The United States is in a peculiar position. Recent elections were held for a new Speaker of the House of Representatives under the majority Republican control. Representative Nancy Pelosi formerly held the position when the Democrats were in the majority. Arguably, she has been said to be the best Speaker of the House of Representatives in a long while.
The contest for her successor brought some surprises, not the least of which was a 15-round ordeal that revealed an incredibly split Republican Party. The activities became so heated at one point that a Republican Congressman had to be restrained from attacking one of the holdouts who thwarted an attempt to enable a Kevin McCarthy victory.
It is no secret that McCarthy, a Republican, has made it clear for at least seven years that he has wanted the Speaker position. At the beginning of the proceedings, he was so sure he would get the job that he began moving his furniture into the Speaker’s office. He was, however, blindsided by the fact that there was a Republican mutiny of sorts; members of his own party were dead set against him achieving his goal.
During the early days of the voting, he lost one round after another, basically because of the split in his party. After losing the 3rd and 4th rounds, people far and wide talked loudly about McCarthy’s “humiliation.” Ultimately, his many losses (14 in total) made people feel that he should probably throw in the proverbial towel. But he didn’t, and eventually he saw victory on the 15th attempt.
McCarthy’s quest for the Speaker’s seat is a lesson in perseverance. He continued his pursuit and refused to believe the naysayers who felt that he didn’t have a chance in Hades to achieve his goal. But he showed everyone the power of persistence. Now that he has achieved his objectives, what’s next for the House of Representatives? By all reasonable observations, we are in for a very bumpy ride.
The rogue faction has succeeded in the quest to bargain for their objectives. These include plans for cuts in Social Security and Medicare, cuts in defense spending during a time of world chaos and violence; and they are concerned about chastising and investigating those who were on the January 6 Commission.
For the most part the rogue faction were the ones who believed the election was stolen from Trump, and most of their “policies” do not target help for the American people. Rather, they are focused on getting revenge and re-shaping America into their image. So far, it seems that nothing that they have promised would positively benefit the American people. Interesting, however, is that a GOP top priority is defunding the IRS!
What was revealed during the Speaker’s debacle was a flaw in the Republican Party that previous to now was thought to be a paper tiger, but with their manipulation of McCarthy a new, more ominous picture has emerged with alarming possibilities for the future of America.
Quite frankly, what has been made very clear is that Republicans are patently selfish and propose initiatives that will only benefit the goals of POWER, whereas Democrats actually offer plans that will benefit everyday Americans.
One really good thing came out of the ordeal: House Democrats showed a sense of unity that had not been seen in a long time. In every round, Representative Hakeem Jeffries received the vote of every single Democrat in the House. No matter what happened across the aisle, that number remained consistent and, for most of that time, Jeffries led McCarthy in the number of votes he received. As a result, he has emerged as the Minority Speaker of the House.
What are the take-aways that we must address?
The Republican Party is a fractured entity, and the rogue faction of that party has wielded strong power that threatens to dismantle our government as we know it. And McCarthy, who has a reputation of being disingenuous and who would give up almost everything for a chance at the golden ring, is not to be trusted. It’s hard to know where he really stands on anything because he’s a chameleon who will promise the world to get what he wants. But he’s on a slippery slope, because one of the concessions he made to get votes weakens the Speaker’s power; the process of his removal can be started with just one vote!
This will be an interesting two years, and the outcomes will determine the future of the upcoming elections and the ultimate plight of the United States. A Luta Continua.
Reprinted from the Chicago Crusader
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