Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

This fight is for everything.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, door #2)

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

I would try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Hey hey, RFK, how many kids did you kill today?

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

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

The revolution will be supervised.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. do not congratulate. this is not business as usual.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Thursday Evening Open Thread: House Repubs *Still* In Disarray!

Thursday Evening Open Thread: House Repubs *Still* In Disarray!

by | 76 Comments

This post is in: , , , , ,

Because it’s always the Democrats’ job to clean up after the Repubs… As of 3:48pm this afternoon — “Top House Republican Wants Help From Democrats to Pick a Speaker”:

…Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, emerged from a contentious closed-door meeting of House Republicans to tell reporters that Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries should spell out what concessions he would require to help the GOP elect a speaker.

“They put us in this ditch along with eight traitors,” Rogers said, referring to hardline GOP dissidents who toppled Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week. “We’re still the majority party, we’re willing to work with them, but they gotta tell us what they need.”

Rogers said the Republicans’ speaker nominee, Steve Scalise, is in the same situation McCarthy was in struggling to get the 217 votes needed for election. A lot of Republicans, Rogers said, would never vote for conservative firebrand Jim Jordan, who narrowly lost to Scalise on a secret ballot vote Wednesday.

“To limit ourselves to just getting 217 out of our conference I think is not a wise path forward,” Rogers said…

Democrats are ready to form a bipartisan coalition to lead the House, Jeffries said.

“The House of Representatives has been broken by chaos, dysfunction and extremism,” Jeffries said. “The only way out is to enter into an enlightened bipartisan coalition of the willing in order to get things back on track.”

The leadership vacuum in the US House has rendered Congress unable to act on legislation…

Jeffries has offered discussions on a bipartisan path forward. But Rogers said Democrats should make a specific offer that could provide a basis for opening negotiations.

“They haven’t offered jack,” Rogers said.

Rogers, you’re the ones looking for a lifeline. You make an offer…


It’s a high risk / high rewards strategy, and I doubt five honest Repubs can be found, but the discussion will be… entertaining:

Reader Interactions

76Comments

  1. 1.

    Westyny

    Pass the funding bill.  End the one vote rule.  Shared minor chairmanships.  Let them beclown themselves with the Biden investigation.  Anything else?

  2. 2.

    Alison Rose

    I think this might be a paraphrase of a rotating tag, but…if Republicans were capable of feeling shame, they’d die of it. Why in the bloody hell are we expected to keep treating them like a legitimate political party? What a bunch of fucking psychotic children.

  3. 3.

    The Moar You Know

    Just nope. No no no no no no no.  No deals.  The scorpion will sting the frog in the back.  Again.

    No fuckin deal.  Let them fix their shit.

    Jeffries as Speaker and no other concessions is acceptable.

  4. 4.

    Viva BrisVegas

    Before Democrats do anything they need to remember the tale of the Scorpion and the Frog.

    Then the first thing they need to do is armor plate their ass.

  5. 5.

    Jeffro

    Break their backs, Leader (and soon, Speaker) Jeffries!  DO IT

    Drop the whole list on them and tell them none of it is negotiable, none of it is a ‘starting point’.

  6. 6.

    Jeffro

    “Dems must help” – LOL!!

    Does anyone with two brain cells to rub together think that the GOP would do a damn thing, if positions were reversed?  (Which is not even possible, b/c Dems work to DELIVER for their districts and the county, but whatever).

    I hope he drags the holy living shit out of these clowns before stepping in to rescue them the country.

  7. 7.

    Dan B

    Finding 5 repubs willing to vote for a Bl÷#* man….  And after the insult of having a mean lady speaker!!!

  8. 8.

    MattF

    Rs freely and repeatedly lie to one another. And they are led by a pathological liar. And there’s George Santos or whatever his name is… There’s a sickness in the R party and it’s not curable with the wave of a magic wand— and certainly not under pressure or overnight.

  9. 9.

    Alison Rose

    Since it’s an OT: I mentioned yesterday that my uncle (mom’s younger brother) had passed away. Today she emailed me a video that I had seen but totally forgotten existed. Phil was an “assistant superintendent of train movement” for Amtrak, and almost a decade ago, PBS did a quick interview/behind-the-scenes with him in the control room at Penn Station where he worked for a long time. It was really nice to watch this again — his voice and accent brought back a lot of memories! It was formed by being born in Brooklyn, then living in Queens, then back in Brooklyn, then the greater Philadelphia area for most of his adult life. Still very sad that he’s gone, but it’s nice to have something like this as a memory.

  11. 11.

    karen marie

    That there are not five Republicans willing to end the nonsense tells me everything I need to know about the “minority” of radicals within that party.  (It’s not a minority, it’s the entire fucking party.)

  13. 13.

    eclare

    @Alison Rose:

    That is nice, he sounds like a good person.  I wish we had taped some of my grandmother’s stories.  And that was a fascinating look behind the curtain at Penn Station.

  15. 15.

    Tony Jay

    1. Every Republican Representative who wants the House to do it’s job resigns.
    2. Enough Democrats to form a majority are elected in special elections.
    3. Problem solved.

    I think that covers everything, Representative Rogers. Negotiate from there.

  16. 16.

    Alison Rose

    @eclare: He was. He could be…a little brusque, but so can most born and raised New Yorkers, LOL. But at heart he was a very fair and kind man, and the kind of person who would always help you out with whatever and didn’t need a thank you or anything like that. He was funny as hell, too.

  17. 17.

    Dan B

    OT President Joe posted an homage to Matthew Shepherd who was murdered for being gay 35 years ago.  He was beaten and then tied to a fence in freezing weather.  His parents became activists and got a law passed in his name.

  22. 22.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Alison Rose:

    Oh, that was fascinating! And your Uncle Phil comes across as a really nice, intelligent, super-competent Mensch. Sending you a few more hugs in case the ones from last night are fading a bit.

  23. 23.

    ColoradoGuy

    The “conditions” for Hakeem Jeffries as House Speaker are simple: Pass emergency funding for both Israel and Ukraine for a full year, and override the debt ceiling for the same period. Maybe a Voting Rights Act, as well?

  24. 24.

    wjca

    we’re willing to work with them, but they gotta tell us what they need.”

    How about if, since you’re the one asking for help, you make an offer?  What have you got, and can deliver, that the Democrats might find enticing?

    Because note: it appears, at the moment, you aren’t the majority party; you’re two minority parties who jointly had a majority, but whose coalition is breaking up.  And, necessarily, the faction which joins a new coalition to let the government run is going to be the junior partner of the Democrats.

  25. 25.

    bbleh

    @geg6: AND you pay the gaming license.

    Ok seriously, I do not doubt Jeffries’s ability to play this game.  Doesn’t matter THAT much who makes the starting offer.  Naturally he will ask for far more than he would settle for, presumably expecting them to reject it out of hand and demand a better offer.  And then we’ll see where it goes.

  30. 30.

    JMG

    The Republicans will honor no agreement, not even one in writing (the debt ceiling bill was a goddamn law and they reneged about six seconds after Biden signed it). No agreement whatsoever.

  31. 31.

    Arclite

    Nominate Kinzinger or Liz Cheney for Speaker. I bet most Repubs and a bunch of Dems would vote for either of them.

  32. 32.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Westyny:

    Pass the funding bill.  End the one vote rule.  Shared minor chairmanships.  Let them beclown themselves with the Biden investigation.  Anything else?

    Nah, they just have to vote to make Jeffries Speaker.  It’s that simple.  Then we don’t have to worry about whether they keep their promises.

    It’s good to see this mini-groundswell of people advocating this.  Maybe it’ll pick up enough steam so that the pundits start to realize it’s the way that makes sense.

    Once again, the Dems are a party capable of governing, as they demonstrated in the previous Congress. The GQP is a clown show incapable of organizing a two-car funeral.  Why should the Dems vote to paper over the GQP’s dysfunctionality? Let five GQPers vote to put the Dems back in charge.

  38. 38.

    wjca

    @ColoradoGuy: The “conditions” for Hakeem Jeffries as House Speaker are simple: Pass emergency funding for both Israel and Ukraine for a full year, and override the debt ceiling for the same period.

    No.  Start with repeal the debt ceiling.  Just gone.  Totally.  Then add a 16 month Continuing Resolution — that is, until the next House is seated.  One which includes funding for Ukraine and Taiwan.  (Funding for Israel can be added, in exchange for suitable additional considerations.)

    Ask for additional funding for the IRS.  But that’s a bargaining chip, since the IRS still has to absorb the last jump in funds.  Takes time to hire and train people, install new computer systems, etc.  Giving on that ask gives the supplicants the illusion that they had some influence.

  39. 39.

    p.a.

    Maybe Rethugs should try calling Democrats traitors, communists, and pedophile-enablers some more.  Maybe that’ll get them Dem help!

  40. 40.

    Argiope

    @Alison Rose: Thanks for sharing that; it was fascinating. I love how he’s like, “No big, just doing our jobs here”–and yet still aware that they’re moving 100,000 people an hour to their lives and workplaces.  I’m sorry for your family’s loss.

  41. 41.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Tony Jay:

    Every Republican Representative who wants the House to do it’s job resigns.

    If there were ten Republican Representatives who want the House to do its job, and they were to resign, that would reduce the number of Representatives to 423. There would still be 212 Dem Representatives – a majority.  Then Jeffries would be Speaker, and the Dems could pass legislation all by themselves.

    “Suppose, Lord, that there are ten righteous men in the House GOP Caucus?”  Yeah, riiiiight.

  43. 43.

    bbleh

    @schrodingers_cat: @MattF: @Geminid: WaPo hed now.  And OMG this is plus-ungood.  You think we’ve seen chaos  OMG ..

    @CaseyL: entirely unclear re Jimmy J. imo.  Can’t see him getting to 217 if Scalise couldn’t.  No, this means more horse-trading and compromise and airing-of-grievances and camera shots of that bowtied twerp, and grandstanding by TIFG, and …

  45. 45.

    Martin

    @ColoradoGuy: Simpler than that. Regular order. All bills out of committee go to the floor. Balanced representation on committees. The only reason Ukraine aid can’t get passed is that the current rules require 218 votes out of a conference of 223 people. Make that 218 out of 435 and it’s easy – trivial, even.

    Also, end the impeachment probe unless there’s a vote to advance it.

  47. 47.

    Geminid

    @wjca: I just want a Speaker who will allow legislation that can get 218* votes to get a floor vote. That is how the House was designed to function.

    *Or 217 until the two vacant seats are filled.

  48. 48.

    Martin

    @CaseyL: Jordan can’t win the speakership either – that’s why house members are referencing Jeffries. I said when McCarthy was booted out that Jeffries was the only path forward – not necessarily as speaker, but they can’t do this without Democrats, and Jeffries holds all of the Democratic votes. He holds more than McCarthy ever really did.

  50. 50.

    hells littlest angel

    Well, Scalise has demonstrated himself to be smarter and less craven than McCarthy. A mean feat, but still it goes in the W column, technically.

  51. 51.

    Alison Rose

    @Argiope: Thank you – yes, he was very matter-of-fact. I remember on a visit back East one time as a teen, I met one of the people he supervised at work, and the guy told me “Your uncle’s main rule is “Don’t BS me and I won’t BS you” and I was like…that sounds like him.

  55. 55.

    Geminid

    @CaseyL: Jordan can’t get 217 votes out of that caucus. But if Republicans cannot get 217 votes to fill that post with one of their own, it will be filled another way. It won’t stay empty but for so long.

  59. 59.

    Tony G

    @JMG: That’s absolutely true.  Republicans in the House of Representatives — Republicans in general — have proven that they can not be trusted for anything.  No deal.  Let them fight to the death among themselves.

  60. 60.

    hitchhiker

    They put us in this ditch …

    You drove into a ditch, and the Dems did not grab the steering wheel from the back seat where you so gleefully stuffed them and tied their hands while telling the world lies about them.

    Man, these Rs are so full of shit.

  61. 61.

    Ken

    @Martin:  Jordan can’t win the speakership either – that’s why house members are referencing Jeffries.

    I suspect even with Scalise out, Jordan won’t be getting more than the 105 or so he’s been getting in their private votes. So unless the plan is to take it to the House floor and have 123 Democrats join those 105 Republicans — and admittedly some members of their caucus are stupid enough to think that could happen — I don’t see why they’re approaching Jeffries.

  62. 62.

    wjca

    @Tony G: Let them fight to the death among themselves.

    As attractive as the idea is, there’s stuff that needs to get done sooner rather than later.  And chances are they won’t be able to get an implosion done in a reasonable time — their track record on doung other things on time being what it is.

  63. 63.

    Another Scott

    Nothing much is going to happen with the GQP picking a Speaker until the last minute.  Meaning, the day before the CR ends on Friday November 17.  The bomb throwers want their pound of flesh.  It’s way too early for them to fold – they lose leverage giving in too early.

    If the not-totally-insane GQPers want something to happen before then, they have to make a choice.  They have to act.  It’s not the Democrats job to construct a solution to fix their conference – they have to do it themselves.

    We’ll see…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  65. 65.

    Roger Moore

    @wjca: ​
     

    How about if, since you’re the one asking for help, you make an offer? What have you got, and can deliver, that the Democrats might find enticing?

    FWIW, that doesn’t seem to be how most coalition governments work. The leading party starts getting everything. Prospective junior partners come to them and say what they want in exchange for delivering their votes. If that’s acceptable, they’re part of the coalition. If not, the leading partner can either pick a different offer or make a counter-offer.

  66. 66.

    bbleh

    @Roger Moore: true, but in this case it ain’t a parliamentary system: there IS no other party to bargain with.  The only other place an offer can come from is others within their own party, and while in some parliamentary systems that’s sufficient, in this case they need ALL (but a very few) of their own party.  There AIN’T no junior partners except the Dems.

    I am not optimistic.  My best guess at this point is that they will bicker until public pressure makes them do something to elect a Speaker, and that well could take weeks.

  67. 67.

    Geminid

    @bbleh: I think there will be a Speaker this time next week, at the latest the following Monday. This won’t go on for weeks.

  68. 68.

    lgerard

    In other news Digital World Acquisition Corp, the financial fund that was supposed to merge with trumps Truth thing and provide it with capital, folded its tent today and went out of business.

    This means Devin Nunes may soon be available if House republicans are interested.  He won’t be cowed!

  70. 70.

    Torrey

    @eclare: ​Thank you for sharing that. He managed a remarkable feat in explaining clearly and in language and imagery pretty much everyone can understand some of what goes into the complicated interlaced processes of moving trains through the station and simultaneously doing upkeep. I really liked the way he brought it back at the end to the job being about getting people where they need to be when they need to be there.
    He seems like he would have been a terrific uncle to have. Thank you for sharing this bit of his work and personality.
    ETA: sorry, this comment was in response to Alison Rose’s clip of her uncle. I apparently hit “reply” to the wrong message..​

  72. 72.

    frosty

    @Alison Rose: That was a really cool story. I liked his last line “You don’t get an attaboy for doing your job.” But you should, if it’s a big job like this!

    I’m sorry for all your losses in such a short time. It’s tough to handle, I know. I appreciate your voice in every post here.

  73. 73.

    gene108

    Democrats should make Republicans an offer of increasing taxes on the rich, making getting disability benefits easier, link highway funding to states agreeing to enact Obamacare Medicaid expansion, increase funding for USCIS and the State Department to process applications for legal immigration more quickly, eliminate country quotas for GC’s and just have one general quota distributed on basis of application date, and so on.

    Just tweak the hell out of the existing system to make it align with Democratic values.

  75. 75.

    H-Bob

    @wjca & @Martin: You both have good ideas, wjca on substantive issues and Martin on procedural points.  I would add that impeachment of Biden requires a supermajority vote (261 votes).

    Option 1 — Jeffries as Speaker but no change in Republican committee chairs; or Option 2 — Republican as Speaker with Democratic chairs on a few committees (this might help Jeffries within his caucus).

    The Republicans can have the impeachment probe (plus it will preoccupy the wingnuts so that the adults can get the nation’s business done).

    From a PR perspective, the Democrats presenting a reasonable set of demands will help show the MSM that the Democrats are reaching across the aisle.  That is probably more important in the long run than getting a minor and temporary negotiating advantage for the remaining 15 months of this Congress.

    Another concern is getting this situation resolved in time to prevent a shutdown — the Democrats need to be accommodating enough to avoid a shutdown.

  76. 76.

    Matt

    Counter-question for Mike Rogers: exactly which Republicans are trustworthy enough to hold up the other end of such a deal?

Comments are closed.