There’s No Shame in Congress

Too many of his colleagues think Kevin McCarthy isn’t fit for Speaker. [The Rude Awakening] January 05, 2023 [WEBSITE]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( There’s No Shame in Congress - As there’s no shame in Congress, as of writing this, there’s no Speaker, either. - Kevin McCarthy has been embarrassed in this race but won’t relent. - Former Navy SEAL and current Congressman Dan Crenshaw called the dissenters “terrorists.” [Over 62 And Collect Social Security? Take Action Immediately!]( [Click here to learn more]( [If you’re over the age of 62 and currently collect Social Security, you need to prepare now](. Because Biden has given our country the worst inflation in decades – and many warn things will only get worse from here. Worse yet, the Social Security check you receive now may not keep pace with inflation… [Which is why, if you don’t act now, you could fall behind in the months ahead](. Is your retirement at immediate risk? [Click here now to get the simple, step-by-step actions to survive inflation](. [Click Here To Learn More]( [Sean Ring] SEAN RING Good morning on this cloudy, chilly morning from Piedmont. I hope all’s well with you. I try not to wade into the minutia of American politics, but this Kevin McCarthy business caught my attention. I’ll get right to my point: if that many people think you’re unfit for the Office of Speaker of the House of Representatives, then maybe you are. I get there are only 20 or so dissenters who refuse to vote for McCarthy. I also understand that Congresspeople like Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert voting against you may actually embolden your bid. But as of this writing, McCarthy has lost six(!) votes for the Speakership. That hasn’t happened in 100 years. If you can’t win over your colleagues, how the heck are you going to run the House? And this is making the Republicans look as stupid as their kissing cousins in the UK, the Conservatives. But before we get to that, let’s figure out who this guy is first. Who is Kevin McCarthy? Here’s a rather dry, harmless biography of McCarthy: Kevin McCarthy currently serves as the House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives. He has served as a representative for California's 23rd congressional district since 2007. Before starting his political career, McCarthy worked as a small business owner and manager. (Sean: To me, that’s a good sign!) He was first elected to the California State Assembly in 2002 and served there until being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006. According to my source, McCarthy has advocated lower taxes, limited government, and pro-business policies. He was a staunch supporter of The Donald. McCarthy also serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Education and Labor. He’s married and has two children. All in all, he seems as good a person as you’re going to get in Congress. (I’m prepared to eat those words later.) Remember, I don’t watch cable news. So, I haven’t seen McCarthy in action. Trump Backs McCarthy According to [Politico]( The Trump-McCarthy relationship has taken several turns over the years, most often defined by loyalty from the latter toward the former. It was McCarthy who went down to Mar-a-Lago after Jan. 6 to meet with a seemingly exiled Trump and, implicitly, keep him in the fold. Trump, in turn, has offered his support to McCarthy’s speaker ambitions even as contemporaneous materials surfaced showing the congressman’s frustrations with his presidency. After Republicans took back the House, Trump was in contact with members of the anti-McCarthy wing, publicly expressed his support for McCarthy, and even warned those waging battles against McCarthy that they were setting up a “doomsday scenario” in the House. So, Trump backed McCarthy, but the “NeverKevins” are MAGA Republicans? It’s a strange state of affairs. Lauren Boebert said from the House floor: Let’s stop with the campaign smears and tactics to get people to turn against us — even having my favorite president call us and tell us to knock this off. I think it actually needs to be reversed and the [former] president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw. That’s bold, to say the least. [Click here to learn more]( “Under Joe Biden, Americans Could Suffer Economic Super Collapse” ~ Ex-Advisor to the Pentagon and CIA [(Please view this warning now)]( [Click Here To Learn More]( What Do the Rebels Want? We know the Rebels don’t want McCarthy. But their problem is they don’t have an alternative like Paul Ryan. The well-regarded Jim Jordan of Ohio doesn’t want the thankless speaker job. Even though he himself nominated Kevin McCarthy, Boebert nominated him. Obviously, there was no winner in that race. Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas called the Rebels “terrorists” for holding up Congress. I’m sure he doesn’t think they’re actual terrorists, but it was an incredibly poor choice of words from a former Navy SEAL who should know better. However, Crenshaw has a point: What do the rebels want? From [Fox News]( "I’m tired of your stupid platitudes that some consultant told you to say on the campaign trail, alright," Crenshaw said of the 20 Republican defectors, according to the Washington Post’s Dylan Wells. "Behind closed doors tell us what you actually want, or shut the f--- up." Crenshaw said the holdouts, "need to be men and adults and say what they want, instead of playing these little games, that’s what we’re asking." "That’s what I’ve asked of them. Some of them are my friends. Stop saying platitudes like, ‘Washington is broken. We can’t do the status quo," he said. "They want to pull the pins on the grenades and lock the doors." "It’s almost like they want to make the point that they don’t have a plan," he said. "They have zero ability to articulate what they want that would cause them to vote yes. It is utterly confusing, and then they get mad at us for criticizing, it’s actually quite hilarious the self-victimization that occurs." Crenshaw added that he won’t vote for who the Rebels want now. "I’ll tell you what, whoever that 20 wants, I will never vote for that person," he said. "I do not care who it is. They want to play this game; we’ll play the game." Really, It’s a Numbers Game Before you think, “No shit, Seanlock,” I’m referring to the razor-thin majority the Republicans head into this Congress with. The failure of a Red Wave to materialize has kneecapped Republicans. Kevin McCarthy may not be the most loved Republican, but he’s certainly not as loathed as Mitch McConnell. The GOP secured only 222 seats in the 2022 midterms, leaving McCarthy with little room for error to get to 218 votes, which is the number needed to achieve the speakership assuming all members vote. That’s why this band of 20 rebels holds so much power at the moment. It’s 5x the amount they need to block McCarthy from the Speakership. Had the Republicans grabbed the 238 or so seats that were projected, this would be much less of a problem right now. Still, the flat-out disrespect Congresspeople like Gaetz and Boebert have shown McCarthy is staggering. What that tells me is they don’t fear McCarthy, either. And with a small majority, that can’t be a good thing. Wrap Up How’s this going to turn out? Flip a coin. But what we know is that Republicans can’t get out the gate and start strong when they’re fighting like this. The Democrats are incompetent, but the GOP doesn’t look like it’s offering a much better alternative. And this will be music to the Left’s collective (and collectivist) ear. Have a great day ahead! All the best, [Sean Ring] Sean Ring Editor, Rude Awakening [Paradigm]( ☰ ⊗ [ARCHIVE]( [ABOUT]( [Contact Us]( © 2023 Paradigm Press, LLC. 808 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21202. By submitting your email address, you consent to Paradigm Press, LLC. delivering daily email issues and advertisements. To end your Rude Awakening e-mail subscription and associated external offers sent from Rude Awakening, feel free to [click here.]( Please note: the mailbox associated with this email address is not monitored, so do not reply to this message. We welcome comments or suggestions at feedback@rudeawakening.info. This address is for feedback only. For questions about your account or to speak with customer service, [contact us here]( or call (844)-731-0984. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular investment situation. 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