Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Infrastructure week. at last.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

After roe, women are no longer free.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

You cannot shame the shameless.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

The willow is too close to the house.

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

The GOP couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

This really is a full service blog.

Come on, man.

You are here: Home / Politics / Democratic Politics / Vote 119, Day 15, In Case You’re Losing Track

Reader Interactions

Commenters

No commenters available.

  • Alison Rose
  • Almost Retired
  • Anoniminous
  • Anyway
  • artem1s
  • Barbara
  • Baud
  • bbleh
  • Bill Arnold
  • bjacques
  • BlueGuitarist
  • Brachiator
  • Burnspbesq
  • C Stars
  • Captain C
  • CaseyL
  • Ceci n est pas mon nym
  • Citizen Alan
  • Craig
  • Dangerman
  • David Anderson
  • delphinium
  • Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg
  • Dorothy A. Winsor
  • eclare
  • Elizabelle
  • Fair Economist
  • Frank Wilhoit
  • Fraud Guy
  • geg6
  • Geminid
  • Gin & Tonic
  • Highway Rob
  • hilts
  • hueyplong
  • HumboldtBlue
  • ian
  • Immanentize
  • James E Powell
  • Jeffro
  • JGreen
  • Jim, Foolish Literalist
  • JPL
  • Ken
  • Kent
  • lee
  • Leto
  • lowtechcyclist
  • Lyrebird
  • M31
  • Martin
  • Matt McIrvin
  • MattF
  • Miss Bianca
  • MisterDancer
  • MisterForkbeard
  • mrmoshpotato
  • oatler
  • Old School
  • opiejeanne
  • OverTwistWillie
  • p.a.
  • PAM Dirac
  • PaulB
  • PaulWartenberg
  • realbtl
  • Redshift
  • rikyrah
  • Roger Moore
  • Ruckus
  • sab
  • scav
  • Sean
  • Seanly
  • Sparkedcat
  • Suzanne
  • Tazj
  • The Moar You Know
  • tobie
  • Tom Levenson
  • Tony Jay
  • TriassicSands
  • UncleEbeneezer
  • Warblewarble
  • WaterGirl
  • West of the Rockies
  • White & Gold Purgatorian
  • Wyatt Salamanca
  • zhena gogolia

Filtered Commenters

No filtered commenters available.

    Settings




    Settings are saved immediately; press X to close the box.

    268Comments

    1. 1.

      PaulB

      Reminder, for those keeping score at home:

      Not Kevin:
      Andy Biggs
      Dan Bishop
      Lauren Boebert (Hern)
      Josh Brecheen (Hern)
      Mike Cloud
      Andrew Clyde
      Eli Crane
      Byron Donalds
      Matt Gaetz (Trump)
      Bob Good
      Paul Gosar
      Andy Harris
      Anna Paulina Luna
      Mary Miller
      Ralph Norman
      Andy Ogles
      Scott Perry
      Matt Rosendale
      Chip Roy
      Keith Self

      Present:
      Victoria Spartz

      Reply
    2. 2.

      Dangerman

      No bathroom breaks and quad shots for members until it’s done. Checks will be made at the door for firearms and Depends.

      Reply
    11. 11.

      JGreen

      @Suzanne: It’s ok, you don’t have to watch this–you’ve seen this movie before (several times).  The plot never changes and you already know the ending.   You can save your popcorn for some more amusing entertainment.

      Reply
    15. 15.

      Gin & Tonic

      @Tazj: My dear wife has this crap on, and I heard that voice and immediately said “he’s not from Montana.” That’s a south Jersey/Philly accent.

      Reply
    19. 19.

      Anoniminous

      Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-In) voted “present” last time to lower the needed vote total to 217 but since Kevie got 201 votes last round, down from 202, it didn’t do him a bit of good.

      Reply
    20. 20.

      Baud

      @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I don’t know how it’s playing out, but I suspect it’s something like giving a side eye to someone who let out a fart.  I wouldn’t expect this will lead to a popular revolt, but it will lead a bad aftertaste in people’s mouth.

      Reply
    21. 21.

      UncleEbeneezer

      Less than 48 hours until we fly down to the Yucatan.  Doing all our last minute preparations around the house and figuring out some of the arrival challenges like arriving pretty late on Sat night and having to head out for a tour at 7:20 am the next morning.  But starting to get excited!!!

      Reply
    24. 24.

      PaulWartenberg

      This is essentially the Freedom Caucus’ attempt to re-enact the January 6th Insurrection. To delay and delay and delay so that nothing will get done.

      The problem is that the other Republicans will not call the HFC’s bluff by switching votes to Present and letting Jeffries win the Speakership.

      So they will repeat the vote.

      Insanity is repeating the same Speaker vote and expecting a McCarthy win.

      Insanity is repeating the same Speaker vote and expecting a McCarthy win.

      Insanity is repeating the same Speaker vote and expecting a McCarthy win.

      Insanity is repeating the same Speaker vote and expecting a McCarthy win.

      Insanity is repeating the same Speaker vote and expecting a McCarthy win.

      Insanity is repeating the same Speaker vote and expecting a McCarthy win.

      Insanity is repeating the same Speaker vote and expecting a McCarthy win.

      Insanity is repeating the same Speaker vote and expecting a McCarthy win.

      Insanity is repeating the same Speaker vote and expecting a McCarthy win.

      Insanity is repeating the same Speaker vote and expecting a McCarthy win.

      Insanity is AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAU UUUUUUUUUUUUG GGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

      Reply
    25. 25.

      lowtechcyclist

      In the time Matt Rosendale’s been yammering, they could’ve gotten through the first hundred names on the roll call.

      Reply
    32. 32.

      BlueGuitarist

      @West of the Rockies:
      purple tie creep is Matt Rosendale (MT-02)

      He keeps saying “equal representation”  but MT gets 1 rep for each 540,000 people, while districts average 761,000. If NY got 1 rep per 540,000 people NY would have gained 10 seats instead of losing 1 because of reapportionment formula small state bias formula and cap on house size at 435.

      Reply
    35. 35.

      Redshift

      I looked it up, and some of the past deadlocks did in fact run kind of like this — voting over and over with pretty much the same results, and trying to woo supporters. It’s stupid, but not uniquely stupid.

      However, in the really long fights, there were candidates dropping out in favor of someone who might get more votes and other maneuvering (and of course, the biggest were when slavery was the dividing issue.)

      I’m hoping this one goes to more than 9 ballots at least, so they can beat 1919 and have the most chaotic Speaker election in 150 years, not just 100!

      Reply
    36. 36.

      lowtechcyclist

      Scary that Rosendale was so tedious that Boebert is almost a relief after him.  And she’s terrible.

      Reply
    39. 39.

      Tony Jay

      There’s got to be a wheedling little voice whispering in McCarthy’s ear –

      “You know what, Kevin? They’re never going to let you have Nancy’s office, so take the DoJ’s fucking deal and rat out all of those backstabbing fucktards.”

      Go on, Lurch, be a legend.

      Reply
    41. 41.

      White & Gold Purgatorian

      @Jim, Foolish Literalist:  It has been the lead story on the CBS evening news the last two nights, and I’m sure it will be again tonight. They have not been both sidesing the issue either. That will start to shape normie opinions if the cf continues much longer.

      Reply
    42. 42.

      Redshift

      Now that I think about it, it’s even better than that — if this goes to more than nine ballots, we can say the GOP has presided over the longest election for Speaker since the Civil War!

      Reply
    43. 43.

      The Moar You Know

      oh no, they’ve discovered they can speechify during the vote.  These may start taking quite a while.

      Reply
    45. 45.

      scav

      Lord, the media is going to be so addicted to the GQP-MAGA high they’ve been sweet on for years.  Now in stereo and at firehose quantities and not the orange sippy straw they had to suck up to with TFG.

      Reply
    48. 48.

      James E Powell

      Repeating from last thread.

      Some of those things that the guy who nominated Donalds wants would significantly impair the Republican practice of not letting Democrats do anything when Republicans are in the majority.

      Reply
    50. 50.

      tobie

      @Old School: Oh fuck, he’s from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and his business, like every other rich person on the Eastern Shore that doesn’t own Perdue Chicken or Tyson’s Food, is real estate. I so want to see audits of everyone in the home trades (from big shot developers to small biz trades). They’re tax cheats, every last one of them.

      Reply
    51. 51.

      The Moar You Know

      Looking forward to the inevitable correction of the record from our loser 45th president, as to Kevin McCarthy’s coffee fetching abilities.

      Reply
    54. 54.

      Jim, Foolish Literalist

      I’m watching the roll call just because I think it’s funny how early in the alphabet it’s all over for Kevin. Still funny even the ninth tim

      ETA: I think he made it to “Clyde”.

      Reply
    59. 59.

      BlueGuitarist

      @Almost Retired:

      In the 2020 census California’s apportionment population increased by more than the entire population of MT and yet MT gained a seat and CA lost one because of the small state bias in the reapportionment formula and capping the House at 435.

      Little known fact: 435 was the number for size of house where no state would lose a seat in 1910 reapportionment, even Iowa which had lost population.

      Reply
    66. 66.

      MisterDancer

      @PaulWartenberg: This is essentially the Freedom Caucus’ attempt to re-enact the January 6th Insurrection. To delay and delay and delay so that nothing will get done.

      …a little bit? I think they really want McCarthy to step aside and allow one of the True Believers to be made Speaker. In that, it’s a bit like Jan6th, yeah.

      But damn few of them want that position in this case, because it means that person has to do Real Work — they can grandstand but they still have to do something. They can’t just sit on committee and make up shit all day!

      The delays are because they can’t even suss out the above. All they’ve ever known is how to beg for money and scream about bullshit, and this is the outcome. They have no real tools to force this outcome, but are hemmed in by their slavish devotion to stupid ideas about how to run America that can never bend, lest they be shown as powerless.

      And Authoritarianism can never be without power.

      Reply
    69. 69.

      Ken

      Vote 119, Day 15, In Case You’re Losing Track

      You have to laugh, because once you start screaming it will never stop…

      Reply
    71. 71.

      Immanentize

      From the last thread — here is a good history of many ballots. Longest was 133 in 1855.

      Of the 14 prior instances in which it took multiple ballots to elect a Speaker of the House, eight made it past the sixth ballot; only four made it past the 12th:https://t.co/oGNl8ox4iy(And only *one* post-dated the Civil War and the emergence of the modern party system): pic.twitter.com/nNyLa1R0rK— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) January 4, 2023

      Reply
    72. 72.

      Jeffro

      @PaulB: almost all of whom are committed insurrectionists.

      Maybe the non-crazies in the GOP will sign off on getting these bums thrown out from Congress?  A guy can dream…

      Reply
    80. 80.

      geg6

      @zhena gogolia:

      I do!  But I am working from home today and can put the tv on while I’m working.  Believe it or not, I’ve gotten quite a lot done today.  Probably because I don’t listen to when they cut from the House floor to the commentators.  Fuck that shit.  Who wants to listen to Andrea Mitchell, Chris Jansing or Katie Tur?  Not me, that’s for sure.  Nicholle is on now, so I can start listening now.  I can deal with her.

      Reply
    88. 88.

      geg6

      @JPL:

      All the bullshit McCarthy has been telling them behind closed doors in secret and then telling the press.  It’s pretty funny that they’ve pretty much kept mum, but McCarthy is leaking like a sieve.

      Reply
    90. 90.

      M31

      so Gaetz didn’t nominate Trump this time?

      So Trump can’t even get into the race to be one of the losers? That’s like loser squared

      Reply
    96. 96.

      Captain C

      @Baud:

      I don’t know how it’s playing out, but I suspect it’s something like giving a side eye to someone who let out a fart.  I wouldn’t expect this will lead to a popular revolt, but it will lead a bad aftertaste in people’s mouth.

      Unless you’re a fetishist at a convention, bad fart smell is not the first thing you want people to associate with you.

      Reply
    97. 97.

      Immanentize

      @zhena gogolia: I have long been vexed by the problem of evil ever since my mother got a brain tumor (which she amazingly survived) when I was 5. The newest ponder I put to God is: “why Barbara Walters and not Andrea Mitchell?” Maybe death actually is a heavenly reward?

      Reply
    98. 98.

      Leto

      @eclare: woodworking. I attend Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, which has a very good program. First semester complete, two weeks till we’re back. It’s both very rewarding and very frustrating. Frustration mainly because I’m trying to put into practice what I’m learning and it’s a skill set that takes time to learn. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Similar to what we’re watching now, except I’m getting better while MuhKevin is stuck in the mire.

      Reply
    101. 101.

      Ken

      @Immanentize: Why hasn’t CCN put up a huge counter yet?

      Tragically, the guy who was doing that had a nervous breakdown, and had to be sedated.

      @mrmoshpotato: It could be a BREAKING NEWS banner!

      “Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead. As is Kevin McCarthy’s dream of becoming Speaker, though he doesn’t know it yet.”

      Reply
    102. 102.

      Leto

      @Jeffro: she was speaking about how McCarthy basically threatened all of the shitbirds with no committee assignments if they didn’t come around while they were in conference.

      Reply
    105. 105.

      PaulB

      So, they’ll almost certainly adjourn after this, but will it be an adjournment until tomorrow or will it be an adjournment until Monday?

      Reply
    109. 109.

      Immanentize

      @Fair Economist: I’ve seen such studies, but they do not ever consider the impossibility of gerrymandering districts of a much smaller size for such an undemocratic result. Also, none consider the effect of popular opinion (say on abortion) that more districts would have on policy. Until those studies are attempted, the idea that nothing would change is wishful 🤔 ing (perhaps even partisan driven like the polls last election)  based on so many presumptions based in the current 435 position.

      By your very terms (not quite infinity), an expansion to one representative per voter would lead to a much greater Democratic Congress.

      Reply
    110. 110.

      Immanentize

      @eclare: three years ago, I told students abortion was going down. And likely birth control and same sex marriage would be on the block.

      My students are like so many law students and are basically institutionally conservative and not very forward creative/intuitive. They thought I was a crazy lefty nut.

      Let me tell you! I am Not crazy!!

      Reply
    112. 112.

      mrmoshpotato

      @Ken:

      Tragically, the guy who was doing that had a nervous breakdown, and had to be sedated. 

      I feel that there will be more than 24 hours to go in this shitshow.

      Reply
    115. 115.

      Leto

      @eclare: exactly. I’m better than I was six months ago, I’ll be better in another six. I have pretty much nothing but time from here on out so just gotta relax and remember that.

      Reply
    118. 118.

      eclare

      @Immanentize:   I knew Roe was gone once a friend texted me that RBG had died.  My one word response, “fuck.”  I now accept that there are no precedents to follow, at all. It’s the wild west now in SCOTUS.

      Reply
    119. 119.

      CaseyL

      Just tuning in. Looks like there’s been a lot of attrition, with at least one Dem (Spanberger) not there.

      FYI – Don’t know if this has been mentioned, but the South Carolina Supreme Court (!) just ruled that the so-called “fetal heartbeat law” is unconstitutional on the grounds of privacy, and struck it down.

      Reply
    120. 120.

      mrmoshpotato

      @Immanentize:

      three years ago, I told students abortion was going down. And likely birth control and same sex marriage would be on the block. 

      My students are like so many law students and are basically institutionally conservative and not very forward creative/intuitive. They thought I was a crazy lefty nut.

      Let me tell you! I am Not crazy!!

      Oh, just because you were right about 3 things, you make that last claim!  We’ll be the judge of that!

      Reply
    122. 122.

      Immanentize

      @James E Powell: Voters don’t need to change it. It is a congressional law, nothing constitutional about it at all, just needs a majority of the House, the Senate and Pres. signature. Whether the Senate would go along, wellllll….

      Reply
    125. 125.

      Immanentize

      @rikyrah: It is a great ruling, but the judge who wrote it (3-2 decision) is retiring in February. The S.C. legislature will choose her replacement.

      Reply
    126. 126.

      Leto

      @James E Powell: think about the discussion around expanding the Supreme Court, and the shitshow that is. It’s fluctuated over it’s history, yet WE GOTTA KEEP JUST 9! This is where conservatives have so poisoned our culture/discourse that any talk of expanding government is automatically rejected. Even though expanding the court to at least match the number of federal districts we have would be a good thing.

      Reply
    127. 127.

      Baud

      @eclare:

      I now accept that there are no precedents to follow, at all. It’s the wild west now in SCOTUS.

      This will be great for us in 30 years if we can get there.

      Reply
    128. 128.

      Highway Rob

      I looked away for a second and then a bunch of Republicans were shouting “Order” at Rep. Waters.  Anybody catch what happened?

      Reply
    129. 129.

      MattF

      Also just tuning in. Numbers don’t seem to be changing much, if at all. Back to watching (MCU) Moon Knight. It’s pretty good!

      Reply
    131. 131.

      James E Powell

      @Immanentize:

      The 435 House number is as big a problem as two senators per state or the electoral college.

      But changing the House number would not require a constitutional amendment.

      Reply
    133. 133.

      Warblewarble

      Only fair that each and every Democrat has a chance to nominate Hakeem Jeffries, Keep the votes going.

      Reply
    137. 137.

      Ruckus

      rethuglicans do not want to have a working house. Taken from their side, having a house that gets nothing done is good, because if the house doesn’t exist, it can do nothing to help President Biden, or the democratic senate. The rethuglican house members do not want progress of any kind. Sure they have to vote over and over but that is a small price to pay for it not even being possible for any legislation whatsoever even being brought up. Because their concept is that if they can’t have their way 100% of the time, they are going to hold their breath because that is the second best way to have a rethuglican president and congress. It’s childish and smaller than tiny but for them, it’s better than any liberal government. And they will vilify any rethuglican who wants, in any way, an operational, democratic government. They are holding their breaths until they get what they want.

      Reply
    140. 140.

      James E Powell

      @Immanentize:

      Voters don’t need to change it. It is a congressional law, nothing constitutional about it at all, just needs a majority of the House, the Senate and Pres. signature.

      Oddly enough, I know that. But if voters are not convinced that it is not just a good idea, but an urgent necessity, there will never be a majority of the House, the Senate or Pres. signature.

      Reply
    142. 142.

      Leto

      @Immanentize: so for the holidays we went back home to my parents house, which is just outside Charleston. We hadn’t been back since right before we left for Italy, which was 2011. The old saying of, “You can’t go home again” was in full effect. The small town I grew up in is basically gone. A number of major plants have opened (Boeing, Volvo, Catepillar, and at least 1 other), the interstates (26 and 95) haven’t been paved since at least 1995, and the small town I grew up in has essentially doubled in population and is pretty much unrecognizable to me. Any last inkling of desire to “move back home” were totally extinguished.

      Which is kind of my long winded way of saying: SC has always been batshit insane, and if there’s a worse option to choose from ofc that’s what they’ll do.

      Reply
    145. 145.

      WaterGirl

      @Immanentize: I’m starting to feel a little hopeful that maybe this is the beginning of the crack where they all start turning on one another and start spilling the beans.

      She’s a whore!

      He’s sleeping with your wife!

      She lied about you so she could chair the committee.

      You take money from Russia!

      Reply
    146. 146.

      Roger Moore

      @Leto:

      she was speaking about how McCarthy basically threatened all of the shitbirds with no committee assignments if they didn’t come around while they were in conference.

      Which is a pointless threat.  They can deny him the victory if they stick together, so he won’t have the power to deny them their committee assignments unless they change their mind.

      Reply
    147. 147.

      Baud

      Just a reminder that McCarthy wanted Senate Republicans to not pass the omnibus spending bill in December so the new House would have leverage to negotiate a better deal for the GOP.

      Reply
    148. 148.

      lee

      Those 20 are never going to change their votes. They have this ‘one simple trick’ that will prevent increasing the debt ceiling, funding the government and passing any legislation. If a Speaker is never selected, the House can never convene.

      My wish is for 11 GQP to walk out or vote present at a time when all of the Democrats are there. This will elect Jeffries as Speaker.

      Reply
    149. 149.

      Brachiator

      @zhena gogolia:

      I cannot believe you people are watching this. Do you not have jobs?

      I just check the news headlines and comments here from time to time, during work breaks.

      You could not pay me to watch the actual proceedings.

      Reply
    150. 150.

      Ruckus

      @Immanentize:

      435 is actually a much bigger problem. Because the people do not have equal representation as the states. It was designed that way from the start and was fine until the house grew enough to have somewhat reasonable say in federal government. And 435 fixed that. Also, because some states, or the population thereof, say CA will have more say than RI or any of the other 49 states actually. Imagine, a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Wouldn’t that be strange…..

      Reply
    151. 151.

      Leto

      Madeline Dean on MSNBC just laying out straight truth. Essentially saying MuhKevin is a weak, spineless “leader”, the crazies have the run of the place, she takes no joy in this, but it’s their problem to solve. Also apparently when the shitbirds nominated Trumpov that there was audible gasps from Dems, recognizing that tomorrow is the second anniversary of the 6th and he lead the insurrection.

      Reply
    153. 153.

      Bill Arnold

      @rikyrah:

      South Carolina Supreme Court rules state abortion ban after cardiac activity, typically around 6 weeks, unconstitutional.

      Excellent.
      They shouldn’t even be allowed this framing. There is no heart with valves and etc pumping blood at 6 weeks. (There is some electrical activity.)
      The standard for death is a heart that is not pumping (with no mechanical pump substituting) or a brain that is not working. (For example, without such standards, organ transplants would not be legally viable. )

      Reply
    154. 154.

      Redshift

      @Immanentize:

      Voters don’t need to change it. It is a congressional law, nothing constitutional about it at all, just needs a majority of the House, the Senate and Pres. signature. Whether the Senate would go along, wellllll….

      Exactly! It doesn’t require a constitutional amendment, it’s just a law. And a law from the past century which clearly goes against what the Founders intended, so conservatives should support it, too! (Hah!)

      “Repeal the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929!” has been my quixotic political quest for years. It’s like the filibuster in that the people who enacted it didn’t even intend to create what we have now, they were just overcoming an immediate problem

      It would also reduce the rural bias in presidential elections, since enlarging the House would reduce the proportion of total electoral votes that come from the two senators per state.

      Reply
    156. 156.

      Leto

      @Baud: is this acknowledgment that Senate R’s recognized the absolute lunacy that was incoming to the House? I’d like to think that, but idk.

      Reply
    157. 157.

      BlueGuitarist

      @Kent:

      @Immanentize:

      @Jeffro:

      Yes increasing the size!
      also constraining gerrymandering

      Plus getting rid of the current small state biased apportionment formula based on the geometric mean.
      the only bill Washington vetoed in his first term was the 1792 apportionment, which he considered unconstitutional since it didn’t have the same divisor for all states. current apportionment also doesn’t have same divisor.

      Reply
    158. 158.

      The Moar You Know

      Just a reminder that McCarthy wanted Senate Republicans to not pass the omnibus spending bill in December so the new House would have leverage to negotiate a better deal for the GOP.

      @Baud: We’ve all been guilty of a little unrealistic wishful thinking now and then.

      Most of us figure out it’s bullshit within thirty seconds or so and move on with our lives.

      Reply
    159. 159.

      Anyway

      Working here and taking a BJ break.

      He keeps saying “equal representation”  but MT gets 1 rep for each 540,000 people, while districts average 761,000. If NY got 1 rep per 540,000 people NY would have gained 10 seats instead of losing 1 because of reapportionment formula small state bias formula and cap on house size at 435.

      I wish Dem members would take their nominating opportunity to speechify on this point – each D should say “From the great state of blabla representing eleventybillion Murricans I vote for Jeffries…”  Get the discrepancy out there — maybe one or two pundits will pick up on it.

      Reply
    160. 160.

      Burnspbesq

      @tobie:

      They’re tax cheats, every last one of them.

      Probably not. Thanks to generations of effective lobbying and Republican fuckery, the Code is so stacked in their favor that they don’t need to cheat.

      Reply
    161. 161.

      JPL

      @Bill Arnold: just read about it on Mediaite.  I personally have problems with someone like Alexander besmirching someone else.   Now he needs to release the information he has so her district can elect someone else who’s in whacko.

      Reply
    162. 162.

      Ruckus

      @Leto:

      I haven’t been back to Charleston since 1973, and I don’t miss it at all, although if it hadn’t changed in that length of time it would surprise the you know what out of me.

      Reply
    163. 163.

      PAM Dirac

      @lee:

      My wish is for 11 GQP to walk out or vote present at a time when all of the Democrats are there. This will elect Jeffries as Speaker.

      And he won’t be able to do a damn thing unless there is also an agreement that they won’t walk right back in and pass the rules and the other bullshit they want to do.

      Reply
    164. 164.

      BlueGuitarist

      @Redshift:

      Yes! Repeal the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929!

      The rural bias: they froze the size of the house when the census showed urban population exceeded rural.
      also: long last time for DC statehood.

      Reply
    165. 165.

      UncleEbeneezer

      @Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg: We’ll be in Valladolid for two days (actually more like 1.5 days since we won’t get there until late Sat night) so we plan to

      • go on a tour of Ek Balam and Rio Lagartos on Day 2 (the only thing we actually have booked),

      • checking out Valladolid on day 3 before heading to Merida in late afternoon/evening.

      Once in Merida we plan to:

      • see a bunch of the city (maybe try the bus tour), and visit nearby Dzibilchaltun temple,

      • drive down to Uxmal, Labna, Sayil (and a bunch of cenotes nearby)

      • do a day trip to Sisal or Progresso (depending on weather forecast)

      Leaving us one free day before we head back to Cancun to fly home on Sat.  Possible rain on Thurs and Friday, so we’ll see.

      Reply
    166. 166.

      Roger Moore

      @Baud:

      Just a reminder that McCarthy wanted Senate Republicans to not pass the omnibus spending bill in December so the new House would have leverage to negotiate a better deal for the GOP.

      He wasn’t wrong.  He would have a lot more leverage, maybe even enough to get some Democrats to vote for him for Speaker, since they couldn’t even begin debating a new spending bill until there was a Speaker.

      Reply
    167. 167.

      eclare

      @Leto:   I think some did.  At least a couple of senators, including Cornyn, IIRC, laughed off McCarthy’s threats over voting for the Omnibus.

      Reply
    169. 169.

      Barbara

      @zhena gogolia: I am not watching, just looking at this site and mostly WaPo.  I wouldn’t be watching even if I didn’t have a job.  Even if it produces high levels of schadenfreude at times, mostly it just makes me angry to know that “Option A” Pelosi is a masterful tactician working every day to improve life for all Americans, whereas “Option B” — whoever that is — is an idiot who hates anyone who looks and thinks like me and will be doing his best to make life miserable for the majority of Americans and most of the rest of the world.

      Reply
    170. 170.

      C Stars

      @Brachiator: Yes, I find it edifying to check up on the news here at BJ occasionally. I don’t have any particularly pressing work deadlines today but I’d still rather not watch the actual proceedings. Especially since, from what I can gather, each time they fail to elect a speaker someone from the GOP gets on up and makes a speech blaming the Democrats, which is both hilarious and maddening.

      Reply
    172. 172.

      TriassicSands

      At some point, Jeffries may have accumulated more votes for Speaker than any one in history — without being elected Speaker.

      What is McCarthy’s problem? I think it is that those who currently oppose him don’t believe a word he says. So, all his maneuvering to remain in Trump’s good graces and to try to become Speaker is now coming back to haunt him.

      For anyone who hasn’t watched the Hannity-Boebert interview, it’s pretty amazing in a nausea-inducing way. If Boebert has four other never-Kevins who are as committed as she is, McCarthy has no chance of ever being elected. (As long as everyone votes.) It’s math so simple even Boebert can understand it. McCarthy, consumed by ambition, probably doesn’t.

      @Old School:

      That Trump sure has staying power. It’s hard to believe that anyone would want Trump as Speaker. Even though they love his fascism and general craziness, they have to realize he’s far too stupid and lazy to be Speaker.

      Reply
    173. 173.

      Citizen Alan

      @Fair Economist: No, but it would increase blue state representation in the House and, by extension, in the Electoral College. Also, with, say, 1 Representative for every 200,000 people, there’s a good chance that you’re no more than 2 degrees of separation from your local Congressman. Whereas I’m from a rural state and yet I’ve never been within shouting distance of my congressman (the execrable Trent Kelly).

      Reply
    177. 177.

      Roger Moore

      @Bill Arnold:

      I have mixed feelings about this kind of argument.  It’s true that what the embryo has at 6 weeks is some electrical activity in its cardiac cells, not an actual heartbeat.  On the other hand, basing our decisions about abortion on what’s going on with the developing embryo is accepting anti-abortion framing.  The key thing is the right of the pregnant person to decide whether or not they want to be pregnant, not at what precise stage of development the embryo gets rights.

      Reply
    179. 179.

      Old School

      Ken Buck (R-CO) missed Vote #9 for a medical appointment and will not be at any votes tonight or tomorrow.

      Kevin Hern’s (R-OK) mom’s funeral is Saturday and will miss any votes this weekend.

      Wesley Hunt’s (R-TX) wife just gave birth.  His status is uncertain.

      Reply
    180. 180.

      ian

      @lee:

      This will elect Jeffries as Speaker.

      His speakership would last as long as it takes 218 Republicans to vote against him.

      If we want Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker, we need to either start winning special elections or retake the house in 2024.

      Reply
    181. 181.

      PaulB

      According to CNN, as long as we don’t have a Speaker:

      No oversight
      No clearance for sensitive and classified information
      No House rules
      No payment for staff
      No legislating
      But members-elect will get paid

      Love that last one.

      Reply
    184. 184.

      Leto

      @Ruckus: I’m happy that the area is growing, has more jobs, etc… but a lot of what made the town special, at least to me, is gone. And I recognize the rose tint glasses here, but I still have some friends in the area and they were pretty much unified in message: don’t come back, it’s too fucking busy/crowded. A lot of the natural beauty of the place has been replaced by roads, more stores, and just shit.

      But we’re nestled in a place here in PA that’s really pretty, central to a lot of amazing woodworkers/resources, Avalune has a good paying job, we just put in bird feeders out back to good results… on the whole, life’s good!

      Reply
    186. 186.

      BlueGuitarist

      Ciscomani’s “only in America” remind anyone else of yogi Berra’s “only in America” response to hearing about the first Jewish mayor of Dublin?

      Reply
    187. 187.

      Martin

      Wondering at what point rank and file republicans give up and start heading to the local bar, letting the rest sort this shit out. At some point you stop caring which kind of fucked you are.

      Reply
    189. 189.

      Roger Moore

      @Burnspbesq:

      the Code is so stacked in their favor that they don’t need to cheat.

      For some people, as long as the code requires them to file taxes, they’ll cheat on them.  The tax code could be so screwed up they have a negative real tax rate, and they’d still be trying to figure out how to get it to a more negative number.

      Reply
    190. 190.

      Sean

       is this acknowledgment that Senate R’s recognized the absolute lunacy that was incoming to the House? I’d like to think that, but idk.

      @Leto: I think it was. Kevin Cramer was on record saying it was clear they didn’t want the task of governing, so the senate would do it for them.

      (Sorry, RCP link)
      Sen. Kevin Cramer: Some Senate Republicans Think They Should “Spare” House GOP From “The Burden Of Having To Govern” | Video | RealClearPolitics

      Now, this comes as the potential next Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, warned that he would block any bills that Republican senators support, if they back the omnibus spending package that’s barreling through the Senate. When I asked Sen. Kevin Cramer about that threat from Kevin McCarthy, he pushed back.

      SEN. KEVIN CRAMER: …you know statements like that and statements coming from House Republicans is the very reason some Senate Republicans feel they should spare them from the burden of having to govern.

      Reply
    191. 191.

      Burnspbesq

      @CaseyL:

      Some fuckwad will probably petition for cert, and Alito and Thomas will get a chance to give themselves more unaccountable power by gutting the adequate and independent state ground rule.

      Reply
    192. 192.

      bjacques

      Congressman Juan Ciscomani is living the American Dream, to become a Congressman and vote to deport his mom.

      Reply
    193. 193.

      rikyrah

      Under  the  jail 
       Phucking Demon 

      Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) tweeted at 1:00 PM on Wed, Jan 04, 2023:
      A police officer in Louisiana admitted to extremely horrific sex crimes involving children. Dennis Wallace Perkins was sentenced to 100 years in state prison.

      Perkins raped, he recorded videos, and he used his semen to “season” cupcakes before serving it to schoolchildren. WTF https://t.co/YLioIRphCQ
      (https://twitter.com/davenewworld_2/status/1610712902817792044?t=0dfM0sYwcRSIWO1nPOODKg&s=03)

      Reply
    194. 194.

      Citizen Alan

      @James E Powell: Well, “the voters” wouldn’t have anything to say about it since 435 is set by statute and could easily be changed. The reason why it never will be is because of Congress itself. Increasing the number of Congress-critters necessarily means diminishing the power of each individual critter now serving. Do you think the incoming Wyoming Congress member who replaced Liz Cheney would like to the state split between her and someone else? Or would she rather be the Congresswoman from Wyoming.

      Reply
    195. 195.

      Redshift

      @Citizen Alan:

      Also, with, say, 1 Representative for every 200,000 people, there’s a good chance that you’re no more than 2 degrees of separation from your local Congressman.

      That’s been my nonpartisan argument for it. Having congressional representatives who can reasonably get to know all their constituents would be better representation.

      Reply
    197. 197.

      James E Powell

      A common reference for people of a certain age is the moment when Goldwater went to Nixon to tell him it was over. Who is going to tell Kevin McCarthy?

       

      Now listen, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, he’s the traitor. Don’t forget that. – Vito Corleone to Michael Corleone in The Godfather

      Reply
    200. 200.

      Leto

      @Martin: if it’s always projection, then they’ve been drinking the entire time which would explain why they keep doing the same stupid shit over and over.

      @Sean: worthless recognizing worthless.

      Reply
    202. 202.

      Tony Jay

      Since there’s no actual House of Representatives in existence without a Speaker to anoint each of them with the holy oil of incumbency, shouldn’t it follow that the DoJ is free to hand out indictments against the ringleaders and conspirators of the January 6th Insurrection without being accused of partisan bias?

      And, most importantly, wouldn’t it be ever so funny if half the MAGOP disappeared in handcuffs and Jeffries was elected Speaker by the remaining Rep-Elects?

      Reply
    203. 203.

      Baud

      @WaterGirl:

      No, unfortunately.  It was intended as a joke.  People were going to lose their jobs because they were spending all their time here enjoying the shitshow.

      Too obtuse.

      Reply
    206. 206.

      James E Powell

      @Citizen Alan:

      Well, “the voters” wouldn’t have anything to say about it since 435 is set by statute and could easily be changed.

      Really? Nothing to say about it? You really think that such a change would be made if it wasn’t for voters demanding it?

      Reply
    207. 207.

      PaulB

      @James E Powell:  Who is going to tell Kevin McCarthy?

      Well, according to anonymous sources, this time they are really, really close to a deal. Really. They mean it. This is very different from last night’s reporting when they were also really, really close to a deal. No, really, dammit!

      [This might even be correct, but given the general accuracy of the reporting thus far, I think I’ll wait until the crazy caucus actually agrees that they have a deal and vote for McCarthy.]

      [Or, of course, until McCarthy concedes or gets thrown under the bus by the rest of his caucus.]

      Reply
    212. 212.

      Bill Arnold

      @Roger Moore:

      The key thing is the right of the pregnant person to decide whether or not they want to be pregnant, not at what precise stage of development the embryo gets rights.

      Yep, but falsehoods need to be called out.
      Similarly, the neural infrastructure that is necessary (not sufficient) for human consciousness is not present, and arguably only tentatively present even after birth.
      Same with pain; sensory nerves are literally not connected to the developing human brain until roughly week 23/24.

      Reply
    213. 213.

      Martin

      Take some solace that the GOP leader has so far negotiated away everything he has and gotten nothing in return – lost a bit, actually.

      Maybe Democrats should support McCarthy – that’s the kind of negotiating on legislation that we want to see.

      Reply
    214. 214.

      PaulB

      If this keeps up, those giving the nominating speeches will run out of things to say.

      “Yeah, you know what that guy said three days ago? Ditto.”

      Reply
    218. 218.

      Ceci n est pas mon nym

      @rikyrah: A police officer in Louisiana admitted to extremely horrific sex crimes involving children. Dennis Wallace Perkins was sentenced to 100 years in state prison.

      I googled the name and got details. Horrific is the word, and the sheer volume of illegal acts and material is overwhelming.

      His wife was a party to the behavior, including the child porn.

      You’ll all be happy to know though that he’s a good Christian and Jesus has forgiven him. So it’s all cool.​

      Reply
    221. 221.

      PAM Dirac

      @ian:

      His speakership would last as long as it takes 218 Republicans to vote against him.

      I’m not sure what would exactly happen. What standing rules are in effect to give the Speaker what powers? Usually the Speaker introduces the rules package right after being elected, so Jeffies could certainly introduce such a package, which would be voted down. Could the majority offer amendments or otherwise put in their own set of rules or could the Speaker prevent that? What are the rules in effect after the Speaker is elected, but before the new set of rules are voted on?

       

      ETA: Whatever the rules are, a majority can prevent any new rules from being made and any other things from passing.

      Reply
    225. 225.

      rikyrah

      @Old School:

       

      Ken Buck (R-CO) missed Vote #9 for a medical appointment and will not be at any votes tonight or tomorrow.

      Kevin Hern’s (R-OK) mom’s funeral is Saturday and will miss any votes this weekend.

      Wesley Hunt’s (R-TX) wife just gave birth.  His status is uncertain

       

      Are they pro- or anti- McCarthy votes?

      Reply
    226. 226.

      Ceci n est pas mon nym

      @Elizabelle: On the one hand, Bill Murray’s character differs from McCarthy in that he showed signs of personal growth over the many repeats of Groundhog Day.

      On the other hand, it was implied that he went through the loop thousands of times. So maybe Kev will get there yet.

      Reply
    229. 229.

      bbleh

      What happened to the C-SPAN vote counter?  I am VERY EXCITED to know whether Hern surpasses Donalds this round!

      @rikyrah: that rocks!  Nobody better, for at least two or three reasons.

      Reply
    230. 230.

      Miss Bianca

      Man, I just read that Ali Alexander dude’s rant and ho-kee smokes…that guy sounds buggier than batshit.

      How is that MTG has right-wing detractors now who manage to sound even more bugfuck nuts than she is?

      My head hurts…

      Reply
    231. 231.

      PaulB

      @rikyrah:  Are they pro- or anti- McCarthy votes?

      Those were all votes for McCarthy.

      (Although Buck twice said that he wouldn’t keep voting for McCarthy forever.)

      Reply
    234. 234.

      sab

      @Jim, Foolish Literalist: My spouses’s weekly coffee klatch had this as the only topic of conversation. They are all Catholic Democrats, mostly not very political but not oblivious. All in their very early seventies: the Vatican II generation.

      Reply
    235. 235.

      Craig

      @Leto: cool. Laney College in Oakland has a great woodworking program with a fantastic shop. It’s great because you can keep taking cheap classes over and over and have access to the shop and actually get pretty good. It’s been 8 years since I’ve been back, maybe it’s time.

      Reply
    236. 236.

      MisterForkbeard

      @ian: Well, sorta. They can’t kick him out until there are rules to do so, and Jeffries would get to advance the House Rules package.

      Not that it would pass, but they can’t replace him until some rules are in place from what I understand. And theoretically he could sneak in some rule about “5 members from each of the major parties” has to call for his removal before the vote comes up, etc. Though how he’d get that through I have no idea.

      Reply
    237. 237.

      Leto

      @Elizabelle:

      Once again, the eyes of the nation have turned here to this… tiny village chamber in Western Pennsylvania Washington, DC. Blah, blah, blah, blah! There is no way that this winter vote is *ever* going to end as long as this groundhog skid mark keeps seeing his shadow. I don’t see any other way out. He’s gotta be stopped. And I have to stop him.

      – Phil Conners, maybe

      Reply
    240. 240.

      sab

      I keep forgetting that they have had since early in November to figure this whole thing out. It’s not like they were busy doing anything else in Congress.

      Reply
    242. 242.

      Citizen Alan

      @James E Powell: Well no, but I was referring to the fact that it wouldn’t require a constitutional amendment like abolishing the EC or changing the structure of the Senate would.

      Reply
    243. 243.

      bjacques

      Donalds missed his own vote again. I’m beginning to doubt his commitment to Speaker Motion.

       

      This vote goes to eleven!

      Reply
    246. 246.

      Leto

      @Craig: we have a pretty good shop. Multiple table saws, band saws, two good planers, three jointers, and a number of other machines. Only thing is that it’s a school so you have a ton of people on the machines, which just means things are quite as tight as they should be. I fully recognize this due to the fact that I taught my job (Air Force instructor) and we had similar issues. Overall though, this is the type of environment I needed (full time hands on) and sought out. Also glad I got in when I did because my instructor only has a few more years left and he’s one of the best.

      Reply
    248. 248.

      Geminid

      @Leto: No, this is up to Caucus Chairmen Pete Aguilar. When he gives the word, the new Illionois 13th CD Rep will start butting in on Republicans’ nominating speeches, and interrupt them so persistently they’ll be reduced to jumping up and quickly yelling “I nominate So-and-So!” and sitting down before she can butt in again.

      Reply
    251. 251.

      mrmoshpotato

      @p.a.:

      No media outlet break out the ‘America Held Hostage’ counter yet? 

      I saw someone call these motherfuckers “legislative terrorists” yesterday or the day before.

      Reply
    255. 255.

      Elizabelle

      @hilts:  been blissfully unaware of the pundit industrial complex.  just you guys and headlines.

      i am in no hurry to see a Republican House.  They can do this up through Groundhog Day.

      Reply
    256. 256.

      Ruckus

      @Leto:

      I live in LA county, CA. The town I grew up in, about 6-8 miles from where I now live, was the 4th oldest city in LA county. It’s changed a lot from when I moved there at 2 days old, which was a while ago.

      I’d bet that there are only a few places that haven’t changed a fair bit since either I was born or serving in the military, as I was discharged before a few people on this blog were born. IOW in my nearly 3/4 of a century, a lot of things have changed in the world.

      Reply
    257. 257.

      Bill Arnold

      @mrmoshpotato:

      When do the Rethuglicans start punching each other?

      No metal detectors. No rules, really. Do Federal laws apply?
      4 foot lengths of 1/2 inch rebar for everyone.[1] Or alternatively, pepper spray or mace, if one is squeamish about physical damage of human bodies.
      [1] 4 foot lengths for CSPAN cameras, so that viewers can properly see the action.

      Reply
    259. 259.

      Bill Arnold

      @bjacques:

      Supersoakers filled with “Fentanol”!

      Dyed florescent yellow so that the streams show more clearly.
      Nerf bats seem a little too wimpy for this crowd, though paintball guns might be considered Republican-enough.

      Reply
    262. 262.

      Matt McIrvin

      @TriassicSands:

      That Trump sure has staying power. It’s hard to believe that anyone would want Trump as Speaker. Even though they love his fascism and general craziness, they have to realize he’s far too stupid and lazy to be Speaker.

      They wouldn’t elect him as Speaker to make him Speaker. It’s to put him in the presidential line of succession. It’s the first step in a second coup plot.

      Reply
    264. 264.

      BlueGuitarist

      @Seanly:

      political science suggestion is cube root of the population, which would be 691.

      current office holders not likely to want to raise it even that much.

      Reply
    267. 267.

      Kent

      @PaulB:

      According to CNN, as long as we don’t have a Speaker:

      No oversight
      No clearance for sensitive and classified information
      No House rules
      No payment for staff
      No legislating
      But members-elect will get paid

      Love that last one.

      Well, one solution suggests itself.  The whole damn staff should walk off the job until they get paid.    Clean your own damn toilets for free.  Keep the heat on yourself.  Run your own damn dining room, etc.

      Reply
    268. 268.

      TriassicSands

      @PaulB:

      Present: Spartz

      Spartz is not a NO vote. She says she’s voting present in order to get Republicans to pause the voting and go back into discussions. Apparently, she realizes what others do not — simply holding one vote after another when there are more than four NEVER KEVIN representatives is a waste of everyone’s time.

      Spartz voted twice for McCarthy and then, apparently using her brain, concluded that nothing was going to change if all they did was follow each failure with a new vote. She’s got a point.

      Reply

    Leave a Comment

    Your email address will not be published.

    If you don't see both the Visual and the Text tab on the editor, click here to refresh.

    Clear Comment

    To reply to more than one person, click the X to save & close the box.