Is Stefanik eyeing speaker role as next move?
Clarence Thomas recuses himself from case involving Trump’s former lawyer
By Ken Tingley
The headline on the New Republic website is eye-catching.
Granted, the New Republic is a progressive-leaning news outlet, but it gave some tantalizing details about what comes next for Republicans after ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday, especially about who comes next.
Stefanik endorsed McCarthy in a tweet on Monday saying:
Rep. Matt Gaetz, which led McCarthy’s ouster, fired back saying, “I would just say if this House of Representatives has exceeded all expectations, then we definitely need higher expectations.”
Since then, Rep. Stefanik has devoted weighed in on these important topics:
- Criticizing Kathy Hochul’s attempts to address the immigration crisis in New York City.
- Suggested the United State immediately pursue a missile defense system located in Fort Drum because of the imminent threat of nuclear war from Iran.
- Proclaimed the impeachment inquiry of President Biden to be uncovering new evidence each day.
- Worried that mask mandates might return for Covid-19.
- Dismissed Biden’s economic policies as a failure.
There was nothing on the turmoil of the Republicans in Washington.
“The Soapbox” column by Pablo Manriquez offered this analysis of the possibilities of Stefanik being a candidate for the Speaker.
“Instead of shitposting her way into the political conversation, as she had during Donald Trump’s presidency, Stefanik has chosen a conspicuously low-key approach to building power, running Twitter campaigns to solicit feedback about the direction the GOP is headed, being a good foot soldier, and letting McCarthy and Scalise take credit for whatever she brought to the table. Beyond that, it’s hard to say how Stefanik is regarded by her House GOP colleagues. If they have an opinion about her, they have not been vocal about it.”
Or what kind of representative she has been for us here in the North Country. Manriquez did remind his readers of Stefanik’s evolution since being first elected in 2014.
“Stefanik’s political evolution has been dramatic since she arrived in the House in 2014. She was heralded during her freshman term as a relatively reasonable, kindly House GOP freshman with a promising future in the conference. When Trump came to the White House, Stefanik quickly pivoted to become an archetype of the House GOP sellout, shifting her entire personality to fit the mold of an enraged MAGA flamethrower on Fox News.”
This is my favorite part and it fits with the repeated lies local news outlets have chronicled from Stefanik for years.
“If Stefanik has any principles left, they aren’t obvious; which is why it’s unlikely that Democrats would support her for speaker. So she would need virtually every House Republican to vote for her in the likely event McCarthy gets fired.”
So while Stefanik’s might be considered for speaker - Gulp - by a few, it does look likely.
I suppose that is good for the North Country so she can go back to working for a missile defense system that the Pentagon does not want.
Let Freedom Read
Reminder that there will be an event at the Saratoga Springs Public Library to celebrate Book Banning Week.
Seven local authors will be reading from their favorite banned books. I have been asked to host the event and am looking forward to the event.
I find it ironic that a local library remains closed because of threats against the librarians and staff in Lake Luzerne during Book Banning Week.
Justice is done
It appears justice has been done in the case of the Kansas police chief who ordered raids on the office of the local newspaper and the home of its publisher.
The police chief was suspended by the mayor of the city of Marion last week and on Monday night the police chief resigned.
Thomas feeling heat
Perhaps Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is feeling the heat regarding his lack of ethics.
On Monday, Thomas recused himself from a case where Donald Trump’s former lawyer, John Eastman, asked for relief in his role in trying to overturn election results in 2020. Eastman once served as a law clerk to Thomas. The Supreme Court turned down Eastman’s appeal.
Thomas did not say why he recused himself from the Eastman case. Thomas’ wife Ginni also participated in efforts to overturn the election.
Thomas did take part in a ruling last where Trump asked the court to block White House records about the Capitol attack. In that ruling, Thomas was the only Supreme Court justice who noted a dissent. The court rejected the request.
Sedition Stefanik’s main concern was and is self interest. She does nothing without that calculation. It is obvious to those of us who pay attention to her antics that she is attempting a maneuver to take the Gavel. No Democratic representative will vote for her and therefore she would need a total endorsement of her party. The chaos that exists within Republican majority would make that almost impossible not unless she sells her soul as Kevin McCarthy did and everyone knows how that ended.
I would think this is an opportunity for the GOP to get someone more solidly moderate and away from the MAGA extreme. Despite it being an opportunity, that doesn’t mean they will take that step or have the courage to embrace the old Republican philosophy. They have had multiple occasions to make this break but have not had the fortitude.