Would-be US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is now 0-11 in elections this week.
The solely Republican on an extended shedding streak than McCarthy proper now could be the chairman of the Massachusetts state GOP, Jim “Jones” Lyons.
Lyons has but to submit something within the “win” column since receiving his apparently divine calling to destroy the state occasion again in 2019.
And that’s the distinction between the dysfunction within the nationwide Republican occasion and within the native department workplace of the GOP.
The Republicans in Congress win – typically.
Massachusetts Republicans beneath Jim Jones Lyons – by no means. Not as soon as. In three-plus years.
Which is why it’s been so bizarre this week to look at the GOP turmoil within the US House over the collection of a brand new Speaker.
The mess on Capitol Hill has been wanting increasingly more like a Massachusetts Republican state committee assembly – members calling each other “terrorists,” throwing Trump’s personal deprecations again in his face – “Sad!”
On one hand, you need to root for the dissidents, as bizarre as a few of them are. And McCarthy is certainly a snake within the grass, a la Charlie Baker.
But as the times go by, and the losses pile up, it doesn’t appear fairly as amusing to see McCarthy twisting slowly, slowly within the wind.
After the primary six losses, anyone mentioned that an “adult” wanted to step up and take management of the state of affairs. Good luck discovering a type of – in both occasion.
Narcissistic because the anti-McCarthy reps are, it’s nice political theater to see the likes of Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz sticking it to The Man, on this case McCarthy.
But what’s the top recreation? I don’t know, I’m simply asking as a result of I’m so conflicted right here.
You see, we native “terrorists” right here had nice enjoyable in 2021 taking Charlie Parker (as Biden calls him) off the board. Politically, we tortured him six methods to Sunday. After what he did to everyone within the state throughout the Panic, Charlie had it coming – big-time.
But then Parker threw within the towel. He introduced he wouldn’t run for re-election, and everyone began ready for an… grownup… to experience in on a white horse or one thing.
Instead Lyons gave us Geoff “DoorDash” Diehl, and what a revoltin’ growth that turned out to be. The state Republican occasion is now on life assist, and that’s being optimistic.
It’s going to take a really very long time, if ever, to revive the two-party system to Massachusetts.
The Taliban 20, or the Chaos Caucus, or no matter they’re calling the dissidents in the present day, don’t belief McCarthy so far as they may throw him. Nor ought to they. For some purpose, although, Trump appears to love him – McCarthy’s been at Mar-a-Lago greater than as soon as.
Trump even fondly calls him “my Kevin.” It’s bizarre, as a result of when Trump wanted him most, after Jan. 6, McCarthy took a powder, went all Deep State on him.
Remember? Somebody recorded McCarthy speaking about Trump after it was throughout:
“I had it with this guy. What he did was unacceptable. Nobody can defend that, and nobody should defend it.”
Then, after the set up of Brandon, he flew right down to Mar-a-Lago and did defend it. And Trump simply principally shrugged at his betrayal. McCarthy even denied saying it, till the audio was leaked.
And now this GOP stalemate has turned every thing in TrumpWorld on its head. Trump known as not less than among the anti-McCarthy reps, most of whom are ardent supporters of his, they usually spurned him.
Matt Gaetz is all the time hanging round Mar-a-Lago, or ought to I say was, as a result of he’s the one who tweeted out “Sad!” after Trump’s demand that he and the remaining promote out and go together with McCarthy.
And then Gaetz was denounced as a “D-lister” by none apart from Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina. Does that identify ring a bell? She voted to question Trump throughout one of many kangaroo-court impeachments, and Trump endorsed her main opponent final 12 months.
She prevailed, and now she’s again on Team Trump, and Gaetz has gone rogue – or had, not less than till the seventh vote for Speaker early yesterday afternoon.
He broke from his fellow Floridian, Rep. Byron Donalds, to vote for… Donald Trump!
(“Hi, Mr. President? It’s me, Matty boy. Can I come back to Mar-a-Lago now, pretty please.”)
It’s like Florida is sort of getting ready to a Republican civil warfare – form of like Massachusetts. The solely distinction is, virtually everybody in Florida has gained an election or two. Or not less than they’re not stone-cold perennial losers like Jim Jones Lyons or DoorDash Diehl.
Sean Hannity lives proper down the street from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. So Wednesday night time he tore into Rep. Lauren Boebert, big-time. It confirmed every thing you’ve suspected about McCarthy – if Paul Ryan’s parrot Sean Hannity is sticking up for him, why the hell would any Deplorable again him?
Except after all, Trump does. But hasn’t Trump damaged with Fox News?
You see what I imply about confusion? This is like driving by a broken-down automotive on hearth on the facet of the street. It’s cool to look at, however what occurs if the gasoline tank lastly explodes simply as you’re driving by?
That’s what occurred in Massachusetts. The automotive blew up. And now you have got Jim Jones Lyons standing within the wreckage, shaking his fist within the air, just like the man within the outdated Bob Dylan music – “a man who swears he’s not to blame/ All day long I hear him shout so loud/Crying out that he’s been framed.”
It’s all the time the identical downside. The individuals who overthrow the Charlie Bakers or the Kevin McCarthys so usually grow to be worse than their predecessors.
Jim Jones Lyons is an enormous Trump man now, by no means with out his MAGA hat – does he assume no one remembers his ranting on the conference flooring in Cleveland in 2016 for Ted Cruz?
To coin a phrase, “Sad!”
Enjoy the spectacle for so long as it lasts. It’s a barrel of guffaws, like New Year’s Eve. I simply hope the hangover in DC is much less painful than the one we’re enduring right here in Massachusetts.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”