DL Open Thread Wednesday January 4 2023
Dems Blowing a Great Opportunity to Fuck With the GOP
Just imagine the (even more) chaotic shitmess that would ensue in the Republican Party if Democrats offered to help “save” McCarthy.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries mentioned to CNN that he would release 10 Democratic votes to McCarthy to settle the “nonsense and ridiculousness” that the GOP is putting itself through.
I happen to love the idea.
It will never happen.
Here is GOPer Dan Crenshaw wondering how Republicans could have gone so crazy as to not be able to even elect a Speaker of the House:
We knew that there was no sacrifice, no degradation that would satisfy Kevin’s leopards. He may have been able to cobble together the votes to get into the speaker’s office for a spell. And who knows, he might still? But he was never going to lead this party.
Because they were never going to put their trust in him. They would never give up one retruth, one Newsmax hit, or one scampac fundraising email for the betterment of the party. (Forget about the country.)
On Fox News on Tuesday morning, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Tx.) expressed dismay over his Republican colleagues’ opposition to McCarthy, calling their actions “petty” and “childish,” and venting about how they are more concerned about notoriety than governing.
No shit, Sherlock. We’re all looking around to try to find out how that happened!
How might the new Republican conference have attracted these charlatans and con men and peacocking blowhards, I wonder?
McCarthy and Crenshaw and their ilk convinced themselves that they could throw in with the world’s biggest grifter, tell lie after lie (after lie) to their own voters, campaign for a boat of shithouse rats so crazy that they make yesterday’s crazies blush—and at the end be rewarded with their loyal support.
Absurd.
Their time was going to come eventually. For My Kevin, it appears that time is today.
McCarthy’s S&M Fetish
From Axios:
McCarthy’s leadership PAC — dubbed the Majority Committee — has donated more than $300,000 to the campaigns of 17 of the 20 members who voted against him today, Axios’ Lachlan Markay reports from FEC records. Twelve of those members got cash from McCarthy’s political operation during the 2022 cycle.
$300,000 Schrute Bucks
Southwest Airlines is offering a new appeasement to some customers after last week’s glut of cancellations while the misplaced baggage fiasco could grind on for days longer.
On Tuesday, Southwest informed some passengers affected by its Christmas travel meltdown that they would receive 25,000 frequent flyer bonus points as a “gesture of goodwill.”
In an email from the airline to passengers that was obtained by CNN, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan wrote that “no amount of apologies can undo your experience.”
He said the 25,000 gift points are worth about $300, and the airline told CNN the offer is in addition to reimbursements and refunds.
Trump Counsels GOP House Against, Wait For It, Embarrassing Themselves.
From the Washington Post:
“Former president Donald Trump voiced fresh support Wednesday for Kevin McCarthy’s speaker bid, counseling fellow Republicans to “NOT TURN A GREAT TRIUMPH INTO A GIANT & EMBARRASSING DEFEAT.”
Writing mostly in capital letters on Truth Social, his social media site, Trump told House Republicans that “IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE, YOU DESERVE IT.”
“Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB – JUST WATCH!” Trump wrote.”
Donald Trump: The Voice Of Reason.
I’m not surprised to see McCarthy’s descent into a bad running joke, neither am I surprised that the usual bad actors in the house intend to run rampant. I see it as embarrassing to the Republicans, and if it puts the brakes on the mayhem the Republicans plan to unleash when they take power so much the better.
McCarthy goes down for a 4th time.
This time, with Byron Donalds as the standard-bearer for (sorry, Phyllis) the whack jobs.
What benefit does it have for him to keep losing, besides the comedic value?
He loses votes every time, but he’ll make it up on volume.
McCarthy wanted to adjourn so that the Rethugs could try to get their act together in private.
The D’s, and quite a few R’s, would have no part in this plan.
So, they continue to vote.
And McCarthy goes down a fifth time.
Karma’s coming for the grifters
Even by Rethuglican standards, this Kat Cammack, who nominated McCarthy for the sixth vote, is a noxious piece o’crap. She obviously has a promising future in that Party.
6th verse, same as the first.
McCarthy goes down again.
I will be eager to see how this is the fault of extremists on both sides.
Just lost #6
666:) ok just 6!
God forbid a national crisis occur that needed some kind of Congressional action, they are literally forbidden from conducting any other business until a Speaker is elected.
It’s also funny to think of the families and children that came to see new (or old, I guess) members be sworn in… they’ve likely all gone home. Those new members aren’t even members yet, still technically congressmembers-elect. Wild.
It’s the “let’s fuck shit up” party in its glory. All performance art all the time.
Josh Marshall agrees. From his paywalled editor’s newsletter this afternoon:
The sad thing is that there is no tipping point of self reflection or reality check to move the toadies off the GUP insurrectionists