It'sYourMirthday
Steven BeschlossThere’s been a lot of talk about popcorn and the hilarity of Kevin McCarthy’s humiliation. Honestly, I find all the chaos and nihilism and ignoring of the responsibility to govern just plain sad.
ninavizz@StevenBeschloss Yup. All the quotes about he said, she said, they did, ignoring the oaths of service.
tom4okstate@StevenBeschloss agree. It's not funny. It's tragic that this is what we've been reduced to.
Cj@tom4okstate @StevenBeschloss To me, it is a blatant statement of how the quality of our government representation has diminished. I’m old enough to remember admiring some Republicans in the days of Sen Everett Dirksen, who I admired for his role in the Civil Rights Act. I’m embarrassed for the country to have such low quality ppl, whose only purpose is self promotion.
@BaldEagleGram @StevenBeschloss "I’m embarrassed for the country to have such low quality ppl, whose only purpose is self promotion."
Co-sign
Co-sign
Badwolf303@StevenBeschloss find the #GOP chaos clown show frightening. CNP, FedSoc & ruling class are still funding these traitors & #DOJ still hasn’t arrested Trump & gang yet. Why not?
*@StevenBeschloss I agree completely. Some people were suggesting that the democrats should help out but honestly it’s much better to let republicans work this out themselves, much like parents do with children when they mess up, not a good idea to bail them out for bad behavior they won’t learn a thing.
Go Sports & Music!@StevenBeschloss It’s been destroyed since Trump was nominated to a major party as a completely unrepentant sexist, racist, liar, and thief. Seven years later the GOP is still a completely miserable freak show of unintelligent, unserious internet trolls, this is just a symptom. So many never wanted this but hopefully wake-up call number 597 does the trick, I don’t know what else to say.
Peter Krowiak@StevenBeschloss I’m with you on that. It’s funny for a sec until it’s not.
Marsha@StevenBeschloss I am enjoying the finding out.
JohnWEverything the Republican Party stands for. All the squeezing out of rights and respect for #POC #Women #trans, everything not white wealthy and power-addicted has made us all infuriated.
This is our outlet. You're welcome to see it any way you want of course, but many of suffer as a result of their actions.
Diminishing that, even unintentionally is unfair.
Tor Iver Wilhelmsen@StevenBeschloss since they have stated they will spend their time «investigating» Fauci, Hunter Biden etc.instead of legislating, the chaos will just continue after they have settled on a speaker.
StephanieofPennsylvania@StevenBeschloss I just don’t care. I’m a 40 year Yellow Dog Democrat. Republicans need to be exposed as useless. They don’t help working class people. GOP only care about corporations.
Cat West@StevenBeschloss Gallows Humor. It’s how we keep our sanity in the midst of a crisis over which we have no control.
Sam Adams@Catawu Exactly. It's like watching an obnoxious skater slip while grinding and fall crotch first on a handrail. You have to laugh.
Toadman628@StevenBeschloss The Republicans are in disarray. They never admit that the worst is not over until Trump is charged and convicted. The failure of the impeachment conviction will haunt them. Letting Liars and possible bigots serve in government.
DavePerrino ✅@StevenBeschloss This is a perfect illustration of how only a few people can hijack our democracy. The 20 ideological zealots are showing the world what’s wrong with America.
スコット@StevenBeschloss From beyond US borders, the Republicans look like banana-republic clowns, what with this current carnival, the endless shenanigans of performance politicians like Jordan, MTG et al, Trump and his abyss, and the full loss of any moral imperative regarding governance since Trump's election. The moral rot is staggering. The childishness is pathetic.
Diana Prince of Steaks@StevenBeschloss I mean think of how this is going to play out. Nothing good comes from them in charge
pjsauter@StevenBeschloss Unfortunately even WITH a Republican Speaker, it'll be two years of chaos, nihilism, the shirking of of any responsibility to govern, and, yeah, just plain sad.
@StevenBeschloss If we don’t laugh and mock the absurd, over which we have no other control, we lose a tactical advantage in both the present and the future.
Mike Mc@StevenBeschloss Seems all part of the John Bircher/Tea Party/Freedom Caucus plan to prove the federal government is nothing but a clown show and therefore unnecessary.
Thomas Kalinowski@StevenBeschloss Isn't it just a *little* funny watching Kevin McCarthy grovel at the feet of Lauren Boebert?
@StevenBeschloss Gingrich, Hastert, Ailes and Murdoch ... this is a monster 35 years in the making.
Brett Clubbe@StevenBeschloss
IKR. It’s like maybe building a society on a foundation of theft, lies, enslavement, murder, rape and genocide and then never atoning for it can only end in tears.
I laugh to keep from crying.
IKR. It’s like maybe building a society on a foundation of theft, lies, enslavement, murder, rape and genocide and then never atoning for it can only end in tears.
I laugh to keep from crying.
Truth@StevenBeschloss This is on @GOPLeader for this mess America finds itself in. @GOP had an opportunity to rid themselves of #Trump & his #GOPClownShow at least twice!Also blame #MerrickGarland who hasn’t indicted any #SeditionCaucus members. #IndictTrumpAndHisAccomplices #GOPCorruptionOverCountry
Sunny Willow 🌞Merrick Garland is a disgrace.
Gary Bonneville@StevenBeschloss And it introduces the real possibility that the crazy wing of the GOP will hold greater sway than they already do, by requiring McCarthy to give away even more power in order to secure their support.
I am now in favor of Ds nominating someone like Upton, who could grab the speaker's job with 6 Rs.
Patty Bluebird 🦩@StevenBeschloss I've been laughing since it started but last night started thinking about what all of the BS means. We're in trouble. The world is watching. What god awful thing will they do once he is voted in, or someone worse. I'm sitting here wondering if they're thinking of installing the orange fungus from Florida.
MaggyW@StevenBeschloss I think it’s frightening. The insurrectionists are not done
Tae Phoenix@StevenBeschloss I use humor as a means of coping with difficult situations I have no control over. That’s what the popcorn and schadenfreude and references to Hamilton’s “you don’t have the votes” are for me.
But yes, this is shameful and sad.
L’Etat C’est Moi@StevenBeschloss I find it frightening. The Republican Party isn't just holding American people hostage, it's also weakening us before the world. Our enemies are surely looking for ways to exploit this.
@StevenBeschloss I was really offended by accusations of alcohol ingestion from a GOP rep. They all, the GOP, practice lying as deflection
@StevenBeschloss I will find it sad eventually, but right now I'm enjoying the hell out of it.
President of Noble Committee®️@StevenBeschloss oh, we'll be sad a lot of times during the next two years.
Russell Savory@StevenBeschloss There is no point pretending they will “govern.” They supported and defended an insurrection and a fascist president. The longer they stay away from the levers of power the better.
The Grey King@StevenBeschloss The Republicans are not taking governing seriously. Nominating Trump and all this other bullshit. At what point does this become dereliction of duty?
JR Buckley 🏳️🌈⚛️@StevenBeschloss I have to laugh to keep from crying.
James_Pond@StevenBeschloss There is always a lot of talk about me. 😉
aheffne@StevenBeschloss
but I would seriously enjoy watching Kevin have to move all of his stuff back out of that office. I know, it's not nice, but it is true
but I would seriously enjoy watching Kevin have to move all of his stuff back out of that office. I know, it's not nice, but it is true
Martin NuttyWhile the past few days have yet again revealed a #GOP incapable of governance, the big question for #Democrats and #HakeemJeffries is how or whether they should help?
The truism which dictates not taking the gun away when your opponent is shooting him/herself in the foot usually applies. However, is their an opportunity for the Dems here?
#KevinMcCarthy is not close to considering a deal in exchange for Dems support. That might change in a week
Katherine Garrahan@mnutty @StevenBeschloss A worrisome problem in waiting a week is that during the week he can make deals with the 20, and then the fringe ends up with outsized control over Congress. The current situation may be the majority party''s mess, but how it resolves impacts us all.
@kgarrahan @StevenBeschloss No doubt that is certainly a possible outcome. #KevinMcCarthy has been resisting capitulating to the crazies for months now. Should he give in, he’ll never be done with them. His fear has to be, party members shifting and coalescing around another candidate. Not much evidence of that yet. The situation is both embarrassing and volatile
volkris@mnutty @kgarrahan @StevenBeschloss
I think it’s more realistic to think about it the other way around: by the rules of the House this whole process is in the hands of the representatives-elect, so it’s not so much about McCarthy fearing but rather reps thinking he’s best for the job and not giving up yet.
Remember that the House doesn’t have things like declared candidacy. The process is based on nomination.
Think of this as bottom up, not top down.
@StevenBeschloss @volkris @kgarrahan
So here’s my take on what’s going on. Some of the objectors are looking for concessions from #KevinMcCarthy in exchange for their vote. These concessions being sought may not be consistent with their constituents. Indeed voters for each of these reps may have chosen to vote in favor of their candidacy simply based on party affiliation. We don’t know if voters in the districts would or would not vote for McCarthy
@mnutty @StevenBeschloss @kgarrahan
Yep, and hopefully every member’s constituents will be accurately informed about the member’s actions and hold them accountable in the next election.
(I won’t hold my breath about that)
Anyway, one thing to keep in mind is that the Speaker doesn’t work for the general public, the vast majority of which has no idea how the work of the speaker goes at all. He works for the members of the House, which is why they elect him and why we don’t.
And they are in a position to hold the speaker much more accountable than we will tend to hold our own representatives accountable, sadly enough.
@volkris @kgarrahan @StevenBeschloss
I think you’re shining a light on the current state of our politics which is more red vs blue tribalism rather that an issue oriented approach. Some of the more disreputable elected types spend their time pandering to this kind of binaryism which I think of performance politics. I think a lot of what we’ve been seeing the last few days falls performative bucket rather than a bona fide attempt to represent constituents
@mnutty @StevenBeschloss so now, as you well put it, he'll never be done with them.
Yeah. I hear #KevinMcCarthy has agreed to putting cuts to Social Security and Medicaid on the table for the next budget. The Freedom Caucus guys want to grab the 3rd rail with both hands. They have to keep their libertarian backers happy
@StevenBeschloss Exactly!
The Democrats keep putting out statements bemoaning the closed House while celebrating the drama among Republicans, but they aren’t being held accountable for their own votes to maintain that situation.
IMO Democrats should not be voting this way, voting alongside the Republican fringe to be clear, and should at least refrain from voting so the #House can get to work.
But we should at the least call them out on their part in this situation, even if one might think they’re doing the right thing.
Hulaviking@volkris @StevenBeschloss why would any thinking person want McCarthy as their leader?
When the #gop nominate some adult with a spine who isn't a Q or a traitor or a fascist/misogynist then let's talk.
That’s not how the House process works, though. Parties don’t nominate people. Individual representatives-elect nominate people, and any member is allowed to nominate anyone they want.
Anyway, and you’re happy about keeping the House shut down until that happens?
It’s fine if your answer is yes. We just need to be clear about making that choice.