Do any colleagues care?
Conservative backlash over Republicans’ abysmal showing in last week’s elections is not limited to the twice-impeached, under-DOJ-investigation, “biggest loser” Donald Trump.
The knives are out, for Trump, of course (New York Times):
Recriminations have erupted among leading Republicans after the party failed to gain control of the Senate, despite highly favorable conditions, and election deniers have continued their losing streak.
Republican ire is centered on former President Donald J. Trump, whose handpicked candidates have racked up high-profile losses in Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere. The former president is now seen by a growing number of Republicans as a political liability.
It appears we have a succession fight ahead. Prominent conservatives want to delay House and Senate leadership elections. Senators Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Ted Cruz (Texas) have called for delaying a leadership election in their chamber.
If you believe the delay is about respect for Herschel Walker having a say (he won’t), I’ve got some crypto stocks to sell you. The delay will give the rowdies time to find replacements more to the MAGA cult’s liking.
CNN (Sunday):
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been calling his colleagues over the last several days to shore up his support as his team plans to plow forward with leadership elections on Wednesday despite grumbling by a faction of dissenters who are trying to slam the brakes after their midterm debacle. They are planning to have a GOP air-clearing session on Tuesday.
[House Minority Leader Kevin] McCarthy has also spent the past five days working the phones to solidify support for his speakership bid, and he has spoken to former President Donald Trump multiple times since last Tuesday, according to GOP sources. The former president endorsed McCarthy for speaker the day before the midterm elections – something his allies hope sway his conference’s staunchest Trump supporters.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy may never be Speaker. The rabid Freedom Caucus hates his guts and will at the very least demand concessions from him for their support. His nomination is easy. Winning? Winning is hard. Trump’s endorsement is of less help to McCarthy now.
CNN (Friday):
Rep. Chip Roy of Texas told reporters that “no one currently has 218” votes for speaker, which is the magic number McCarthy would need to secure the speaker’s gavel on the House floor in January, and said he wants McCarthy to list in greater detail his plans for a wide array of investigations into the Biden administration. And Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona complained that McCarthy seemed to backpedal on whether he’d be willing to launch impeachment proceedings into President Joe Biden or members of his Cabinet.
“I’ve heard from multiple of my constituents who question the wisdom of proceeding forward with that leadership,” Biggs said, adding that there needs to be a “frank conversation” about who they elect for the top job.
Trump supporters plan to make McCarthy’s path rocky. If he won’t agree to a delay, insurgents “they plan to nominate Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) as an internal pick for speaker to demonstrate that the Californian doesn’t have the 218 GOP votes he needs,” Politico reports:
Depending on how that first step plays out, more conservatives would then embrace an alternative pick to put forward as a consensus candidate, added this Republican — who said some signs are pointing to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as the Freedom Caucus’ consensus choice. CNN first reported the prospect that Biggs would be a symbolic alternative in step one of the plan.
Poor Kevin McCarthy. He’s no Kevin McCallister.