House Republicans were working “behind the scenes” on Monday, trying to pull together some good candidates for Speaker of the House, after Jim Jordan got his ass handed to him in three Speaker votes last week. There were eight or nine GQP candidates, and Tom Emmer was considered to be the best or the most reasonable for the majority of the caucus. Emmer got the majority of votes within the Republican caucus around noon on Tuesday, meaning that Emmer was officially the GQP’s new Speaker candidate, and they would hold a floor vote at some point in the next 24 hours. Soon after Emmer “won” his party’s nomination for Speaker, he met with Republican leaders in some kind of closed-door meeting. Emmer walked out of the meeting after a few hours, and now he has withdrawn from the Speaker race. It’s all completely bonkers.
Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No. 3 House Republican, dropped his bid for speaker on Tuesday hours after securing his divided party’s nomination, after a swift backlash from the right, including former President Donald J. Trump, left his candidacy in shambles.
Mr. Emmer’s abrupt exit signaled that Republicans were as far as ever from breaking a deadlock that has left Congress leaderless and paralyzed for three weeks. It made Mr. Emmer the third Republican this month to be chosen to lead the party, only to have his bid collapse in a seemingly endless cycle of G.O.P. grievances, personality conflicts and ideological rifts. Republicans have now succeeded in repudiating all three of their top leaders over the past few weeks. The chamber has been frozen for the better part of a month as Republicans feud over who should be in charge, even as wars rage overseas and a government shutdown approaches.
Mr. Emmer began Tuesday with a scant victory, winning an internal party nominating contest by a vote of 117 to 97 over a right-wing rival, Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana. The margin reflected that House Republicans were still deeply at odds.
Then immediately after Mr. Emmer’s nomination, about two dozen right-wing Republicans indicated that they would not vote for him on the floor, denying him the majority he would need to succeed in a vote of the full House. And as he met with holdouts to try to win them over, the former president issued a scathing statement on social media expressing vehement opposition to Mr. Emmer, calling him a “Globalist RINO” — short for “Republican in name only” — whose elevation would be a “tragic mistake.”
“I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them. He never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGA—MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
“Globalist RINO” huh. That’s like ten different dog-whistles. This just underlines the fact that Trump wants a “loyalist” installed as Speaker, so that no matter what happens in the 2024 election, the MAGA Speaker will subvert democracy and ratf–k the election results. How many more days/weeks does this have to go on before a handful of Republicans go to Hakeem Jeffries and beg him to make a deal? Like, from what I understand of House procedure, that’s the only reasonable solution at this point. Democrats are in lockstep behind Minority Leader Jeffries, meaning he has 212 votes guaranteed. That means he would only need to “flip” five Republicans to become Speaker. Enough with empowering the craziest lunatics in the GQP caucus – the handful of moderate Republicans should reclaim their power, make personal power-sharing agreements with Democrats and switch their votes to Jeffries.
PS… House Republicans worked for hours after Emmer dropped out and now they’ve nominated Mike Johnson from Louisiana to be their Speaker candidate.
Update: Mike Johnson is now Speaker of the House. This is a disaster.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- EXCLUSIVE United States House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Republican of Minnesota) offers remarks during a press conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Credit: Rod Lamkey / CNP Where: Washington, District of Columbia, Vereinigte Staaten When: 10 Jan 2023 Credit: Rod Lamkey – CNP/DPA/Cover Images **ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE UK AND USA**
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- United States House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (Democrat of New York) speaks at a Democratic event on the East Steps of the Capitol. The event directly followed United States Representative Jim Jordan’s (Republican of Ohio) win with 124 votes against United States Representative Austin Scott (Republican of Georgia), who only had 81. Democrats voiced that their nomination for Speaker is Jeffries. Kevin McCarthy (Republican of California) was recently ousted from the Speakership. Featuring: Hakeem Jeffries Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 13 Oct 2023 Credit: CNP/startraksphoto.com
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- United States Representative Tom Emmer (Republican of Minnesota) talks to former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (Republican of California) and United States Representative Jim Jordan (Republican of Ohio) in the House chamber after the vote for a new Speaker of the House in the Capitol. United States Representative Jim Jordan (Republican of Ohio) fell short of Speaker by 20 votes. United States House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (Democrat of New York) is the Democratic nomination. Jordan needs 217 votes to win the Speakership. Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (Republican of California) was recently ousted from the Speakership. Featuring: Tom Emmer, Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 17 Oct 2023 Credit: CNP/startraksphoto.com
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- House Republican Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Republican of Minnesota) departs a House Republican Conference meeting at the US Capitol. Featuring: Tom Emmer Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 19 Oct 2023 Credit: CNP/startraksphoto.com
Getting behind Jeffries would mean putting country over party and the Rethugs will never do that. They should be embarrassed by this complete and utter clown show but alas, they have no shame.
I imagine they’re also worried about losing in the next election (or getting primaried) if they don’t seem faithful to the Republican brand for voters. So they’re putting self over country as well.
That, too. Cowardly sacks of shit—all of them.
12 seats on the GOP side, Biden won their district by double digits.
Why none of them are looking at the long game is beyond me.
Those R’s that are in blue districts are probably terrified for their families if they vote D. It’s highly likely they will be voted out next cycle—in a kinder, unMAGA world they’d cut the circus cr*p and vote for Hakeem Jeffries—losing a congressional seat is the least of their worries.
@punkymomma. But they were fine with it before. Their awfulness was fine for them before. They fell in line to the very end and now they are concerned for safety. Funny that never occurred to them for the constituents of this country.
@TIFFANY Yup. Never anticipated that their own would turn on them.
The average American voter does not educate themselves on a candidate, or politics in general. The average American actually has no idea how our government is supposed to work at all. They don’t even consume news from a variety of outlets. So they don’t realize that a small percentage of MAGA reps are holding our government hostage. If they get any “news” at all, it’s coming from fox news, and is that even really news? That’s honestly just right wing propaganda, shouting about how democrats are the real problem, and they’re the ones causing all the problems in Congress.
I won’t use the name the far right has adopted for their caucus because they’re really just domestic terrorists. They won’t be happy until they see the American Republic crash and burn. They’re happy to stall the SOH process because they want a government shut down. They don’t care how that affects their constituents. They don’t care how it will affect world markets. Because they know fox news will continue screaming about it being all the democrats fault for not voting for the racist, misogynistic, right-wing extremist for SOH, and people will believe it. And that’s the scariest part in all of this.
From what I’ve been reading & hearing (Pod Save America), Emmer’s position on the last election was that it was legitimate (because it was) & trump threw a hissy fit; Johnson’s position on the last election was that it was stolen (because he’s a POS), and trump wants him as speaker. They really want to destroy American democracy.
Emmer is a vile misogynist and racist. Speaking as a Minnesotan.
Rethugs is right! These politicians have threatened members of their own party, which is absolutely horrific and mind boggling. So-called moderate (there aren’t really any) Rs might put up a bit of a protest, but eventually they are going to cave. It takes a lot of guts to go against your voters and your party and these Rs aren’t going to do that.
https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote
Please register to vote. If necessary, please take the time to see what proof of address you need. This is the time to make sure your driver’s license is not going to expire or acquire a non-driver/ state ID. If you haven’t done so, please consider putting a major utility in your name, because some states will accept your bills as proof of address.
Biden needs votes. I’m aware he’s not the perfect D candidate, but if you do not vote for Democrats, you’re helping the mafioso/ fascist Rethuglicans into power. I know many people vote their pocketbook, but our laws are in danger. Please register and show up to vote!
Trump didn’t want him. He isn’t maga enough. It’s a very sad situation that trump has any influence in it but here we are. VOTE BLUE!!!
This is truly wild to witness. I can’t imagine how frustrated Americans must feel watching this because I am yelling and I’m just a Canadian watching from next door.
Frustrated — and terrified. There’s something both disgraceful and horrible about realizing that a majority of “our” so-called Representatives truly have no interest in either governing the country or the well-being of the country and its citizens.
I’m terrified, too, about the possibility of violence and massive disarray that may accompany our next elections, and I live in an area that will be in the thick of it.
Man the GOP is a Sh– show.
2 weeks ago when the Jeffries nom was floated, I like others thought it was out of reach. Now, given the total dissembling of the GOP and the optics they so richly deserve, I’m not so sure?! There have to be 5 purple GOP districts ripe for the picking! Promise them the moon in their districts and be the hero’s by getting the congress back to work…
A large part of why we are in this mess is that they got rid of “earmarks,” being able to designate funds for specific local projects, as an anti-corruption measure. It turns out that not being able to offer people incentives means having no control over them and nothing gets done.
Also, it doesn’t matter that someone has a majority of their party, you have to have a majority of the House to become speaker – 217 votes. There are 221 Republicans. They basically need every vote, but they have a large enough faction of watch the world burn members that they may not be able to pull this together.
Nancy Pelosi is an under appreciated genius.
That’s what I was thinking. I bet more than one R is thinking, deep down in the darkness of their black little hearts, that maybe Nancy could return & make it all work again.
So could a trump loyalist speaker of the house actually overturn election results? By just not certifying?
I want to know that also. I feel terribly ignorant about procedures/possibilities once the bus goes off the rails.
In theory, yes. The constitution only says what the procedure is. There is nothing about what to do if people refuse to follow the rules. The other issue is that Congress makes its own rules. So a Speaker could changes rules to suit Trump’s needs.
This whole mess is entirely about being able to steal the 2024 election. Which is why it seems unlikely for the Jeffries compromise to happen.
Yep, yep, yep. This whole mess is about the ’24 election. And we’re in this mess because the Rs changed the rules so that if only one person wanted a Speaker gone, they could bring it to a vote. McCarthy allowed that rule change to get the Speakership & boom! They used it on him. Dummy.
So Trump is picking Speaker of the House. And the Speaker of the House is picking the next President. They’re not even trying to hide the plan anymore. Meanwhile election conspirators are falling like dominoes in GA. Looks like the federal government is about to be saved by the states.
It was chilling to watch Trump take Emmers, a republican who doesn’t believe the election was stolen, out so quickly.
Very pleased with all the guilty pleas in Georgia. Very pleased! Can’t wait for the big boss’s trial so that we can hear all their testimony against him.
Emmer was one of the only candidates who didn’t support Trump’s overthrow of democracy. He voted yes on gay marriage. His views on abortion and women’s rights are scary. I don’t think there are any moderate R’s anymore. Just the crazies, the fascists. Any normal humans have been driven out OR they are being blackmailed/threatened into submission.
Emmer is my congressman and I had reason to get to know him professionally over several years. If he’s “”moderate,” we have lost the plot. Yes, he voted to confirm the 2020 election results – AFTER signing on to a lawsuit challenging Biden’s win in Michigan and elsewhere. He is the master of having it both ways. He is also deathly afraid of meeting constituents in any environment where he can’t control the questions/results – no town halls, no general meetings. He likes small (like less than 10 people), hand-picked groups of generally businessmen. And using -“men” was not a mistake on my part.
He’s vile and a worthy successor to his repugnant predecessor, Rep. Michelle Bachmann. Jeez, I gotta move.
We have for sure lost the plot.
If Tom Emmer is a moderate, I’m the Queen of England.
GOP = Greed over People
GOP = Got zerO Plans
They don’t know how to lead and don’t have any vision for how to solve today’s problems with innovative modern solutions. Vote these obstructionists & contrarians out!
This isn’t about having a Speaker, this is about shutting down the government in November. The extension is almost up and the GQP wanted a shutdown back in August, which is why McCarthy is gone. He is way to stupid and never should have had the gavel. Notice how they also voted not to give legislation power to McHenry to keep the government going. This mess is all by design.
Emmer is not my congressional rep (thank God!), but I live in Minnesota. The idea that Tom Emmer is not far right enough for the Republican party is the craziest thing I’ve heard so far in this clown show. The current Republican party is a criminal enterprise run by actual fascists.
He is my rep. He’s terrible (see comment above).
You have my deepest sympathies, Worktowander. 🙏
“Looks like the federal government is about to be saved by the states”. Please let this be true. The Republicans lack the collective bravery to clean their own damn house.
This is ridiculous and pathetic but not surprising from republicans. What happens when they run out of candidates ?
Scary the control Drumpf still has over the GOP and SO many people, and our know he is absolutely loving the power, attention, and $$ silly people, many who can least afford it, still give him.
And the irony that he is calling out ANYONE for being a RINO. If he thought becoming a Democrat or Communist would have gotten him elected/keep him in power/$$ or they had shown as much fear and loyalty he’d flip in a quick second.
Well… I just watched a clip of Mike Johnson, today’s candidate for speaker ask Dr Yashica Robinson if a baby was half delivered out of the birth canal would she support abortion in that circumstance. In a congressional hearing. That’s the guy republicans now want leading the US House of Representatives.
Mike Johnson most likely doesn’t have the votes, 22 people left rather than vote against him in the party balloting because they’re scared of the lunatics. Johnson is awful, so hopefully this will be a one vote rejection.
Jeffries might work, except that the rules that removed McCarthy are still there. So even if they worked something out, it would be a daily vote on whether to keep him, unless they manage to change the rule as part of the deal. Even “moderate” republicans aren’t going to be able to defend putting Jeffries in speaker position.
I saw a bluesky yesterday (I don’t know what to call them) that said, “If democrats care about America, why don’t they stop the republicans from stepping on their own dicks while swinging a machete at anyone who comes near them?”
They are effing stupid and don’t have the brains to figure this out in two weeks. They should force Gaetz out for ethical child r*ping problems (I don’t know if the speaker pro temp can oversee that though?) and Santos to get through to the remaining seven of the freedom caucus that play time is over. Of course, if they’d done this earlier, the whole thing could’ve been avoided. With those two gone and the one man who resigned for his wife’s health, it puts them at 218? 219? They could afford to get someone through with a few present votes.
Vote blue.
Dustin at Pajiba wrote about Mike Johnson today and I’m officially terrified.
Jais, I’m terrified too! Thanks for the tip: https://www.pajiba.com/politics/house-speakerdesignee-mike-johnson-is-sneaky-evil.php
I’ve just jumped on the US websites and it kind of feels he might make it.🤢
GD IT! He’s the speaker. I hope Dems are coming up with plans to ensure the 2024 election gets certified.
Lucy, You said it succinctly. GD it indeed!🤢
It definitely infuriates me that Mike Johnson was just voted in as Speaker. The GOP Evil plan is set with election deniers, people against women’s rights are taking over the different offices in Govt. 🤮 And that’s why it’s really important that Dems win by a big margin in 2024. People cannot just sit around and say they won’t vote for Biden because he’s old or whatever lame excuse, if they have any care in the world for their freedoms.
Otherwise with this new Fascist GOP party we’re seeing the last days of Democracy pretty much.
Couldn’t a bunch of them just vote “present” to lower the threshold for Jeffries without having to actually vote for him?
I’m sure the Rethugs threatened him or his family in that closed-door conference they had with him before he backed out. Now we have one of the assholes who didn’t certify Biden as president when he won and put forth a conspiracy theory that trump won. The Rethugs are just setting us up for another attack on our Capitol and democracy itself when that orange asshole runs again in 2024. We are no longer a functioning democracy. Republicans no longer belong in government. They are terrorists, insurrectionists and cowards.
Hell. Yes. No time to mince words. They are the enemies of democracy.