House Republicans are meeting tonight for several closed-door meetings to decide who will become the next speaker. And at this moment, anything seems possible, even a potential Kevin McCarthy comeback.
Yes, you read that right. After announcing that he would not seek a return following his stunning removal, McCarthy on Monday signaled that, actually, he wants more of this chaos. "Whatever the conference wants, I will do," he told reporters. Now personally, I can't think of a more groveling position to take. But that's fitting for McCarthy, a man whose entire career is owed to soulless ambitions for power.
Of course, a McCarthy return is a longshot. Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise are also fighting for the top spot. But I want to focus your attention on Jordan, who, in my estimation, is particularly odious. The far-right congressman is famous for his exceedingly annoying shouting performances during congressional hearings and long-standing accusations that, as the former Ohio State wrestling coach, he had turned a blind eye to sexual abuse. (Jordan has vehemently denied those allegations.) But we seem to forget that Jordan also played an active role in trying to help Donald Trump overturn the 2020 election. That's far worse than simply promoting the Big Lie, which, by now, is accepted by most of the GOP. As my colleagues David Corn and Dan Friedman explain:
Jordan was a key advocate of Trump’s election falsehood and co-conspirator in Trump’s bid to steal power. He was one of the GOP’s chief crusaders pushing falsehoods that threatened the constitutional order. If his fellow Republicans elevate Jordan to speaker, they will be fully embracing Trump’s attack on the republic, and a profound threat to democracy will now be coming from inside the House.
From one view, Jordan's potential elevation to speaker appears astounding, a true portrait of a party in freefall. But from another, it's a Monday in post–January 6 hell.
—Inae Oh
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