The Question Remains

 If not McCarthy, then who?

Just as MAGA called for hanging former Vice President Mike Pence after he spent years bending the knee to former President Donald Trump, extremists in the House caucus are now threatening to remove McCarthy from power unless he moves faster on their demands. These demands include impeaching Biden and shutting down the government to get the spending cuts and the policy changes they demand. This would severely hurt the economy and go against what the American people want."

Yes: 

McCarthy's speakership "was won—after 15 agonizing rounds—by sealing a corrupt bargain with MAGA extremists who ensured they would have functional control of the House in exchange for their votes to let McCarthy sit in the big boy chair, bang a gavel, and pretend to be in charge."

McCarthy made that deal to bring an interminable process to an end. It was a farce, and proved MAGA didn’t know how to govern. So let MAGA remind America of that incompetence again. 

Who replaces McCarthy? Can anyone get the votes? Boebert? Gaetz? MTG? Mace? Maybe Ronnie Jackson or Chip Roy? Or a representative to be named later? Does the House just descend into leaderless chaos, failing to meet its constitutional duty?

Would that be any worse than the situation now? Would it even be any different? Except now it comes within shouting distance of elections. Even Boebert has figured out that’s not a winning posture.

McCarthy could tell MAGA to put up or shut up. But then it’s on him. If he forces Gaetz to call for a vote, it’s on MAGA. Either way, they lose.

McCarthy was never in charge because there is no Republican Party anymore  It’s just a collection of malcontents and idiots. Not mutually exclusive categories.  He's John Boehner redux.  His counterpart is supposed to be the Senatorial "genius" Mitch McConnell.  But what has McConnell accomplished lately, except to be the center of attention for suddenly losing the signal on his TV antenna?

Stevens appeared on CNN's The Source with Kaitlan Collins and was asked about reports that Mitch McConnell told Romney that others were thinking the same things as Romney was, but were unable to voice their concerns.

"What do you think of the fact that he said we all thought it but very few said it?" Collins asked.

"McConnell is wrong about that like a lot of things. This is an excuse that Mitch McConnell has come up with. Cowards love company and that is what is happening in the Republican party. There is nothing to stop Mitch McConnell from telling the truth. Mitt Romney did."

Stevens went on to say he wishes more people "had been willing to put the oath of office they took, to put country over party."

"So maybe you lose a primary. So what does that mean? you don't get to be Ted Cruz's colleague anymore? Is it not better to defend the country? When you think about the legacy that this generation of Republicans inherited from the greatest generation. They have just squandered that. It is really so unamerican and amazing what they have done. And I think it will go down as history as one of the great betrayals of what it means to be an American. And Mitch McConnell has led that parade."

McConnell's command of Senate rules seems to have left him recently, and not because he blanks in front of TV cameras.  When was the last time McConnell twisted Chuck Schumer around his little finger, or had credulous DC pundits praise his command of Senate rules? (Anybody who apparently understands the rules is considered a "genius" by DC pundits.  I'd love to play poker with any of them.  They seem like sheep ready to be sheared.  And I'm a lousy poker player.) He can't even bring himself to shut down Tuberville, a gibbering idiot who thinks the military shouldn't have let go of 8000 personnel who refused to get the Covid vaccine.  Does Tuberville even know how many vaccines military personnel are required to take?  Tuberville also refuses to take responsibility for his hold on military promotions.  Funny thing:  Mitch does, too.

Where is that bold genius of Senate rules when his country needs him?

But as I said, there is no Republican party.  Just a gaggle of malcontents and idiots; but saying that alone, I repeat myself.