UPDATE! Two of the holdouts switched their votes. Johnson wins 218-215.
The first vote for Speaker of the House is over and it looks like three Republicans defected, leaving the vote at 216-215 for Mike Johnson. He needs 218 to win, so now we'll go to a second round.
The vote is not gaveled shut yet. Horse trading on the floor. I see Johnson threatening the holdouts to get them to switch right now.
I don’t understand what exactly Johnson’s threats are at this point. Trump’s already spoken and it’s assumed that defying him means constant threats to oneself and one’s family, a guaranteed primary challenge, and even a remote chance of being murdered by a MAGA-killer. It’s hard for me to see how Johnson can top that so either the three holdouts have a death wish or they know something that we don’t.
There's an old story of a recalcitrant congressman who wouldn't vote for one of his party's bills. The Speaker called the congressman into his office, sat him down and handed him a picture of a road grader, assuring the congressman that if he didn't change his vote, this picture would be the only road grader he'd see in his district.
That’s definitely pre-Trump. The threat of death seems like it would be a far more potent persuader and yet it failed with three Republican congress-critters.
Interestingly,, there’s three Republicans who are willing to risk their lives and the lives of their families to stop Johnson from being elected as speaker but were less bold when it came to punishing Trump for trying to overthrow the American government.
In the eyes of far too many, trying to overthrow a duly elected Democrat isn’t worth getting upset about. Definitely not worth allowing hearings to be held or evidence presented in public.
I'd be willing to bet there are factors in that calculation that are unknown to us. But, by and large you've nailed it. Order will be kept by direct threat of physical violence, not by horse trading, for the next 4 years.
Republicans are going to "focus on the issues the majority of Americans care about: god, family, country, faith, freedom, and traditional American values."
The gods are fake! People of faith are jackasses! And traditional American values are embodied by the promiscuous and despicable trump and musk. hilarious.
To be sure... the poor transgender are going under the bus. Sorry kids.
I have never called generically people of faith jackasses.
However, I am perfectly willing to call YOU a jackass.
There is no "under the bus" for trans people - people like my daughter. Republicans have been out for their blood for a decade or more. Seeking to completely remove them from public life - as if they don't exist.
That doesn't qualify for an "under the bus" which usually denotes betrayal. No betrayal here. Just a bunch of jackasses.
By the way, I know people of faith who support trans people in their congregation. I know people of faith who ARE trans people.
So no, this is about jackasses. Who are just jackasses because of their jackassery.
I’m an atheist. Republicans are the party of gods, ghosts, and goblins. I have no interest in your silly beliefs and behaviors. Truly asinine.
Don't feed the Justintroll. It has no soul as it is lacking both a brain and a heart, and exists only to throw shit everywhere and laugh with glee at the people it hits. Don’t give it the attention and satisfaction its otherwise empty life so desperately seeks. It is the most worthless sack of human flesh you will ever meet, and just be thankful you’ll never meet it in real life.
You all need to come to grips with your new reality. It's funny because you all have allowed yourselves to be played and abused by those you claim you want to help. They don't want your help. If pointing that out offends you, well, tough.
Agree 100%
I doubt he'll go to 15 votes like McCarthy, but a few more would be entertaining before he gets retained. It helps that the alternative is probably Jim Jordan as Speaker.
I'm just hoping it goes into Monday (January 6). The squirming to try to find a way to count the electoral votes without a Speaker should be must-see entertainment. I'm going out for more popcorn.
Update: Aww...he squeaked by. Too bad. I'm pretty sure the looming vote count on Monday was a significant factor in the arm-twisting.
"It helps that the alternative is probably Jim Jordan as Speaker"
Besides having shit heads like Gym Jordan as an alternative to Johnson, if they don't get a Speaker by Jan 6th, I don't they can certify the coronation of Orange Il Duce. High Chancellor Musk would be enraged.
Apparently its over and Johnson prevailed.
He just squeaked through. 218 votes exactly.
Well, that little revolt was over with quickly.
Congratulations on holding the office, Speaker Johnson. Everyone cetainly fell in line, and it looks like we'll have some united government.
In the land of magic and infotainment, all government is united and there is no strife as we make America great again. The Trump show has been renewed for another four-year run and the ratings are great.
There's a disaster brewing, though. The house of financial cards cannot stand for a full four years. It's a when, not an if. Solid money is being put on Trump finding a way to oust Jerome Powell and installing a lackey that will drop interest rates. This leads to inevitable major inflation, which is where shit starts to get real.
Moreover, the First Felon (to be) has often talked about "giving bond holders a haircut" -- aka defaulting on the national debt. He repeatedly has declared bankruptcy, so why not? It's just business, and everybody knows the best way to run a country is like a business, right?
"Solid money is being put on Trump finding a way to oust Jerome Powell and installing a lackey that will drop interest rates."
Won't happen. Federal Reserve picks have to be confirmed by the Senate, and Senate R's have proven surprisingly rational when it comes to Federal Reserve nominations. They will let him put clowns almost anywhere else in the government, including the Cabinet and the judiciary, but the Federal Reserve? No. There they insist on competence.
The likely reasons for this are left as an exercise for the reader.
Not to be continually beating the same dead horse but my guess is that once Trump is installed in the White House and has lackeys at DOJ, FBI, and the military, he will be able to just tell Powell to resign and he will surely take the hint. He was able to move Wray out at FBI as president-elect even though the FBI director has roughly similar protections for job security. But he very likely has much better information about the dangers presented by MAGA and, no doubt, a keen sense of self preservation.
I think that Trump’s position will likely be enhanced at some point by the murder of an apostate political figure, very probably a GOP congressperson.
Obviously there's a disaster brewing.
And there's not a single thing you or I can do to stop it.
But: the GOP didn't shut down the government and did raise the debt limit. They didn't have a repeat of the McCarthy ouster and did keep Johnson. They didn't but they could.
Three more weeks, and we'll see if this is a pattern or an aberration; a real threat or Trump being Trump.
In the meantime, fretting and worrying and most particularly complaining about what the GOP might do does nobody a single iota of good right now.
This might be the last time that 218 Republicans fall into line for this Congress. After all, it’s pretty much the same company of clowns and empty suits as last Congress. Me, I’m keen to find out what Johnson had to give up in terms of House rules changes.
I think he probably gave away the store to make it through on the first vote. But my guess is that at some point in the near future a congressperson or a family member will be murdered, after which everyone from both parties will fall into line very quickly. When you rule by fear, it’s inevitable that the ruler needs to kill somebody periodically just to keep the lackeys and people in line. It’s just a matter of time.
I mean, this was foreordained, whether it was on the first ballot or 15th ballot. There was no plan B. It was Johnson or Johnson.
Johnson is not the sort leader to effectively lead the house. He is the sort of ineffective toady the Trump likes to surround himself with.
Wondering if the holdouts, alleged call with T, then sudden vote reversal …. was staged to show who’s really the Man of the House
Either way a proud continuation of the best congress money can buy!
Where do we get such courage?
This is the best correction ever. The format should become universal.