NOW: McCarthy appears to suffer defeat in historic second ballot for House speaker

[Scott]

 

A second ballot for House speaker is underway after Rep. Kevin McCarthy fell short on votes in the first ballot – something that hasn’t happened since 1923.

McCarthy has already lost more votes than he can afford in the second round of the speaker vote.

At least 218 votes are needed, but the number required could change if members withhold their votes.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/new-congress-sworn-in-2023/index.html]

[Tug]

Looks like he’s lost the second vote as well ouch!at the risk of sounding cliche,everything trump touches dies

[Tug]

3rd times the charm?nope!ouch!

[OneMoreFarang]

Republicans fight over speaker of the House – but whoever wins, the party loses | Robert Reich | The Guardian

 

There is hope that that awful party will destroy itself more and more. IMHO that is what they deserve.

 

P.S.: That doesn't mean that all conservative politics is bad. Some is good. But that party is just a disgrace the way it is since years now.

[placeholder]

All but 2 of the lemmings... I mean Representatives...who voted against McCarthy are election denialists.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/01/03/mccarthy-defectors-election-deniers/

[Bkk Brian]

The war has started but not against the dems but between the extreme far right loons and the normal republicans. What a sh$t show. Republican party is nothing but a national embarrassment for the US now.

[placeholder]

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

The war has started but not against the dems but between the extreme far right loons and the normal republicans. What a sh$t show. Republican party is nothing but a national embarrassment for the US now.

Well given  at 139 Republicans in the last Congress voted against certifying the election, I'm not sure that "normal" is the adjective I would use to describe most of those who voted from McCarthy.

[Eric Loh]

7 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

The war has started but not against the dems but between the extreme far right loons and the normal republicans. What a sh$t show. Republican party is nothing but a national embarrassment for the US now.

Not only national embarrassment but this impasse would mean the house can't convene and will hold up proceedings for the 2 chambers. Nothing will be done as the nation is being held hostage by petulant bickering GOPs that get paid by tax payers. Just hope some of the decent lawmakers will leave the party and become independents. 

[OneMoreFarang]

40 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Just hope some of the decent lawmakers will leave the party and become independents. 

That is what many of us hope since years... 

[pomchop]

The clown car rolls on....how long will it take for republican voters to stop voting these self centered fools into office?  

[stevenl]

Do I understand correctly that the MAGA congress members are not supporting McCarthy?

[placeholder]

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Do I understand correctly that the MAGA congress members are not supporting McCarthy?

It's not so clear anymore that Trump is supporting McCarthy. It's like his stance on vaccines. He was very vociferous i claiming credit for them until his base turned against them. Now nothing. Now Trump is trying to lead by following.

[ozimoron]

6 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Do I understand correctly that the MAGA congress members are not supporting McCarthy?

Yup

[ozimoron]

4 minutes ago, placeholder said:

It's not so clear anymore that Trump is supporting McCarthy. It's like his stance on vaccines. He was very vociferous i claiming credit for them until his base turned against them. Now nothing. Now Trump is trying to lead by following.

Trump had initially tried to help McCarthy get the votes he needed, but declined on Tuesday to say whether he’d continue supporting the lawmaker after he lost the three consecutive rounds of voting.  

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3797518-trump-attacks-mcconnell-wife-over-gop-turmoil-after-mccarthy-fails-to-win-speakership/

[ozimoron]

'Circular firing squad' derails GOP in new Congress

 

“McCarthy’s election to speaker may be the easiest thing he does all year. Then trying to legislate in the majority, obviously that’s going to be very hard,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). “Especially if you have people who are not particularly interested in generating a legislative result and who are more interested in attracting attention to themselves.”

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/04/gop-leadership-congress-mccarthy-mcconnell-00076211

[placeholder]

 

[Scott]

Chaos reigns in House as GOP fails to pick a Speaker

Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) bid to become the next House Speaker fell short on Tuesday in a string of three consecutive votes, marking a chaotic opening to a new Congress — and dampening the Republicans’ celebration as they took control of the House for the first time since 2018.

 

The GOP standoff — pitting McCarthy and his allies against a small but persistent group of conservative firebrands — led to a bizarre day of commotion and confusion on the House floor, where frustrated Republicans sniped internally, amused Democrats reveled in the GOP’s struggles and lawmakers of both parties were forced to consider multiple speaker ballots for the first time in a century.

 

 

“Hunter Thompson was right: When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro,” said Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.).

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3797324-chaos-reigns-in-house-as-gop-fails-to-pick-a-speaker/

[ozimoron]

On Thursday, The Detroit News reported that retired Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) is entertaining a plan to offer Democrats some degree of power sharing in the House in return for joining with a handful of GOP lawmakers to elect him Speaker of the House, in the event that Republicans fail to solve their gridlock in trying to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

According to the report, one possible offer Upton could make Democrats is an equal number of seats on House committees.

 

https://www.rawstory.com/fred-upton/

[mikebike]

Grabbing the popcorn, this is getting good! 

[ozimoron]

'We only need six to come over': Jim Clyburn thinks Dems could strike deal with GOP moderates on new Speaker

 

https://www.rawstory.com/raw-investigates/james-clyburn/

[Bluespunk]

Vote is still going on but already looks like McCarthy has lost a fourth vote. 

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That is what many of us hope since years... 

You dreamer you!

[thaibeachlovers]

6 hours ago, stevenl said:

Do I understand correctly that the MAGA congress members are not supporting McCarthy?

From what I saw on Al Jazeera that's not the case. They want conditions to vote for him, and are using the situation to get them. I suspect the same will happen to any nominated till they get what they want.

[Bluespunk]

McCarthy lost fourth vote. Democrat nominee got most, but not enough, votes again 

 

Straight away McCarthy nominated again…5th vote on the way by looks of it. 
 

Lot of blah blah blah with nominating speech but seems targeting the 20 who voted for Byron Donalds and the one who acknowledged they were present but wouldn’t vote (sparks or Sparts or something like that). 
 

Jefferies now being nominated by dems again. 
 

The band of 20 now renominating Donalds again. Fairly rambling speech but finished by implying trump has talked to the 20 and said McCarthy should quit trying to attain role of speaker. 
 

Seems to be an endless cycle of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The very definition of stupidity. 

[Bluespunk]

Fifth vote done and looks like McCarthy has again failed to reach required number. Even before got through a quarter of members votes Donalds had scuppered him again. 
 

McCarthy not even hanging around to hear final tally. Knows he’s lost the vote again and has left. 
 

He might well be done now, Ken Buck hinting his conservative grouping may not continue to support McCarthy in another vote. 
 

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-us-canada-64153397?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=63b5d80e11d49175f77b656d%26We might see more defections away from McCarthy%262023-01-04T19%3A54%3A30.818Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:523ab3a3-0829-4ab2-b2c1-660cacf79b50&pinned_post_asset_id=63b5d80e11d49175f77b656d&pinned_post_type=share

[Bluespunk]

Looks like they’re going to have a sixth vote now. 
 

McCarthy being nominated by a member who has referred to this process as Groundhog Day. A lot of blah blah blah again but definitely targeting the band of 20…again. Apparently McCarthy can get things done…except for getting a speaker selected it seems. She’s just accused Democrats of drinking alcohol during this process. 
 

Democrats nominated Jeffries again. Took about 30 seconds and unlike the McCarthy nominee did so without hurling insults about. 
 

Band of 20 nominating Donalds again…ranting rather than rambling this time. According to him Washington is broken.
 

This is going nowhere…

[Tug]

Failed again ouch!not only the first time in a century but failed 6 times yeiks!failed the mid terms barely eked a tiny majority in the house now this yeiks that’s gotta hurt but they have it coming on account of continuing to enable trump 

[stevenl]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

From what I saw on Al Jazeera that's not the case. They want conditions to vote for him, and are using the situation to get them. I suspect the same will happen to any nominated till they get what they want.

Trump supports McCarthy, looks like Trump is too progressive for the new maga crowd.

[heybruce]

3 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Looks like they’re going to have a sixth vote now. 
 

McCarthy being nominated by a member who has referred to this process as Groundhog Day. A lot of blah blah blah again but definitely targeting the band of 20…again. Apparently McCarthy can get things done…except for getting a speaker selected it seems. She’s just accused Democrats of drinking alcohol during this process. 
 

Democrats nominated Jeffries again. Took about 30 seconds and unlike the McCarthy nominee did so without hurling insults about. 
 

Band of 20 nominating Donalds again…ranting rather than rambling this time. According to him Washington is broken.
 

This is going nowhere…

"According to him Washington is broken."

 

Trump should know.  He's done more to break Washington than anyone in living memory.

[OneMoreFarang]

29 minutes ago, heybruce said:

"According to him Washington is broken."

 

Trump should know.  He's done more to break Washington than anyone in living memory.

And maybe, finally, a majority of GOP politicians realize this - at least that is what I hope. I still wouldn't bet on that.