The Republican Leadership Battle

1. 90

   GA Andersonposted 15 months ago

   Is the current battle proof that McCarthy is not the right 'leader' for the job, or is his tenacity proof that he is because he won't let the tail of the '20' wag the dog of the party?
   
   I don't think he is the right choice. I don't agree with the 'characteristics' of the "20" but I don't disagree with the 'same old politics' points of Gaetz's speech.
   
   GA

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   1. 89

      IslandBitesposted 15 months agoin reply to this

      The problem is when the "new" one is worse than the "same old".
      
      Plus, I "suspect" the real gripe with him is that he wasnt loyal enough to their "cause".

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      1. 90

         GA Andersonposted 15 months agoin reply to this

         Yeah, there are so many motive possibilities, from believing what they say in their 'opposition' speeches to unbridled self-interests.
         
         Based on his political history I don't think McCarthy is the man for the job and based on media presentations of the characters of the Freedom Caucus I don't think they are right for the position.
         
         It would be great if their mantle was what they really are. I agree with many points of their speeches. But this is a Republican thing, and the '20' are said to be a bunch of election-deniers, so, other than being interested in the prospect of some political change, I'm not digging into anyone's motives. They will be clear soon enough.
         
         GA

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   2. 81

      Sharlee01posted 15 months agoin reply to this

      I think this past week we witnessed pure democracy. Two sides heard, both sides compromising. Will we be better with McCarthy at the helm?  In my view, it would seem anything would be a step up from what we have witnessed in the past two years. One only needs to delve a bit into any one of the bills that were pasted. We have many surprises that will emerge from the bills Biden pushed through.
      
      So, is Kevin the guy to bring change, and fix some problems? I guess we will find out. I have shared several thoughts on McCarthy here over the years.
      
      Some good, some pretty bad. I think one thing really sticks out about this man --- his sheer passion.  Not long ago I sat up through a long night (Nov of 2021)watching him filibuster Democrats’ passage of the Build Back Better package.  I literally could not turn off the tube. Did his speech result ultimately result in a Build Back Better light package? It may have, the light version was not passed until Aug 2022.  I think this was another good form of negotiating to come up with a lighter spending bill.  So, this week sort of proved to me, he still has good negotiation skills and defiantly passion. (these are a few commonalities  Pelosi and McCarthy share)
      
      I don't think I have ever witnessed such passion... He showed himself to be so well-spoken, quick on his feet, and knowledgeable of what he spoke. he laid out all the garbage that was added to the bill.    All I can hope is he brings just a bit of all of that to the
      House Floor. I won't share my negative views.
      
      I will stay optimistic and wish him well. I mean I will let the media hang out the dirty laundry.

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      1. 59

         Fayetteville Fayeposted 15 months agoin reply to this

         Mr McCarthy is clearly a man who would sell his soul to the devil for whatever power he thirsts for.  He has no ideology, no position whatsoever. It's whatever gets him through the day.

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         1. 96

            wildernessposted 15 months agoin reply to this

            Are you speaking of McCarthy or Pelosi?  Or maybe H. Clinton?

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   3. 77

      Ken Burgessposted 15 months agoin reply to this

      Just remnants of the Tea-Party and Trump-era type politicians making a small nuisance of themselves.
      
      It is a good sign of how ineffectual they will be going forward, how limited their ability to affect change.  They will be marginalized and largely ignored, as will those of similar mindsets who voted them there.
      
      States like Florida will be bastions of sanity and conservatism for a while longer, but the Federal Government is permanently lost, Trump was the last gasp, last hurrah... Trump served as an accelerant to the change, and to ensuring there would be no other, he was so detestable and deplorable to 'the establishment' that they will go to extreme efforts now, and in the future, to ensure no semblance of threat is allowed into power again.
      
      It will be interesting to see what is done to Musk in the future.  His billions and his brilliance has caused a conundrum for them, but eventually they will get around to fixing this problem, just like they fixed Trump.
      
      For those of lesser means, they will just be tagged as threats to America, and be silenced or shut down as needed.

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      1. 90

         GA Andersonposted 15 months agoin reply to this

         With those roots, they should have a snappier name. Maybe the 'Freedom Phoenix' Caucus?
         
         GA

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      2. 59

         Fayetteville Fayeposted 15 months agoin reply to this

         God lord, Florida is no Brain trust by any means.  I see it as more of a hotbed of hate.

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2. 77

   Kathleen Cochranposted 15 months ago

   What we witnessed in the past two years:
   
   Democrats attracted the votes of a dozen — and sometimes more — Republicans to shore up the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, ramp up domestic production of semiconductor chips, tighten gun laws, protect same-sex marriage, strengthen protections for women from intimate partner violence, make lynching a federal hate crime, reform procedures for certifying the electoral college vote, revamp retirement savings programs, bolster veterans’ health benefits, send tens of billions to Ukraine to thwart Russian aggression, and confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as the nation’s first Black woman Supreme Court justice.
   
   Other times, Democrats moved on alone — including covering the costs of coronavirus vaccines and other pandemic aid, boosting health-care subsidies, expanding tax breaks for low-income Americans, funding clean energy to battle climate change, lowering the costs of prescription drugs and capping insulin prices.

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