There’s an aspect of the Jim Jordan Speaker Drama that hasn’t gotten enough attention. It’s really the central element of the story. Over the years I’ve argued that the post-2010 GOP caucus operates by a consistent set of informal rules. What looks like drama and dysfunction is actually in its own way a very stable and functional system.

The congressional party is controlled and run by the hard right minority variously called the Tea Party or Freedom Caucus. But they are a bit too hot for national public consumption. They also rely on the idea that their far right policy agenda has broad public support but is held back by a corrupt/bureaucratic establishment. For both of these reasons a system was developed in which this far right group runs the caucus, but from the background, while it is nominally run by a mainstreamish Republican leader. Under John Boehner, Paul Ryan or Kevin McCarthy this basic dynamic remained more or less the same. It works for everybody because the Freedom Party calls the shots while the party maintains broad electoral viability via figureheadish leadership.

Let me try to briefly up date you on where Jim Jordan’s zombie Speakership seems to be. As you know, he lost a Speakership vote Tuesday with 20 Republicans in opposition and then lost another yesterday with 22 votes in opposition. In the second outing, a couple switched to supporting him but more flipped in the other direction. After that he remained committed to forcing a third vote even though there was a strong consensus that his losing ground in the second vote meant his bid was over.

A few assumptions and developments are operating behind the scenes.

I said yesterday that this week’s podcast would be coming Thursday, today, not Wednesday. Well, that was fake news. Like I said yesterday, it’s coming tomorrow. But today that means Friday not Thursday. Just to give you a little behind the scenes: Kate is one of our two Capitol Hill reporters. So the gist is we’re a bit hostage at the moment to Jim Jordan’s whims and tantrums as he keeps trying to hold votes in his increasingly fantastical Speakership bid. So bear with us, we’ll have the podcast to you soon.

A new Fairleigh Dickinson University poll finds that 70% of New Jersey residents want Sen. Bob Menendez to resign. Just 16% want him to serve out his term.

This is when you’re holding on to office to trade it for something in a plea bargain.

This week’s podcast will come one day later than usual. So don’t expect it today but it will be on your devices tomorrow afternoon.