Red Mosquito

Chris_H_2 wrote:This is hysterical. Republicans can't elect a nominee because of a few lunatics in their own party. So certain members float the idea of extending the power of the speaker pro tempore, who is by all accounts more moderate than the fringe republican whackos. But the speaker pro tempore is viewed as someone who will be somewhat bipartisan when it comes to budget negotiations next month. and opponents say that they can't ever support a "democrat-backed coalition government," and they will vote against extending the speaker pro tempore's powers. and then when the broader republican coalition can't elect someone else, they blame the democrats for not backing the previous speaker when they should have been more . . . checks notes . . . ah yes, bipartisan.

tragabigzanda wrote:

tragabigzanda wrote:

McParadigm wrote:

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan told GOP colleagues Thursday he will back a temporary U.S. House speaker as he works to shore up support to win the gavel himself.

Jordan delivered the message at a closed door meeting at the Capitol as the Republican majority considered an extraordinary plan to give the interim Speaker Pro-tempore Rep. Patrick McHenry more powers to reopen the House and conduct crucial business.

That’s according to Republicans who attended the private meeting and insisted on anonymity to discuss it.

On Wednesday, Jordan failed in a crucial second ballot, opposed by 22 Republicans, two more than he lost in first-round voting the day before. Many view the Ohio congressman as too extreme for a central seat of U.S. power and resented the harassing hardball tactics from Jordan’s allies for their votes. One lawmaker said they had received death threats.

“We’ll keep talking to members, keep working on it,” Jordan, a founding member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, said after the vote.

The House came to another abrupt standstill, 16 days now since the sudden ouster of Kevin McCarthy without a speaker — a position of power second in line to the presidency.

“The way out is that Jim Jordan has got to pull his name,” said Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who voted twice against him. “He’s going to have to call it quits.”

I don’t know. It sure seems to me as though Republican holdouts could have caved to a minority power grab, but instead were able to put pressure on their party until a more moderate temporary solution was put in place….a thing they could not have done if Democrats had crossed the aisle and voted for a Republican extremist in the name of filling the spot as quickly as possible.

It’s an interesting development, and may well unfold just as you’re speculating. I’m extremely skeptical the GOP will be able to advance a more moderate candidate against whatever collateral damage they’ll expect to see from the far right. This sort of thing breeds same-party primary challengers which they’ll want to avoid at all costs.

lol it's already happening, Jordan has pulled his support

wease wrote:Questions:

Do the house members have to be there to vote?

Can an election for speaker be started by anyone?

Let’s say all these GOPs go home for the weekend and all the Dems stay. Can they then hold an election for speaker with basically only them voting?

E.H. Ruddock wrote:Dems don’t have the numbers to elect someone though

4/5 wrote:

E.H. Ruddock wrote:Dems don’t have the numbers to elect someone though

They would if a few Republicans voted present.

B wrote:Why is Jim Jordan sweating so much?

E.H. Ruddock wrote:So another election denier up for nomination. Don't know much about him, wonder if he'll make it?