At this point, Democrats should decide who the moderate R is that they will vote for

[Sogo]

and, in consultation with other moderate Rs, nominate him/her. Or let the moderate Rs do the nominating....

Nip this talk of TFG for Speaker in the bud. They should never let it gain any momentum....

[Srkdqltr]

1. No. Let them dig themselves out.

Or maybe not... they could nominate trump.

[Irish_Dem]

4. A crime syndicate should have a good mob boss as leader.

[Irish_Dem]

2. When your enemy is destroying itself, don't get in the way.

[Sogo]

3. If this enemy morphs into Trump as Speaker,

then they destroy us all....

We must act.

[Irish_Dem]

10. The dems are being very smart with nerves of steel.

They know what they are doing.

ETA It is a game of psychology right now.
We have to hang in there.

[Volaris]

33. Yep. We get to 5pm tomorrow, and the bobble-heads get their weekend news,

On Monday they will start pouring napalm on themselves instead of gasoline. Hang tough, because next week the real fun begins.

[Irish_Dem]

34. What is your prediction for next week?

[Volaris]

37. By Wed the votes will start to coalesce around maybe Jordan,

But I think he won't get it done either, and by Friday the six we need will be ready to deal (quietly). If the base wants Trump, tho, and they make that known, by the time he gets 30 votes, we need to be willing to go to them (quietly); as fun as it would be watching him bumblefuck head counts for 2 years, having him in the presidential line is simply too dangerous.

[Irish_Dem]

46. GOP voting for Trump as speaker is a trick to get Dems to make a deal?

I hope they don't fall for it.

The Dems need to have nerves of steel right now.

It is a game of psychology and game of wits.

No time to fold early or be ticked into a bad deal.

Also once the Dems join the cluster f, they look bad.

[onenote]

51. How many votes have been cast for Trump?

Hard to "fall for" a "trick" that's just one or two bloviating members, like Gaetz.

[Irish_Dem]

58. I am responding to a post saying that the base may demand more Trump votes.

We are talking about predictions for next week.
Not this week.

[Volaris]

54. They're not that smart lol...if the base wants Trump, that's what they will try to do.

THATS the point we're we have to cut bait and vote for their 'moderate', if possible.
If that doesn't happen, and they just want to do this clown show till the 4th of July, I'm just fine with that

[Irish_Dem]

59. I think they have animal cunning.

And will kill to get their way.

[Volaris]

66. The Maga base has already demonstrated that.

Thats why the only part of this that's 'zero-sum', is Trump in the presidential line. Them setting themselves on fire for however long they want to do this for, is fine by me. In the meantime, the senate can start passing bipartisan bills the freedumb caccus doesn't like, Biden should start issuing the kinds of EO that would otherwise make the House file suit, and we can sit back and just kinda pour salt in the gasoline they're dumping on themselves.

The democratic controlled parts of government CAN make this hurt MORE; that should be the plan if this isn't solved by Jan 15th...

[Irish_Dem]

75. Trump doesn't want the job.

Too much work.

I think it is a bluff. We should not fall for it.

Other than that piece I agree with your points.

[former9thward]

89. You may be fine with it but the representatives and their staffs are not.

Without a Speaker no one gets sworn in. Without members being sworn in no one (including staff) gets paid.

[AkFemDem]

13. You're vastly underestimating how much

The majority of the Washington GOP hates Trump and wants him to disappear so they can go back to the old way of doing business. He’d get maybe a dozen votes.

[Sogo]

22. They may hate him, but they fall in line every time.

Their fear would overtake their hatred of him.

[yardwork]

41. I don't see that as anything but a negative for Republicans.

Trump in Congress behaving like the buffoon every day? I don't see that as anything but panic inducing for the majority of Republican voters.

And I don't think he would even do it. He can't work every day.

[Irish_Dem]

77. I agree, he doesn't want the job.

It is a step down in prestige and he doesn't want the bother of it.

[Mr.Bill]

78. Trump as speaker would

be the end of the republican party.

[Dorian Gray]

93. I think this is probably true

it would be comedy. Totally ineffectual. He doesn't want to work. He'd bloviate and act the fool, when he shows up for work.

[Mr.Bill]

98. I don't think he would even show up. n/t

[MagickMuffin]

82. The x has only gotten one nomination and vote

So, no, we should not negotiate with terrorists and traitors to their oath to the Constitution.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

29. I guess I don't see where you are coming from

They aren't "destroying themselves." They are attempting to destroy anyone who doesn't support running the House in a way that punishes all who don't support Trump. So if we don't end up with McCarthy, and we don't choose to intervene, then we will end up with someone like Scalise or Donalds. They can't pass legislation that will get by the Senate or the Veto pen, but they can fail to agree to a debt ceiling increase in September and force a default, which will likely be catastrophic.

The only one getting destroyed here is Kevin McCarthy.

[Irish_Dem]

31. For right now, I trust the Dem leadership to do what is appropriate to the situation.

They know the inside baseball info and are acting in unison.

We already know that the GOP congress will do nothing good and just cause trouble no matter
who is leading them. Might as well let them embarrass themselves in the process.

It is a game of psychology right now.
Requiring nerves of steel.

[Sogo]

32. Thank you, Algernon Moncrieff.

I agree with you wholeheartedly!

[wiggs]

35. stefanik. Then they will 'unify more than any other house in history' to carry out an

extreme agenda based on a non-existent but claimed mandate to avenge rather than govern.

[Silent3]

67. To me, this would is not about "getting in the way"

If we could actually get a moderate Republican speaker through with combined votes from Democrats and Republicans, that's saving OUR asses from whatever nightmare Republicans all by themselves will eventually settle on.

The best choice, since the Speaker does not have to be a member of the House, would be a retired moderate non-MAGA Republican. We bargain for equal representation on committees, Democrats right to veto sham investigations and impeachments, and pick a practically-minded Republican who won't fuck with brinkmanship over government shutdowns and debt defaults.

That's way better for the country than Democrats merely trying to look superior to the crap Republicans will pull on their own.

[Sogo]

71. Excellent points, Silent3!

Rusty Bowers comes to mind when reading your post....

[lindysalsagal]

72. I agree on a moderate, but it has to be one elected

And hopefully someone who won't run for re-election. That way, they can whip votes with us and ignore the 20 extremists and make law.

[Silent3]

80. There are no real moderates elected to the House any more

Once an outsider has be elected Speaker, why couldn't they whip votes? You don't have to be a voting member of the House to perform that function.

[LuvLoogie]

5. Let them nominate trump, if that's what they want.

He'll do everything by proxy from Mar-A-GoGo

[Walleye]

6. The Democrats should say to the Republicans, you broke it, you bought it

[RandySF]

7. No

[Botany]

8. No

When your enemies are fighting each other let 'em.

[vanlassie]

9. No way do we rescue these idiots.

[Sogo]

14. I don't perceive it as rescuing, but overtaking.

There is business to be done.

[newdayneeded]

92. Really not rescuing,

more like using it to our advantage to sneak in a moderate repub under the maniacal 20's noses.

[Dorian Gray]

94. Is it rescuing them

or doing what is best for our country and legislature?

It's certainly sticking a stake in MAGA AND MCCARTHY.

[ColinC]

11. Not.without. A. Power-Sharingn. Agreement

And it should still be Jeffries

[Gore1FL]

12. Every second they are doing this they aren't taking away Social Security.

Let the GOP bleed for a while.

I see forcing them to vote on Trumpy as a gift. He won't win and it will embarrass everyone involved. It furthers the GOP civil war while further tying the party to TFG's sinking ship.

[Beachnutt]

15. And the 20 will vote for McCarthy

to screw the dems.
So no, just sit back and eat popcorn.

[Celerity]

42. I do NOT think we should do it, but if every Dem voted for the moderate Rethug, only 6 Rethugs

would need to vote for that moderate to elect them as Speaker.

[blue neen]

16. No, no, a thousand times no.

[lark]

17. Nope, we need to stay out of the way of the circular firing squad.

Stay on the floor, vote for Jeffries every time, and enjoy the dearth of lying scheming so called hearings. Nothing has to be done until near Sept. and they will only fuck up the budget limit raise and try to kill off us oldsters by stealing Medicare and Social Security. That is the only thing I know of that has to be passed by this congress and it will be truly awful!

[former9thward]

90. You forget, maybe, no one is getting paid.

Including staff. This will be settled soon.

[lark]

96. I wish they would find a way to swear them in without having a Speaker.

Most of them are millionaires or close to it anyway, it's only the new ones who are being hurt and the traitors don't care about anyone except themselves.

Nothing good will come from this, not for anyone. Some dipshit will get it in the end and then the real plan of investigations to try and clear the traitor tag from their names and onto Pelosi. Won't work, but it will keep me from watching a lot of tv, so that's probably a good thing.

[Torchlight]

18. Yesterday, Pelosi said exactly what I think.

"This is a problem of their own making. They should be able to work it out. Don't put this at the Democrats' doorstep.”

[ThoughtCriminal]

19. Until a group of R's make concessions

That give Democrats more control I see no reason to help them out of this.

Raise debt limit, voting rights, reproductive rights.

[in2herbs]

20. ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! If this blockade is to be broken then it is the Rs who must

come over to the Ds and support a D speaker.

I thought I read an article about a rule that said if a House speaker was not elected within 2 weeks of the opening session of Congress there is one ready to take over until the Rs get this s**t together. It's a black woman and she doesn't have to be nominate or confirmed. I don't think she is a Rep either. She is just "staff." I assume one reason is to prevent the staff from having to go without paychecks.

[Irish_Dem]

21. The GOP crime syndicate should get the mob boss they deserve.

Trump will eat their faces in a heart beat.

[Ninga]

23. No.

[DBoon]

24. no such thing as a moderate republican

They have been driven out of the party by the Trump faction. The ones that have not retired have been primaried and lost

[Celerity]

48. Dan Newhouse (WA-4) and David Valadao (CA-22) are the only 2 Rethugs left in the House who voted to

impeach Trump.

[DBoon]

76. ok, not quite extinct but a critically endangered species nevertheless

[Dorian Gray]

95. Ooof.... only 2?

That doesn't give us a lot to work with.

[enough]

25. No, this is FEAR OF TRUMP, a Republican pathology.

[Srkdqltr]

26. If. And a huge if all McCarthys concessions are off and dems set the rules.

But that's not going to happen. Than and only then, dems should deal.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

27. Oh HELL no! GOPers used gerrymandering and voter suppression to get the crazies in.

It's their shit to clean out of their nest.

[keithbvadu2]

28. BUT... Would any republicans support Hakeem Jeffries "for the sake of the institution"

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217522658

Andrea Mitchell just asked Rep. Dingell if any Dems would support McCarthy "for the sake of the institution"

.
BUT...
Would any republicans support Hakeem Jeffries "for the sake of the institution"

[keithbvadu2]

30. Dems; keep voting for Hakeem.

[onenote]

36. Folks keep acting like there are moderate repubs that would work with Democrats

against McCarthy. But no one can name them.

One name is mentioned -- Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. But he's a unicorn. The fate of other "moderates" was sealed in the 2022 elections:

Ten repubs voted to convict Trump (Fitzpatrick, by the way, was not one of them). Only two are still in Congress, the others having retired or been primaries out of office. The two that are still around aren't exactly moderates -- anti-choice, voted against the 1.7 trillion budget, etc.

Nine repubs voted for the 1.7 trillion budget. Seven of them aren't around any more. Fitzpatrick is one. The other is Womack of Arkansas -- who voted against the Respect for Marriage Act.

The message has been sent loud and clear to repubs willing to break with the orthodoxy (which, by the way, is represented not just by the crazies but by McCarthy himself ) -- deviate too much and you have a target on your back.

[ZonkerHarris]

45. this is true

[crickets]

52. Thanks for this.

Democrats are not going to help Republicans out of the mess they've made. Repubs are going to have to do that for themselves, not that they're capable. Regardless which Republican not-Kevin is eventually chosen, it will be a poor choice. There's no way around that, so there's no point in Dems getting involved.

[ProfessorGAC]

81. Minor Correction

Kinzinger neither retired nor primaried.
He was drawn out with the new district map, and had he run he would have won the primary, but gotten crushed in the GE.
Despite the rhetoric, had the district not been redrawn, he'd have won the primary. He was primaried twice before by Club for Growth & the FreeDumb caucus. He smashed the challenger both times. (30+% margins of vistory)
So, he's an exception to your otherwise accurate view.
BTW: I live in that district so I know his voters. Of course, I'm not one of them, but I know them.

[Captain Zero]

38. Mark Cuban

nt

[KentuckyWoman]

39. NO. Excuse me... HELL NO.

You cannot give one inch. Not one. This mess is entirely the R's to clean up.

You WON'T get Speaker Trump. Speaker is hard work. That man doesn't have it in him.

[Hekate]

40. No

[durablend]

43. N. O.

[ZonkerHarris]

44. FUCK NO! never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake

[Tarc]

47. As crazy as the GOP is, they'll never vote en masse for a non-House member

Whether it is even Constitutional is murky, they'd be setting themselves p for months of roadblocks and lawsuits.

[yardwork]

49. Why not get some moderate R votes and elect Jeffries?

We're in a position of strength right now. Why would we help the Republicans, rather than take the advantage to help American workers?

Jeffries has gotten the most votes for Speaker in every round of voting. He should be Speaker. Surely, some moderate Republicans agree?

[Sogo]

53. I like that....

[onenote]

56. Again, who are these "moderates"

Hell, voting not to convict Trump was a death sentence for all but two Republicans. Only two of the current republican caucus voted for the 1.7 trillion budget deal (and one of them voted against the Respect for Marriage Act).

When someone here finally gives a name -- other than Brian Fitzpatrick -- who is a unicorn in the Republican party (and even then, he voted against convicting Trump ), a serious discussion can be had.

But for now, these suggestions about working with "moderate" Republicans are pure fantasy.

[yardwork]

60. I tend to agree; I'm just countering the OP.

The media (we see you, Andrea Mitchell) and now some DUers want to know why Democrats don't "compromise for the good of the institution." Why should Democrats compromise?

[Algernon Moncrieff]

68. In what way are we in a position of strength?

We have 212 votes, which we are using to support a representative who has virtually no chance of winning the speakership.

They have 221 votes. They have a candidate for speaker vehemently opposed by 20 members who want to, essentially, install a fascist, or at a minimum make the next two years about not raising the debt ceiling, impeaching Joe Biden, having endless hearings into the J6 committee members, Fauci, Hunter Biden, and other things for the entertainment of the Fox/Newsmax/OANN crowd.

Those 20 are in the position of strength, because they will bend the other 201 to their will.

We only have strength if we choose someone less objectionable to at least 6 of those 201 than the 20 holdouts want.

In another post, I threw out David G. Valadao, Dan Newhouse, or GOP non-House members like Chuck Hagel or Larry Hogan.

[Sogo]

73. Larry Hogan sounds excellent.

I suggested Rusty Bowers above....He was impressive when testifying to the J6 committee.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

74. If he'd do the job, I'd suggest throwing his name out there

Hell, have one Dem throw the name out there and see if anyone over there bites.

[Genki Hikari]

85. The r thugs will not vote for Valadao or Newhouse

Or anyone not elected to the House.

You don't get that they don't want competency in the Speaker's seat. They want a fellow chaos agent who will let them carry out their vindictive hatreds against every one of their outrages du jour, and raid the treasury at will to line the pockets of their wealthy donors, with some vig on the side for themselves.

It's fine to seek compromise--when there's any to be had, but there's none to be had with r thugs. They are inherently incapable of doing anything that considers the country, or anyone else's sensibilities. Those are the last things they care about.

The very last.

Kumbaya with r thugs is, always has been and always will be a waste of time, because they do not believe in any kind of compromise.

Ever.

Wishing for that reality to be different, or ignoring it, doesn't change it in the least.

[ecstatic]

87. That would be soooo awesome!

Although I think all the moderates were purged. lol.

[Emile]

50. Seriously you want Dems to vote for a republican?

[Sogo]

57. Perhaps I'm naive to believe that there may be some sensible ones....

I sure as hell don't want them to be worn down to the point they rally around TFG and give him 222 votes!

[yardwork]

61. Who do you have in mind?

[Sogo]

65. I don't have anyone in mind....

I don't have any familiarity with any of the Rs.

I'm sure if it came it it, though, that the Ds would come up with someone that they could work with. Maybe not.

Maybe I just don't understand how extreme things are among Rs in the House....

[Algernon Moncrieff]

62. Again - not to be a broken record - we did this just two days ago in Ohio

‘Moderate’ Republican Jason Stephens snatches Ohio House Speaker position in surprise upset

Moderately conservative Republican Jason Stephens, with the help of the Democratic Party, snatched the coveted Ohio House Speaker job Tuesday from a far-right lawmaker who was already elected speaker in a non-official party vote.

In the surprise upset, Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, who is allegedly pledging to stop far-right policies and act as a full moderate, is chosen as one of the most significant and influential leaders in the state.

.....

Stephens decided to fight, and he fought in collaboration with the Democrats.

“They needed our votes and we took the opportunity to make sure that we were going to be working with the speaker who we felt at the end of the day would work with us on the issues we could agree on,” Democratic Minority Leader​ Allison Russo said.

Minority Leader Allison Russo said her discussions with the Republican were productive and allowed her caucus to vote, all 32 of them, for Stephens. She mentioned they spoke about getting fair district maps — but most of the conversation was on priority bills, like education issues.

It is not naive to want governance, albeit imperfect governance.

[Genki Hikari]

84. Now name the moderate r thugs in DC

Who would be willing to act as a real moderate--and then keep his/her word.

I'll wait.

[ck4829]

55. 212. Every single time.

[Mysterian]

63. No, let the moderate repukes vote for a moderate Dem

instead.

[inthewind21]

64. Um

No. Republicans are in charge, it's up to them to CONTROL the house. Elections have consequences remember.

[jcgoldie]

69. Disagree

The only way they should let gop off the hook is for tangible concessions regarding committee rules and balance, etc.

[tblue37]

70. Starting Jan. 13, staffers for both parties will not be paid. That is a terrible burden to lay on

them.

[Genki Hikari]

86. So lay the chaos at the feet of those responsible.

And bully the media into telling the truth about that for once in their worthless traitor lives.

Get on message and stay on it--people aren't getting paid because r thugs hate the country too much to do any real work.

[former9thward]

91. Easy to say on an internet discussion board.

[Emile]

79. Trashing this thread.

[Scottie Mom]

83. No!

Let the Rs come to our side.

[Genki Hikari]

88. This is beyond not smart

The r scum broke it. Make them fix it.

When they're digging their own graves, you don't try to talk them out of it. You hand them more shovels.

[GoCubsGo]

97. No. The Democrats already spend too much time cleaning up these assholes' messes.

The GOP is on their own with this one. Unless there's a written promise that they will not play games with the debt ceiling, fuck 'em. Let them twist in the wind.

Trump has only been getting one vote. The GOP doesn't want him, either. Caving to these clowns over that one vote is idiotic.