I find this both fascinating and comical. The first big collateral damage of McCarthy’s fall may be the bipartisan “problem solvers caucus”. This is the group organized by the No Labels folks. But it’s basically a centrist group with members from both parties. Axios reports that the Republicans are livid with their Democratic colleagues for letting Kevin McCarthy go down the tubes.
Their argument is that McCarthy did the right thing by putting a clean continuing resolution up for a vote. And Democrats – even the “problem solvers” didn’t have his back. That’s not a crazy argument. I understand why they’re making it. It ignores the broader context though. Yes, he did do the right thing. But the idea that Democrats are going to prop up the Speaker pursuing a bogus impeachment inquiry against the President, taking the leading role rehabilitating Donald Trump, breaking the deal he struck with the President back in May? It’s just to absurd.
But it does seem of a piece with what’s emerging from the post-McCarthy wreckage. On the one hand it seems inevitable that you’ll see a more aggressive and chaotic House leadership. Who wants to get the McCarthy treatment? But we’re also seeing a lot of retaliation against Democrats. The GOP caucus was overwhelmingly against this. They can’t lash out at Gaetz and his crew. So the Democrats are the only others they can lash out against. News just broke that acting Speaker McHenry former Speaker Pelosi to vacate her Capitol hideaway office by tomorrow. She’s not even in DC.
