SIC TRANSIT QEVIN
Quiverin’ Qevin McCarthy, whose only evident ideology as Speaker of the House was personal ambition, has secured a singular place in American history.
He is now the only speaker in U.S. history to be turned out of his office by his peers in the only successful motion to vacate ever submitted. His chaotic nine months in the job was the shortest tenure since that of Michael C. Kerr in 1876. But Kerr’s speakership ended because he died of tuberculosis. Qevin was knifed by his fellow Republicans.
In the end, his career proves that when you stand for nothing, you give no one a serious reason to support and defend you when your time of need arrives.
McCarthy was the most completely unprincipled Speaker I have seen in 60 years of observing politics. For 270 days, his goal was to get through one day to the next, however that happened and whatever he had to say and do, whoever he had to lie to to their face or stab in the back. Finally, he was seen by all parties as someone whose word was not good, who could not be depended upon, other than the sure certainty that the only question regarding his fecklessness, his lack of purpose, his inability to keep his word, was when that next event would happen, and who it would injure.
He was and is a man of no personal integrity or sense of honor at all. He was and is the very definition of the Yuppie Striver.
After Democrats saved him twice, with the bill to increase the debt ceiling in June and this past weekend’s vote for a continuing resolution to keep the government open for 45 days, he went on TV the very next day - not 12 hours later - and blamed Democrats for all the woe created by the far right members of Paul his own caucus. And 24 hours later his supporters were begging those same Democrats to act again to save him.
Kevin was once one of the three “Young Guns,” the promising future of their party in Congress. All three fell from power by their own incompetence, and all three left the congress reviled by their fellow party members.
Eric Cantor was defeated by a fringe candidate from nowhere in a primary he forgot to fight. Paul Ryan was defeated by the Freedom Caucus and sent on his way by Donald Trump. Qevin defeated himself. There are no “Young Guns” left, no “future leaders” are to be seen anywhere in the House Republican caucus.
Today’s events are much larger than the fate of Qevin. They made clear, if there had been any doubt, that the Republican Party has lost the ability to govern, that most of its members are unfit for any office from dog catcher on up.
After challenging Nancy Pelosi for ordering an impeachment investigation without first having the House vote on proceeding with that investigation (she then held a vote and the investigation was approved), after stating that he would not approve any impeachment investigation of President Biden, he returned from the summer recess and announced on the first day the House was back in session that he was personally approving an impeachment investigation of the president. The reason he did not seek a vote of approval was apparent to all - he didn’t have the votes to deliver. He did it to try and buy support from people who saw his weakness and his fecklessness and knew they could do what they wanted to him without fear of consequence. The 22 days since saw them do just that.
After the assault of the capitol, Qevin was one of the 137 traitors who refused to ratify the vote to elect Joe Biden president. The next day - the one good day of his entire career - he correctly named Donald Trump as the instigator and leader of the insurrection. And then 20 days later he went to Mar A Lago and singlehandedly restored Trump’s political career when it appeared the country now knew him for the traitor he was.
He did it because he always operated from fear. Fear that if he ever expressed a heartfelt belief there would be those who opposed him, and he would not get the goal he lusted for from his first day in congress - the speakership.
After leading in chaos, Qevin leaves office as he arrived: it had ended in chaos, with Republicans openly savaging each other on the House floor and all legislative functions ceasing while the majority party tries to pick its next leader.
In the meantime, there are now 43 days until the next financial crisis when the “majority” party again proves its incompetence and unfitness to govern, and the government shutdown that was a can kicked down the road becomes a debt past due.
The House will not be back in session till next week, when there will be 37 days left till that crisis arrives.
The likelihood of the Republicans finding anyone they can unite behind as speaker, someone with the ability to deal with that immediate crisis, is less than zero.
No one will succeed in that role because the Republican Party is not only unfit to govern, it is itself ungovernable.
Billy Wilder’s observation about Hollywood applies even more strongly to Qevin.
“If you don’t give a shit about what you’re doing, why should anyone else?”
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There is still the possibility, however unlikely, that the Democratic caucus could join with 18 or so Republicans who are interested in the appearance of governing, select a Speaker from among that group, and proceed in something resembling regular order. The performance this week of the Senate, motoring on despite the death of one of their number, and passing by a huge majority the legislation needed to move on, is a signal that bipartisanship is possible, just difficult.
I am reminded of people I have known over the years--for some reason they tend to be colleagues--who knife you in the front or back and then don't understand why you possibly could have any feelings against them.