Kevin McCarthy Doesn’t Do Math

very big deal. this means that McCarthy cld be booted at any moment by basically any member and two or three other mutineers. https://t.co/6Tf5bc6poy

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 1, 2023

Yeah, this is working splendidly:

🚨 Almost 10 House Republicans who haven’t said how they plan to vote on Jan. 3 write in new letter: “Despite some progress achieved, Mr. McCarthy’s statement comes almost impossibly late to address continued deficiencies ahead of the opening of the 118th Congress on January 3rd” pic.twitter.com/hTaPfb37Vi

— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) January 2, 2023

A GOP source tells me multiple members articulated they’d only agree to rules if they get 218 for McCarthy.

McCarthy was asked whether these concessions — including motion to vacate — were getting him the needed votes. Told by a different source on the call that he didn’t answer

— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) January 1, 2023

There is a huge concern that McCarthy is giving away too much without promise of votes in return.

Told call was mostly McCarthy allies talking

— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) January 1, 2023

Some of those “deficiencies” is giving the crazies the keys to the Speakership:

Lawler is emblematic of the members — center-right folks from Biden-supporting districts — who would be most at risk in a scenario where a weakened McCarthy wound up as speaker, with Gaetz & similar massively empowered to fire him at any time https://t.co/ZUFKPiv3SV

— Alex Burns (@alexanderburns) January 1, 2023

Unlike Gaetz or Gosar, Lawler and others need to show something for their 2 years in office.

Pretty awesome that the GOP is promising to double down on the behavior that lost them winnable elections.

— Schooley (@Rschooley) January 1, 2023

Gotta persuade those people that McCarthy won’t be controlled by one or two or five people, while giving those 5 people the power to remove McCarthy with a single vote. The only pathway to McCarthy being Speaker is for McCarthy to never be Speaker.

I’m sure everything will be shipshape and Bristol fashion by Tuesday.