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A house divided, a party divided
Author: Raine    Date: 10/08/2015 13:19:16

Yesterday we were informed that Representative Alan Grayson officially filed an Ethics complaint regarding the Benghazi Special Committee.
Florida Democrat Alan Grayson filed an ethics complaint Wednesday against House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., alleging they violated federal law and House rules by using official funds appropriated to the Benghazi Committee to pay political or campaign-related expenses.
“This represents the new McCarthyism — the misuse of [official] funds for political purposes to vilify a political opponent,” Grayson told CQ Roll Call. He said the House Select Committee on Benghazi, chaired by Gowdy, is an “effort to embarrass” Democratic presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The three-page letter to the Office of Congressional Ethics, obtained by CQ Roll Call, alleges McCarthy revealed the political motivations for the Benghazi Committee in his now infamous Sept. 29 interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Prior to this, Democrats on that panel released details of a previously private interview with one of Ms. Clinton's aides regarding this issue.
The Democratic members of the panel then accused the Republican members of using "a series of selective leaks of inaccurate and incomplete information in an effort to attack Secretary Clinton with unsubstantiated or previously debunked allegations."

In particular, the letter claims that the committee unfairly portrayed its private interview with former Clinton staffer Cheryl Mills by demanding that the interview be treated as classified information and then leaking parts of the interview to the press. The Democratic members included previously unreported excerpts of the interview with Mills in the letter, and they told Gowdy that the State Department and Mills' lawyers have five days to identify parts of the interview that should remain private before making the entire transcript public.
Other Dems are making it clear that the potential Speaker of the House had admitted that the GOP is using these panels for campaigning against a potential Democratic nominee is wrong, unethical and a waste of money.
Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York, the top Democrat on the powerful House Rules Committee, on Tuesday introduced an amendment to abolish the Benghazi committee, attempting to sub the measure in for language that would launch a similar effort to investigate Planned Parenthood, which has been targeted by Republicans following the release of edited undercover sting videos alleging the group engages in the illegal sale of fetal tissue.
"Using official resources for campaign purposes is a clear violation of the rules of the House and federal law and is a clear and undeniable abuse of official staff time, resources and attention," Slaughter said in a statement, making it clear she meant to lump a Planned Parenthood committee under the same politicized umbrella as Benghazi.

"Rep. McCarthy's statements make it clear that the majority uses select committees for politics, not for governance, and we must put an end to that abuse," she said.

Slaughter's amendment failed 7-2.

In case you missed it, the Republicans are going to form a special panel to investigate Planned Parenthood. I hope they put the other contender for the Speaker's job - Jason Chaffitz - as the head of that panel.

Kevin McCarthy is adamant that what he said was simply a gaffe and that we all should stop 'Playing Politics'... the tone deafness is thick with this one, my friend.

All of this is going to comes to a head because the reality is that Speaker Boehner will be leaving the House in a few short weeks, and a new speaker will be chosen. The questions remains, who will it be?

Perhaps this is the answer.
House Republicans are in a bit of a bind. A majority of the caucus will very likely vote on Thursday to nominate Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California as the next speaker. But being elected speaker of the House requires an absolute majority of the chamber, not just of the majority party. Usually, once the majority caucus has chosen a candidate, the members of that party line up (nearly) unanimously behind that candidate. But Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah (so far as I know, no relation) is challenging McCarthy, counting on support from the roughly 40-member “Freedom Caucus” (though it might prefer the “Tortilla Coast Caucus” these days). Chaffetz has insisted that many members of that group would be unwilling to vote for McCarthy on the floor. In fact, he told the New York Times that McCarthy “can’t get to 218” votes.
(snip)
It wouldn’t be the first time something like this happened: In 1856, in the tumult leading up to the Civil War, it took two months and 133 ballots to elect Nathaniel Banks as speaker. In 1923, it took nine ballots over two days for anyone to get a majority, and for a familiar-sounding reason: The Republican Party was split—back then, between progressives and more conservative “regulars.” The progressive members refused to support the Republican conference nominee for speaker, Frederick Gillett of Massachusetts, on the floor. In exchange for finally agreeing to support Gillett, the progressives extracted a promise that legislation that the regulars had kept bottled up in committee would be brought to the House floor for a vote.

The fight over Gillett was an intra-party fight, but maybe Democrats should take a page from the progressive Republicans’ playbook. Or, to put it differently, maybe Democrats should come to McCarthy’s rescue. That might sound a bit crazy, but bear with me. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi should offer McCarthy a deal: Democrats would provide the votes necessary to make him speaker and keep him in the chair for the remainder of the 114th Congress. In exchange, McCarthy would commit to bringing certain specified bills to the floor for a vote—the list might include a clean debt-ceiling increase through 2017 (or even an abolition of the debt ceiling entirely), a continuing resolution funding the government at last year’s levels for the remainder of the fiscal year, something like the immigration bill that passed the Senate in 2013, and more. The details would have to be carefully negotiated (and other members of the leadership, perhaps starting with Rules Committee Chair Pete Sessions, would have to be brought on board), but there are no insurmountable practical considerations preventing such a deal.

In essence, this deal would make House Democrats the junior partners in a coalition government of the chamber. It certainly wouldn’t be as nice as controlling the House, but it would be an improvement over their current position. Getting their high-priority bills to the floor would be a win-win: if the bills pass, they score a policy win, and if they fail, they’ve got Republicans on record, once again, voting against popular measures. Moreover, Democrats could publicly present their willingness to support a Republican speaker as an act of patriotic statesmanship, a willingness to put governing the country ahead of partisan advantage, and a reason to trust them with a majority in the 2016 elections.


One thing is for sure: someone is going to need the house Minority Leader's help... again. The GOP House, with all of the majority that they have, still needs the minority to get basic governance done. I have a feeling that one of those things McCarthy needs to get the job he so badly wants might be to agree to end to the Benghazi hearings and prevent the PP hearings.

This is how politics works.
 

49 comments (Latest Comment: 10/08/2015 23:44:54 by Scoopster)
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Comment by trojanrabbit on 10/08/2015 13:44:56
I wouldn't trust a Republican's word if you paid me. Let them stew in the soup they made. Republicans being "on the record" for things don't seem to have consequences. Hell, they got a Senate majority for shutting down the government.

I realize someone has to speak up against Benghazigategate, but what, seriously, are the chances that anything comes of this? I'm guessing it ranges from 0 to 0, and for damn sure it won't be covered on Fox News (or CNN).

Comment by wickedpam on 10/08/2015 13:46:37
Morning



Comment by BobR on 10/08/2015 13:48:02
Quote by trojanrabbit:
I realize someone has to speak up against Benghazigategate, but what, seriously, are the chances that anything comes of this? I'm guessing it ranges from 0 to 0, and for damn sure it won't be covered on Fox News (or CNN).

I imagine they'll laugh at it on FOX "News"

Comment by Scoopster on 10/08/2015 13:50:40
Mornin' all!

That'd be some shit if it happened heh. The question is 'just how committed to the agenda of nihilism are the GOP crazy caucus?' and even then it depends if Pelosi wants to work with him. We know he can't be trusted even if an alliance is formed.

Comment by Mondobubba on 10/08/2015 13:50:41


You're welcome!




Comment by Scoopster on 10/08/2015 13:55:54
Oh wow the Cubs won last night..

Ya know, if they win the world series this year, Back to the Future was (partly) right!

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 14:07:34
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all!

That'd be some shit if it happened heh. The question is 'just how committed to the agenda of nihilism are the GOP crazy caucus?' and even then it depends if Pelosi wants to work with him. We know he can't be trusted even if an alliance is formed.

You may call me a Dreamer…

Comment by TriSec on 10/08/2015 14:34:14
Tip o' the pin for the Nathaniel Banks shout-out! I shall be passing the school named in his honour later this evening.

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 15:03:21
Quote by TriSec:
Tip o' the pin for the Nathaniel Banks shout-out! I shall be passing the school named in his honour later this evening.



Comment by Will in Chicago on 10/08/2015 15:29:01
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all!

That'd be some shit if it happened heh. The question is 'just how committed to the agenda of nihilism are the GOP crazy caucus?' and even then it depends if Pelosi wants to work with him. We know he can't be trusted even if an alliance is formed.


It is hard to trust the GOP. I would urge Pelosi to get anything on writing and on camera.


Comment by Will in Chicago on 10/08/2015 15:30:09
I have some good news. I have a phone interview with an HR officer at a Massachusetts district. I applied Monday for a full-time 5th grade English Language Arts teaching job.

Comment by TriSec on 10/08/2015 15:35:46
Ya know Will, there's a teacher shortage and overcrowding right here in Waltham. Our school committee sucks dead penguins dicks.

I believe my editorial was printed yesterday, and I have two public events scheduled for next week.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 10/08/2015 15:41:09
Quote by TriSec:
Ya know Will, there's a teacher shortage and overcrowding right here in Waltham. Our school committee sucks dead penguins dicks.

I believe my editorial was printed yesterday, and I have two public events scheduled for next week.



I have not seen anything of late in Waltham. (I have applied.) The position is in Lawrence, and I am working with a few people to have some place to stay as the position will start soon.

Comment by Mondobubba on 10/08/2015 16:02:49
Quote by TriSec:
Ya know Will, there's a teacher shortage and overcrowding right here in Waltham. Our school committee sucks dead penguins dicks.

I believe my editorial was printed yesterday, and I have two public events scheduled for next week.



Penguins, like all birds, don't have dicks. They have cloacae. When birds mate that mash their cloacae together.

This is your fun biological fact of the day.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 10/08/2015 16:38:30
Thom Hartmann just said that Kevin McCarthy dropped out of the Speaker's race, according to Darryl Issa.

Comment by BobR on 10/08/2015 16:40:09
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Thom Hartmann just said that Kevin McCarthy dropped out of the Speaker's race, according to Darryl Issa.

YEP - that puts today's blog in a whole new light

Comment by Scoopster on 10/08/2015 16:50:02
Quote by BobR:
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Thom Hartmann just said that Kevin McCarthy dropped out of the Speaker's race, according to Darryl Issa.

YEP - that puts today's blog in a whole new light

Welp, so much for any chance of anything being done.

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 16:52:03
Quote by BobR:
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Thom Hartmann just said that Kevin McCarthy dropped out of the Speaker's race, according to Darryl Issa.

YEP - that puts today's blog in a whole new light
I did NOT see that coming.

This is getting even more messed up.



Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 16:59:29
I am having a really hard time believing that Chaffestz is going to get that position.

And Paul Ryan has been awfully quiet as of late. HMM….

Comment by Scoopster on 10/08/2015 17:05:57
Quote by Raine:
I am having a really hard time believing that Chaffestz is going to get that position.

And Paul Ryan has been awfully quiet as of late. HMM….

He's said repeatedly he doesn't want the job, but I don't think there's anyone who could muster enough votes on their side of the aisle now.

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 17:06:37
This is not going to help Clinton going forward.

It is one thing to evolve on issues, I can understand that, but this seems a little weird.

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 17:07:30
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by Raine:
I am having a really hard time believing that Chaffestz is going to get that position.

And Paul Ryan has been awfully quiet as of late. HMM….

He's said repeatedly he doesn't want the job, but I don't think there's anyone who could muster enough votes on their side of the aisle now.

That is what I am thinking at this point.

I know he likes heading the money committee, but come one — he was willing to be VP, he's willing to be in line after the VP for PResident?

Comment by TriSec on 10/08/2015 17:07:46
Quote by Mondobubba:

Penguins, like all birds, don't have dicks. They have cloacae. When birds mate that mash their cloacae together.

This is your fun biological fact of the day.


Your apparently vast knowledge of avian sexuality is rather disturbing.


Comment by Will in Chicago on 10/08/2015 17:08:55
Quote by Raine:
This is not going to help Clinton going forward.

It is one thing to evolve on issues, I can understand that, but this seems a little weird.


It impacts on an issue where Hillary Clinton has some problems: trust. The question will be raised if she truly had a change on positions or is announcing a change of positions for political gain.


Comment by Mondobubba on 10/08/2015 17:19:31
Quote by TriSec:
Quote by Mondobubba:

Penguins, like all birds, don't have dicks. They have cloacae. When birds mate that mash their cloacae together.

This is your fun biological fact of the day.


Your apparently vast knowledge of avian sexuality is rather disturbing.


Avian, reptilian and dinosaurian. Nothing disturbing about it, sir. It is just biology.

Here is another fun fact, chelonia can respirate through their cloacae. I'm gonna let you look that one up.

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 17:26:13
Ryan is already restating he won;t run — he is trending on twitter here in DC.

HE said he will not be a candidate, and this pops up from Jonathan Allen at Vox. It was published on Sept. 25.

The Wisconsin Republican is the only person in the GOP Conference who excels at the four most important functions of a speaker: building a coalition within the party; translating the party's vision into an agenda; articulating that message in the media, and negotiating deals with the other side.

Ryan said Friday that he won't run for the job. So Republicans should draft him. If he won't stand for it, they should vote for him on the floor anyway. His reluctance to seek it is all the more reason he would be acceptable to conservative base Republicans who don't trust power-seeking establishment types.
MY god the house GOP just keeps getting worse.


Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 17:31:37




Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 17:34:11
This would actually be HUUUUGE
No, Trump is not a member of the House. But that doesn't matter. The Constitution does not actually require the speaker to be a member, only to be elected by a majority of those who are. (It's true! You can look it up: Article I, Section 2.)

Of course, it is more than a coincidence that all 53 speakers up to now have been members of the House. It turns out that lots of members of this club want to be its boss. (It's a little like the win streak that the College of Cardinals has going when it comes to electing the next pope.)

But every once in a while, at moments of crisis in the House, there have been serious flirtations with the idea of an outsider. They elected a freshman speaker for the 12th Congress, which convened in November 1811, eager to start the War of 1812. The outsider of that day was a Kentuckian named Henry Clay. He stuck around a while and definitely got to be huge.


Clay and Banks in one day, peeps, I am on a roll!

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 17:37:42
At this point Boehner should put EVERYTHNG on the table just to mess with the freedom caucus.

Comment by BobR on 10/08/2015 17:38:41
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by Raine:
I am having a really hard time believing that Chaffestz is going to get that position.

And Paul Ryan has been awfully quiet as of late. HMM….

He's said repeatedly he doesn't want the job, but I don't think there's anyone who could muster enough votes on their side of the aisle now.

That is what I am thinking at this point.

I know he likes heading the money committee, but come one — he was willing to be VP, he's willing to be in line after the VP for PResident?

I am guessing he knew he couldn't win without Dem support and didn't want that "taint" on him

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 17:43:28
Boehner issued a statement that said he will serve until the next Speaker is chosen.

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 17:45:29
Glen thrush from Politico just said that it is really messed up when only two people can do the job — one does;t want it and the other is trying to quit it.

Comment by wickedpam on 10/08/2015 17:46:38
jeez, how is this a functioning political party in this country?

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 17:51:42
Boehner resigned because the tea party wing were going to vote him out. Now they can't find anyone to lead the house and it seems Boehner is going to be here for a while longer.

Way to lead GOP majority!

Comment by BobR on 10/08/2015 17:52:20
Quote by Raine:
Boehner issued a statement that said he will serve until the next Speaker is chosen.

1) He will be there until after the next election
2) His power just increased dramatically

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 17:52:24
Quote by wickedpam:
jeez, how is this a functioning political party in this country?

I would not call it functioning at all today.

This is really amazing.

Just go elect Nancy pelosi, then you can have your opposition…

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 18:01:36
Skeleton in closet?

I was just sitting here thinking that MCCarthy had dyslexia or something like that.

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 18:02:17
Quote by BobR:
Quote by Raine:
Boehner issued a statement that said he will serve until the next Speaker is chosen.

1) He will be there until after the next election
2) His power just increased dramatically
Looks like it to me. Boehner should drop everything on the floor now now.

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 18:05:32
Quote by Raine:
Skeleton in closet?

I was just sitting here thinking that MCCarthy had dyslexia or something like that.

Who sent those emails???

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 18:22:35
smooth Rangel smooth:

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 18:28:44
But what if Boehner refuses to serve through a drawn out process to choose his successor — of if he is overthrown in an intraparty coup? Binder points to a provision of the House rules that govern vacancies in the speakership after a speaker has already been elected as a likely solution. “As soon as practicable after the election of the Speaker and whenever appropriate thereafter, the Speaker shall deliver to the Clerk a list of Members,” this provision provides. The rules add that “in the case of a vacancy in the Office of the Speaker,” the first name on this list becomes Speaker pro tempore and “may exercise such authorities of the Office of Speaker as may be necessary and appropriate to that end.”
A spokesperson for the House Clerk confirmed to ThinkProgress that Speaker Boehner has delivered such a list of names, and an entry in the Congressional Record also confirms that Boehner delivered the list on January 6. The Clerk’s office, however, would not reveal who is in line to become speaker pro tempore should the speakership become vacant. A request to the speaker’s office was not returned as of this writing.

Ironically, however, the most likely name to appear at the top of this list is the man who just withdrew his name from consideration for the speakership. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, after all, remains the House majority leader and Boehner’s top deputy.
This is better than watching Scandal!

Comment by Will in Chicago on 10/08/2015 18:40:14
Quote by Raine:
But what if Boehner refuses to serve through a drawn out process to choose his successor — of if he is overthrown in an intraparty coup? Binder points to a provision of the House rules that govern vacancies in the speakership after a speaker has already been elected as a likely solution. “As soon as practicable after the election of the Speaker and whenever appropriate thereafter, the Speaker shall deliver to the Clerk a list of Members,” this provision provides. The rules add that “in the case of a vacancy in the Office of the Speaker,” the first name on this list becomes Speaker pro tempore and “may exercise such authorities of the Office of Speaker as may be necessary and appropriate to that end.”
A spokesperson for the House Clerk confirmed to ThinkProgress that Speaker Boehner has delivered such a list of names, and an entry in the Congressional Record also confirms that Boehner delivered the list on January 6. The Clerk’s office, however, would not reveal who is in line to become speaker pro tempore should the speakership become vacant. A request to the speaker’s office was not returned as of this writing.

Ironically, however, the most likely name to appear at the top of this list is the man who just withdrew his name from consideration for the speakership. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, after all, remains the House majority leader and Boehner’s top deputy.
This is better than watching Scandal!


I found this on Facebook. via Nicole Sandler. EXCLUSIVE: #Boehner’s Replacement Is Carrying On Long Running Affair With Congresswoman.


Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 18:51:16
Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 18:51:39
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Quote by Raine:
But what if Boehner refuses to serve through a drawn out process to choose his successor — of if he is overthrown in an intraparty coup? Binder points to a provision of the House rules that govern vacancies in the speakership after a speaker has already been elected as a likely solution. “As soon as practicable after the election of the Speaker and whenever appropriate thereafter, the Speaker shall deliver to the Clerk a list of Members,” this provision provides. The rules add that “in the case of a vacancy in the Office of the Speaker,” the first name on this list becomes Speaker pro tempore and “may exercise such authorities of the Office of Speaker as may be necessary and appropriate to that end.”
A spokesperson for the House Clerk confirmed to ThinkProgress that Speaker Boehner has delivered such a list of names, and an entry in the Congressional Record also confirms that Boehner delivered the list on January 6. The Clerk’s office, however, would not reveal who is in line to become speaker pro tempore should the speakership become vacant. A request to the speaker’s office was not returned as of this writing.

Ironically, however, the most likely name to appear at the top of this list is the man who just withdrew his name from consideration for the speakership. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, after all, remains the House majority leader and Boehner’s top deputy.
This is better than watching Scandal!


I found this on Facebook. via Nicole Sandler. EXCLUSIVE: #Boehner’s Replacement Is Carrying On Long Running Affair With Congresswoman.


I posted about that below.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 10/08/2015 19:01:22
So, who will the GOP turn to now?

Comment by Scoopster on 10/08/2015 19:09:24
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Will in Chicago:
I found this on Facebook. via Nicole Sandler. EXCLUSIVE: #Boehner’s Replacement Is Carrying On Long Running Affair With Congresswoman.

I posted about that below.

Gonna wait until that thing is verified. GotNews/Chuck Johnson isn't a reputable source unfortunately.

Comment by trojanrabbit on 10/08/2015 19:26:20
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Will in Chicago:
I found this on Facebook. via Nicole Sandler. EXCLUSIVE: #Boehner’s Replacement Is Carrying On Long Running Affair With Congresswoman.

I posted about that below.

Gonna wait until that thing is verified. GotNews/Chuck Johnson isn't a reputable source unfortunately.

I thought this started going around the moment Boehner stepped down. I also remember just seeing that GotNews got a cease and desist but I'm not going to Freeperland to find out about it.

Comment by Raine on 10/08/2015 20:06:19
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Will in Chicago:
I found this on Facebook. via Nicole Sandler. EXCLUSIVE: #Boehner’s Replacement Is Carrying On Long Running Affair With Congresswoman.

I posted about that below.

Gonna wait until that thing is verified. GotNews/Chuck Johnson isn't a reputable source unfortunately.
personally I think think this is a smear campaign from the right.

There is no proof of it. again, see my link below.

and see where I asked about the emails.

Nicole sanders needs to make sure her sources are verifiable.

Comment by Scoopster on 10/08/2015 23:44:54
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