Kevin McCarthy Speaker Fight Proves Jimmy Dore RIGHT About #ForceTheVote!

[Frank Underwood]

The squad and their supporters in the neoliberal online media world who’ve fallen in line behind Biden, Pelosi and Schumer would be happy if everyone forgot about #ForceTheVote. But you know who didn’t forget? The Freedom Caucus in the GOP, which is currently using their leverage to extract concessions in exchange for their speaker vote. The funny thing is they're doing so in exactly the same way many progressives had hoped the squad would do at this time two years ago. But they didn’t, and as a result they were exposed as go-along, get-along institutionalists who would never challenge the power centers of the Democratic Party.

So far, McCarthy has lost 7 house votes to become speaker. This marks 100 years since the House last struggled to elect a speaker. While Republicans and Democrats alike are corrupt tools who do the bidding of corporations, Wall Street, and the military industrial complex, the one thing Republicans have going for them is they are competent strategists. They aren't afraid to use their leverage in order to extract concessions from members of their own party. In contrast, the progressives in the Democratic Party kowtow to party leadership and often become what they once railed against.

McCarthy Speaker Fight Proves Jimmy Dore RIGHT About #ForceTheVote! - YouTube

Glenn Greenwald & Jimmy Dore Talk McCarthy Speakership & #ForceTheVote - YouTube

 

[Frank Underwood]

A funny thing happened on the way to Kevin McCarthy’s coronation as Speaker of the House. That funny thing is that McCarthy started moving all his stuff into the Speaker’s offices before he actually won the votes necessary to become Speaker, and now it’s looking dubious whether he’ll be able to. That’s because of roughly 20 members of the GOP caucus who refuse to vote for McCarthy – even after SEVEN rounds of voting. Meanwhile, McCarthy is doing everything he can – and offering everything he has – to the recalcitrant members to get them on board. Huh, turns out politicians CAN use their leverage when they want to!

GOP Rebels REFUSE To Crown Kevin McCarthy Speaker! - YouTube

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

A funny thing happened on the way to Kevin McCarthy’s coronation as Speaker of the House. That funny thing is that McCarthy started moving all his stuff into the Speaker’s offices before he actually won the votes necessary to become Speaker, and now it’s looking dubious whether he’ll be able to. That’s because of roughly 20 members of the GOP caucus who refuse to vote for McCarthy – even after SEVEN rounds of voting. Meanwhile, McCarthy is doing everything he can – and offering everything he has – to the recalcitrant members to get them on board. Huh, turns out politicians CAN use their leverage when they want to!

GOP Rebels REFUSE To Crown Kevin McCarthy Speaker! - YouTube

I think it is up to 9.

Not exactly sure what the objection is.

Not familiar with Jimmy Dore from your previous post, but it sounds like he is quite perceptive.

 

[Frank Underwood]

I think it is up to 9.

Not exactly sure what the objection is.

From what I've heard, the Republicans withholding their vote for McCarthy want the following concessions:

The right to be able to vote out the speaker.

They want bills to be publicly posted 72 hours before they're voted on.

They want bills to be focused on one issue, as opposed to many issues being crammed into one bill.

Not familiar with Jimmy Dore from your previous post, but it sounds like he is quite perceptive.

Dore is basically a disaffected Democrat turned independent leftist like myself. He hosts a political commentary show and is staunchly anti-establishment.

Dore pushes class solidarity between working class progressives and conservatives, which is why the neocons and neoliberals who want us fighting each other hate him.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Well, Kevin McCarthy is in.

 

[Frank Underwood]

Well, Kevin McCarthy is in.

Yes, McCarthy is in after 15 votes and granting concessions to the Republican holdouts.

The fraud squad had a million excuses as to why they would not make their own demands of Nancy Pelosi 2 years ago. One of the lies being floated around by fake progressive hucksters at the time was that Kevin McCarthy would become speaker by default. Although that lie was debunked then, this recent fight over the speaker position firmly puts that lie to rest. The so-called progressives who were against force the vote 2 years ago are now having to do mental gymnastics and revisionism to defend their position.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Yes, McCarthy is in after 15 votes and granting concessions to the Republican holdouts.

The fraud squad had a million excuses as to why they would not make their own demands of Nancy Pelosi 2 years ago. One of the lies being floated around by fake progressive hucksters at the time was that Kevin McCarthy would become speaker by default. Although that lie was debunked then, this recent fight over the speaker position firmly puts that lie to rest. The so-called progressives who were against force the vote 2 years ago are now having to do mental gymnastics and revisionism to defend their position.

It's funny, Marjorie Taylor Greene openly admitted the other day in the halls of Congress, on camera, that Republicans had already been bought out to vote for McCarthy -- whom the corporations want -- so everyone needs to get on the stick and vote him in like they've been instructed.

So they're not even hiding it anymore: We're whores and we should be -- so what's it to ya???

 

[Frank Underwood]

It's funny, Marjorie Taylor Greene openly admitted the other day in the halls of Congress, on camera, that Republicans had already been bought out to vote for McCarthy -- whom the corporations want -- so everyone needs to get on the stick and vote him in like they've been instructed.

So they're not even hiding it anymore: We're whores and we should be -- so what's it to ya???

Pretty much. Like Trump, Greene is particularly notorious for saying the quiet part out loud.

Tulsi Gabbard recently grilled newly elected GOP Rep. George Santos. Gabbard called Santos out for being a habitual liar. One of his more egregious lies is that his mom died on 9/11 (she actually died in 2016.) Santos is currently being investigated by federal prosecutors over lies he made during his campaign. Santos also confessed to committing check fraud in Brazil in 2008. The case has remained unresolved so far since Santos failed to appear in court, but the case has been revived now that Santos is in the limelight.

The reason I bring this up is because of Greene's response to Gabbard. Greene doesn't dispute the accusations being levied at Santos. However, she is upset at the lack of "grace" being shown to Santos by Gabbard because Santos "admitted and apologized for lying about his resume." Of course, the lies were so obvious that he was forced to admit to them. People like Santos only apologize because they've been caught, so that's also meaningless. Greene's defense of Santos, as well as her reasoning for bashing Gabbard, is typical partisan hackery. Greene knows Gabbard's reasoning for going after Santos is valid, so she pivots to bashing Gabbard for her political positions instead.

Of course, Democrats admit they're whores too. A young Joe Biden said "I was ready to prostitute myself," but the big money backers told him "come back when you're 40."

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Pretty much. Like Trump, Greene is particularly notorious for saying the quiet part out loud.

Tulsi Gabbard recently grilled newly elected GOP Rep. George Santas. Gabbard called Santos out for being a habitual liar. One of his more egregious lies is that his mom died on 9/11 (she actually died in 2016.) Santos is currently being investigated by federal prosecutors over lies he made during his campaign. Santos also confessed to committing check fraud in Brazil in 2008. The case has remained unresolved so far since Santos failed to appear in court, but the case has been revived now that Santos is in the limelight.

The reason I bring this up is because of Greene's response to Gabbard. Greene doesn't dispute the accusations being levied at Santos. However, she is upset at the lack of "grace" being shown to Gabbard because Santos "admitted and apologized for lying on his resume." Of course, the lies were so obvious that he had no choice but to admit to them. People like Santos only apologize because they've been caught, so that's also meaningless. I'm not surprised that Greene defended Santos, but her reasoning for bashing Gabbard is typical partisan hackery. Greene knows Gabbard's reasoning for going after Santos is valid, so she pivots to bashing Gabbard for her political positions instead.

Sociopaths run the world. Because they want to.

 

[Frank Underwood]

Kevin McCarthy has officially become the first Speaker of the House to be removed from his position. His ouster was orchestrated by Florida Republican congressman Matt Gaetz. Gaetz was apparently upset that McCarthy cut a side deal with Democrats to continue providing funding to Ukraine. This comes after McCarthy worked with the Democrats to pass a stopgap government funding bill. Gaetz is also upset over multiple provisions being included in a single bill (for example, providing funds to the victims of the Maui wildfires was lumped in with a Ukraine spending bill.) Gaetz wants single item bills instead. Although I find many Republican values abhorrent, I think the issues Gaetz is challenging McCarthy on are valid. Funding for the Ukraine war has become our modern day Iraq, and funding this madness should not be indefinite or snuck into other bills.

The "progressives" in Congress should be embarrassed that Republicans actually use their leverage against members of their own party, but we all know they have no shame.

Full article here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...publican-house-speaker-vote-result-matt-gaetz

Matt Gaetz Calls McCarthy A “Liar” & Pledges To Oust House Speaker! - YouTube

 

[Rove]

As an outsider looking in it's little wonder voters have become so alienated from politics and consider politicians worse than car salesman. I don't like Donald Trump but did he not once reference Washington politics as a "swamp".

 

[Frank Underwood]

As an outsider looking in it's little wonder voters have become so alienated from politics and consider politicians worse than car salesman. I don't like Donald Trump but did he not once reference Washington politics as a "swamp".

It is a swamp, but every politician who acknowledges that fact is still a part of it. Trump and Bernie Sanders both pointed out flaws in the system while being subservient to it.

And while I give Matt Gaetz credit for using his leverage, he's still a ghoul like every other politician. Gaetz wanted work requirements for welfare programs, and then became upset when eligibility for welfare was expanded in the process. He went even further, saying "I'm real glad you guys didn't put work requirements on Medicaid, it probably would have resulted in Medicaid expansion." Of course, that's expected from a Republican. As it turns out, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden worked to gut social safety programs too.

Of course, many far-right Republicans are at least against the Ukraine war. The Democrats, on the other hand, are mostly for it. That's largely why being anti-war is called "right wing" in the mainstream media, even though it used to be the standard leftist position. Gaetz also showed he wasn't afraid to use his leverage to oust McCarthy over this issue he cared about. In contrast, the so-called "squad" were a group of progressives who were elected to fight for concessions on behalf of the left. For example, there were calls for them to demand a floor vote on Medicare for all in exchange for giving their vote to Nancy Pelosi to be House Speaker. Unlike Gaetz, the squad refused to use their leverage and never gave a convincing reason why. That was a defining moment because it proved once and for all that the squad were just a bunch of virtue signaling hucksters.

So yeah, US electoral politics is a dead end. Some people talk about voting for "harm reduction," as if insignificant tweaks around the edges actually eases anybody's suffering.