenable, and removes himself from the running?  Since it certainly seems clear he can't be elected, at least by the Republicans, and he can't be their leader even if he gets the Democrats to vote for him, and if he's truly concerned about what's good for the nation isn't that what you would expect?  

Ya gotta admit, this is really getting down to the nitty gritty, and this is the test that will expose the character of McCarthy.  Is this all about him, or is it about the mission? We'll see!