Trump Endorses Jim Jordan for Speaker (Scalise gets conference nod, but withdraws!)

[Green Sun]

Looks like Jim's own group isn't happy about this, from the WP live updates:

It is still unclear how many Republicans will get behind the idea to give Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) enhanced powers. Many of the far-right members have been adamantly opposed to the idea, saying it is unconstitutional and unprecedented. And some Republicans, including on the right, have opposed the idea because it will probably get the support of a significant number of Democrats.

Rep. Jim Jordan, a co-founder of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, could pull them along as he vows to continue to work to be the permanent speaker. But some Republicans are already furious. “Jim Jordan is so blinded by power he’s willing to see out House Republicans to try and put in place a Democrat-backed coalition government. Unreal,” a House Republican aide said, speaking anonymously to relay the sentiment of their boss.

 

[Arcangl86]

The Constitutional argument is a confusing one to me considering that the entire mention of the Speaker in the Constitution is "The house shall choose their Speaker."

 

[Green Sun]

The Constitutional argument is a confusing one to me considering that the entire mention of the Speaker in the Constitution is "The house shall choose their Speaker."

At this point, it's just part of the standard republican cry when something they don't like happens. They know it fires up their base, since their base doesn't know what the constitution says either.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Jim withdraws. Bye Bye Jim!

Do we count this as another failed Trump endorsement?

 

[Green Sun]

It is truly, truly incredible how utterly broken the Republican Party is.

Oct 19, 2:27 PM EDT

Plan to temporarily empower McHenry appears to be nonstarter​

After more than three hours behind closed doors, House Republicans don’t seem to have a plan on how to move forward with the speakership.

The meeting is still ongoing, but several Republicans emerged in the last few minutes to tell reporters that the proposal to temporarily empower Patrick McHenry is now a nonstarter, lacking the support of a majority of Republicans.

“The best thing for Republicans to do is to elect a speaker,” former Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters.

Absent a plan to empower McHenry, Republicans said Jordan told members he will reevaluate his campaign for speaker after talking to some of his critics. Several Republicans spoke up in the meeting and said Jordan should suspend his campaign given the lack of support.

All of this, self-inflicted, with a majority of the House.
Guess this is what you get when you vote Republican.

 

[essentialsaltes]

That speakership candidacy is not dead that can eternal vegetate
And with strange aeons, even the GOP may legislate

 

[wing2000]

Jim withdraws. Bye Bye Jim!

...and just changed his mind again. The 3rd vote is on again following a Republican Conference meeting:

(from aprox 2 PM EDT)
The meeting is intense and people are mad. Members are taking turns speaking at the microphones. One faction wants to empower acting speaker Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.). Another wants Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to keep running for speaker. Another wants Jordan to drop out. Another wants the eight Republicans who voted to oust former speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to stand and apologize and renominate McCarthy.
McCarthy spoke early on and said he backs empowering McHenry. He argued that McHenry already has the power because the point of the position is for a continuation of government.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/19/house-speaker-vote-live/#link-YFJJLVKHUZHEHMHORML2N7EP4U

It's beyond me why he would go for a 3rd round...unless he's just taking names at this point.

 

[JustOneWay]

...and just changed his mind again. The 3rd vote is on again following a Republican Conference meeting:

(from aprox 2 PM EDT)
The meeting is intense and people are mad. Members are taking turns speaking at the microphones. One faction wants to empower acting speaker Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.). Another wants Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to keep running for speaker. Another wants Jordan to drop out. Another wants the eight Republicans who voted to oust former speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to stand and apologize and renominate McCarthy.
McCarthy spoke early on and said he backs empowering McHenry. He argued that McHenry already has the power because the point of the position is for a continuation of government.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/19/house-speaker-vote-live/#link-YFJJLVKHUZHEHMHORML2N7EP4U

It's beyond me why he would go for a 3rd round...unless he's just taking names at this point.

lol Perhaps the third time is a charm!

 

[wing2000]

"lower the temperature". (yea, Jim Jordan actually said that )

...brief statement to the press corp:

Rep. Jim Jordan Says He's Still Running for Speaker

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) spoke to reporters about where things stand with the speaker election. He stated that he is still running and plans to go to the floor for a vote after speaking to Republican colleagues who voted against him.

www.c-span.org

 

[essentialsaltes]

Some Jordan holdouts are refusing to meet with Jordan or take his calls, sources told CNN Thursday — a sign of the uphill climb Jordan faces in winning over his opposition.

 

[JSRG]

It is truly, truly incredible how utterly broken the Republican Party is.



All of this, self-inflicted, with a majority of the House.
Guess this is what you get when you vote Republican.

The issue with this sort of claim--"it shows the Republican Party is broken!"--is that the Republicans have such a small majority. It takes only a few people to break ranks to cause problems; if just 2% of the Republicans in the House don't want to go along with something, and you can't get any Democrats to sign up, then it doesn't get done. The issue here is there being a small percentage of Republicans in the House that are contrarians causing the various problems and wielding undue influence due to the majority being so narrow.

 

[BPPLEE]

The issue with this sort of claim--"it shows the Republican Party is broken!"--is that the Republicans have such a small majority. It takes only a few people to break ranks to cause problems; if just 2% of the Republicans in the House don't want to go along with something, and you can't get any Democrats to sign up, then it doesn't get done. The issue here is there being a small percentage of Republicans in the House that are contrarians causing the various problems and wielding undue influence due to the majority being so small.

But I have to admit it looks amateurish. The Democrats are better at sticking together despite their differences.

 

[Green Sun]

The issue with this sort of claim--"it shows the Republican Party is broken!"--is that the Republicans have such a small majority. It takes only a few people to break ranks to cause problems; if just 2% of the Republicans in the House don't want to go along with something, and you can't get any Democrats to sign up, then it doesn't get done. The issue here is there being a small percentage of Republicans in the House that are contrarians causing the various problems and wielding undue influence due to the majority being so small.

I think it's still a valid claim - One of the core talking points from House Republicans (even mentioned directly during the debate before the removal vote) is that they can pass "Republican-only" legislation. That they can pass legislation without getting a single Democrat on board. Republicans haven't made an attempt any meaningful bipartisanship - Things such as McCarthy pushing to do an non-voted impeachment inquiry (that is against the rules, according to a binding legal opinion by Trump's own DoJ) right before the budget deadline was coming up.

Republicans could get Democrats to sign up, they just have to negotiate. Give Dems something of value, rather than spitting in their faces, backing out on earlier promises, and trying to "own the libs" every chance you get.

This isn't even that weird of a margin! It's identical to the margin Republicans had in 2001, and in 1953, and only one less than Democrats had in 2021. Yet none of those times was a Speaker vote even an issue.

The sole reason why the Republican party finds themselves here is because the party is in an identity crisis. Trump's grip on the party, despite his controversies, indictments, and overall unpopularity, is still as ironclad as when they first chained themselves to him back in 2015.

Trump's base has lead to extreme-right folk like Gaetz and Jordon being in immense levels of control, simply because they are friendly with Trump - And they care more about "owning the libs" than actually governing. The GOP can't get rid of them because they need that to win elections in red-leaning states and locals, but it'll continue to slaughter then in anywhere remotely purple. And since they refuse to work with Democrats in any way, shape, or form, they gave that extreme-right wing of their party the ability to remove a speaker by a single republican choosing to make that move - And it resulted in the only time in history a Speaker has been voted out of the position.

The Republican party is broken - They're tearing themselves apart due to the path that they set themselves on back in 2016, reliant on a base that determines their primary, but costs them in the general - Something everyone knew would happen.

 

[mark46]

I think it's still a valid claim - One of the core talking points from House Republicans (even mentioned directly during the debate before the removal vote) is that they can pass "Republican-only" legislation. That they can pass legislation without getting a single Democrat on board. Republicans haven't made an attempt any meaningful bipartisanship - Things such as McCarthy pushing to do an non-voted impeachment inquiry (that is against the rules, according to a binding legal opinion by Trump's own DoJ) right before the budget deadline was coming up.

Republicans could get Democrats to sign up, they just have to negotiate. Give Dems something of value, rather than spitting in their faces, backing out on earlier promises, and trying to "own the libs" every chance you get.

Democrats don't need much, just a vote requiring the Speaker to bringing to the floor any legislation passed in the Senate with 60 votes.

 

[essentialsaltes]

GOP not very kumbaya at the moment. It would be a shame if the party irrevocably shattered into irreconcilable factions.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Republicans could get Democrats to sign up, they just have to negotiate. Give Dems something of value, rather than spitting in their faces, backing out on earlier promises, and trying to "own the libs" every chance you get.

Yeah, this is the main problem I see. The two schools of thought appear to be "Sure, we'll compromise - you do what we want and we won't shut down the government!" and "Compromising with the Dems is tantamount to betraying the Republican Party!"

Then people wonder why the Dems aren't making compromises with the Rs.

 

[KCfromNC]

Yeah, this is the main problem I see. The two schools of thought appear to be "Sure, we'll compromise - you do what we want and we won't shut down the government!" and "Compromising with the Dems is tantamount to betraying the Republican Party!"

Then people wonder why the Dems aren't making compromises with the Rs.

Never interrupt an opponent when they are busy making a mistake.

 

[BPPLEE]

Yeah, this is the main problem I see. The two schools of thought appear to be "Sure, we'll compromise - you do what we want and we won't shut down the government!" and "Compromising with the Dems is tantamount to betraying the Republican Party!"

Then people wonder why the Dems aren't making compromises with the Rs.

I have to admit that Republicans look very amueturish right now and are making a spectacle of themselves.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Kevin McCarthy has been trotted out to nominate Jordan. He had to say "Jim Jordan is an effective legislator" and the House shut down for a bit while they had to restore order.

[Jordan has not passed any bills signed into law in his 17 years in Congress.]

McCarthy is now alluding to how Jordan shepherded laws into passage as head of Judiciary.

 

[Green Sun]

With the absentees today, Jordan would need to get 214 votes for Speaker, assuming no one else votes present. This would give him a margin of only 5 Republicans voting for "Other".