Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls 2 years from now.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

We still have time to mess this up!

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

He really is that stupid.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

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

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

You are here: Home / Politics / Democratic Politics / Leader Hakeem vs. ‘Squeaker’ McCarthy, Part 2

Leader Hakeem vs. ‘Squeaker’ McCarthy, Part 2

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Look at these photos.

Leader Jeffries vs. ‘Squeaker’ McCarthy, Part 2 1  Leader Jeffries vs. ‘Squeaker’ McCarthy, Part 2 2
If you just look at the faces, with no context, the first guy looks like he might be constipated, but the guy on the right seems happy enough.

In the full picture, I see a very gracious man handing over the symbol of power, and another guy saying “gimme that!”

Leader Jeffries vs. ‘Squeaker’ McCarthy, Part 2

Leader Jeffries:

As Democrats we do believe in a country for everyone….
We believe that in America, our diversity is a strength.
It is not a weakness.
It is an economic strength. A competitive strength. A cultural strength.
Our diversity is a strength.
It is not a weakness.

We are a gorgeous mosaic of people from throughout the world. As John Lewis would sometimes remind us on this floor, we may have come over on different ships. But we’re all in the same boat now.

We are white.
We are black.
We are Latino.
We are Asian.
We Are Native American.

We are Christian.
We are Jewish.
We are Hindu.
We are religious.
We are secular.

We are gay.
We are straight.
We are young.
We are older.

We are women.
We are men.

We are citizens.
We are dreamers.

Out of many, we are one.
That’s what makes America a great country.

Squeaker McCarthy:

Okay, I confess.

I couldn’t listen to McCarthy.

If someone did listen and wants to share a short summary in the comments, I can add it to the post.

This week will certainly tell us a lot – a lot about the rules themselves, a lot about whether republicans will vote in lock step, a lot about what we can expect to see from the various factions in the republican party.  Can they get rules passed?  Will the rules be passed as a package, take it or leave it?  Or will there be votes on the rules, one by one?

Might we see a repeat of sorts of the 15 votes for Squeaker?

Thoughts and predictions?  It would be irresponsible not to speculate!

For my money, I think the big fight will be related to committee chairs – isn’t that what the (near) fisticuffs was about on Friday night?   I think the political terrorists do not get their promised positions as chairs, and then because of that they set the whole thing on fire.  I don’t always have to be right, but please please let me be right on this.

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

114Comments

  1. 1.

    cain

    Cool to mention Hindus, although there are more Muslims than Hindus in this country. But hey, great to feel seen!

  5. 5.

    MattF

    Squeaker McCarthy inspires contempt from everyone (Bret Stephens):

    A few honorable exceptions aside, the G.O.P. is basically split between reptiles and invertebrates. McCarthy is the ultimate invertebrate. He went to Mar-a-Lago just a short while after Jan. 6 to kiss the ring of the guy who incited the mob that, by McCarthy’s own admission, wanted to kill him. He hated Liz Cheney because of her backbone. But he quailed before Marjorie Taylor Greene because she has a forked tongue. He gave away the powers and prerogatives of the office of speaker in order to gain the office, which is like a slug abandoning its shell and thinking it won’t be stepped on.

  6. 6.

    Geminid

    Someone posted on Twitter a really good montage of photos from Saturday night. They show Jeffries and Pelosi sitting together in the House Chamber and chatting.

    They seemed to be having fun.

  10. 10.

    WaterGirl

    @MattF:

    He gave away the powers and prerogatives of the office of speaker in order to gain the office, which is like a slug abandoning its shell and thinking it won’t be stepped on.

    Alas, too long for a rotating tag.

  11. 11.

    Geminid

    I think the Rules will be voted on as a package. If enough Republicans balk, leadership might huddle with them and then amend the objectionable rule.

    McCarthy and his team have had since Sunday morning to sell the rules package to members, and it will very likely pass. I would not be surprised if enough members vote “no” on the first and maybe second ballots to hold things up a bit, just to fire a shot across the Freedom Caucus’s bow.

  13. 13.

    Brachiator

    For my money, I think the big fight will be related to committee chairs – isn’t that what the (near) fisticuffs was about on Friday night?

    I didn’t watch them, but I suppose there was speculation on the Sunday pundit shows.

    I don’t know what these people might do. I only know that it will be stupid and mean spirited.

  16. 16.

    Tim Ellis

    I didn’t know much about Jeffries before but man he really impressed me. Nancy Pelosi is a tough act to follow, but he seems up to the task. He also seems to recognize the gravity of the moment for democracy in the US, which is important to me, so that’s reassuring. Taken with the show of total unity from Dems throughout the fiasco of McCarthy’s 15 votes, and I feel very confident the House caucus is ready to roll.

    Also makes me a little miffed that I left NY state because wow do the  NY Dems need a shakeup lol. Can’t believe they blew the House for us. New York! The mega-blue state! Embarrassing.

  18. 18.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Tim Ellis: I keep thinking back to the New York Times talking about how the red wave would lead to Republican gains deep in blue territory. No, it’s not all deep blue territory, it’s just YOU.

  19. 19.

    West of the Rockies

    I watched only a couple minutes of McCarthy speaking.  He opened with a bit of, I think, humility and humor, or at least was better than I expected.   Where it went from there I don’t know.

  20. 20.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Matt McIrvin: I’m not an expert in NYS politics, much less media consumption, but I’d be willing to bet that in those areas where Republicans made advances, and where Eric Adams was stronger than Wiley and Garcia, the Post has greater influence than the Times.

  22. 22.

    PJ

    @Tim Ellis: If you lived in New York, you know it is not a “mega-blue state”.  40% of the voters chose Trump in 2020.  Upstate and Long Island are mostly Republican.  Billionaire Ronald Lauder funded a lawsuit to erase the districts which the Democrats drew up in redistricting, and then the Republican judge appointed a Republican to draw the new districts.  There is no Democratic “machine” in New York to get out voters.  Results should not be surprising.

  23. 23.

    brendancalling

    @MattF: weird to see Brett Stephens, who flipped out after being compared to a bedbug and tried to get the guy who called him that fired, comparing the GOP to reptiles and insects. Someone should remind him it’s not nice to call names.

  24. 24.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @PJ: So old I remember when Chuck Schumer cited “The Baileys”– a middle-class two-income household in Massapequa– as his political North Star, and Kirsten Gillibrand bragged about the shotguns she and her husband kept under their bed.

  25. 25.

    SpaceUnit

    When I was a kid a squeaker meant a little high-pitched fart.

    And so it’s spot on here.

  28. 28.

    Kent

    @Geminid:

    I think the Rules will be voted on as a package. If enough Republicans balk, leadership might huddle with them and then amend the objectionable rule.

    McCarthy and his team have had since Sunday morning to sell the rules package to members, and it will very likely pass. I would not be surprised if enough members vote “no” on the first and maybe second ballots to hold things up a bit, just to fire a shot across the Freedom Caucus’s bow.

    The GOP never had the slightest intention of operating a functional legislative body in the House over the next two years.  All they had planned was dysfunction.  So I don’t think it makes a tinker’s dam worth of difference what the rules are.  And whether it is say Jim Jordan or Matt  Gaetz that is running whatever latest hearing they plan on Hunter Biden or Dr. Fauci or “wokeness”   All they are really fighting over is which GOP assholes are going to get the most TV time over the next two years and by extension the most air time on FOX

    That is all this is about.  The Freedom Caucus a-holes are just trying to jump the line.  Let them eat their own.  Who cares.

  40. 40.

    Geminid

    @Kent: I think it might make a difference what the rules are, especially the one regarding removal of the Speaker.

    Anyway, I am a curious person and the dynamics of this caucus interest me, just like the dynamics of Virginia’s state Republican party interest me.

    And I am pursuing an anthroplogy project. I’ve been impressed by how the proposition, “Latinos are not a monolith!” has become accepted doctrine here. So I am researching the question, “Are Republicans a monolith?” Preliminary findings could be shocking!

  43. 43.

    artem1s

    Might we see a repeat of sorts of the 15 votes for Squeaker?

    While I was watching the never-ending gobstopper of Squeaker votes last week, it occurred to me the GOP House members are so out of practice they all needed a primer on how to vote to secure a majority. And even then one of the performance artists among them couldn’t remember whether to vote Y or P, resulting in R-(forgot to bring his cane) Mike Rogers nearly losing his shit on Gaetz.
    I wonder how many of these douche-nozzles think they get 15 do-overs for bill votes? I’m thinking at minimum Boebert will try voting present on some critical bill McCarthy wants passed just because she thinks it’s cute.

  46. 46.

    piratedan

    I believe that one of the asks of SINO was that he cede control of the gavel on multiple committees to HFC members, one of which was supposedly the Armed Forces Committee (which is where the Ukraine battles will be fought) and in doing so, they move ahead of the queue to control those agendas.  What will likely rankle is that you have members that have been serving say 14-30 years waiting their turn to hold a gavel and now, McCarthy has denied that to a certain old guard that had been waiting their turn.  Its unknown how deep that would cut, or who it would cut, if true.  It’s not as if these guys have any trouble banking their ambition for the greater good…. :-)

  48. 48.

    WaterGirl

    @Geminid: I agree.  This thread isn’t exactly red hot, so I figured I would save those for a new thread tomorrow or later this week.

    If there’s interest, I was thinking I might do a post at the end of very week:

    Leader Hakeem vs. Squeaker McCarthy , Week X

  49. 49.

    WaterGirl

    @piratedan: There was reporting on Friday night that the near fisticuffs was related to the chair of a committee and a subchair of that committee (or whatever the term is) having been promised to one of the terrorists.

    So yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna go over well.

  51. 51.

    Geminid

    @piratedan: Some observers say the key concession made by McCarthy was guarenteeing 3 Rules Commitee seats to Freedom Caucus members. This Committee will have 9 Republicans and 4 Democrats, and it has a lot of say over the progress of bills on the floor, amendments etc.

    This is sometimes called “the Speaker’s Committee” because the Speaker typically stocks it with loyalists who will further his goals. Now, McCarthy will not neccesarily have a majority because, for different reasons, the 4 Democrats and 3 Freedom Kookuses might together outvote his 6 members.

  52. 52.

    bbleh

    @Brachiator: @Kent: @piratedan: @WaterGirl: most of the reporting I’ve seen has been that the fighting has mostly been about subcommittee chairs and committee memberships, rather than committee chairs.  I think committee chairs are pretty much set in stone.  But subcommittees — especially of the larger, more powerful committees — do a lot of the detail work, so a subcommittee chair can exert some serious influence.  And of course committee membership gives the MC a platform to bloviate and the power to influence committee work by threatening to vote against whatever they produce

    And as I understand it, Rules sets not only the governing rules of the session but also the progress of all legislation — the rules for amending and voting on each bill — and so is a very powerful and much sought-after committee seat.  And 3 seats out of 9 (assuming McCarthy doesn’t stab them in the back by expanding the committee, which is a pretty safe assumption) means that the 3 Crazies plus the 4 Democrats would be 7 vs. the 6 other Republicans and hence a majority that could block potential rules.

  54. 54.

    CaseyL

    @piratedan: I’m not sure how many of them are happy to spend their entire day shitposting on Twitter.

    HFC, yes: hell, that’s what they think their job actually is. 

    But a few of the older ones might want to do actual work, if only to make the day go by faster.  Chairing a committee is actual work.

    ETA: Not to mention that the HFC probably has no idea how to do committee work, as so many of them have never had an actual job in their lives.

  56. 56.

    randy khan)

    I still love that Jeffries and Pelosi engineered the photo so that she wouldn’t be doing the handoff.

  57. 57.

    Kelly

    @FelonyGovt: Oregon Dems tried for 5D-1R gerrymander but the legislative quorum rule imbedded in the state constitution created a filibuster-like opportunity for the Rs.

  59. 59.

    Geminid

    @randy khan): And Jeffries is standing a step above McCarthy, so he’s looking down at McCarthy as he hands the gavel off. Makes me laugh to see it!

  61. 61.

    WaterGirl

    @FelonyGovt: Seems like Dems didn’t who up as strong in the states that had the protection of abortions rights, as compared to states that don’t.

    I hope this changes for every special election and in 2024.

    We didn’t need to be where we are in the House.

  63. 63.

    Kent

    @Kelly:@FelonyGovt: Oregon Dems tried for 5D-1R gerrymander but the legislative quorum rule imbedded in the state constitution created a filibuster-like opportunity for the Rs.

    They could have still gotten it, but they ran a fucking incompetent campaign in the 5th District and just got beat.

  64. 64.

    karen marie

    @Sure Lurkalot:   What do you mean “just in case”?  I think that bird has already flown.  I haven’t looked myself but it’s been reported that the Jan 6 committee materials were pulled from the govt site where they were initially posted.

  66. 66.

    Kent

    @Geminid:

    @Kent: I think it might make a difference what the rules are, especially the one regarding removal of the Speaker.

    Anyway, I am a curious person and the dynamics of this caucus interest me, just like the dynamics of Virginia’s state Republican party interest me.

    And I am pursuing an anthroplogy project. I’ve been impressed by how the proposition, “Latinos are not a monolith!” has become accepted doctrine here. So I am researching the question, “Are Republicans a monolith?” Preliminary findings could be shocking!

    You are presuming that the non-Freedom Caucus GOPers want to actually do real legislating and get shit done.  I don’t have that presumption.

    I do recall one analysis I read recently (forgot where) which explained that a big part of the Rules Committee involves deciding what legislation reaches the floor.  And that non-crazy control of it in the past meant that members in other than crimson districts were able to avoid having to take a lot of pointless and damaging votes on meaningless legislation.  And that if the Freedom Caucus takes over there will be a whole lot more politically stupid votes they are forced to make on legislation that is going nowhere.

    If that is the case then good, we can all get out the popcorn.

  67. 67.

    Kelly

    @Kent: The Constitution Party weirdo in CD6 helped throw that seat to the Dems. No Constitution Party candidate in CD5. I’m thinking Chavez-DeRemer must have worked something out to protect her right flank.

  69. 69.

    rikyrah

    Did folks see the new Tabitha Brown stuff at Target? Came out yesterday.

     

    Anna Gifty (@itsafronomics) tweeted at 7:34 PM on Sun, Jan 08, 2023: Whoever is managing Tabitha Brown’s @IamTabithaBrown deserves an award because her internet presence has since turned into:

    – Partnership with Target

    – Multiple brand deals

    – Emmy nominated children’s show

    – Co-owned vegan restaurant

    – Successful hair company #DonnasRecipe

    https://t.co/fhyujgragK (https://twitter.com/itsafronomics/status/1612261518027984898?s=02)

  75. 75.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @WaterGirl: Seems like Dems didn’t who (show?) up as strong in the states that had the protection of abortions rights, as compared to states that don’t.

    Massachusetts on the line for you…

  76. 76.

    NotMax

    Already dubbed McCarthy’s initial speech the Pettysburg Address in a previous thread. Got nuthin’ more to add.

  78. 78.

    Kent

    @Kelly:@Kent: The Constitution Party weirdo in CD6 helped throw that seat to the Dems. No Constitution Party candidate in CD5. I’m thinking Chavez-DeRemer must have worked something out to protect her right flank.

    There was an analysis and comparison of the different races in the WA-3rd which the Dems won, and the WA-5th which they lost.  I think it was in Slate.  And the conclusion is that Marie Gluesenkamp Perez ran a far superior race than Jamie McCloud in every way.  Which is how she won a race in a much redder district

    EDIT:  Here is the article:  https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/12/marie-gluesenkamp-perez-joe-kent-doorknocking.html

  79. 79.

    MazeDancer

    Tried to add to my SINO answer but got timed out, that while I understand the appeal of “Squeaker”, it is a bit of an insult to mice. They are industrious, use their brains, and take good care of their young.

    Also, if you overlook the mice part,  he is a Squeaker for realz. Not “in name only.” So you are abridging the attempt at insult by adding “in name only” to “Squeaker”.

    Kevin is a real Squeaker. He barely got voted in. Call him Squeaker McCarthy for  sure. But adding “in name only” dilutes the slap.

  82. 82.

    Kent

    @Qrop Non Sequitur: And Washington.

    The biggest upset in the entire country was the WA-3rd where Balloon Juice supported candidate Marie Gluesenkamp Perez beat the vile Trumper Joe Kent.  She did is by running HARD on abortion as well as blue collar economic issues.

  84. 84.

    Geminid

    @Kent: Another difference beteen Glusenkamp Perez’s and McLeod Skinner’s races was that McCleod-Skinner won a divisive primary against an incumbent.

    That’s no reflection on McLeod-Skinner. She was doing what a majority of the district’s Democrats wanted, but it was bound to leave some hard feelings. Kurt Schrader did not help matters either when he endorsed the Independent candidate for Governor after he lost the congressional primary.

    But I think that Republican lady who won will end up being a one-termer.

  86. 86.

    Elizabelle

    Damar Hamlin now recovering in a Buffalo hospital.  Released from Cincinnati facility; closer to home now.  Excellent news.

  88. 88.

    Ken

    @Baud: Like we would take the word of a plinth about something like that.  Where are the long form birth certificates!

  90. 90.

    Qrop Non Sequitur

    @Baud: My mistake. I’m used to Trumpers introducing themselves as vile. Not usually literally, I just know to read between the lines.

  93. 93.

    glc

    @WaterGirl:  Among other things, it’s a pollutant due to be phased down (but not eliminated). Less potent than the ones before it, but needs to be kept under control. And a subject of international concern.

  97. 97.

    Brachiator

    @bbleh:

    Thanks for the info on this.

    And 3 seats out of 9 (assuming McCarthy doesn’t stab them in the back by expanding the committee, which is a pretty safe assumption) means that the 3 Crazies plus the 4 Democrats would be 7 vs. the 6 other Republicans and hence a majority that could block potential rules.

    I can’t see Democrats helping the crazies.

    But I could see the crazies pulling non-crazy Republicans more to the right.

    But we shall see what happens. Maybe McCarthy is a total idiot who has been outplayed, but I can’t see the GOP leadership letting the crazies have too much power.

  100. 100.

    bbleh

    @Brachiator: No, but I can see the Crazies “helping” the Democrats block something McCarthy wants, not because they agree with the Democrats but because they’re trying to jam McCarthy.

  101. 101.

    Geminid

    @The Lodger: The radical Republican caucus will put a lot of purple district Republicans in an invidious position. They and their staffers will be polishing up their resumes so that come 2025 they’ll  be ready to hunt up new jobs.

  102. 102.

    Geminid

    @bbleh: It’s also a threat the radicals have to help bend McCarthy to their will. I don’t think Democrats on that committee will be doing McCarthy any favors.

  103. 103.

    TriassicSands

    Several days ago I referred to McCarthy as the Weaker Meeker Squeaker Speaker McCarthy.

    It will be “interesting” to watch someone who has already given up so much and given in on pretty much everything else to negotiate with his party’s lunatics — all 217 of them.

    The bomb throwers could have prevented McCarthy from ever becoming Speaker, but it turns out they aren’t even reliably obstructionist. Roy said he would “never vote for” McCarthy and then did — 4 times. Maybe McCarthy promised to buy him the assault rifle of his choice.

    Boebert held out longer, but, while not voting for McCarthy, she did vote present, guaranteeing McCarthy’s victory. That probably cost McCarthy new assault rifles for the whole Boebert family. Priorities!

    The entire House GOP is united by insanity, cruelty, and stupidity.

  104. 104.

    TriassicSands

    @bbleh:

    I don’t know about that. Does any Republican hate McCarthy more than they despise every Democrat? It’s an intriguing question.

    I doubt there will be any shortage of reasons why the “Crazies” will want to screw with McCarthy.

  105. 105.

    Splitting Image

    @WaterGirl:

    Why is there no Democratic machine in New York????

    Well, New York used to have the strongest Democratic machine in the entire country, so much so that Tammany Hall is still a byword for machine-style politics. That’s part of the problem. The machine was so corrupt for so long that reformers in the 1960s finally ousted all of the Tammany Hall leadership and rendered it impotent. Since then, I think there has been a fair amount of reluctance to see the machine get rebuilt.

    I think New York also benefited from having some of the most liberal Republicans in the country. Tom Dewey and Nelson Rockefeller were leaders of the liberal wing of the Republican party back in the days when it had one. When people like them moved over to the Democrats during the Great Re-alignment, New York became so blue that I imagine no one felt a “machine” was necessary at the federal level. This is the first time it has ever been a problem, at least federally. The Democrats’ difficulties in taking the state Senate should have been treated as a warning sign, in hindsight.

  107. 107.

    David Crisp

    McCarthy’s speech actually wasn’t too bad. He started out with some red meat for the base, but the bulk of the speech was a long analogy comparing the famous painting of Washington crossing the Delaware to an America of different colors and religions pulling together to build a stronger country. Don’t know how well he will follow up on that, but it was at least a little encouraging.

  113. 113.

    lowtechcyclist

    @piratedan: Damn, that was my first thought!

    “Never borrow money needlessly, but when you need to borrow, call HFC.”

    Haven’t heard that damn jingle in ~55 years, but random shit sticks in the brain.

  114. 114.

    Kent

    @The Lodger:@Kent: Say more about that. It seems to me that Jamie McLeod Skinner didn’t mess up anything on her own.

    She got a LOT more national money dumped on the race and blew it on consultant-driven ad buys rather than door-to-door organizing.  At least by all reports.  I guess usually that works, until it doesn’t.

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