Yesterday, before Kevin McCarthy pulled the plug on his candidacy to be Speaker of the House, I wrote that it would be a game-change if Republicans and Democrats joined together to elect a speaker, thinking that would be McCarthy. I had folks tell me I was naïve and a dreamer to think that. I knew that then, and I know it now.
But today, I think it’s even more important that this happen. Even if Paul Ryan who everyone (including me) thinks is the ONLY one who could step forward and win the speaker job with possible unanimous support on the GOP side, there is a moment here. It is a moment to seize back our government from a small band of insurgents who seem to want nothing but destruction as their goal. If those 30 or so Tea Party Republicans in the House can dictate who the Speaker will be they will establish themselves as the power brokers in the House. A minority of a minority running the government. They’ve shown signs they are doing it now, but controlling who is Speaker will further cement their dominance. Government shutdowns will be the norm. Holding up a budget over one item will be regular order.
It’s happened before in other countries and the result hasn’t been pretty, as another friend of mine pointed out yesterday. Instead of each side reacting with a partisan statement saying the other side is in disarray (as happened yesterday from spokesmen all the way from Senate Minority Leader Reid to the White House spokesman), can’t someone really put country ahead of party and reach out to the other side with a reasonable settlement to this? If that doesn’t happen, the Freedom Caucus will rule the roost.
They want a revolution? Let’s revolt against them. And the “us” is everyone, driven not by party but driven by country.
Bring on the calls of naivety.
But today, I think it’s even more important that this happen. Even if Paul Ryan who everyone (including me) thinks is the ONLY one who could step forward and win the speaker job with possible unanimous support on the GOP side, there is a moment here. It is a moment to seize back our government from a small band of insurgents who seem to want nothing but destruction as their goal. If those 30 or so Tea Party Republicans in the House can dictate who the Speaker will be they will establish themselves as the power brokers in the House. A minority of a minority running the government. They’ve shown signs they are doing it now, but controlling who is Speaker will further cement their dominance. Government shutdowns will be the norm. Holding up a budget over one item will be regular order.
It’s happened before in other countries and the result hasn’t been pretty, as another friend of mine pointed out yesterday. Instead of each side reacting with a partisan statement saying the other side is in disarray (as happened yesterday from spokesmen all the way from Senate Minority Leader Reid to the White House spokesman), can’t someone really put country ahead of party and reach out to the other side with a reasonable settlement to this? If that doesn’t happen, the Freedom Caucus will rule the roost.
They want a revolution? Let’s revolt against them. And the “us” is everyone, driven not by party but driven by country.
Bring on the calls of naivety.
RSS Feed