Who dislikes Rep. Kevin McCarthy, you ask? The teacher of Kevin McCarthy. Former Representative Bill Thomas, 81, said last week in an interview with The New Yorker that the Kevin McCarthy who is currently in the House isn’t the Kevin McCarthy I worked with. Thomas mentored Mr. McCarthy because they were both Republican state legislators from California.
Mr. Thomas characterized his former protege as dishonest and always on the lookout for opportunities to advance his political career. Kevin can essentially be anything you want him to be. He tells lies. If required, he will adjust the lie. Who can believe his word? said Mr. Thomas. He’s the popular member of the fraternity in college who ends up convincing others they need life insurance. Ouch.
The damning New Yorker report appears as Mr. McCarthy is attempting to persuade his fellow Republicans to support him for the position of House speaker. At least five Republicans have already stated that they will not back the current minority leader because of the numerous opponents he has amassed along the way.
The GOP controls the chamber by a slim 222-213 margin, so losing five votes would prevent Mr. McCarthy from obtaining the 218 votes necessary to take the gavel.
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Mr. McCarthy was nominated by the Republican Party to succeed John Boehner as speaker of the House a week after the GOP’s poor performance in the 2022 midterm elections. Then, though, all hell broke loose, and everything is now up in the air.
The California congressman must appeal to everyone since the GOP caucus is split, with numerous breakaway groups competing for control.
The hardline House Freedom Caucus has taken various actions to establish itself as the main GOP power broker. The caucus, which consists of 30 to 40 Republicans, released a 55-page “Road Map” for the party to prospective new members last month. It included a number of proposed rule changes, many of which aimed to lessen the influence of party officials.
In search of power are other other cliques. One group, the Problem Solvers Caucus, promises to be a moderate force that can aid the GOP achieve victories in the House while seeking out Democratic support on a bipartisan basis.
The co-leaders of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, had dinner together, according to Politico. They discussed reforms that could strengthen and empower the group’s 50 or so members, one of which was the concept to only support legislation that had both Republican and Democratic co-sponsors at the time it was presented.
The Main Street Caucus is another option. On Twitter, it describes itself as “the second largest Republican Caucus in the House” and lists its top priorities as “implementing pro-growth policies for small business owners, fostering economic and individual prosperity, [and] delivering results for the American people.”
According to Newsmax, Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, co-leader of the Main Street Caucus, remarked, “It’s time we exercise our muscles.”
The circumstance is becoming much stranger.
Preliminary discussions about a potential backup candidate are reportedly taking place among Republicans and Democrats in the House, according to The Hill, if McCarthy is unable to take the gavel after several votes in the new GOP-majority House next month.
According to C-SPAN, Mr. Bacon told reporters, “We’ve had preliminary negotiations with the Democrats.” “We’re not going to be held hostage by them if we have numerous, multiple votes and they’re not prepared to support what the vast majority of the conference wants to accomplish.”
Additionally, to add to the bizarreness, former president Donald Trump entered the race and is endorsing Mr. McCarthy’s quest for speaker.
Kevin has put in a lot of effort, in my opinion, Mr. Trump stated. It has been exhausting. He is just. If you believe he has gone everywhere. He merits the chance, in my opinion. He should be really powerful, excellent, and willing to comply with everyone’s wishes.
McCarthy was a fervent supporter of Trump, but that ship has sailed. Republicans are focused with moving past The Don despite the publication of narcissistic NFTs that depict Mr. Trump as Superman and other odd cartoon characters.
Additionally, Mr. McCarthy has angered moderates, which means he has very few options for taking the gavel.
Everyone is aware of the joke, a former member of the House staff informed me, according to the New Yorker article. “Kevin McCarthy is the only thing he is concerned with. He is the right man at this time. His adaptability has always been his major asset. There are no hard and fast rules, fundamental views about policy, or unbreakable moral standards; only a willingness to adjust to the moods of his conference. That has to hurt.
Mr. McCarthy, who will turn 58 in a month from now, somehow belongs to the Old Guard. When Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 81, said she will step aside from a leadership role next year, Reps. Steny Hoyer, 83, and James Clyburn, 82, both made the same announcement. This was a wise move on the part of the Democratic Party.
You want weirder? The vote is independent of the chamber’s established operating procedures because the speaker is chosen before the House establishes the rules for the 118th Congress. All hell breaks loose if Mr. McCarthy doesn’t win on the first ballot. And that demonstrates how erratically Republican people can be.
