The conservative, libertarian, free-trade organization Americans for Prosperity, led by billionaire businessman Charles Koch, does not want Donald Trump to be the GOP nominee in 2024. Today Emily Seidel, the CEO of Americans for Prosperity, released a memo on the […]
Republican Party
Poll: Republicans want to move on from Trump
The poll was commissioned by the conservative website The Bulwark. Here is a taste of Sarah Longwell’s summary: We polled three different scenarios and each showed Trump locked between 28 and 30 percent support from Republican primary voters: There’s a […]
GOP: Let’s just hope Trump goes away
According to McKay Coppins, this is the best GOP strategy right now. Some even want him to die. Here is a taste of his piece at The Atlantic: Press them hard enough, and most Republican officials—even the ones with MAGA […]
Two former Republicans search for a political home
New York Times columnists Bret Stephens and David Brooks, both conservatives, reflect on what has happened to the Republican Party. It’s a fascinating discussion. Here is a taste: David Brooks:Â My thinking about the G.O.P. goes back to a brunch I […]
Historians Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer on the state of the Republican Party
The Princeton University historians are the editors of Myth America: Historians Take on the Biggest Legends and Lies About our Past. Here is a taste of their recent interview with Vanity Fair: I know both of you are particularly public-facing […]
Marjorie Taylor Greene: mainstream Republican
As the Republican members-elect of the 118th Congress tried to select a Speaker of the House last week, Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, an election denier, former QAnon follower, and believer in Jewish space lasers, backed Kevin McCarthy on all […]
On January 6, 2021 there was violence on the House floor. Violence almost broke again on January 6, 2023
As I started this post at 11:14pm on Friday night there were still six people standing in the way of Kevin McCarthy’s speakership. They were Andy Biggs (AZ), Lauren Boebert (CO), Eli Crane (AZ), Matt Gaetz (FL), Bob Good (VA), […]
Blogging the 12th vote for Speaker of the House
A lot happened in this vote. McCarthy picked-up fourteen votes. There are now seven who oppose him. He needs three of these votes to become Speaker of the House. 12:20pm: I find it shocking that Mike Garcia (R-CA), while nominating […]
Matt Gaetz: “If Democrats join up to elect a moderate Republican, I will resign from the House of Representatives”
Up until this point in the GOP battle for the Speaker of the House, compromised Florida congressman Matt Gaetz has been treating the whole affair as if he is a high school kid playing some kind of game, perhaps the […]
A bad day for Kevin McCarthy
After eleven votes, the House of Representatives still does not have a Speaker. A few minutes ago the House of Representatives–the people’s house–decided to adjourn for the night. They apparently got tired and hungry. We saw a lot of crazy […]
In 1855-1856, the Speaker of the House was decided after 133 votes
As I write, the House is completing its eighth ballot for Speaker of the House. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic candidate, continues to get a plurality of the vote. The GOP is still divided, with most Republicans behind Kevin McCarthy and […]
Rep. Scott Perry references Frederick Douglass from the House floor. Historian David Blight is having none of it.
I have never voted for Scott Perry, but he does represent me in the United States House of Representatives. Perry is the chairman of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus. He refused to cooperate with the House committee investigating January 6th […]
The fight for Speaker of the House continues
Six ballots and still no Speaker of the House. The House is on break until 8:00pm. The hard-right, anti-McCarthy wing has stayed unified today. CNN is reporting that McCarthy is now meeting with some members of the hard-right group in […]
“My offer is nothing”
As we reported yesterday, Kevin McCarthy gave massive concessions to the right-wing of his party. One of those concessions was a rule change that would allow five members of the House to offer a resolution to remove the speaker. This […]
How will the GOP investigate Hunter’s laptop if they can’t even pick a Speaker of the House?
If you haven’t followed this today, get up to speed here. If the GOP members of the House can’t pick a Speaker, how will they advance their agenda? How will they investigate Hunter Biden’s laptop? How will they impeach Joe […]
1923 was the last time a vote for Speaker of the House went more than one ballot
The House of Representatives just adjourned for the day. It did not choose a speaker. Hakeem Jeffries won on the first ballot. Jeffries also won on the second ballot and third ballot. Nineteen right-wing Republicans voted against McCarthy on the […]
Robert Jeffress helped stoke the GOP “civil war.” Now he wants no part of it.
Here is Anugrah Kumar’s piece on one of Donald Trump’s most prominent court evangelicals: Texas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress, who was one of the first Evangelical leaders to publicly support former President Donald Trump and attend his rallies during the […]
Zakaria: The GOP must purge Trump
Do the results of the 2022 midterm elections represent a serious wound, if not a mortal wound, to Donald Trump and Trumpism? Not really. Take the issue of election denial. Kari Lake lost her gubernatorial bid in Arizona, but the […]
“Florida Man Makes Announcement”
Can Trump win again?
Tonight Donald Trump will announce his candidacy for the presidency in 2024. Can he win? Conservative writer Kevin Williamson thinks it’s possible. Here is a taste of his piece today at The New York Times: It will not be easy […]