Kevin McCarthy is an embarrassment to California and to the House of Representatives. May history remember him with ignominy, like that other politician with the same surname--Joseph McCarthy.
69
Over the last year or two, McCarthy has a perpetual scowl on his face and appears to be under great strain. I wonder if he will remain the Republican leader in the house because it's wearing him out.
11
Putin wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine if Trump were president.
7
Correct; Trump would have done it for him and handed it to him on a silver platter…...
69
How can he expunge from his mind the day when he and all of his colleagues of both parties had to scramble for their lives?
29
You'd be hard-pressed to find a single member of the GOP who can run for any office, anywhere in this country, who has a single plan for what they can do for their constituents, outside of fear-mongering and "owning" the liberals. I'm old enough to remember when I could have a "healthy" debate with the most conservative members in my family. Today's GOP is fully owned by white nationalists with no interest in a "more perfect union."
37
Articles like this just reinforces my belief in term limits.
25
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.
21
He'll never be speaker. His career is over the minute the Republicans take the house.
7
As long as Nancy insists on her position as Speaker, Democrats are at high risk of being displaced.
3
He's setting himself up for a heart attack or stroke. So too is Trump.
Q anon will provide the Republican Russian party with candidates.
3
McCarthy is a prime example, in his apparent chameleon like changes in political colour, of why he can't be trusted. If you stand for everything, depending on who you are with, you stand for nothing. It's an issue of character. An opposite example would be AOC. I trust her word. She has a solid character, and can be relied upon. If she was an Australian or New Zealander, she'd be in contention for the Prime Minister's job, and I'm sure she knows this. But she is where she needs to be. McCarthy is like a souffle. AOC is as solid as a rock. A souffle can rise to the top, but collapses, in an instant. He is an embarrassment and should be replaced.
18
Kevin McCarthy is just doing whatever it takes to get power: whether that means endorsing Trump, or appearing to be a "rational" Republican. And right now, he has decided to embrace Trump.
32
The worst part is, he apparently thinks that it’s just campaigning, who cares, nobody’ll notice, I’ll get what I want.
Seriously, when I was a kid, they had us read that story about a man who was exiled for life, after declaring, “I wish that I may never hear of the United States again.”
He was less of a criminal.
7
For several decades neither Democrats nor Republicans have faced geo-political reality, instead engaging in self-delusion. The initial bipartisan optimism after the Soviet collapse and the economic modernization of China has proven unwarranted. Contrary to the agenda pushed by major corporations, economic liberalization has not produced political liberalization, and intertwined economies have not thwarted go-it-alone political actions, today's invasion merely the culmination of this reality.
I was in Prague when the Soviet Union invaded. Like now, they invented "invitations" to "rescue" the country from "foreign" threats. A major difference, though: the Soviets billed it as a Warsaw Pact action to "save" the country. As a result, they brought in lots of troops who, unlike Czechs and Slovaks, did not speak Russian, meaning the soldiers couldn't hear the locals' version of reality. Many, if not most, Ukainians can speak Russian. If Putin is contemplating a long-term occupation of Ukraine, he may well have to deal with a restive army. Over time, fragging and other manifestations of discontent will take their toll, much as happened with the Soviet army in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, we are extremely fortunate that Joe Biden is our President. There was no other candidate, Democrat or Republican, with the foreign policy experience to deal with the Russian inavsion of Ukraine. All other 2020 candidates, as well as those proffered for 2024, wallow in domestic (often symbolic) issues.
26
@Alfred E. Neuman
You cannot have political liberalization without unions. Corporations are authoritarian structures.
11
“…obstruct and impeach.” Has been the Republican platform for over 30 years.. even when in full control of the government they have no idea how to actually govern and their resulting messes have to cleaned up by the next Dem president. So they actually like being in the minority because then they can be their best lazy and incompetent selves and just do their best to obstruct everything and absolve themselves of actually doing anything good for the American People. Not that they would actually do anything good for the American People. That would against their sole “value:” making money.
36
@Joe Rockbotttom you are absolutely correct.
11
If the Republicans retake the house McCarthy deserves the speakership. That’s how politics work. Pelosi had her own baggage, and Democrats elected her. Turnabout is fair play.
5
Doesn’t mean he will get it. I find it highly unlikely he would become Speaker as he doesn’t have the backing of all House GOP members. He’s making a fool of himself by groveling for power that he won’t get.
10
Kevin McCarthy doesn’t want to be Speaker in order to actually help the Nation. He just wants to be Speaker. Rather like Putin just wanting Ukraine.
36
Hopefully, should the GOP win the house, the DOJ is doing their job and Kevin will be relieved from this post so he can work on his criminal defense.
42
If he wins he won’t certify a Republican loss in 2024. That’s what is at stake here.
22
Oh, that's the "loyalty before honesty" guy .
I wonder how McCarthy explains those values to his kids ?
22
@Ray. Until the Dems boot Adam Schiff, the man who lied repeatedly about the evidence he had seen of Russian collusion—but which neither Mueller or anyone else found, they have no right to criticize anyone.
6
Schiff saw plenty of evidence, as did Mueller.
"If we had had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so." --- Robert Mueller
18
@Ehillesum "Collusion" means different things to different people. I don't doubt for a second that he saw evidence of what he considers "collusion". That may not have risen to the level of criminally chargeable. Move on.
7
“Yet some Republicans say it can be difficult to discern what principles guide Mr. McCarthy.”
Point at which I choked on my soup.
Of course, McCarthy has no principles. While McCarthy is extreme even by Republican standards, the Republican Party has entirely abandoned principles as a whole.
Pieces like this are disturbing. They paint a nice façade on a Party that has very literally turned against the country it pretends to serve.
Let’s just stop pretending Republicans are anything other than what they are.
43
Will McCarthy step aside, if Trump wants to be the Speaker?
( The Speaker is second in line to be President after the Vice- President ).
7
He is not a leader, only a follower who has no morals. Wait until the budget comes up or deficit increase—he will need Dems to do either and since he is captured by extremists who don’t understand or care about a default, we will be in big trouble. They will impeach Biden every week if Republicans control the House and only want to complain and do nothing else. The Republicans will betray their voters by pushing them further down the economic ladder as they have for decades, but white will be their favorite color and that and creating a theocracy will become what they do best.
16
All campaigns for election – federal, state and local – should be funded by taxpayer money. That McCarthy, or any elected individual, must grovel for money and placate the donnors is a huge negative on the Nation and its future.
5
God help our nation if McCarthy is ever elected Speaker of the House. He has clearly demonstrated his willingness to go along with sedition and treason while "serving" as Minority Leader of the House. He deserves to be denied another term in Congress and to be prosecuted for his actions in abetting the cover up of the January 6th insurrection and any investigation into it. He doesn't represent anything other than his own naked ambition.
22
When Dems hold the house, and even make gains, the Rs will of course squawk and whine about election fraud, but bottom line...they will lose, in spite of their best efforts to rig the elections. Kevin McCarthy will not be Speaker. I will enjoy watching him lose.
15
It is frightening to think of this man being in the line of succession. He is unprincipled and will not advance the lives of average Americans.
13
Krugman's column describes the result of the fact that neither Democrats nor Republicans have faced reality for several decades. The initial optimism after the Soviet collapse and the economic modernization of China has proven unwarranted. Contrary to the agenda pushed by major corporations, economic liberalization has not produced political liberalization, and intertwined economies have not thwarted go-it-alone political actions, today's invasion merely the culmination of this reality.
I was in Prague when the Soviet Union invaded. Lke now, they invented "invitations" to "rescue" the country from "foreign" threats. A major difference, though: the Soviets billed it as a Warsaw Pact action to "save" the country. As a result, they brought in lots of troops who, unlike Czechs and Slovaks, did not speak Russian, meaning the soldiers couldn't hear the locals' version of reality. Many, if not most, Ukainians can speak Russian. If Putin is contemplating a long-term occupation of Ukraine, he may well have to deal with a restive army. Over time, fragging and other manifestations of discontent will take their toll, much as happened with the Soviet army in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, we are extremely fortunate that Joe Biden is our President. There was no other candidate, Democrat or Republican, with the foreign policy experience to deal with the Russian inavsion of Ukraine. All other 2020 candidates, as well as those proffered for 2024, wallow in domestic (often symbolic) issues.
11
Mainstream AND Extreme?
The former "mainstream" of the GOP is pretty much gone, and this is the same McCarthy who has already disowned Cheney and anyone else who stood up to Trump.
All that's left for him to appeal to is extremists, because that's today's GOP.
19
If you can believe it, there used to be liberal republicans, received and accepted by their party. Today Nelson Rockefeller would be lumped with Che Guevara
11
I would like to hear him explain ethics. Could be a mind bender.
22
The following is from a CNN article. If it doesn't qualify a treason, it should. Retrumplicans are a truly shameful artifact of our current political milieu.
Elise Stefanik is the third-ranking Republican in the House for one main reason: Her unstinting loyalty to Donald Trump. And she hasn't forgotten that fact.
While many of her GOP colleagues were heavily ridiculing Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday for his invasion of Ukraine, Stefanik took a different tack, focusing her criticism on President Joe Biden and laying Russian aggression at his feet.
Here's the key bit of her statement:
"After just one year of a weak, feckless, and unfit President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief, the world is less safe. Rather than peace through strength, we are witnessing Joe Biden's foreign policy of war through weakness. For the past year, our adversaries around the world have been assessing and measuring Joe Biden's leadership on the world stage, and he has abysmally failed on every metric. From kinetic and deadly attacks on our allies and partners, to the catastrophic withdrawal and surrender in Afghanistan, to the cyber attacks impeding American industry and infrastructure, to today's Russian invasion of Ukraine, Joe Biden and his Administration have failed America and the world."
6
@Attorney If Ms. Stefanik wants to see a weak, feckless, and unfit President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief helpless in the face of Vlad Putin, she should go to YouTube and check out the videos of Trump's disgraceful performance in Helsinki in 2018.
29
"some Republicans say it can be difficult to discern what principles guide Mr. McCarthy. "
And that would be because he has none. He is a purely political animal and opportunist who is always checking the wind. To call him a leader is a joke, he leads from behind.
He does however, have ONE guiding principle, whatever gets him the Speakership in the House and that is subject to change on a day to to basis.
27
“Our job is to obstruct and impeach, not to cut any deals.”
So the democrats can use that same agenda? Asking for a liberal friend
15
Joe Kent, a square-jawed former Special Forces officer who is trying to unseat Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Trump after the Capitol attack, said:
“Our job is to obstruct and impeach, not to cut any deals.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Watching from afar, far south of the border, I fear America is lost. The GQP has spent the past year passing laws in state after state to cheat at elections and to legally intimidate and block anyone who looks "other". And even if the undesirables manage to jump through all their hoops and actually vote, they've also rigged who COUNTS the votes.
The idea of America was beyond aspirational. Sadly, it has been a miserable failure.
17
@Jennifer And Kent will probably win because Americans fetishize the military, and particularly worship "Special Forces" types.
8
What mainstream, and who is designated as such? From my point of view anyone supporting TFG is not mainstream Republican. Is this how distorted things have become?
10
'Some of the lawmakers’ comments and views may seem outrageous, he told the donors gathered at a restaurant overlooking a golf course. But on visits to congressional districts, he said, it was clear to him that the right-wing lawmakers were merely doing what the voters who sent them to Washington wanted', do they really want their representatives to go to Washington and speak about Israeli owned and operated space lasers? And if they really do want this, is that what we want to give them? Is it?
7
You hate to hear it, Mitch McConnell gloating, “How do you like me now?”
3
Mr. McCarthy has amply demonstrated that he will do and say whatever is necessary to preserve his place in Congress and to further his personal political ambitions. If perchance he should become Speaker, I don't expect he will spend much time supporting legislation that will benefit a majority of Americans, whether Democrat or Republican.
20
What useful, helpful, productive thing has any Republican done in the past ten years?
Don't their voters require some proof of work on their behalf?
35
Your rhetorical question is not borne out by the facts. See statehouse victories, President Trump, midterm blowouts upcoming and more. Republican policy winners: economy, immigration, trade, inflation, crime, and yes, foreign policy. Voters aren’t stupid.
5
@Kathy That's a good question. I'd say the answer is that Republicans believe that government has an important role but a limited one. That to the extent possible people should be free to live their lives the best way they see fit. That to the extent possible the government should rely on the market to build wealth in a bottom-up way rather than top-down bureaucratic dictates.
To that end, the Republicans have lowered taxes, reduced regulation, appointed conservative judges and tried to improve the economy so that everyone has a job and more money to spend.
The four years when Donald Trump was president I think we made more progress than we made during the entire Barack Obama administration. And Joe Biden, by the measures I outlined above, has been a disaster.
2
@kathy: we can tell from the non responses that you've nailed it.
4
What "GOP mainstream"? The other night on TV an absolutely bonkers ad started blaring enough to make me look up to see what it was, depicting Pelosi as nothing less than the Angel of Death and the Democrats as bent on the actual destruction of our country.
It was a spot by and for McCarthy.
24
@Merlin Political ads have always been bonkers. But Republicans hardly have a monopoly on bonkerism. The Democrats sin as much as they are sinned against.
2
He is utterly consumed by a desire for power, untempered by any moral or practical constraints.
16
I was in Prague when the Soviet Union invaded. Much like now, they invented "invitations" to "rescue" the country from "foreign" threats. One major difference, though: the Soviets billed it as a Warsaw Pact action to "save" the country. As a result, they brought in lots of troops who, unlike Czechs and Slovaks, did not speak Russian, meaning the soldiers couldn't hear the locals' version of reality. Many, if not most, Ukainians can speak Russian. If Putin is contemplating a long-term occupation of Ukraine, he may well have to deal with a restive army. Over time, fragging and other manifestations of discontent will take their toll, much as happened with the Soviet army in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, we are extremely fortunate that Joe Biden is our President. There was no other candidate, Democrat or Republican, with the foreign policy experience to deal with the Russian inavsion of Ukraine. All other 2020 candidates, as well as those proffered for 2024, wallow in domestic (often symbolic) issues.
Neither Democrats nor Republicans, as a party, have faced reality for several decades. The initial optimism after the Soviet collapse and the economic modernization of China has proven unwarranted. Contrary to the agenda pushed by major corporations, economic liberalization has not produced political liberalization and intertwined economies have not thwarted go-it-alone political actions, today's invasion merely the culmination of this reality.
12
At this point, after a solid year of post-trump posturing, there are only two factions of the GOP: Pro-trump Republicans, or Pro-Cheney Republicans. Choose carefully, candidates.
11
The authors of this article wrote "Yet some Republicans say it can be difficult to discern what principles guide Mr. McCarthy"; one might start with self interest, accumulating power, and self enrichment. If using the pejorative term career politician, dictionaries should use his Wikipedia page as a reference as there isn't much else there in his background to indicate any personal interest in participating in the private sector when long term grazing at the public trough is so rewarding. His embrace of Trump after January 6 and all of the previous episodes show someone who is so corrupt that he makes Mitch McConnell look like a paragon of virtue. I could easily go on further and contrast how hard he works to defend historical Republican closely held beliefs, but the only basis of comparison I can think of is a non-politician, Gumby.
8
Note to any Republican who identify as mainstream:
Your party is now under the control of extremists and McCarthy is a radical extremist who supports violence and authoritarian rule. This is your last chance to stand up and announce your opposition to this extremism and to support democracy. The resistance appreciates your support.
10
Kevin, two minutes before an audience with Donnie: "anyone gotta Tic Tac?"
7
Speaker Pelosi would be a tough act to follow. She is smart, politically skilled, and in line with the needs of most Americans on the important issues of workers' rights, women's rights, minority rights, healthcare, and education. She has a backbone and can hold her own in a political discussion.
As for Mr. McCarthy, my mother said if you don't have anything nice to say about a person, don't say anything.
21
When a member of the house states it is "Their job to impeach and obstruct", it signals the end of American democracy. Their job is to legislate for the good of the country, Not to tow the line of their party, or even their constituents
37
Don’t see how either side can take McCarthy at his word, much less America. If he become the House Speaker no one in the House will take him seriously as he has already allowed people to walk all over him.
15
The GOP has made extremism mainstream. There are no right-of-center republicans anymore.
23
What are the chances the donors and traditionalist Republicans will read this story and realize McCarthy is lying to them! Will these people turn their backs on those courting Trump and Trump himself for his support of smart and savvy Putin?
6
Have we seen McCarthy come out and condemn Putin’s actions? That will tell you all you need to know. When are we going to get these traitors out of our government before it is too late ? The clock is ticking.
15
What passes for the GOP mainstream these days used to be, rightfully, called the unhinged far-right fringe.
18
The most depressing part of all this is the fact that my fellow Americans keep re-electing the likes of Kevin McCarthy and Gym Jordan to represent them.
28
We are extremely fortunate that Joe Biden is our President. There was no other candidate, Democrat or Republican, with the foreign policy experience to deal with the Russian inavsion of Ukraine. All other 2020 candidates, as well as those proffered for 2024, wallow in domestic (often symbolic) issues.
Neither Democrats nor Republicans, as a party, have faced reality for several decades. The initial optimism after the Soviet collapse and the economic modernization of China has proven unwarranted. Contrary to the agenda pushed by major corporations, economic liberalization has not produced political liberalization and intertwined economies have not thwarted go-it-alone political actions, today's invasion merely the culmination of this reality.
36
@Alfred E. Neuman He put NATO back on the front burner and renewed the commitment all its nations have to one another just in time to provide a united front to Putin. If you remember one of the other guy's few agendas was to destroy NATO.
17
I can't imagine anyone actually taking is word for anything, Kevin McCarthy has proven that he is willing to say or support anyone to get on Trump's good side, he's liar and a coward, not someone that should even be in Congress, never mind Speaker of the House.
I compare him to Nancy Pelosi, decent honest woman with integrity trying to help everyday Americans and I look at Kevin McCarthy, only worried about helping himself; and it's no contest where he belongs, in the dustbin of losers.
40
In light of this week’s events, we need people in Congress who aren’t focused on ranting about what books kids shouldn’t read, whether or not to wear a mask, or when women can use contraception. That being said, it may not look good for a Republican landslide.
Register, donate and show up to vote this year.
44
Vladimir Putin is the leader of a fascist regime and is the enemy of the United States of America. Unless Kevin McCarthy states this, loudly, clearly, and without equivocation, and also acknowledges that Donald Trump spent four years aiding and abetting the Russian annexation of The Ukraine, then he must be utterly removed from public service of any kind. Similarly anyone who fails to roundly condemn the Russian invasion of a struggling democracy and loudly acknowlege Trump's role in making it possible musrt be removed from public life, or be universally acknowledged as a traitor.
34
Rhetoric for Effect. The new GOP. Embarrassing.
16
The Republicans must be receiving money from Putin/Russian oligarchs, laundered through the properties owned by Trump.
It would explain the Republican party's tremendous effort to stay connected to the former president.
Why Republican congressional leaders made a trip to Russia to meet with Putin and Russian leaders on July 4th, 2018;
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/republicans-on-russia-trip-face-scorn-and-ridicule-from-critics-at-home/2018/07/05/68f0f810-807e-11e8-b0ef-fffcabeff946_story.html
Why Jared Kushner wanted to setup a secret communications channel between Trump’s transition team and the Kremlin, using Russian diplomatic facilities in an apparent move to shield their pre-inauguration discussions from being monitored;
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/russian-ambassador-told-moscow-that-kushner-wanted-secret-communications-channel-with-kremlin/2017/05/26/520a14b4-422d-11e7-9869-bac8b446820a_story.html
In 2016 Kevin McCarthy said to other congressional Republicans that; "There’s two people I think Putin pays...Rohrabacher and Trump". When others laughed he said "No, I am serious. I believe Putin is paying this guy" (about Trump).
Then Republican leader Paul Ryan, who was present said "What's said in the family, stays in the family".
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/house-majority-leader-to-colleagues-in-2016-i-think-putin-pays-trump/2017/05/17/515f6f8a-3aff-11e7-8854-21f359183e8c_story.html
Despicable.
19
Dear GOP,
You are done…you placed your markers on Donald Trump who not only showed his inability to lead a country was voted out. When are you guys going to get the message that one (wo)man, one vote counts and that DJT lost in '20?
This horrible unfolding of what is happening in the Ukraine? uh…remember Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindemann and Marie Yovanovitch (sic)? Two professionals who may have been able to aid the Ukraine from the actions of Madmen.
My resource? Preet Bhararo's latest episode—worth the google.
17
The House GOP barbarians are so sure of themselves that they are, metaphorically speaking, measuring the curtains in the Speakers Office. If they rigged the elections in the state legislatures like they think they did they will take power. Democrats have to then hold the Senate to keep this nation from sinking into a autocratic state.
15
McCarthy is just another Trump wanna-be. Voters can send him back to private life. Please do so.
31
And where does Kevin McCarthy stand on the Russian desecration of Europe?
Does he support former President Trump and the pro-Russian Manafort wing of his party? Or does he support America?
17
We are extremely fortunate that Joe Biden is our President. There was no other candidate, Democrat or Republican, with the foreign policy experience to deal with the Russian inavsion of Ukraine. All other 2020 candidates, as well as those proffered for 2024, wallow in domestic (often symbolic) issues.
Neither Democrats nor Republicans, as a party, have faced reality for several decades. The initial optimism after the Soviet collapse and the economic modernization of China has proven unwarranted. Contrary to the agenda pushed by major corporations, economic liberalization has not produced political liberalization and intertwined economies have not thwarted go-it-alone political actions, today's invasion merely the culmination of this reality.
16
@Been There
You think of Donald Trump, and he would be sending money, weapons and supplies to Putin, along with his praises.
20
Republicans are supremely confident that they will crush Democrats at the polls in the coming mid-term elections, but we the voters haven’t yet spoken. Democrats defeated Trump at the polls and are quite capable of assembling a winning team of legislators.
Let’s keep the faith.
49
@Fred Kasule Lets vote ,instead of protest ,and actually do something . Breaking windows and shooting fireworks at the cops is fun, but doesn't change anything .
10
I sure hope this is a case of
Pride goeth before a fall
Perhaps this will be an unintended consequences of Putin's megalomania, to wake up some Republicans to the catastrophic consequences of their allegiance to TrumpPutin.
17
@Susan Anderson Many people voted for nixon , but just try an find one now a days .
5
@john keeley My sister-in-law adored Nixon because her father did, so much so that she had one of his former henchmen perform her wedding. We were told beforehand that Jeb Magruder would not speak to any members of the wedding. It was actually kind of creepy.
5
World War 3 looms. We need a functioning GOP. Time to get serious.
10
There is no mainstream Republican party. They are not a good faith player in a republican democracy and need to be taken out of our politics legally. They are a criminal racket, actively and openly working to subvert our democratic institutions. You can't work with and negotiate with bullies. They simply cannot be part of our national politics anymore.
36
How to put this?
I’m not sure the poor guy is up to it.
A bit of a gray matter deficit.
16
@Horace Dewey More gray on the top than on the inside.
5
@Horace Dewey Putin or Trump?
3
Please, please tell me why every possible media outlet isn't featuring stories about McCarthy and the Republican Party's support of Putin and the Russian attack. Let the voters of the Confederacy know that they now support this egregious attack on democracy. Highlight the evil in Fox News and their support of this latest idiocy.
51
McCarthy as speaker of the House would be a disaster. The GOP needs to find some other leader that supports NATO and democracies in general or we're headed towards WWIII. Enough of the incomplete GOP leadership that supports Trump.
13
@P, Murphy Republican leadership of the house would also be a disaster, given what the Republican party has become. The only cure for the madness that has gripped the Republican party is a total bloodbath at the polls, but unfortunately, I don't see that happening.
10
Matt Goetz, the Florida Eppie wants to take the House and make DJ trump Speaker of the House, “even if only for a few days.” How or why any American goes along with this madness is a valid question.
19
Kevin McCarthy reminds me of Uriah Heep.
As in David Copperfield.
6
Okay, GOP. Who's side are you on. (1) America and NATO or (2) Russia, Putin and Trump. You can't play it both ways.
Trump supports Russia. He wants to build a hotel chain there.
23
Who will be Edgar Bergen to this McCarthy? Comes alive only when manipulated by someone else.
18
Or like, who will be special counsel’s Joseph Welch who asked Sen Joe McCarthy, “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?”
8
It doesn’t matter what face the Republicans put on their House caucus should they win the midterms, whoever it is will be leading an un-American and anti-democratic coalition. The so-called “quiet conservatives” referenced in this piece are a laughable shell of the former party, shamefully turning their backs on decency and their country.
36
I support TWO key GOP priorities under McCarthy:
1) House Impeachment hearings against Biden;
2) House 25th Amendment hearings against Biden.
Sincerely.
1
@Louis Anthes
Louis: You epitomize the problem with this country at present, half, the half you're part of, is missing half their gray matter. D'you make it out of pre-school, apologies in advance to all pre-schoolers.?! I think not.
52
I appreciate your blunt comment. What the poster to whom you replied fails to realize is that in order for impeachment to occur, one must have a case. Biden has not done anything impeachable. As far as the 25th amendment, most legal experts feel the chance of this ever being usable is far fetched To say the least. Perhaps that’s due to the grey matter shortage you diagnosed.
6
@Louis Anthes I support taking away the right to vote from bad Americans who care more about scoring vicious, childish partisan political points than about the country.
8
Can we think of anyone more unworthy for the very critical office of Speaker of the House? McCarthy is no patriot and no certainly leader; just another arrogant, self-obsessed hegemon who makes my stomach turn. There are far too many of his ilk in todays GOP. Heaven help The United States of America.
33
@Leslie Dee McCarthy wants to be Speaker of the House and support Russian invasions. Interesting.
12
Kevin McCarthy represents fewer than 2% of the people of California and Jim Jones represents about 6% of the people in Ohio. This is assuming they got every vote in their district which of course they didn't get. That's fewer than 1 million people combined. They seem be representing themselves only and not the 320 million people in the US. They all want to be 45. They might want to see him for what he really is, the guy who LOST! I don't understand why Republicans seem to be oblivious to this FACT. His loss should be a lesson to all who over step their importance in our democracy. We the people decide who runs this country and if you don't like it try Russia.
14
All the contortions, if that’s what they are, just proves he is no leader and not fit to Speaker!
16
Most of the "quiet conservatives" that the GOP SHOULD be wooing are among the forty-six precent of the electorate who identify as independents, with no love for either Trump or the increasingly progressive bent of the Dems.
6
@Montalvo
When Republicans are out and out obstructionists, I assume any move forward is too progressive for you?
13
@John Harper TRUMP Republicans are interested in little else than opposing the party they must defeat to gain office. And that's one of a number of reasons why I'm not a Republican. Democrats, on the other hand, adopt policies that discourage self-reliance and remove consequences for the self-indulgent, irresponsible behavior of the poor, paying for such programs with disproportionate taxes taken from productive citizens. A pox on both parties.
3
@Montalvo Independents are split between Democratic ans Republican leaning. Facts matter, even when they don’t support your Republican Party’s interests.
3
If Kevin McCarthy becomes Speaker after his performance as Republican leader of the House over the past few years America is in for more disaster than we ever expected. The man has no moral standards to follow. He has failed us as opposition leader, by simply opposing and not proposing positive leadership where leadership was needed. Surely the former Party of Lincoln can do better.
24
If Republicans take control of the House, the work of the Select Committee investigation the January 6, 2021 insurrection goes away. Hopefully American voters will see to it that this doesn't happen, but don't county on it. For me the failure of Republicans to condemn Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine is all the reason I need to vote blue. In the conservative enclave where I live I am the exception and not the rule. Voters here still believe Donald Trump is the second coming of Jesus Christ and what happens in Ukraine is none of their concern.
39
It's not even the party of Reagan, let alone Lincoln. No matter how much I disliked Reagan, he'd never fall all over himself praising a kgb agent.
44
Well, the Bitburg thing wasn’t exactly what I’d call a shining moment…
9
McCarthy's said exactly what Liz Cheney said about Jan 6- that Trump was responsible. After his brainwashing session at Maraloco he said the opposite and began to lie ceaselessly about Cheney and Jan 6. His malicious attacks on her disqualify him.
This is the kind of citizen who should be removed from public office ASAP.
He has proven himself unfit and untrustworthy to tell the truth.
37
@Kay Johnson
It’s quaint that you think so, but the GOP disagrees.
5
@Scott
Oh please! Hatred of trump- you really think that's what this is about? This is about so much more than a popularity contest. It's about our soul. I guess some people can only see hate
19
@Scott
Cheney - Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Current Party - Healthcare, good pay and benefits for workers, infrastructure, sensible border controls, sensible defense budget
Republican Platform - Zilch, Nada, Nothing.
Does that clarify things for you?
4
Kevin McCarthy is the perfect choice for Speaker as the Republicans are on schedule to take back both the House and Senate next January.
His lack of character, cowardice, amorality, hypocrisy, absence of core principles and unquenchable for power are emblematic of a party which has lost its way.
Our only hope is the voters in Mr. McCarthy's California congressional district oust him from office in the upcoming midterms but to believe that will ever happen is as likely as putting trust in the tooth fairy to pay a visit after your kid's bicuspid has been hidden under the pillow.
31
@mosenblum
I heard that his district may be redrawn
4
@mosenblum
I don't blame the politicians, who all suffer from some personality defect, so much as I do their mentally challenged voters. People who vote for Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jim Jordan, or Kevin McCarthy have forgotten what the role of government is; to them it is no different than rooting for your favorite NFL team, which also could not care less about you or your family. These people are slowly entertaining themselves into serfdom and are high-fiving each other on the way down.
10
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, Kevin.
Everyone seems to have written off ‘22 as a GOP take-over of Congress. I’m not so sure. Even with all their gerrymandering and voter suppression, I think the GOP might have alienated enough independents and sane republicans, that they could lose.
52
Don't forget support of Putin. Are independents & sane Republicans going to get behind that?
11
As the world falls apart today with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I'm left in even more astonishment at the GOP than ever. Fact deniers. Science deniers. Russia deniers. If this is all that an opposing party has to offer in this country, then there really is no way forward into a new world. I've used those words loosely in the past, but now it's for real. These people have no vision except to erase the past 25 years and return to a fetishized idea of white, conservative domination that is only a sad mimicry of what it was before. I never thought that I could reach a point where Ronald Reagan, whose candidacy I vigorously opposed, would seem like a beacon of conservative hope.
32
Quit painting Republicans as "The Enemy."
Republicans are Americans too - just because they have a different ideology doesn't mean they are the enemy. They just have different priorities and different goals.
1
@Media Skeptic Yes, their priorities are themselves and they blame their country, the one they continually fly the flag of, for everything...taking no responsibility for their denial of fact, such as who was elected, their support of the right, their harassment of teachers and attempts to rewrite fact, and finally their belief in Trump and his lies and foisting of that on America. Other than this and of course much is left out, yeh, they could be good Americans...right now many are not and that is the truth.
25
Tell the republicans to stop painting democrats and independents as the enemy. Punitive voting laws, religious laws designed to suppress women and threats of impeachment aren't showing any love for the country.
19
@Media Skeptic "different priorities and different goals" none of which will make the lives of the American people in the least.
15
McCarthy’s flip flop on insurrection from January 7, 2021 to present tells me the trump cabal has some serious dirt on him. Now the GOP is cheering on Putin? I don’t know where this is going to end but I don’t think it’s going to end well.
30
Is there someone left in the House who can point out the choices at hand? If the Republicans follow Trump- led blindness, they are letting the "genius" Putin into their ranks. Is that what they want?
16
An ambitious doormat. With no guiding vision, even a malevolent one, it eludes me why someone would want this powerful role if they are willing to sacrifice any semblance of authority to achieve it? Apparently McCarthy just craves the idea of sitting behind a big desk in a well appointed office with his name on the door; mother would be so proud!
22
With nuclear weapons now being pointed at us, and the extreme right and Orange Demigod’s expressed love of Putin, I suspect this may present a problem. Nothing like getting vaporized anxiety to turn the non-cult voters they need against them.
6
@Christopher Ringstaff show me that war with Russia Pres Trump enabled? Research how Trump acted on 9/29/2017 toward Russian mercenaries.
2
Just what America needs. Another Republican caused recession. McCarthy should be asked to take a citizenship class before he continues working on the taxpayer's dime.
14
The corruption in DC has become so endemic and normalized that officials won’t protect the nation from people like McCarthy (and too many of his ilk, McConnell, Trump, Cruz et al) because they are also in on the game. These men have power because they have a willing army of officials in power and public trust.
And each iteration of corruption over the past 40 yrs has reached a new low of authoritarian, fascistic and sociopathic cruelty and disorder designed to prop up a billionaire plutocracy and its system of millionaire officials, politicians and judges, frankly.
From Congress to the Supreme Court to DOJ to intelligence and even the USPS — that is the real insurrection and hostile takeover of the USA. And all of it is forced upon average American taxpayers who have no voice or control and whose tax dollars fund government — and the 6-figure pay, and free socialized healthcare and retirement pensions that they and members of congress all receive but refuses to enact for actual taxpayers.
Not that our votes actually count anymore, but the also electoral college now toggles between a party wrapped in camouflage, guns, anti-abortion and a red-white-blue flag, but only truly represents wealthy and multinational industry interests
OR
a party wrapped in immigration and a rainbow flag, but only truly represents wealthy and multinational industry interests.
Who represents the actual taxpaying working and middle classes — you know, the majority of citizens?
11
Let's face it. Kevin McCarthy is no more than an awkward, bumbling Charlie McCarthy dummy to Trump's ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. Trump already has his eyes set on his main defender in Jim Jordan. And we all know what that "very stable genius" thinks of dummies.
14
Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy: what a contrast. One with character, the other characterless. One with principles, the other devoid of them. One very strong, the other very weak.
McCarthy is the very definition of an "empty suit."
77
McCarthy and his House membership deserve one another. He lacks the intellectual heft to succeed in the job and his mob will eat him for lunch. A realities check via a discussion with John Boehner and Paul Ryan would be instructive. Avoid and certainly never trust Newt Gingrich.
30
This is a fantasy, if not a hoax There is no way our Nancy Pelosi will lose the House to Republicans in November. The Democrats and Joe Biden have performed in an outstanding manner over the entire past year and therefore have nothing to worry about. We should be planning more aggressive progressive legislation to be passed after we win even more Congressional seats in November to include defunding police, allowing more refugees to settle in our country and eliminating fossil fuels asap.
5
Why yes…among McCarthy’s problems is that he’s kinda dumb, and thinks this sort of thing is clever.
Nice point.
11
@Dr. John
No, we should do everything we can to turn the House over to the party that considers Capitol-police-beating thugs to be noble American patriots.
The difference between my post and yours is that mine isn’t an absurd parody.
11
As a native Californian, it is hard to believe that a very powerful national politician is from Bakersfield, referred to most people in the state as the "armpit" of the state. Other than oil fields, which should be decommissioned for the sake of humanity, there is almost nothing there. The only way McCarthy can assume power is to also embrace the wildest conspiracy theories. As pointed out in other NYT articles, Republicans have not won statewide office in decades. As with Bakersfield, for Republicans, there is on there in California.
12
Bakersfield has a lot of problems, none of which are addressed constructively by McCarthy. It is truly a red state within blue California and, like many red states, has lots of poverty and low educational levels. It’s also near the top in teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Not to mention, some of the worst air in the nation due to its geography, oil industry, agricultural industry, and all the exhaust from the highways connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco. It also, until recently, was a place where you could afford to buy a house. It’s a great place to have a year-round garden and fruit trees in the yard. And, there is a surprising diversity of high quality music available locally. The local symphony is excellent, the university has top notch jazz and classical guitar programs, a number of churches have world-class organs, there’s a strong community of Celtic music, a local blues society, and, in normal times, lots (but not enough) of great local music venues. Like many places, it has both good and bad attributes, but could be vastly improved. There have been a lot of letters to the editor of the local paper highly critical of McCarthy, including mine. He needed to be replaced by someone who is more interested in making Kern County a better place to live, instead of courting the worst elements of the Republican Party.
9
Please give it a rest. Stop trying to make the Republican Party appear to have a “mainstream.” The whole party is far right and a majority of that far right wants to cancel democracy, including it’s next presidential candidate. It’s not helping to pretend there is any reason left in the party and it’s dishonest.
42
America has lost its way.
We tolerate seditionists in our government as if they have a Constitutional right to overthrow the government, democracy, and the Constitution to install a dictator.
McCarthy and most of the Republicans have made a mockery of the oath of office and the Constitution.
“The only thing that we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.”
- Georg Hegel
33
The extreme right IS the GOP mainstream.
33
How extreme will they need to be before you quit calling them a GRAND OLD PARTY?
They own you.
1
He is a two faced person and completely unprincipled to boot. So I would say he is highly qualified for a GOP leadership role if he gets it. The good news is that he won’t be able to hold on to it for even a year , given their cannibalistic history.
16
Netflix needs Kevin Spacey back in the house of cards, to keep us up to date, with what’s going on in politics. It was so much more entertaining.
8
The Republicans in the house will turn on him the first opportunity they see. McCarthy has a slim hope of assuming the role of Speaker but he will never lead them.
8
I feel for Kevin. He has to act like he’s intelligent enough to get the job but not intelligent enough to function in the position. God save us from people who want the job but are too cowardly for the responsibilities that come with it.
19
While we’re in the process of placing severe sanctions on Putin and Russia, let’s also start put putting severe sanctions on Republican leaders in Washington. McCarthy and the rest are at least as dangerous as Putin and even more insidious. It’s time to stop coddling Republican terrorists who are out to destroy America!
26
GOP and their base are domestic terrorists and anyone who votes them to stay in office is responsible for the destruction the GOP is causing in our country.
Since the base was running around in 2016 saying they would rather be Russian than American, why are they not up in arms publicly supporting Russia right now?
Truth will always prevail but that only works when you take the crooks and liars in the GOP out.
So my money is the base that even do vote will vote to destroy the rest of us.
16
McCarthy, like many politicians, stands only for himself. His understanding of issues goes only as far as how they play politically. He has ambition but no principles.
64
When has the ‘absence of principles’ ever mattered to a politician. Never. Republican or Democrat.
3
@dave godinez. While I get your main point, I suggest that this man has a much more serious caucus issue than Pelosi. The “radical” left, who I completely disagree on most of their issues, don’t propose or support violence against their political opposition.
26
The R party has a radical problem. Under Trump, R is becoming an authoritarian, destructive force. R is no longer conservative. The radicals see driving the agenda. The old idea that serious adults will control Trumpism is clearly false; nothing controls Trump.
This is a time for serious Americans to completely break with the Republican party. The only way for the Rs to get their house in order (and their Senate) is to suffer massive electoral loss. Republicans committed to conservatism need to reject Trump's brand of lawlessness by either sitting this one out our, better yet, hold their noses and vote for a Democrat. It's the only way you get your party back.
18
Is McCarthy pro Russian or pro-American? Inquiring minds want to know. At least half the GOP, led by luminaries like Tucker Carlson, have decided they prefer the governance of Russia over that of the United States and have voiced full throated support for Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Anyone want to bet that the "special surprise speaker" scheduled to speak at CPAC is actually Vladimir Putin? It's long been known that today's GOP prefers Russian style autocracy to American Democracy. Traitors like McCarthy should be nowhere near the levers of power, let alone nominated to be Speaker of the House. Yet this is where we find ourselves.
37
Trump's embrace of Putin's invasion of Ukraine SHOULD put the nail in the coffin of any further political influence Trump has in the GOP. But McCarthy's steadfast history of defending Trump's most extreme actions makes it difficult for him to condemn this most recent error, one that will be thrown at him by both Dems and moderate Republicans. He won't have a chance of winning the Speaker's job.
14
Putin's Ukraine attack may reflect on Trumpster Republicans.
Since the invasion, we may see a whole "new ball game."
The tyranny of Putin's invasion parallels the Jan 6 invasion.
This should be obvious, at least to Democrats, now.
I hope that Pelosi and Schumer will keep reminding us.
Democracy is at stake in the USA, right now!
Repeat, repeat, repeat...
17
@H Pearle
Pearle: that's a nice, optimistic thought but not how I believe this'll go in reality. The Republicans cannot coexist with decent people of sound mind and good conscience. We are done, irretrievably list and broken. I'm ready for the next chapter.
2
@Art
Russia attacked Ukraine.
Trump attacked the US, Jan.6.
Some Republicans, like McConnell may wake up.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear, itself"
All it might take is a few Republicans...
2
God help us if he and the republicans gain the majority in the House.
That along with a Republican majority in the Senate will spell gridlock and NO progress on climate change initiatives, fair taxation, healthcare for all, education, and other progressive priorities.
15
Although this article tries really hard to paint Representative McCarthy as evilly unprincipled, what he is doing is no different than what Speaker Pelosi does in pivoting back and forth to cover all the bases in her Democratic caucus in the House. This kind of politicking is what led to the catastrophic mistake of the Speaker to tie the infrastructure bill to the Biden Administration 'Build Back Better' bill last year, which resulted in the failure and deconstruction of the latter, and the former to be passed only after months of wrangling. But this is what a parliamentary party political leader has to do, so we should try to understand the process better, rather than condemning one or the other because of partisan dislike.
3
@dave godinez. You overlook once critical difference between Pelosi’s situation and McCarthy’s: even the most left wing progressives believe in our Constitution, democratic principles and the rule of law, which cannot be said of the present Republican Party. The GOP has lacked a platform since 2016, the RNC has stood by insurrectionists, and the few Republicans who have dared to speak the truth that the election was NOT rigged and that Trump lost are practically having their lives and families threatened by Trumpists. McCarthy is a coward who will harm our nation out of his quest for personal power. Despicable, as are the statements by Trump, Pompeo and their ilk that support Putin’s megalomania over American and democratic interests.
33
@dave godinez,
The difference is that McCarthy is unethical and unfit. Like other Republican politicians, he is not interested in the broader national wellbeing, only securing entrenched power for his party and its small, real constituency. Pelosi takes the broader view but her battles with militant, partisan GOP extremists are easily misrepresented as hyper-partisan. She is effective and Republicans hate her for it.
8
@dave godinez It matters who you are representing and what they want. Pick your own analogy, but simply put, some things are acceptable and others are not. McCarthy is not smart, has no charisma, is unprincipled and will not acknowledge reality.
10
Any person - especially a politician - that won't condemn
the Jan 6th insurrection and Trump's "Big Lie"
is a Clear and Present danger
to our Constitutional democracy.
There is no other way to look at them.
158
@RB How many of those classified documents that Trump took to Mar-a-Lago are already in Putin's hands?
32
@Siara Delyn
Trump's shooting someone on Fifth Avenue was only a metaphor, a prophetic metaphor.
7
Ah, yes. Two exemplars of moral principle, truthfulness, personal integrity, and political, moral courage: Matt Gaetz and Kevin McCarthy, duking it out for the privilege of becoming the face of the Republican party in the House of Representatives. Which one will the Republican caucus choose? They're both so good.
18
Putin's invasion of Ukraine is bound to cause a reckoning within the Republican Party. You are either for Putin or you are against him, there is no middle ground politically. Every GOP candidate will have to take a stand and being wishy-washy like saying "it's none of our business" won't cut it.
25
- More evidence that contemporary American politicians aren’t about actual governing. Only winning, getting power - for themselves and their party. (Republicans much, much more so.)
- That Mr. McCarthy has any role in public life is astonishing.
Were he not scheming - with feral cunning - for power in Washington, he’d be the assistant sales manager of a company selling aluminum siding back in Bakersfield.
33
@Robbiesimon
Or used cars back in Bakersfield...
6
These jokers are taking our country down the tube. Here in Wisconsin a Republican appointed board rejected limiting PFAS chemicals in our water. There are people in my community who can no longer drink their water due to PSAS contamination. But hey, companies advising these board members say the limits suggested are too low. Long live water pollution! Who needs clean drinkable water?
What a farce. I will NEVER vote Republican again. They can’t see the forest for the trees. Disgusts me.
54
These right wing tyrants in the Republican faction who have been backing the policies and tactics of Putin will find it hard to achieve majority status let alone impeach Biden.
They have been obstructing for over 40 years so nothing new here. It is the open, pro-autocracy strategy that is new. It is abhorrent to the majority of patriotic American citizens and will be the destruction of this un-patriotic faction as the weight of the Republican treason is made public through their own remarks.
12
@kirk,
I’m not so sure. At least half of the electorate has shown very little comprehension of what’s really happening in our country or which party is on their side. They will vote Republican no matter what the facts are. The other half of the electorate may be successfully disenfranchised by the Republicans or too disillusioned to bother voting in elections the Republicans have rigged. The consequences could be dire.
3
Where do they find people like this? Kevin McCarthy, Devin Nunes, Mitch McConnell....and the rest of them?
Long live democracy, including these guys.
6
@C.L.S.
They inhabit the dark alleys of the deep south as well as the board rooms of corporate America. These are the same people that gave credence to Germany during the 30's until war came. They then went silent until the right wing re-emerged as Republicans purged the liberal and moderate elements of their faction starting in 1968.
10
Please allow me to be blunt: we are not in a declared war with Russia, but we are certainly allied partisans in a de facto war. That said, in real wartime, like WWII and the current potential WWIII, we rally around the US, it’s president, government and armed forces. We do not praise the adversary, as #45 has done publicly, nor do we try to undermine the government as almost every Republican seems to be doing, actively or passively. (Obvious carve-out for Cheney and Kinzinger.)
Again, bluntly: the futures of America as a world power and of American democracy are at stake. The kind of hard right power grab indulged in by McCarthy and others of his mindset are antithetical to the above. As surely as Russia must not be allowed to triumph in Ukraine and the rest of Europe, neither should radical right wing Republicans triumph in the US. This country does not need to go down that Putinesque road to authoritarianism. Shame on those who would lead us there.
126
Poor little Kevin. "Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas."
But let's face it--he is a not-very-smart, far right guy who has not an idea in his head except I wanna be speaker. And he undoubtedly knows more than he wants to come out about the insurrection and the roles played in it by members of his own caucus.
If the Rs take the House and McCarthy manages to become speaker, he will be nothing more than the puppet of the likes of Gosar, Gaetz, Jordan, Greene, and their their ilk. Nothing will get done except grandstanding and the introduction of bills intended to destroy democracy. McCarthy will flounder and beg for Trump's help.
Just the kind of leadership we need when the country faces inequality, racism, authoritarianism, and the greatest threat of all, climate change. We will lose two more years trying to deal with these problems--actually, ignoring or actively abetting them--two years we do not have.
January 6 was, it seems, the beginning of a very bad stretch from our country. And McCarthy is the best we can do?
51
No, the job is NOT to "obstruct and impeach" for political party tribalism! The job of Congress is to address and protect America's interests in concert WITH all elected officials regardless of political party affiliation! Especially when America's enemy is invading one Ally and threatening WWIII. NO American official should be traitorously praising the enemy as a "genius" as he murders innocent people! America needs leaders who are independent minded, not lockstep political party puppets! That short sighted narcissistic mentality is exactly what has allowed our enemies to become so empowered over the years. So busy trying to game the system in America for themselves, these Republicants have and continue to turn a blind eye or play the blame game concerning the ongoing dangers America faces. I'm so disgusted their patriotism is for their political party first and foremost, with America coming in dead last..
50
No wonder leading Congress appears more and more like trying to herd cats. None of the politicians mentioned in this article care anything about the health, safety, education, or jobs of the voters---they are all simply seeking power for its own sake, at the expense of every other working American citizen. These people should be ashamed, but they are so deceitful that shame is impossible.
21
McCarthy is just another coward thirsty for a new America in which rights are restricted to only those who pander to the right’s idealism. A grotesque white Christian nationalism faux de pas. Under the veneer of godliness is a group of self centered plutocrats. The right have mastered the art of outrage and were able to convince a third of the country to draw arms against the government. The right is ready for war and sadly the left is still in denial if they think common sense and reason will make them back down.
16
“Our job is to obstruct and impeach, not to cut any deals.” Joe Kent.
No, actually your job, if elected, is to govern. But that concept appears to be slipping away, as is the concept of democracy in the 21st century GOP. McCarthy is just a shameless exhibition of the GOPs drive to power for power’s sake.
31
The one word that best describes Kevin McCarthy is Shameless.
Groveling to the King of Mar-a-Lago and promising Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz committee leadership positions if they promised to support him for the speakership are but two of the things he would do to become Speaker.
He has no interest in this country and the rule of law. He wants to hold the gavel, that's all.
76
And will any of us be surprised that despite his obvious coveting of the gavel, that the far right wing will turn on him and fail to support him? That outcome would be my only mirth should the GOP gain the majority in the fall.
7
McCarthy is courting the radical right with good reason. They are seizing control and the ramifications extend far beyond America's borders. Putin's invasion banked on the deep divisions in the US fomented by Trumpsters. Putin knows the present congress is unlikely to stop him and the Trump congress that will ascend to power in Nov won't do anything at all. Members of the radical right already referred to Putin in glowing terms and members of their bogus media actually congratulated Putin.
Via the right, Putin controls the US.
As always, the democrats have proven utterly feckless in thwarting the radical right. Given Garland's failure and the NY AG's failure to prosecute Trump, Trump will be even more emboldened than when he evaded two impeachments.
I never thought I would live long enough to see republicans congratulate Russia for bludgeoning a free nation or willfully spread disease by refusing simple procedures and vaccines or completely disregard the Climate Changes barreling thru our country, but here we are.
Mob rule is about to take control of America.
131
@History Buff Trump and his allies are working right now to destabilize the United States by telling their supporters that Putin's invasion of a democratic nation is not only just but "genius."
I imagine soon we'll see pro-Russia / pro-Putin protests organized by the puppeteers who manipulate Trump's cultish base. The ones who call themselves "patriots."
55
@History Buff
I’m afraid you might be right. But it’s hard to be surprised by the evolution of the Republican Party. They’ve been trending to where they’re now arriving for the past 70 years.
25
@Madge
“evolution “, now that’s a laugh.
6
The mid term election will be a test whether Americans will be willing to trash our democracy in the mistaken belief that Republicans want to make their lives better. Fool me once?
56
McCarthy is unfit. A man who initially condemned the violent attempt to overthrow the government, then later backtracked does not have the spine or moral fiber for the job.
195
McCarthy is a chameleon. He goes in whatever direction the wind is blowing. Jim Jordan is a bomb thrower in the mold of former speaker Newt Gingrich. Neither man seems to possess a molecule of integrity. What a sad situation for our country, to be in the hands of such shallow men.
130
Sadly, the GOP is committed to elevating politicians that lean into treason and incompetence. McCarthy is one such politician. If (god forbid), McConnell is the head of the Senate and McCarthy, the House Leader, after the midterm elections, I pity the nation. Democracy is on life support now, the move towards authoritarian rule will become more reified and therefore, more dangerous.
27
McCarthy is in for a surprise if he thinks the Zealot Right is gonna support him. They might say it now, but should they win control, the lesser, and most zealous MAGA-stanians among them will be his rival/s. That group of antidemocratic, pro-autocratic zealots are not interested in what little McCarthy is offering.
Like the progressive Dems, the MAGA-stanians want immediate changes, not the slow roll of the old guard. The old Reps still think they can control these upstarts, like MTG, Gaetz, Boebert, etc...who seriously think the best and only path is to burn it all down. They are in for a rude awakening. They are lying to McCarthys face, like he is to their's...but they will undermine him...with nary a blink.
9
@Caesius
Progressives are not part of that nor undermining democracy.
They compromised on everything yet slander is the most component thread. They are not equal. Nor do they have any media that is mainstream defending them nor showing the nuance of what their proposals and compromises have been.
You are actually helping extremist republicans when you do this.
15
So the GOP has an "extreme."
Why have we not seen "courting the Democrats' extreme"?
Only the GOP, but not the Democrats, have an extreme?
4
@RP
They did not try to overthrow democracy. They are not pro Putin. Perhaps they want to overthrow the establishment, protect the environment, stop police brutality etc. but they did not incite terrorist to attack the Capitol.
25
Only one party seems intent on dismantling democracy.
25
@Earl
So the Democrat socialists and the USA haters are not extreme?
AOC: "capitalism is an irredeemable system."
2
McCarthy had the chance to become Speaker and he blew it. He is not savvy, nor eloquent enough for the tightrope he has to negotiate, under his feet, now.
8
At a time in our history when we need real leadership in some very complex issues---climate change being one---our political class offers of one lightweight after another lightweight. What I have difficulty understanding, is in the organization I managed, I would have never hired and would have fired the likes of Kevin McCarthy---and yet, he could become Speaker of the House.
17
@Alan Jones -- Like you, I am inexpressibly despondent at the leadership that we have (though Pelosi has been remarkably good). Politics, especially in the R camp, has becomes so toxic that I can understand why moderate, thoughtful, smart conservatives say, "No thank you." And so we end up with an opposition led by the likes of Greene and Jordan.
5
What a waste of time and words. There's no doubt that Kevin McCarthy will become the next Speaker of the House. With that position secure and Jim Jordan as the chair of the Judiciary Committee, the Democrats only option is to hunker down and for Hillary and Hunter to get on the first plane out of the country.
7
"said Joe Kent, a square-jawed former Special Forces officer who is trying to unseat Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler in Washington, one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Trump after the Capitol attack. “He’s used to a different era.”
He added, “Our job is to obstruct and impeach, not to cut any deals.”
YIKES, is this what the Republican party has become?
82
@Paula Yes, in Congress the Republican party stands for obstruction and impeachment (of any Democrat). McConnell foreshadowed this with his infamous "one-term President" statement during the Obama administration. There is no surprise here, just the inevitable devolution of the GOP from the "party of ideas" (and ideals) to the part of Trump.
12
So, if the republicans gain control of Congress they intend to impeach the president. Of course, like vladimir, they will lie, cheat and steal to install their version of government. All the while, unrepresented American citizens who don’t want anything to do with a tucker carlson advised government watch republicans dismantle democracy. What’s next? A welcome home vlad party in Washington?
20
If or when the Republicans return to power we will feel what Ukraine feels today. We will be under attack and fleeing for our lives. "The Republicans Are Coming, The Republicans Are Coming"
12
Gingrich, Boehner, and Ryan all pale in comparison when juxtaposing their leadership with what will be McCarthy’s if the House goes Republican. The Republican Party is dealing with a morally questionable entity, a desperate man who has the potential for exacerbating an already vulnerable democracy. I hope that the House will not lose its Democratic majority. If it does, it is more than necessary that its GOP members regain the political courage necessary to vote for a more ethical and more stable Speaker than McCarthy. It is frightening to posit that he would be third in line for the presidency.
21
This quote from Joe Kent running for a House seat in Washington
says it all,
“Our job is to obstruct and impeach, not to cut any deals.”
Wow, is that oath that House Representatives take upon entering office?
429
@O'Really
Sounds great doesn't it?
What oath?
28
@Stephen Csiszar
I am curious if you are being serious or sarcastic when you say "Sounds great"?
2
Hard to imagine that the current speaker, who in the end always has the votes and suffers no fools, could well be replaced by this would be class president desperate to join the "A" crowd and curry favor with its cruel ringleader who decides who's in and who's out with a snap of his fingers.
If there is a more vacuous and craven figure in American politics today, it's hard to imagine who that would be, and among Trump enablers and acolytes, there's stiff competition.
44
@gep
Yes. There are more vacuous and craven figures in American politics--sitting right there in Congress--it only goes from bad to worse. That's where we are now. Sadly, that paradigm is entrenched in the current GOP.
7
Nothing new about this tactic.
The sad part is that Republican ideology doesn't stand for anything but controlling the lives of people they disagree with, and blocking anyone who tries to fight it.
39
The best path to power for Trump Republicans is to go kiss Putin's ring.
77
McCarthy, McCarthy, where have I heard that name?
85
Kevin McCarthy has the potential to make Newt Gingrich look like Sam Rayburn.
19
As to all the contortions, it's worked for Lindsey Graham, hasn't it? Susan Collins and her "deeply troubled" act is still there, too.
80
If this weren’t stupid and dangerous, it’d be fun to watch.
21
Probably one of the most cynical and opportunistic individuals ever to have risen to public office. His complete lack of integrity and his willingness to drag his party deeper into extremism for personal gain says everything you really need to know about this person.
116
@George Westover McCarthy isn‘t dragging the GQP into further extremism, he‘s following it down.
16
@George Westover Are you talking about McConnell or McCarthy? Nothing has changed here, and McCarthy has the playbook laid out in front of him. He knows as long as he is in position and plays by the rules he will be anointed.
As long as the megaphone Republican propaganda machine is at full blast, (Fox), the country is doomed. They get populist validation but the bucketful. Glib, verbal, democrats have to actually go on Fox to blunt the obvious lies. Where are they? They can’t just let stuff go unanswered, because as crazy as it may sound, people believe it!
4
McCarthy has drank the Cool Aid. Same kind of logic Putin is showing in the Ukraine. You make up everything to justifying doing egregious actions. We are sick of it.
32
I am struck by the comment of Joe Kent “He added, “Our job is to obstruct and impeach, not to cut any deals”. So that’s the new mantra of the Republican Party Representatives? I thought their duty was to make deals to better the lives of Americans, not to obstruct and impeach.
McCarthy made a mistake allowing the fringe to run in the first place. And his about face after January 6th and his abhorrent behavior ever since says it all. When the Newts and Lou Dobbs start gaining traction, you know the GOP is in trouble. They are no longer a party that represents American ideals. They have become an echo chamber for a very dangerous man, DT, who should never hold office again.
The fact that McCarthy and company can continually trash Biden during these fragile and explosive times with Russia and Ukraine shows a total lack moral conscience. This is what Putin thrives on - discord in America - that Trump fostered - and they feed the beast.
Putin claims he’s getting rid of Nazis in Ukraine as his pretext to this war. We need to get rid of them in our country because this is what is happening right under our noses. This complete lack of backbone to stand up to extremism is taking us down a dangerous path.
38
Please don't think me an extremist, New York Times.
A wild-eyed fanatic, spluttering curses and objurgations.
A person on the fringe, muttering and gesticulating.
BUT--
--I pray God this despicable man never becomes Speaker of the House.
The GOP (over the years) has been faced with innumerable challenges. They could have rejected Donald J. Trump, root and branch. Way back in 2016.
But they didn't.
They could have condemned this or that outrageous utterance--or proposal! from Mr. DJT.
But they didn't.
They could have united as a body and rejected, root and branch, Mr. DJT's preposterous claims of a stolen election--a glorious victory filched from under his very nose.
But they didn't.
They could have condemned, root and branch, Mr. DJT's undoubted instigation of an angry mob--a rabble of creeps and weirdos that sent most of them flying for their lives. Scuttling down the corridors of a once sacrosanct Capitol, looking back fearfully over their shoulders.
But they didn't.
And now, the egregious Mr. McCarthy is still wheeling and dealing, hoping to placate the fringe elements of the GOP--
--and these (by the way) have become virtually the WHOLE of the GOP--
--while not angering or alienating whatever remnants of sanity might still be lurking in that pitiful party.
"With the fate of a double-dealer," wrote Doctor Johnson (of someone else), "he lost his power but kept his enemies."
May this be true of Kevin McCarthy!
In spades!
97
Is Kevin the best the Republic party can offer? Yep. They are all performing like seals for Trump’s $100 million PAC slush fund.
16
I remember back as a kid in grade school the spineless wannabe twits that longed to be accepted and become one of the 'in crowd'. He is an example of what they grew up to be.
11
Let's write the correct headline:
Craven GOP "Leader" will Say Anything to Attain Power
38
Weather vane.
4
When one looks at Mr. McCarthy's words and actions related to Jan 6 and beyond, it might be said that his quest for power 'trumps' ethics, principles, the rule of law, and, yes, the Constitution.
11
McCarthy is trying to play both sides, but that not possible with Trump. You have to pick a side with him and there's no way around that and that in itself will be a losing scenario for the Republicans. Biden's administration has many issues and faults they can run on, but if it comes down to voting for Trump in 2024 or his sycophants in 2022, I will still vote for anyone else that is not Trump or a Trump supporter. If the Republicans want to take the House and if McCarthy want to be speaker, he has to make a choice and choosing Trump is a losing choice for me.
9
And Joe Kent sums up the governing philosophy of the GOP: "Our job is to obstruct and impeach, not to cut any deals."
Every last Republican public official is morally and intellectually bankrupt, as is every single voter who votes for them, and every single pundit who advocates for their cause.
205
@BA Thanks for your concise description. I totally agree.
4
The GOP mainstream IS the extreme. That’s the story of today’s Republicanism. There may be some traditionalists left in the House and the Senate, but the national party belongs to Trumpism and the party leadership continues to follow along. In state houses and local governments across the country, the GOP lunatic fringe of election deniers and authoritarians continue to gain influence, backed by right-wing dark money. As this wave of the pandemic dies down, the anti-vaxx, anti-mask organizing will be replaced with some other focal point to rally resentment. Mr. McCarthy and his leadership colleagues will join in or make excuses for as long as it keeps them in power.
9
No respect for this party especially after hearing Trump and Pompeo praising Putin. The party lacks principles.
22
It is sad that in an age of huge progress with huge amounts of information available to almost everyone, that we see the decline of intelligence and the decline of the American empire.
As most of you can we have similar problems in the Canada with our right wing and our seriously uneducated citizens who were protesting, blocking borders etc. Imagine taking your children to an occupation where the police said they were going to clear it out. What kind of person hides behind their children.
Lets be very clear. Many people in the US have very legitimate complains but most of these were brought to them by the Republicans, the very people the poor and disenfranchised support. It boggles the mind.
Our right wing problem is nothing as bad as the US problem but it is a problem none the less. We too have people falsely saying the last election was stolen from the right wing but thankfully they are only 30% not near 50%.
I really have no idea how we might reverse these declines but the first thing that needs to happen is economic disparity must be fixed.
11
These are the kinds of people our system does a bad job of filtering out. People who so lust for power that they will debase themselves for the sake of elections.
5
“Our job is to obstruct and impeach” - this appalling statement by a wannabe congressman shows just how dysfunctional the GOP has made the legislative branch.
22
Haven't we seen this movie before?
Kevin ought to watch it again. I believe the starring role went to a fellow actor, John Boehner ("if wishes were fishes, we'd all take a swim"). Boehner believed he could tame the far-right zealots gathered at the other end of town. At the end of the movie, Boehner chose to high-tail it out of town before the zealots took over.
The only possible script change for Kevin's drama might be that it will feature more scenes featuring legitimate political discourse.
Bottom line, Kevin: Be careful what you wish for. It just might come true.
6
"Leader McCarthy is very astute, sharp and savvy...." He is also weak and spineless and kowtows to Trump at every turn.
47
He will never be speaker. He has a ton of ambition, but this is not a bright man.
20
@Amelia, Oh, so you think it takes smarts to be the Speaker? Or even the President? Where were you living between 2016 and 2020?
4
When will Republicans realize that their leaders are simply puppets for a foreign power.
10
God help us all if McCarthy becomes Speaker and Trump President.
16
John Boehner recounted a story when McCarthy lambasted him in public- then begged on bended knee for his forgiveness. That's all you need to know about McCarthy.
30
The world woke up to find itself united against the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine. And then there was Trump.
50
Not just an empty suit, but a empty head, heart, and no backbone.
114
While McCarthy is insufferable, denying an election and an insurrection (yes, it really happened), I’d hold my nose and take him over Jim Jordan, who is one of the least intelligent (ironic since he sits on the House Intelligence committee) house members. How he graduated high school, much less law school is beyond me. He never met a question he’ll answer directly - I believe if you asked him the time, he’d give his usual rat-tat-tat distraction to nowhere. Never mind that he is accusing Dr. Fauci of knowing something and not saying anything - did someone say Ohio State wrestling? He’s an embarrassment to the people of Ohio and politicians everywhere. I lean Republican and fear for who is ultimately installed as house speaker if/when the Republicans retake the house.
6
A man with no integrity, in other words another Trump.
44
Won't they be surprised when they don't take the House!
6
@Am Brown We all will be because at this point it's hovering around the 100% mark.
1
An empty suit, and no principles other than power.
570
@satoweb
Maybe so but thanks to the rw echo chamber led by the Murdochs, he may very well be our next Speaker of the House. Uggghhhh! Then again, speaker Gym Jordan anyone?
25
@satoweb I believe you just described every modern day "Republican" politician.
37
@satoweb and no policies either that solve the chronic problems in this country , health care costs and coverage, climate change , income inequality, gun deaths, voting rights , tax inequality , Corporations pay directly less than 4 percent of all tax revenues yet Scott wants to tax our poorest more.
Even infrastructure they could not pass during the Trump reign.
10
So what’s new about this? Republicans have courted the far right for decades, held their noses and denied even knowing them.
social media and then Trump exposed all that. The genie is out of the bottle and won’t be put back.
221
@SN
Mirror, mirror on the wall…
“ So what’s new about this? Democrats have courted the far left for decades, held their noses and denied even knowing them.
social media and then Biden exposed all that. The genie is out of the bottle and won’t be put back.”
…. what’s seen therein reveals all…
1
@Marcus Aurelius
You’re just a propagandist to justify the extremist danger of the republicans. You’re not helping anyone nor is your statement true.
I’ve watched the left and they are no threat to this country. Katie Porter is a huge asset. Ro Khanna is a great asset. Even the squads noise matters as they bring up major issues that should be addressed in society.
This is not true on the right. Dr. Suess, M&Ms, Mr. Potato head, made up trans assaults and culture war offers nothing of value and is only about dividing and eroding rights.
I checked into the book bans that the right claimed about the left. The administrator contacted me and said directly that none of the books were banned and they decided to add more diverse options instead. Unlike republicans who are openly burning books while courting a dictator destroying democracy and threatening us with nukes.
There is no both sides. It’s a lie to justify the extremism on the right. That is why they need the “far left” boogie man that is a pure straw man of their creation.
44
@Marcus Aurelius
Say what you want about the Democrats as they have many faults, but they never, I repeat never, incited an insurrection on this government and then pretend it never happened. This Republican party is like no other political party of this country since the Civil War.
37
Party and self first.
Country, well, perhaps an afterthought.
Interesting that McCarthy (I refuse to use their official title as they no longer deserve that title by putting Trump before country) apparently has ventured to the dark side of politics in order to keep the magas and MGT and her allies happy.
Party and party ideology are killing this country-not Biden or Pelosi. And should McCarthy become speaker, something that makes John Boehner cringe as he stated in his writings, prepare for party “cleansing” and purity tests.
And he will be a poster boy example of what our toxic party politics have become-a danger to the country.
266
@Dan McConnell puts party before country. McCarthy doesn’t care about either party or country. He just wants wealth and power.
36
@Dan
Hear me out. I'm not so sure any "Republican" is sincerely loyal to their own party other than for the fact that being in it is possibly the easiest way to become rich in this country.
Seriously, when you have no morals and can cater crazy to a gerrymandered district that will ensure you hopping aboard the money train of big donor wealth, well their loyalty is first and foremost to themselves but always with the need to fervently play the "Republican" game of greed.
19
@Dan
Country - not at all
6
How can any House member trust McCarthy. He talks out of both sides of his mouth. More importantly McCarthy puts Party over Country or perhaps I should say himself over both.
But he is no different than most
The only Republicans worth trusting who know what their jobs are, both Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney. It appears that these are the only two Republicans that actually take their Oaths seriously
210
Absolutely true. Notice also how silent Republicans are about Putin’s war. That tells anyone everything what Trumpism aims to do.
34
This title seems to suggest that there is a difference between the mainstream and the extreme in the GOP. Citation definitely requires that that idea.
55
McCarthy will ultimately be swept away, and replaced by someone representing the New GOP, which is to say someone from the Q wing of the party.
In 2010, old-guard Republicans thought the Tea Party right was just a useful group that it could co-opt, but the Tea Party rose to power in the larger GOP.
As Trump rose in 2015, he attracted a loose coalition of white nationalists and conspiracy theorists. Once again, the powers-that-be in the Republican Party thought, "This is a useful fringe we can control," and again, the fringe assumes control.
In any contest, the side that can't be bothered with the rules always emerges the victor. Given GOP members' spinal issues (the main issue being the lack of spines) it is a certainty that the party's next house leader will be closer to Marjorie Taylor Greene than Kevin McCarthy.
153
@Mark Gardiner Absolutely! 100 percent correct. McCarthy's contorting and Trump worship will get him nothing in the end. He's just too blind to see it. It will be hilarious to watch and I'm here for it!
25
@Mark Gardiner From the “Q wing”.
I am somewhat in agreement.
The residents of my state elected a qanon follower and avowed trumper to the House.
The person has little to no knowledge of government, but, by embracing the Trump Method of Governing-winging it and proving he/they are idiots, he was able to prevail.
And should that person remain in the House he could become speaker as he is in the same freshman class as a couple of other extremists.
12
@Vince
True. People like McCarthy forget how often we have all seen people who bowed and scraped to Trump who were then cast aside and stomped on when their usefulness to the Dear Leader was no longer wanted or needed. He can go from great supporter to "who? I never knew him, RINO" in a matter of minutes.
13
Kevin McCarthy, as a top toady and supporter of Donald Trump, supports the armed, criminal and violent overthrow of our government. He will do nothing to cross Mr. Trump. This is what one gets when they trust and rely on Mr. McCarthy. As Speaker, he would be in a prime position to carry out the nefarious and diabolical schemes of Mr. Trump. He may appear contrite and accommodating now, only to secure his chance to become Speaker, but the real Kevin McCarthy will again emerge in very short order. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, as the saying goes. But in this case, a wolf very happy and willing to bring down his country.
374
@Howard Herman Yes and consider Ukrane
Putin's Ukraine attack may reflect on Trump Republicans.
Since the invasion, we may see a whole "new ball game."
The tyranny of Putin's invasion parallels the Jan 6 invasion.
This should be obvious, at least to Democrats, now.
I hope that Pelosi and Schumer will keep reminding us.
Democracy is at stake in the USA, right now!
Repeat, repeat, repeat...
8
This is the Kevin McCarthy on Russia says "lethal action was slow walked" which means he believes we should have fired the first shot.
House Republican Leadership’s Statement on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
“Sadly, President Biden consistently chose appeasement and his tough talk on Russia was never followed by strong action. Lethal aid was slow-walked, anti-air and anti-ship capabilities were never directly provided, pre-invasion sanctions proportionate to the aggression Putin had already committed were never imposed, and sanctions on Nord Stream 2 were waived."
9
@Guy Walker Apparently they don't know or want to know that Russia has 7,800 strategic nuclear weapons. If they did, they would understand why we cannot directly militarily confront someone as unstable as Putin.
8
@Guy Walker So what McCarthy wanted was escalation validating Putin's prime complaint that Ukraine was an aggressor and creating a self-fulfilling prophesy. I do not remember him or his caucus introducing any legislation to advance what they saw as the right approach. Then again it is easier to criticize than to do anything. The right will give Biden no backing, not even admitting he is the legitimate office holder. They refuse to help and complain about the results.
12
@Guy Walker MCCarthy, apparently, isn't up to speed.
5