Pop yourself some popcorn and sit down with your favorite news network Tuesday. We might just witness a political drama of a type not seen since the lead-up to the Civil War. Which somehow seems appropriate, given the tenor of today’s political discourse.
Bakersfield’s Kevin McCarthy is trying to achieve a lifetime goal: Become speaker of the House of Representatives. Unless a hopeless deadlock prompts the body to change the rules, McCarthy will need a majority vote of the entire chamber, which would be 218 if all 435 members vote for an individual by name.
kAm#6AF3=:42?D 9@=5 aaa D62ED :? E96 ``gE9 r@?8C6DD[ 3FE 7:G6 >6>36CD @7 E96 A2CEJ’D 6IEC6>6 C:89E 92G6 AF3=:4=J 564=2C65 E96>D6=G6D 92C5 ?@6D — “}6G6C z6G:?D” H9@ D2J E96J H:== ?@E DFAA@CE |4r2CE9J F?56C 2?J 4:C4F>DE2?46D] #6AD] p?5J q:88D @7 pC:K@?2[ q@3 v@@5 @7 ':C8:?:2[ |2EE v26EK @7 u=@C:52[ |2EE #@D6?52=6 @7 |@?E2?2 2?5 #2=A9 }@C>2? @7 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 92G6 7@C>65 2 3=@4 2?5 G@H65 ?@E E@ 2==@H |4r2CE9J E@ A=625 9:D 42D6 H:E9 E96> :?5:G:5F2==J] xE’D 2== @C ?@?6]k^Am
kAm{62G:?8 |4r2CE9J H:E9[ C:89E ?@H[ a`f G@E6D 2E 36DE]k^Am
kAmx7 ?@ @?6 86ED 2E =62DE a`g G@E6D[ r@?8C6DD H:== G@E6 282:?] p?5 282:?[ 2?5 282:?[ F?E:= D@>6@?6 C62496D E96 ?646DD2CJ E9C6D9@=5] ~C F?E:= >6>36CD[ A6C92AD >@E:G2E65 3J 6I92FDE:@?[ G@E6 E@ 2446AE 2 A=FC2=:EJ H:??6C[ 2D 92D @44FCC65 :? E9C66 @7 E96 AC6G:@FD `af DA62<6CD9:A 6=64E:@?D]k^Am
kAm|4r2CE9J 92D >@C6 E92? 7:G6 4C:E:4D 2>@?8 w@FD6 #6AF3=:42?D[ @7 4@FCD6] x? D64C6E 32==@E:?8 E@ D6=64E E96:C ?6H >2;@C:EJ =6256C @? }@G] `d[ b` #6AF3=:42?D G@E65 7@C q:88D C2E96C E92? |4r2CE9J[ H9:=6[ 2?5 :? 2 D6A2C2E6 G@E6 7@C E96 }@] a ;@3[ {@F:D:2?2’D $E6G6 $42=:D6 H2D F?2?:>@FD=J 6=64E65 >2;@C:EJ H9:A] x? @E96C H@C5D $42=:D6[ H9@ 92D 366? |4r2CE9J’D 72:E97F= =6256CD9:A D:56<:4<[ :D b` G@E6D >@C6 A@AF=2C :? E96 #6AF3=:42? 42F4FD E92? |4r2CE9J 2?5 E9FD[ H96E96C 96 =:<6D :E @C ?@E[ =@@>D 2D 2 G:23=6 >F=E:A=6\32==@E 2=E6C?2E:G6 7@C DA62<6C]k^Am
kAm|4r2CE9J 92D 366? ECJ:?8 E@ H:? @G6C 9:D 4C:E:4D :? E96 w@FD6’D cc\>6>36C uC665@> r2F4FD 7@C >@?E9D — J62CD[ C62==J] x? 5@:?8 D@[ 96’D 8@?6 E@ 8C62E =6?8E9D E@ A=62D6 H92E 7@C>6C $A62<6C y@9? q@69?6C @?46 42==65 E96 w@FD6’D “=68:D=2E:G6 E6CC@C:DED” — 2 DF3\DF3D6E @7 7C:?86 >6>36CD H9@ 92G6 ?@ C62= A@=:4J @C :56@=@8:42= 8@2=D @E96C E92? 7@>6?E:?8 492@D] |4r2CE9J 5:5 82:? E96 DFAA@CE @7 @?6 @7 E96 >@DE AC@>:?6?E :? E92E 8C@FA — E96 "p?@? BF66? @7 r@?8C6DD[ v6@C8:2’D |2C;@C:6 %2J=@C vC66?6 — H:E9 AC@>:D6D @7 F?5:D4=@D65 :?7=F6?46] $96 ?@H AC24E:42==J @H?D |4r2CE9J[ @C D@ D96 3@2DE65 :? ~4E@36C] “w6’D 8@:?8 E@ 8:G6 >6 2 =@E @7 A@H6C 2?5 2 =@E @7 =66H2J[” vC66?6 E@=5 %96 }6H *@C< %:>6D] “p?5 :7 96 5@6D?’E[ W>2?J :? E96 72C C:89EX 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 G6CJ F?92AAJ 23@FE :E]”k^Am
kAm{2DE H66<[ |4r2CE9J >256 9:D 3:886DE 4@?46DD:@? J6E E@ E96 72C C:89E[ @?6 E92E F?56CD4@C6D ;FDE 9@H 5:C6 96 G:6HD E96 D:EF2E:@?i w6 28C665 E@ 2 CF=6 492?86 E92E H@F=5 =@H6C E96 ?F>36C @7 >6>36CD C6BF:C65 E@ 7@C46 2 “>@E:@? E@ G242E6 E96 492:C[” @C C6>@G6 E96 DA62<6C] !C6G:@FD=J[ 92=7 @7 E96 >2;@C:EJ A2CEJ[ @C ``` >6>36CD :? E96 AC6D6?E 42D6[ H@F=5 36 C6BF:C65 E@ 7@C46 DF49 2 G@E6] |4r2CE9J 28C665 E@ 5C@A E92E ?F>36C E@ 7:G6 — 2 u2FDE:2? 562= E92E >2<6D 9:> 6G6? >@C6 369@=56? E@ E9:D D>2==[ C64<=6DD 724E:@? @7 r@?8C6DD]k^Am
kAm$@ |4r2CE9J 92D ?@ >2C8:? 7@C 6CC@C :? E96 32==@E:?8 7@C DA62<6C[ 2?5[ :7 96 H:?D[ =:EE=6 >2C8:? :7 96 9@A6D E@ 2G@:5 E96 DA64E24=6 — 2?5 E96 G6CJ C62= E9C62E — @7 2 ?@\4@?7:56?46 G@E6] p?J D6>3=2?46 @7 4@>AC@>:D6 @C 244@>>@52E:@? H:E9 s6>@4C2ED >:89E EC:886C DF49 2 G@E6] %92E’D H9J H6’G6 D66? |4r2CE9J[ DF>>@?:?8 E962EC:42= @FEC286[ 564=2C6 9:D :?E6?E:@? E@ :?G6DE:82E6 6G6CJE9:?8 s6>@4C2ED 92G6 D2:5 @C 5@?6 :? E96 A2DE EH@ J62CD FA E@ 2?5 A@DD:3=J :?4=F5:?8 E96 2G2:=23=6 7=2G@CD @7 y6==\~ D2=25 :? E96 w@FD6 4276E6C:2]k^Am
kAm}@ @?6 <?@HD H96C6 %F6D52J’D G@E:?8 4@F=5 8@ :7 |4r2CE9J 5@6D?’E H:? @? E96 7:CDE 32==@Ej 2 D64@?5 32==@E 92D?’E 366? C6BF:C65 D:?46 `hab[ H96? #6AF3=:42? uC656C:4< v:==6EE @7 |2DD249FD6EED H@? @? E96 w@FD6’D ?:?E9 2EE6>AE 2E D6=64E:?8 2 DA62<6C]k^Am
kAm%96 >@DE 5:77:4F=E 32EE=6D @G6C E96 D6=64E:@? @7 2 DA62<6C 92G6 4@:?4:565 H:E9 ?2E:@?2= 5:DF?:EJ] s6>@4C2E w@H6== r@33 @7 v6@C8:2[ =2E6C E@ 364@>6 @?6 @7 E96 7@F?56CD @7 E96 r@?7656C24J[ H@? @? E96 ebC5 32==@E :? `gch[ 6DE23=:D9:?8 H92E H2D E96? 2 C64@C5 7@C C6G@E6D] %96 >@DE AC@EC24E65 G@E6 7@C DA62<6C 7@==@H65 D:I J62CD =2E6C H96? }2E92?:6= !] q2?<D @7 |2DD249FD6EED[ H9@D6 >@C6 =:36C2= #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ H2D ;FDE 6>6C8:?8 7C@> E96 2D96D @7 E96 (9:8 !2CEJ[ H2D D6=64E65 27E6C EH@ >@?E9D 2?5 `bb 32==@ED] tG6? E96?[ E96 G@E6 H2D D6EE=65 @?=J 27E6C E96 w@FD6[ C:G6? 3J 2?E636==F> 724E:@?D[ 2AAC@G65 2 C6D@=FE:@? E92E 2==@H65 7@C 2 A=FC2=:EJ H:??6C[ 2?5 q2?<D H@? H:E9 ;FDE `_b G@E6D] *6E 2?@E96C 5C2H?\@FE DA62<6C G@E6 Wcc 32==@EDX 7@==@H65 :? `gdh[ 2?5 E96? 42>6 E96 r:G:= (2C]k^Am
kAm%96 r:G:= (2C :D 324<[ 2E =62DE :? E6C>D @7 C:89E\H:?8 C96E@C:4] v26EK 92D 5676?565 p>6C:42?D’ C:89E “E@ >2:?E2:? 2? 2C>65 C636==:@? 282:?DE E96 8@G6C?>6?E[” 2?5 vC66?6[ 367@C6 ;@:?:?8 E96 |4r2CE9J E62>[ >256 AC@?@F?46>6?ED E:?865 H:E9 D:>:=2C 9@DE:=:EJ]k^Am
kAm}@H E96 DE286 :D D6E 7@C 2?@E96C 6IE6?565 7:89E @G6C E96 DA62<6CD9:A[ E96 7:CDE :? 6I24E=J 2 46?EFCJ] ~?6 H@?56CD 2E H92E A@:?E D2?6C #6AF3=:42?D H:== E:C6 @7 E96 4:C4FD 2?5[ H:E9 E96 DFAA@CE @7 2 92=7\5@K6? 4@?D6CG2E:G6 s6>@4C2ED[ C6249 @FE E@ 2 4@>AC@>:D6 42?5:52E6 @FED:56 E96 AC6D6?E w@FD6 C@DE6C]k^Am
kAmxE 4@F=5 92AA6?] u2FDE:2? 562=D C2C6=J 6?5 H6==]k^Am
