Speakership Of The House Of Representatives

A Turning Point Crisis In Israel Will Affect Presidential Election Of 2024!

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The horrendous massacre and mass murder of Hamas against civilians in Israel, including the kidnapping of hostages, is uniting most Americans around the great, compassionate, and dedicated support of President Joe Biden and his administration toward the Jewish state in this moment of existential crisis.

Even many conservatives and Republicans are applauding President Biden’s statements and actions on this most significant crisis of 2023.

Meanwhile, the Republicans cannot even select a Speaker of the House, and former President Donald Trump has demonstrated that he is willing to attack Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on petty grounds that he accepted and acknowleded Joe Biden’s victory in the Presidential Election of 2020.

Additionally, Trump praised Hezbollah, the terorrist group in Lebanon, as being “smart”, alienating many Republicans with such an outrageous statement.

So one can expect that Joe Biden will gain mightily from his handling of the Israel-Gaza War crisis, not because of the fact itself, but instead the continued demonstration of compassion, decency, competence, and experience that Joe Biden has brought to the Presidency.

The Republican Party, and its likely nominee, Donald Trump, truly the equivalent of a “suicide mission” for the party, will suffer dearly as they well deserve to do so a year from now, by what is likely a smashing defeat in the Presidential and Congressional Elections of 2024!

Jim Jordan As Speaker Of The House Unacceptable Danger!

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The future of the nation is in danger if Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, now the choice of House Republicans, is permitted to become Speaker of the House.

This man is a danger, a supporter of Donald Trump, who was engaged in the planning of January 6, and refused to testify before the January 6 House Committee investigating the Insurrection at the US Capitol!

Jordan is a divisive figure, an extreme right wing MAGA Republican, who would be two heartbeats away from the Presidency under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, endangering American national security and undermining support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

It is hoped that more than five Republicans will work to prevent this menace to public order from becoming Speaker, as he would also have access to important national secrets by assuming leadership in the House of Representatives!

Unless someone like Tom Cole of Oklahoma, Don Bacon of Nebraska, or Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania can become Speaker, then moderates, such as the above, must unite to make Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader, the Speaker of the House for the remaining 14 months of the 118th Congress!

Time For Reasonable Republicans To Support Hakeem Jeffries As Speaker Of The House Of Representatives!

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Here we are in Day Two of the latest Republican inability to pick a new Speaker of the House of Representatives, and in so doing, paralyzing the ability of the federal government to do anything!

It seems as if Steve Scalise will not be able to gain 217 votes, and neither likely will Jim Jordan.

It is now time for five or more Republicans (such as Don Bacon of Nebraska, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and a few of the newly elected Republicans from New York from Biden Districts) to cross party lines, and join Democrats in making Hakeem Jeffries Speaker of the House!

Another Shocking Event: 9/11 For Israel, Threatens Survival And Stability In Middle East!

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In a stunning week, where the Speaker of the House of Representatives was repudiated for the first time in American history, now, shockingly, Israel faces issues of its survival and stability after the totally unexpected intelligence failure which led to sustained attacks by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, from the Gaza Strip.

This is the greatest tragedy since a half century ago, when at the same time on the calendar, there was the Yom Kippur War between Israel, Egypt, and Syria.

The loss of life, the number of wounded, and the shock of Israelis being taken captive, has stunned everyone who thought that Israel never had its national security and safety to be in danger.

Of course, the United States supports Israel in this crisis, but it does not take away from the reality that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is an extremist right wing government, which as I write, has apparently rejected the idea of a government of national unity, with the purpose of disposing of the most extremist right wing Orthodox Jewish religious elements in the government coalition.

There could be a massive war crime in the Gaza Strip, leading to the death of thousands of civilians who have nowhere to escape the potential bloodshed as Israel works to punish and destroy Hamas and the terrorist threat to Israel’s future.

This is a time of mourning, and of prayers required, that somehow, the developing tragedy will not lead to a massive loss of life unmatched in Middle East history!

And without a stable House of Representatives and an installed Speaker, the US government is faced with the crisis of having problems helping Israel, as well as Ukraine, in what has now become two major foreign policy crises faced by President Joe Biden!

The Great, Prominent Speakers Of The House Of Representatives In History

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At a time of chaos and anarchy over the issue of the Speakership of the House of Representatives, it is instructive to examine the history of that office, which has had 55 individuals filling that role.

A small number of Speakers of the House of Representatives have made history, and are seen as exceptional.

The longest serving Speaker was Sam Rayburn of Texas, who held that position for 17 years, only ended by his death in 1961.

Henry Clay of Kentucky, arguably the greatest Presidential candidate who did not win the Presidency in all of US history, served a total of 10.5 years as Speaker of the House.

Thomas (Tip) O’Neill of Massachusetts was third longest serving, 10 years from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s.

John W. McCormack of Massachusetts served 9 years in the 1960s, followed by Nancy Pelosi, who served 8 years from 2007-2011 and 2019-2023.

Dennis Hastert of Illinois, later disgraced by conviction on sex charges, is the longest serving Republican Speaker, serving a few days less than Pelosi, but still about 8 years at the end of the 20th and early 21st century.

Champ Clark of Missouri served about 7 years in the 1910s and Carl Albert of Oklahoma served about 6 years in the 1970s, followed by slightly less service in days by Joseph Cannon of Illinois, often called the “Czar” of the House because of his great authority that was tamed by “revolution” in House rules in 1910, and by Tom Foley of Washington State in the 1990s.

So about 87 years out of the total of 234 years of the history of the House of Representatives were served by these 10 individuals, with the other 45 serving a total of 147 years among them.

Kevin McCarthy’s 9 month tenure made him the third shortest serving Speaker, only more than Michael Kerr who died in office in 1875, and Theodore Pomeroy, who served one day in 1869.

Mainstream Conservative Republicans (Problem Solvers Caucus) Need To Unite Against Jim Jordan As Potential Speaker!

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The thought of Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives should be enough to convince mainstream conservative Republicans to unite and prevent the horrors of a man fully backed by Donald Trump, and just about the most wretched member of the Republican Party, alongside Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz and Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert.

The Problem Solvers Caucus is a group made up of moderate Republicans (32) and Democrats (31) who are rational players in the halls of Congress, loyal to their parties, but pragmatic and willing to “cross the aisle” to accomplish results.

Among those Republicans who can prevent a disaster are the following 14 members:

Don Bacon of Nebraska
Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania
Anthony D’Esposito of New York
Andrew Garbarino of New York
Nick LaLota of New York
Mike Lawler of New York
Marc Molinaro of New York
Thomas Kean Jr of New Jersey
Dusty Johnson of South Dakota
Mike Garcia of California
Young Kim of California
David Valadao of California
Tony Gonzales of Texas
Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin

Five of this group are from New York, and 3 from California, in districts that were won by Joe Biden in 2020.

If most of this group and some others united, they can demand that neither Jim Jordan nor Steve Scalise of Louisiana become Speaker, as one of these 14 would be a far better selection to promote unity, and insure that continued aid to Ukraine will flow!

Total Chaos In The Republican House Of Representatives! :(

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The Republican Party is on the brink of extinction, as they are now proving that not only do they have a totally corrupt, evil President that they refuse to repudiate at large, but also their House majority is a total disaster.

To think that the two leading likely successors to Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House are the evil, nasty, corrupt Jim Jordan of Ohio, who had sexual charges lodged against him from years ago; and Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who spoke years ago to white supremacist groups, and had contact with David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader, over many years, is enough to make one vomit! 🙁

Neither should even be in Congress, and the thought that one of them could be two heartbeats away from the Presidency, is extremely troubling and disconcerting!

And Jordan has no concern about Ukraine’s survival, and is willing to back Vladimir Putin’s aggression on a democratic nation, which is also the homeland of this author and blogger’s ancestors!

One can hope that someone truly decent, such as Don Bacon of Nebraska or Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, could be put forth as a truly acceptable mainstream conservative alternative for the Speakership!

The Kevin McCarthy Speakership Will Be, Sadly, A Disaster For The Nation!

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Finally, on the 15th ballot in the wee hours of the morning of January 7, Kevin McCarthy became the 55th person to be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, but with a bare margin and opposition by six extremist right wing members of the Republican Party, who voted present, to resolve the issue.

This was the fifth most contentious election in the history of the House of Representatives, and it does not bode well for the future, as McCarthy has “sold his soul” to the extremist, seditionist, treasonous MAGA Republican criminals who backed the challenge to the results of the Presidential Election of 2020 even after the US Capitol Insurrection of two years ago!

Ironically, the Congress came back in session early on January 7, 2021, to finish what had been delayed the day before by the Insurrection, and now early on January 7, 2023, Kevin McCarthy caved in on demands at almost precisely the same hour, weakening the position of Speakership, and guaranteeing that he might be one of the shortest duration Speakers!

The comparison to his predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, will make it clear that his Speakership, however long it lasts, will pale by comparison.

Hearing Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who kept the support of his 212 member Caucus for all 15 ballots, speak in an oratorical fashion that will be seen as memorable for the ages, was so inspiring and made all decent people feel pride!

One can only hope that a small number of moderate Republicans will support him to replace McCarthy when a political crisis arises, and the extremist element wants McCarthy’s head.

The alternative certainly would be to gain a Democratic majority in 2024, so that Jeffries is the 56th Speaker of the House in 2025!

One thing is clear: Kevin McCarthy will never be able to overcome the weakness, and lack of principle and ethics, that he demonstrated by going to Mar A Lago, less than two weeks after condemning the criminality of Donald Trump in inciting the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection! It will be one of the first statements about his life and poor reputation in his eventual obituary!

Two Years Since The January 6 US Capitol Insurrection, But Congress Still In Crisis!

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Precisely two years ago, the US Capitol in Washington, DC, was subjected to a massive Insurrection, a mass terrorist attack by MAGA loyalists to Donald Trump who were following through on his attempt to change the results of the Presidential Election of 2020.

But, these seditionists and traitors were also threatening the lives of Vice President Mike Pence, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and all members of Congress, as well as their staffs and law enforcement personnel.

A full investigation was conducted by the House January 6 Committee, which included two courageous, principled Republicans, Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, both of whom no longer will serve in the new 118th Congress.

But Congress is still in crisis, with the battle over whether Kevin McCarthy will be Speaker of the House continuing, and protection of the US Capitol being cut back by orders of the Republican House majority.

And it seems certain that McCarthy, if approved as Speaker, will be beholden to extremists on the right wing of his caucus, and that chaos and disarray will become a norm, and undermine the business of government for the next two years.

However,it is likely that the Democrats will gain for the 2024 national elections, with the growing extremism and incompetence of the Republican Party over the next two years!

21 House Republicans Are Effectively “Terrorists” Preventing House Of Representatives From Governing!

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After three days and ten ballots and counting as I write this entry, the House of Representatives is still not able to move ahead and begin its responsibilities to the nation!

As things now stand, it seems likely that this chaos and disaster will be at least the 5th longest Speaker battle, only surpassed in 1819 (22 ballots); 1859 (44 ballots); 1849 (63 ballots); and 1855 (133 ballots)!

This is due to 21 Republicans refusing to support their Caucus leader, Kevin McCarthy of California, who “sold his soul” to Donald Trump after the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection!

These 21 Republicans are, effectively, “terrorists” who want to have the power to cripple the House of Representatives on a daily basis, with the idea that if even one member objects to anything McCarthy might do as Speaker, that a vote could be taken to oust him from the leadership of the chamber!

This is pure insanity, and it is time for Kevin McCarthy to refuse to do so, and ultimately, to withdraw from the possibility of being Speaker, in order to move the House of Representatives forward!

But, whoever else might wish to be Speaker, must NOT give in, either, to these seditionists and traitors!

So it is time for the more reasonable, more moderate, and more rational small band of House Republicans to agree to one of the following alternatives:

As this author and blogger suggested yesterday, back a former member of the chamber, such as Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Justin Amash of Michigan, Fred Upton of Michigan, or John Kasich of Ohio, to be the Speaker, with the support of the Democratic minority, and refuse to agree to any demands that limit the Speaker’s ability to lead the chamber!

OR have a small band of these moderate Republicans agree to support Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic Minority Leader, in this crisis and arrange for a truly bipartisan House of Representatives!

These are the only choices now, and national security and stability are at stake, and these 21 members should be denied any committee memberships, and possible action to expel them from the House of Representatives should be under consideration!

No more MR NICE GUY, but rather tough action against members who have no interest in anything but their own egos!

With the second anniversary of the January 6 attacks coming tomorrow, one has to worry about a sudden attack by domestic terrorists as two years ago, or a foreign attack, with our international reputation as a functioning democracy in tatters right now!