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At this point, maybe all the names of the people who want to be Speaker should just be thrown into a hat, and Patrick McHenry can draw one and call it a day.
Instead, after a weekend of “reflection” (whatever that means) after giving up on a Jim Jordan Speakership, the House GOP caucus went back to voting today. First there were nine candidates for Speaker of the House, but Dan Meuser (R-PA) dropped out last night. So, the Republicans had eight declared options, with Rep. Elise Stefanik announcing how this was going to be decided.
Today at 9 am, I will gavel in the House GOP Organizing Conference for the purpose of electing a Speaker. Each candidate will be nominated by one colleague. Votes will be cast by secret ballot with the candidate with the lowest vote total dropped from each subsequent secret…
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) October 24, 2023
The complete tweet/post reads:
Today at 9 am, I will gavel in the House GOP Organizing Conference for the purpose of electing a Speaker. Each candidate will be nominated by one colleague. Votes will be cast by secret ballot with the candidate with the lowest vote total dropped from each subsequent secret ballot. We will vote until one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast.
Translated: we aren’t leaving this room until someone gets picked. Well, it became clear very quickly how this vote was shaping up. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the current Majority Whip, was the obvious leader from the start of voting. By the end of voting, he had run the gauntlet and outlasted the other candidates. It only took five rounds of secret ballot votes to get to this point.
TALLY
Emmer-117
Johnson-97
Others: 5
Present: 1 https://t.co/RPFKlcwf74— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 24, 2023
Are the Republicans finally tired of looking like a national laughingstock, and will they be willing to get their “poop in a group,” as was so colorfully stated by Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan? He apparently also said “I don’t want us to go out there and in front of the entire world puke on our shoes again. That’s what we’ve been doing.”
And that really is the proverbial $64,000 question. This circus of dumbassery has gone on far too long. Of course, we still have the problem of the Gaetz Eight. Emmer, as House Majority Whip, was third in line behind McCarthy and Scalise. What will the very stringently pure Gaetz have to say about Emmer, who is obviously part of the “establishment” that he so decries?
MATT GAETZ is quietly helping TOM EMMER, per multiple GOP sources.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 24, 2023
I hope everyone realizes by now that this was all a ploy on Matt Gaetz’s part for two things: some petty revenge on Kevin McCarthy, and to raise his own profile nationally so he can run for higher office. He got what he wanted. Now he’s hoping to avoid long-term blame, it seems. Tom McClintock had the measure of the Gaetz Eight, and there should be some accountablility and reckoning for putting the caucus through this insanity.
But back to Tom Emmer. Will the third time finally be the charm for Republicans? Right now, Emmer might have the majority in the caucus, but not enough to win the Speaker’s gavel. Emmer is being cast in the mainstream media as a “moderate,” which is obviously going to frustrate more conservative members. And if you think Democrats are desperate enough to support Emmer just to get the House opened again… yeah, no.
Emmer, as majority whip, boasts the most leadership experience. Assuming office in 2015, Emmer rose through leadership ranks to chair the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP’s chief campaign arm, in 2019, helping his party secure the majority.
The Minnesota Republican stood out from his eight opponents as being the only one of the nine candidates to have voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act that requires all states to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages. He was also one of only two of the nine candidates for the speaker position, along with Scott, to vote in favor of certifying the 2020 election.
Again, can I just point out that Matt Gaetz insisted on conservative “purity,” so he insisted on ousting Kevin McCarthy, but will now settle for Tom Emmer without a peep?
For his part, Donald Trump has basically bowed out of trying to be a kingmaker this time.
Thank you, Mr. President.
If my colleagues elect me Speaker of the House, I look forward to continuing our strong working relationship.
— Tom Emmer (@GOPMajorityWhip) October 23, 2023
Well, best of luck to Majority Whip Tom Emmer. I’m waiting to hear from Matt Gaetz or any of the “Eight” how Emmer is a vast improvement over McCarthy. In the meantime, the House GOP needs to cut their losses, vote as a bloc to get a new Speaker elected, and get themselves back to work. We the People are all heartily sick of this dog-and-pony show.
UPDATE 1:45 PT
Well, looks like we are back to square one. Tom Emmer has now dropped out of the race.
Where things stand:
No. 1 House R: McCarthy — ousted
No. 2 House R: Scalise — blocked
HFC Co-Founder: Jordan — blocked
No. 3 House R: Emmer — blocked— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 24, 2023
Apparently, Donald Trump changed his mind. So much for being “okay” with Emmer yesterday.
TRUMP issues attack against Emmer at critical time — just after he gets nomination and is working to nail down votes to get enough support for a floor vote.
Calls him a “RINO” – Republican in Name Only – on Truth Social pic.twitter.com/sIzKXjPEmr
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 24, 2023
The race is back on and everyone who got ousted the last time is promptly getting back in. I still stand by my proposal that McHenry should just draw a name out of a hat. Who in their right mind would want this job, herding circus animals???
Featured image: Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN), official Congressional portrait, cropped, public domain
Well, if this comes to pass, we’ll at least know where we stand. We’ll have a Speaker that keeps his promises – at least the ones he’s made to George Soros.
In his bio, you forgot to mention his work for enemies of the Constitution to defenestrate the Electoral College. Don’t be surprised if some Democrats do vote for him after receiving their orders.
GWB says: Can you provide details on the “defenestrate the Electoral College” bit, please?
Paid spokesman for the Soros funded “The National Popular Vote Initiative.”
Which, when passed into law in a State, requires them to certify the electors for whoever wins the NATIONAL popular vote. Regardless of how their OWN citizens voted. Already implemented in 17 States, with 205 electoral votes. If it is implemented in States with 65 more electoral votes – say goodbye to the Electoral College, except as an obsolete curiosity.
It’s passed at least one chamber in enough other States to bring it about.
GWB says: Oof. Thanks.
(And, that would seem to be Unconstitutional, on top of very wrong-headed.)
Scott says: Yeah, definitely unconstitutional.. not that the left would worry about such things
GWB says: Are the Republicans finally tired of looking like a national laughingstock
Why is this such a thing to y’all? Why do you care about the “chaos” and such? Why are you so interested in all lining up like good little school children so someone can tell them what to do? Don’t you rail against that very thing when people tell it to you? The only reason they “look like a laughingstock” is because their own team keeps pointing and laughing, instead of trying to accomplish something worthwhile.
we still have the problem of the Gaetz Eight
I’m betting come the elections I’m going to hear lots of folks around here screaming to primary Gaetz and get those 8 out of office. Which will put us right back to being the permanent “loyal” opposition party, instead of one working to actually get us back to a republic based on the Constitution.
Some of y’all are getting to be as bad as National Review.
GWB says: I’m not happy with Emmer.
But NO actual conservative is going to win, at this point.
But there is a war going on in the Republican party, and it needs to be fought, and to be won by conservatives. What Gaetz has done needs to be done up and down the ballot all over America, in state elections, local elections, and national ones. We need to fight to either make the Republican party one based on the limits of the Constitution and the rights of the people (laid out in the Bill of Rights) and the morals on which this country was founded, or to make it a husk of what it once was and start a new party devoted to those ideals. And that takes FIGHTING. Yes, within our own party – or exodus from it.
And that means that if Emmer compromises with those who would cut our nation out from under us, then he needs to go, too, and this “laughingstock” and “dumbassery” needs to happen all over again, until people wake up to the needs of the country.
(And, other than a budget or repealing laws that exist, why on earth do you want the House to be “doing things”? That’s the last thing a conservative should want. You want the legislative and executive branches tied up and not doing anything – because then they can’t be harming the US or its people.)
Deanna Fisher says: The House is where bills are supposed to begin for budgetary spending. If we want any chance of reining in Biden’s spending proposals, then there needs to be a Speaker of the House.
And you got your wish, GWB – check the update.
Sorry, not sorry – but I have to be a pedant here.
The House of Representatives can conduct ANY business right now. McHenry is Speaker pro tempore – and, under the rules has all of the duties and powers of a regularly elected Speaker. (Except for succeeding to the Presidency. If you think THIS is a circus now, just contemplate Kamala choking on a cackle at the same time as Joe completely misses the stairs and goes over the railing.)
Technically, also, as one otherwise rather ignorant commenter noted, the House must originate REVENUE bills. Proposed appropriations of that revenue can be made by either side of Congress. However… there is nothing preventing the House revenue bills from designating a revenue to a particular purpose – this is already done, if far too vaguely, for receipts like the fuel tax. Without a revenue, an appropriation is meaningless. (Yes, “revenue” means ANY receipts by the Federal Government – taxes, tariffs, fees, fines, sales of debt instruments, etc. The House has absolute control, if they exercise it, over the purse strings – opening them or closing them according to their exclusive desires. VERY deliberately set up that way by the Founders.)
GWB says: As one directly effected by any shutdown theater come Nov 15, I still back the “chaos” over caving to the Dem-lite GOP caucus.
(And, unlike gov’t employees, I won’t get backpay or get my leave days back.)
BJ says: Maybe the GOP should take a page out of the Middle Ages: wall up the House and feed all the Reps bread and water until they elect a new Speaker, the way the Church did to the Cardinals when they couldn’t agree on a new Pope.
Scott says: “In the meantime, the House GOP needs to cut their losses, vote as a bloc to get a new Speaker elected, and get themselves back to work. We the People are all heartily sick of this dog-and-pony show. ”
Gonna have to disagree again here. Emmer, as mentioned above is a bought and paid for Soros stooge. In this situation, I think the “don’t just do something, stand there” is the better option. What the repubs actually need to do is put forth an actual conservative, and keep putting h forward until enough dems vote in favor, and if not make it a campaign issue that the dems are holding shit up..
As for nothing getting done, I’ll defer to Gideon Tucker…“No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.”
GWB says: and if not make it a campaign issue that the dems are holding shit up..
And a primary issue for the RINOs. Work hard at bringing the electorate back to a set of conservative principles. The tribal politics have to go.
Scott says: THIS!
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