A brief victory for democracy. We’ll take it. There might be hope for the Republican Party after all.
The GOP officially revoked its nomination of Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House. This after 112 Republicans voted behind closed doors and in a secret ballot to remove Jordan’s name as a candidate.
Speaker pro-temporary Patrick McHenry announced that the GOP would meet again on Monday, 10/23/23, to wrangle up some other nominee and hopefully vote on the House floor on Tuesday, 10/24/23.
McHenry added to the chaos that’s already engulfed the GOP by threatening to quit his post if the GOP pushes him to move legislation through the House without first explicitly voting to expand the powers recognized by the pro-temp speaker.
House Republicans considered an option in that direction and then rejected it. They didn’t even vote on it. Leaving the lower chamber entirely ineffective for the moment.
Thanks to those Republicans who held out on voting in favor of Jordan.
A House that is ineffective and temporarily inactive is still better than a House that’s led by the threatening rhetoric of somebody like Jordan.
Putting Jordan in that position of authority is one of the most significant immediate threats our government can face.
Why? Because Jim Jordan represents the voice of some of the most extreme American voters.
Representatives Threatened. This Is The Republican Party.
Congressman Ken Buck was first threatened and then evicted from his office because he voted no on Jordan.
Representative Miller-Meeks of Iowa was also the subject of threats because she voted no.
Constituents also threatened Representative Lalota of New York because he voted no on Jordan.
The same treatment was reserved for Nebraska Representative Don Bacon.
All of this, of course, in addition to the profanity and threat-laced voicemails left on the phone of a congressman’s wife who voted no for Jordan’s nomination.
This is the Republican Party eating its own in 2023.
And, if this happens after House members vote no on their speaker, I would say that the revocation of Jim Jordan’s nomination is probably the safest thing to happen to our democracy.