The deposed former speaker has made clear he plans to stay at least through the speakership election before ending his House career, two people familiar with the matter tell POLITICO.
This was planned, from before the beginning of the 118th session, by unnamed interests who wanted to be able to pull the trigger on guaranteed Congressional chaos, using a minimum number of actors, and have the guaranteed outcome of a Speakerless House. This is the condition to which McCarthy had to agree before even being considered, yet once he did he shot ahead of others who had far more support for the role of Speaker, like Jordan and Scalise.
Speaking for myself, when I look at who benefits, the exact timing of events, how a threatened government shutdown was again weaponized and how Ukraine aid is now 100% in limbo because of this bullshit, the more firmly convinced I become that Gaetz, Boebert, MTG and other hard-right “Freedom Caucus” members are actively being paid and/or blackmailed by Russia to ensure that NO governance actually takes place, and are receiving their directions to act on cue against the rest of Congress.
That feels like it’s assuming a level of intention and competence that is absolutely not required of Gaetz or other Freedom Caucus members to do what they do.
Russian intelligence will take advantage of what they can get, and they’re quite advantageous indeed, but I doubt payment or blackmail is even necessary.
He said it because we have known for years the GOP takes Russian money.
It’s not unthinkable they would give more to certain ppl to get them to sabotage their own caucus.
Even before the unprecedented 15 vote election, before the first vote was ever cast, McCarthy agreed to the specific change in the rules that allowed him to be ousted with a single motion. Read the link; this was demanded of McCarthy by unnamed interests on a conference call several days prior to the first day of voting.
House rules change every session; in and of itself a rule change is to be expected. But not this one.
This was planned, from before the beginning of the 118th session, by unnamed interests who wanted to be able to pull the trigger on guaranteed Congressional chaos, using a minimum number of actors, and have the guaranteed outcome of a Speakerless House. This is the condition to which McCarthy had to agree before even being considered, yet once he did he shot ahead of others who had far more support for the role of Speaker, like Jordan and Scalise.
Speaking for myself, when I look at who benefits, the exact timing of events, how a threatened government shutdown was again weaponized and how Ukraine aid is now 100% in limbo because of this bullshit, the more firmly convinced I become that Gaetz, Boebert, MTG and other hard-right “Freedom Caucus” members are actively being paid and/or blackmailed by Russia to ensure that NO governance actually takes place, and are receiving their directions to act on cue against the rest of Congress.
That feels like it’s assuming a level of intention and competence that is absolutely not required of Gaetz or other Freedom Caucus members to do what they do.
Russian intelligence will take advantage of what they can get, and they’re quite advantageous indeed, but I doubt payment or blackmail is even necessary.
He said it because we have known for years the GOP takes Russian money. It’s not unthinkable they would give more to certain ppl to get them to sabotage their own caucus.