Copy

BEDS AND DOGS AND THE PRICE OF PRIDE

Kevin McCarthy is having a very, very, very bad week. And yet, for Democrats who have been suffering the Rep's insufferable rants and ravings ever since his defeat for the Speakership in 2015 when he willingly, with eyes fully open, ran headlong into the waiting arms of Donald Trump and his cronies, it's hard to muster up a lot of sympathy. 

McCarthy's current predicament brings to mind a few choice proverbs:

They who lie with dogs will rise with fleas. - English Proverb with Latin Origins.

As you make your bed, so you must lie on it. - French/English/Scottish Proverb.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. - Galations 6:7 (KJV)


These have been rolling around in my head the last few days, and I must say, I've been enjoying watching Kevin's smug face almost visibly implode.  And the fact that whackadoodle extremist Lauren Boebert, who just barely squeaked out her re-election over a Democrat, is leading the charge, flanked by sex-trafficker Matt Gaetz, is just, well, surreal icing on this chaos cake.

As I write this, Kevin has just lost the fifth round of voting and is on his way to losing the sixth. SIXTH.  As of yesterday's third round stalemate, this is a feat not seen for exactly one hundred years.  Kudos to you, sir.  I'll give you a Nancy Pelosi upside-down clap for that dubious accomplishment.  

And I feel I must reiterate, that Kevin McCarthy, absolutely, without one shred of doubt, brought all of this on himself.  If he had held even a fraction of his moral ground over the last seven years, and if not worked openly with Democrats, but at least not taken every opportunity to lash out, lambast, and cast Democrats, especially Nancy Pelosi, as the purveyors of destruction, perhaps he would not be facing his current predicament. McCarthy has been acting as the ultimate sycophant, currying favor, kowtowing, effectively selling his soul to Trump and the Radical Republican Right since he lost his bid for Speakership in 2015 to Paul Ryan.  

Speaking of Paul Ryan, his tenure as Speaker of the House was short-lived. Ryan chose to not only relinquish his Speakership, but withdraw from running at all, due to his supposed desire to spend more time with his children. I don't suppose being faced with a 2018 House flip to a Democratic majority and reported "tensions" between him and the Trump administration had anything to do with it.

And then there's the GOP Speaker before Ryan, John Boehner.  As Heather Cox Richardson just reported:
Politico’s Heidi Przybyla recalled that in his 2021 memoir, former Republican speaker John Boehner said of this faction: “What they’re really interested in is chaos.… They want to throw sand in the gears of the hated federal government until it fails and they’ve finally proved that it’s beyond saving.” And they are tied tightly to right-wing media: “Every time they vote down a bill, they get another invitation to go on Fox News or talk radio,” he said. “Its a narcissistic—and dangerous—feedback loop.”

With these two cautionary tales, on the heals of November's Red Dribble, Trump - and others in his administration, and yes, Congress - facing real criminal consequences for federal crimes, it's a wonder why any Republican in their right mind would want the Speakership at this point in time.  Ah, but there's the truth of it, isn't it?  Kevin McCarthy has become so laser-focused, and yet completely myopic in his determination to become the esteemed, the powerful, (cue the choirs of angels and clouds parting) Speaker of the House, he has ceased to see the reality of what that really means amidst the churning murky waters of a fractured GOP.

So, we, and I do mean we, the American people, because aside from McCarthy, we are the ones who suffer the most from a House of Representatives that are paralyzed by this ongoing vote, are forced to watch this train wreck and wonder, "what next?"

There are really only two scenarios:  One, McCarthy wins Speakership.  How could he possibly do this?  He'd have to give even MORE concessions to the crazies. 

On the Verge of Losing his Sixth Vote, McCarthy Seeks A Deal - CNBC

But he's already given them so many concessions, licking their collective boots over the past few weeks, and where has it gotten him?  Nowhere. It is looking more and more like they simply will not budge, even if Kevin bows, pinky swears, and does a blood pact to give them what they want. At this point, it appears that they've all dug in their heels and are demanding that McCarthy step aside. 

From Heather Cox Richardson:
On the other hand are Republicans like the one who spoke to CNN’s Jake Tapper last night, saying that the holdouts want “procedural trickery that no one in America gives a damn about, but that might give these few loudmouths just a little bit more of the attention and power they crave…. None of these narcissists—and that’s what they are, pure narcissists—did a damn thing to help us win the majority. Nothing. If anything, many of them were liabilities, requiring outside help from Kevin McCarthy, ironically. So they contribute nothing to the team, and then have the audacity to demand outsize influence and power.”

During that same time, McCarthy alienated even further the House Democrats who also have the power to save him from defeat, so that's not getting him votes. According to Pelosi and Jeffries, that option is not even on the table. There are simply no Democrats who will help McCarthy at this point.

So, OPTION TWO: McCarthy finally accepts defeat, a crushing blow to his ego and hopes for a future climb up the political ladder, from which I'm not sure he could ever recover. Which is, of course, why he doesn't want to do it, even as it becomes more and more obvious that he should.

If McCarthy steps aside, and only if, it will open the door for someone like House GOP #2 Steve Scalise, although many of these Radicalized Republicans view Scalise as merely a McCarthy Lite.  So, who then?  Well, this is where it could get really interesting.  

Three Scenarios for how the McCarthy Speakership Fight Could End - The Hill

The remaining moderate - okay, not moderate, but not completely off their rocker - House Republicans could start meeting with Democrats and come up with a "moderate" Republican alternative.  At this point, the Democrats would hold all the cards.  They could make demands of their own, such as, (1) no frivolous lawsuits against members of the Biden Family or Administration, and (2) no holding the country hostage with the ceiling debt.  

Now, that's a scenario I can get behind!  

Seriously, though, for the sake of the American People, for the Country, for Democracy, Kevin McCarthy needs to see the forest for the trees, to get up from that bed he's been lying in with those flea-ridden GOP dogs, and move on.  Unfortunately, this has never been about the American People, the Country, or Democracy for Kevin.  It's always been about his ambition, and his foolish pride.

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. - Proverbs 16:18 (KJV)

UPCOMING VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON EVENTS




Kern County has a new Democratic Veterans Group!  Go to the Democratic Veterans of Kern (DEM VET KERN) website to find out more

Tehachapi Democrats Monthly Meeting

Please join us at Kelcy's Restaurant on Thursday, January 5th for our first monthly meeting of the new year! We will be having our regular Dinner/Social Hour beginning at 5PM, to be followed immediately by our meeting at 6PM. This month we will be discussing some of the new laws taking effect as of this year, we will be hearing from our good friend and proud Democrat Yvette Flores about the upcoming CADEM delegate election, and members Susan Stuart and Linda Hardman will be introducing themselves as our new LGBTQIA+ Coordinator and Rapid Response Team leaders! We will also be taking suggestions from the membership for the coming year's goals and events.  Please RSVP here!  You can also Zoom in.  Contact the Tehachapi Dems directly to get the link.
 

Buena Vista Group Sierra Club First Saturday Meeting, "Orcas, Trekking, and Kayaking in Iceland" with Joyce Kohl
Please join us on Saturday, 9 a.m. January 7  on Zoom for Joyce’s live PowerPoint show about her experiences in Iceland. If you wish a reminder and are not already on our email invitation list, write to Joyce Hulen at: joymonty@me.com.

Do YOU have an organization or candidate you would like to include here? Please send me your event details in an EMAIL or FACEBOOK MESSAGE no later than Tuesday and I will make sure it gets into this weekly newsletter.

Copyright © 2019 Upper Kern Democratic Club, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
PO Box 796 Kernville CA 93238

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.