Mike Luckovich for January 04, 2023

In a humiliating public repudiation, for the first time in a century, Kevin McCarthy was rejected for Speaker of the House by his own party. He could not even get the most votes — losing the plurality to Democratic Party Leader Hakeem Jeffries three times. And the repudiation — the rejection — is personal. Republicans do not even have someone else in mind. They just do not want HIM.

The Republican Party in the Age of Trump has devolved into chaos, division and strife. They campaigned on offering competent governance (and lots, and lots of revenge), promised a Big Red Wave, lost governorships, lost state legislatures, lost a seat in the Senate (for the first time since 1934 Democrats did not lose a single incumbent governor, U.S. Senator or any state legislature) and in the House, where they had expected to gain 40, 50 or even 60 seats, they barely trickled into a tiny, tiny sliver of a majority. The Big Red Wave was a teensy tiny trickle, and the red was more like the result of bloodletting.

Now they have their miniscule House majority and, for the first time in exactly 100 years, boo hoo, they can’t get a majority to constitute House leadership, elect a Speaker, assign committees, or conduct any business of any kind except to keep on trying to confirm a Speaker. They can’t even swear in the members of the current new session. The only other time since the Civil War when the majority party could not form a government on the first ballot, 1923, it was the Republicans in chaos and it took them nine ballots.

Party of governance? They can’t even form a government when they have a majority. Even if Kevin McCarthy finally ekes out his long-coveted speakership, he is utterly humiliated — he is damaged goods. He is humiliated and so is his party.

I am waiting for the Baby Shark clap.

So why isn’t Hakeem Jeffries the house speaker if he won all 3 ballots?

Kevin, don’t believe everything you are told by shoe salespersons. You don’t look good in pink heels.

Ach, die Schadenfreude.

Mr. Luckovich nailed it again!

A more accurate image would be Speaker Pelosi scraping the brown substance of Kevin off the bottom of her shoe.

I saw a bit where Pelosi was explaining that she really cannot handle the very high heels. Such as shown here.

This Idiot and his party are a joke!

This is so entertaining to watch.

Why is it harder to steal a election for Speaker than it is for President?

This must have been what it felt like when the good German people watched the Nazis take over the Reichstag in 1932.

One of the insurrectionists, I believe it was Gosar, tried to talk AOC into getting Dems to be counted for the quorum but not actually voting, lowering the threshold needed to elect the Speaker. Went over like a tin balloon.

McCarthy should have taken a lesson from the Pelosi playbook; she quietly quashed the rebellions against her before the final vote, thus prevailing with success each time. It would have avoided yesterday’s embarrassment.

Kevin McCarthy is a pandering, pathetic, putrid, pusillanimous puss… and he’s as good a leader as the Repulsivecans have.

Nice shoe Kevin. What’s your drag name?

Say what you want, but Pelosi is a stronger leader than anyone the Republicans can come up with.

The new theme song for the GOP House of Representatives; “It’s a Hard Knocks Life for Us.”

McCarthy’s only qualification for Speaker is his blind ambition to be Speaker.

Awww.. and he so much wanted to take that gavel from Pelosi. Almost.. makes me shed a tear.

Since there’s no speaker, who’s the presiding officer over this clown show? That’s gotta be one of the most thankless jobs in DC!

He’s a small small man…

He will never fill her shoes

We used to have Democrats and Republicans. Now we have Democrats and a box full of disease-ridden rats. Is this any way to run a country?

You’re gonna need that megaphone, Kevvie, and way more!!! Fact is, you’ll never have “enough!”

Pelosi never sent a proposal to the floor until she counted the votes. It was a hard and fast rule and her record reflects it. At her retirement ceremony, Republican John Boehner praised her in the nicest way.

Now he just lost a 4th time!

K McC, in true GQP form, should just declare victory and steal the gavel. I Won!

Looks like it’s 0 for 6.

Somewhere in America, Paul Ryan and John Boehner are getting together for a little glass of champagne that they had the good sense to get out of the job before it degenerated into this.

Jeffries for Speaker!

Nancy never held a vote where she didn’t already know the outcome…

Dare we hope that they can keep this up for the next 730 days?

Picture worth a 1000 words, Mike. Good Job!