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Kevin McCarthy Sends the House GOP into Crisis After Dropping out of Speakers Race


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  • jaredsxtn
    2015-10-08 02:02:08 PM
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    I knew that Kevin McCarthy's unfortunate slip of the tongue (or should I say moment of actually telling the truth for once) would put him in hot water for a few days, but I never in a million years thought that his admission that the Special Benghazi committee was in fact a witch hunt for Hillary Clinton would force him to drop out of consideration for Speaker of the House.

    For anyone who has been asleep these past few days--Majority Leader McCarthy announced his intentions to succeed John Boehner as Speaker of the House and promptly went on to the mouthpiece of the Republicans, Fox News, and told Sean Hannity the truth about the Benghazi Special Committee:

    “Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she’s untrustable.”

    Every Democrat, and I would even suggest most Republicans, have known this for a long time. But the number one thing you can't do in politics is actually tell the truth when you are spending taxpayer dollars to conduct a political witch hunt and you have to hide behind the guise of being above politics and "finding the truth."

    So Kevin McCarthy is now out of being third in line to the Presidency because he actually told the truth about this whole charade of a select committee. A select committee that has cost millions of taxpayer dollars and is being conducted entirely in secret with the Republicans selectively leaking information that casts Democrats in a bad light and withholding information that directly refutes their fanciful theory of what happened that night.

    Thankfully the Democrats are on the offensive now and are beginning to release documents that prove that this has been a political with hunt the entire time and I can only assume that the committee will either be disbanded or lose any sense of authority after all of this. And Kevin McCarthy now has to watch one of his underlings leap frog ahead of him because he actually spoke the truth for once. Sorry Kevin, but I don't feel sorry for you one bit.

  • Schmidt
    2015-10-08 02:11:11 PM
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    I'm not sure that this has as much to do with McCarthy's gaffe about the Benghazi committee as it is a well orchestrated plan to grab power by some of the more extremist elements in the party. We'll see how it plays out, but for the Tea Party McCarthy did not pass their purity test.
  • jaredsxtn
    2015-10-08 02:17:35 PM
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    Schmidt Wrote: I'm not sure that this has as much to do with McCarthy's gaffe about the Benghazi committee as it is a well orchestrated plan to grab power by some of the more extremist elements in the party. We'll see how it plays out, but for the Tea Party McCarthy did not pass their purity test.

    That's an interesting point.

    This may be a huge blessing in disguise for the Democratic Party. The future speaker will undoubtedly be far to the right of McCarthy and will hopefully take the entire party down with him (or her). Their no negotiation, my way or the highway, way of governing is great for their base, but the country will soon grow tired of it.

    I'm sure Boehner's worst nightmare is now coming true. First Eric Cantor, his protege, goes down in the 2014 primary and now McCarthy goes down. I wonder if he's beginning to have second thoughts about his decision to step down.

  • Schmidt
    2015-10-08 03:48:52 PM
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    Yes...we have to ask ourselves: why did Boehner decide to step down at this critical time? Was he threatened by the Tea Party extremists that if he didn't cooperate on a government shutdown, they would remove him from the speakership? Maybe...or maybe not. But Boehner didn't want to take that chance. He is going out on his terms.

    And with the Tea Party successful in forcing Boehner out, would they settle for a McCarthy? No. Listening to the Tea Party Trump supporters in Las Vegas today, they cheered when Trump gave them the news that McCarthy had withdrawn his name. These were the same folks that cheered when Boehner announced his retirement.

    This is a coalition of the Tea Party libertarians and the Christian evangelicals (I call them the crusaders) that are exercising their muscle. We should not gloat because one of their demands is to shut down the government over Planned Parenthood, and everyone loses if that happens....depending on how long the shutdown is carried out. With a Tea Party anarchist type as Speaker, there may be no yielding...no compromises. Everyone loses.

  • Schmidt
    2015-10-09 08:23:23 AM
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    Huffington Post, October 8, 2015: Kevin McCarthy's Exit Came After Personal Threat Over Affair Allegations

    It is now emerging that the reason Kevin McCarthy quit his candidacy for the Speakership is that he succumbed to a threat to reveal an alleged affair he had with another representative. McCarthy denies this (and the affair) but why else would he suddenly quit when he had it all locked up?

    Republicans have been absolutely ruthless in their treatment of our first African-American president, but they can do it to their own just as easily. This is the mindset of the viewing audience that cheered when Trump told them McCarthy had withdrawn. They are consumed by their anger and wallow in their own hate.

    Kevin McCarthy did not pass the anger purity test, and they found a way to take him down.

    It may very well be that the role of the Speakership is an impossible task right now when the so called "Freedom Caucus" demands 100 percent loyalty to their ideology. That's why Boehner called it quits...and why they cannot govern.

  • Dutch
    2015-10-09 09:02:26 AM
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    Schmidt Wrote: I'm not sure that this has as much to do with McCarthy's gaffe about the Benghazi committee as it is a well orchestrated plan to grab power by some of the more extremist elements in the party. We'll see how it plays out, but for the Tea Party McCarthy did not pass their purity test.
    Schmidt, yes I think you are right; they want a ultra right Tea Party evangelical in there, as well as President. That will be their downfall.
  • Schmidt
    2015-10-09 10:01:26 PM
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    Well maybe like an alcoholic, the Freeedom Caucus of 40-50 representatives drunk on their power, will need to hit rock bottom before they wake up to reality. Their power lies not with the rules of the House, but rather an informal governing principle called the Hastert Rule. The Hastert Rule is a Republican only rule that says Republicans will not bring any legislation to the floor for a vote unless it first passes a majority of the Republican Party vote. Any Speaker can choose to ignore it, and in fact they have in "must pass" legislation like raising the debt ceiling. Democrats do not have a similar rule.

    However, now the Freedom Caucus is holding up everything to demand a ransom before the budget is approved or the debt ceiling raised. And that ransom is defunding Planned Parenthood and repealing ObamaCare. They have pissed off a lot of moderate Republicans, and now they are also placing the same demands, (their purity demands) on any new Speaker...that Planned Parenthood defunding (and ObamaCare repeal) will be attached to these "must pass" bills or the government will be shutdown.

    What needs to change? The new Speaker making it a condition that the Hastert Rule no longer applies. It's as simple as that. The Freedom Caucus would be stripped of its power immediately.We would be back to "majority rules" because Democrats in the House would once again have their votes counted. Isn't that democracy?


  • eternal flame
    2015-10-12 11:31:53 AM
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    See Below --- VERY IMPORTANT ---- Tells how America was subverted by the Republican JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY (since 1958) & how their agenda has always been to "destroy Democracy" (from within) by secret "front" groups, and by ownership of many broadcasting radio & TV stations. It was well-financed by the GOP wealthy elite (also known as -- the 1% ) .But it includes much of corporate America, and the INDUSTRIAL WAR MACHINE. The radio stations began spewing "propaganda" nearly 24/7 & soon had a mega-mouthpiece, known as "Rush" Limberger. (And Prez Ronnie Reagan put an end to the "Fairness Doctrine" on US radio, so now Rush could tell "lies" literally all day & night, without repercussion). Their main agenda? To takeover our "democracy" & destroy it from within, as Robt Welch, their founder & leader had openly advocated in all their literature since 1958. (Mr. Welch had studied Hitler, & Lenin, & other Fascist regimes, which he liked a lot better than democracy). So he wanted to get started as quickly as he could. (By 1960, Welch was writing in his Members Manual (THE BLUE BOOK) that JFK (Dem Senator) was a "communist" and doing evil things to our govt). I can type out every word "verbatim" from that Blue Book, if you want. (I have 5 copies of it, plus could Xerox it). By distributing all his Birch literature thru-out America & on radio & TV, -- it is very likely that the assassination of President Kennedy was largely due to Welch & his John Birch Society influence.

    And I have heard there were even people who "cheered" at the news JFK had died. (I DO KNOW that those people were Birchers). By 1963, Birch literature was all over the USA, even being spread by our Military. (General Edwin Walker was suspended for doing that at a military academy). But the JBS wanted to get into the electoral system as soon as possible, & JFK was blocking their efforts. So, rather than waiting another 4 or 8 yrs for the next election, the simple way was to kill JFK. And if you don't believe that, consider what happened NEXT. In 1968, when Bobby was murdered (running for Prez) it of course kept another popular liberal Kennedy out of office & allowed NIXON (who was forced out of office or be impeached) (GOP-crook) promoted by Birchers // & then Vice-Prez Gerald Ford who "pardoned" NIXON. (a crime).

    Actually, politics can be fascinating (& frightening) -- but it is REALITY, & much better than reading mystery stories or Fiction. SINCE 1960, things have been going on that would keep Sherlock Holmes up nights, & mystify Batman & Superman. (Gee, I wonder if there is a "woman" super-hero?) Heck, no. -- Keep on Dreaming : )

  • eternal flame
    2015-10-12 08:53:59 PM
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    THIS ARTICLE is basically (2) parts: One is about the JBS (John Birch Society) & GOP subversion of U.S. Politics for 57 years (since 1958)

    The second part is about WAR & Conflict in the Middle East (& Biblical End Times) & ARMAGEDDON, with specific geographical locations.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Many have been studying about psychology and how it affects voting. A very worthy subject. But may I add, that today's voting habits are very strongly influenced by advertising techniques, almost like brain-washing, being done by professional Mind Control experts, - paid for by Koch Bros & GOP/JBS - for the last 30 years

    The Birch Society (now merged into the Tea Party) -- are deliberate infiltration agents, who are sent to destroy democracy from within, using all the Communist methods & techniques that were used in previous generations by the Communists and the Nazi's. You may remember how EFFECTIVE THEY WERE. How evil they were, and how they can spread their poison from one generation to another. They begin "under-cover" with secret meetings, (Birch Society began that in 1958). By the way, it is important to know, that ALL of these groups are under the operational banner of the GOP - Republican Party. And most of the Birch Society was run by the millionaire corporation leaders.of America (also known as --- the 1% ). Another way they "rig" our elections, is steady propaganda on the airwaves 24/7 --- using people like Rush Limburger. to spew total BS to his adoring audience. All "hate" spewers on radio & TV work for the GOP. aka The John Birch Society, aka The Tea Party.

    Their agenda is to destroy democracy in America (so we the people have no vote & NO POWER) & thus to give over our rights & ideology to giant agencies of the Republican Party --- (Corporations & OIL Companies, & the Industrial WAR MACHINE). They actually wrote their agenda in the PNAC, saying they wanted to wage eternal war in 7 nations, to steal their OIL, (& their first one was IRAQ). And how did THAT turn out? After 12 years, no End in sight. But then it spreads, & we have to move on into many other nations, (killing our soldiers all the way, & wasting Billion$ of U.S. Dollar$). And NOW in 2016, we are facing the worst case scenario - even the End of the World -- due to those corrupt EVIL rotten Republicans. And you know what? They don't even care about the pollution or destruction of the Planet, because part of their propaganda "brain-wash" program, is to tell their people that they are "privileged special Christians" who will never suffer or die, but be picked up by a golden chariot or a pink cloud, & be taken up to Heaven, No pain, just an everlasting Eternity in Glory.. Probably with chauffeur-driven limousines, full of wine & champagne.

    By very intense brain-washing, for the last 57 years, these Birchers, GOP, Tea-Party, etc --- believe every ridiculous word they say. And very early on, by the 1960's,.they owned MANY radio and TV broadcasting stations. Corporate America at work. And one of the first things said by their Birch Leader (Robt Welch) was: That "He did NOT believe in DEMOCRACY." (Can you even imagine that? ) He made it very clear --- HE DID NOT BELIEVE that AMERICA should be a DEMOCRACY. (Which would definitely be quite a shock to our Founding Fathers). They deliberately patterned our govt from the ancient Greeks (500 BC) -- the world's first democracy.

    How do we KNOW?? Because the Founding Fathers were very intelligent, very well educated, very sophisticated, & even kept up correspondence with people over in France & England. Even with the old-fashioned ships they had then, the Colonists frequently sailed back & forth to England. It is all recorded in our History books. And they even had a printing press, owned by Benjamin Franklin, & he hired Thomas Paine to work for him, sending out pamphlets to inspire Revolution. A dangerous thing to contemplate -- breaking away from a huge empire like Great Britain, & to start up a frail attempt at democracy, in an empty wilderness (full of wild Indians & buffalo).

    Just like we still have all those HISTORY BOOKS, to tell us about our American Revolution which was victorious in 1776 --- and gave us our freedom from England, & led to us eventually becoming a world super-power to be envied by all the world --- until the Evil Greedy Republicans turned us into a Pirate Empire that goes over to middle eastern countries to plunder their OIL and to destroy planet Earth. To pollute and destroy every thing we touch. To start endless Wars that none of the rich instigators ever have to fight in, -- NO -- they just send our young innocent American boys to fight for them. The 1% never even have to get their hands dirty,

    Like we know about the American Revolution (etc) through HISTORY BOOKS -- We can find out about the evil take-over of our American Democracy the same way.

    BOOKS. - and now in the 2nd Millennium, we even have Video's & You-Tube, and Multi-Media sources. Lots of ways to trace the John Birch Society and how it began & who were all involved in it. Robert Welch was the original leader, (1958) & he had a National Council who helped finance and run the show. They were all Republican wealthy corporate leaders (are you shocked?) And they ALL signed on, KNOWING that Welch said -- "He did NOT believe America should be a Democracy."

    So they all immediately signed on to a "subversive" organization, that was dedicated to destroying our Democracy. All the meetings were "secret" and all the members names were to be "secret" --- & they were all told that the Communist menace was taking over America, & THEY had to stop it -- and the way to stop it was to get some greedy wealthy GOP crooks elected, and to run an agenda leading to many wars, to increase our wealth & OIL supplies, But also they had to get rid of all those pesky Democrats, since we may "love our Freedom" and "love our country" & not "go along with the Program" to destroy our Democracy. So how could the wonderful GOP accomplish that? (getting rid of & sabotaging Democrats)? -- Well, the usual way. LIES & PROPAGANDA. The Birch Society owned & operated a whole host of radio stations & book stores, & of course had their "secret" meetings. They also published dozens of right-wing Magazines & Newsletters, to spread all their LIES.

    HOW DO I KNOW? Because they actually tried to RECRUIT ME. Yes, I was invited to a house where a guy showed up with literally 3 suitcases Full of Birch Society Literature. And he spent at least 2 or 3 hours explaining their agenda, & how I could help them rid the earth of those "godless evil Democrats". Since they were so convinced that Democrats were Devils (or God knows what else) --- & the USA could not survive unless "we" all joined together to fight those lousy Democrats & WIN a moral & patriotic Victory for the GOP. (Holy Jesus, can you believe it?) Well, I have always felt that God sent me there that night, because ever since I have made it a moral obligation to tell people what I KNOW about them, & their whole agenda. But it did not stop there. I have studied dozens of Books written by them & about them, and for a few years, I even had them sending me literature. (ha) What a hoot. I wondered what they really wanted, & I found out. But it's probably too late to do much to stop it now. We are probably at the End Times -- and the JBS & GOP & Tea Party gang (+ the 1% ) have all helped to create this World Crisis we are now in.

    ----------------------------------------------THE FINAL WAR----------------------

    The Bible tells us exactly where the Final War will be - which ends the world. It is called "Armageddon" -- which translates to the "Plains of Megiddo" -- which is located in ISRAEL.

    Megiddo is in ISRAEL, North of Bethlehem & Jerusalem, & a bit south-west of the Sea of Galilee. Then the north border of Israel merges into SYRIA. Then the East border of Syria merges into IRAQ. (we bombed it in 2003). (aka Babylon). Then the East border of Iraq merges into IRAN. (we are having nuclear treaty dispute there now).

    The POINT IS that the Bible predicted this maybe 2,000 yrs ago, & it said the End of the World would be in ISRAEL at the Plains of Megiddo, And here we are in 2015 with Wars all over in that area. For 12 years we are at War in IRAQ, having disputes with IRAN about the Nuclear Treaty, and we are having a very active WAR going on with SYRIA right now, with ISIS appearing in many places. Now Russia is entering the arena, shooting missiles, & Korea is also rattling their sabers, & with great stress between the Jews in ISRAEL & the Muslims in IRAN --- this old Earth could blow up any minute. So it looks like the END is NEAR.--- & it looks like the Bible should get some credit, for predicting all this 2,000 years ago. Too bad we were not smart enough to figure out a way to AVOID IT. ///

    ***** (music video) "The EVE of DESTRUCTION" ------------- youtu.be/ntLsElbW9Xo

    .

  • Dutch
    2015-10-13 08:39:57 AM
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    Eternal; what did you drink? Wow you must have been burning the midnight candles. Quite a story. How can anyone of the Birchers visit you with a suitcase full of crap?

    Down here no one visits me like that unless they want to get shot. A nice quiet neighborhood . Anyway forget the Armageddon that is already past (I guess that was Oct. 1st)

    If I was you, please take it easy and sip some nice sleepy tea (provided by the "tea" party) and everything will be alright; our army and leaders will keep you safe and as AMC says there is a "floating thing" up there who "blesses" everything including your horse. Good night, your buddy Rob.

  • Chet Ruminski
    2015-10-13 08:46:09 AM
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    The brainwashing washing by the Bircher et al works because it appeals to a mindset that everybody is taught from day one. Work hard and you will succeed and the best person wins. That is actually anti social thinking. It disregards people not lucky enough to be smart, talented, skilled , healthy and possessing all the traits that benefit the top .001. Every so often I listen to the right wing talk stars and to Fox News. The top .001 exemplify the results of work hard and succeed and the best wins. Well, that philosophy works to keep the population supporting anti social ethics of selfishism. It makes unions look bad and it makes other people feel like helpless losers. Think about if you would support doing away with the valedictorian in high school . Or awarding scholarships based on academics. Rush et al play on the philosophy of the best succeed. What everybody teaches their children.
  • Dutch
    2015-10-13 09:02:10 AM
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    Yes, we are indoctrinated on a daily basis; take a simple thing which I saw ( not that I like that show) is the Wheel of Fortune; in that game you already know who is going to win; the one who wins a bit in the start, gets only more and more even nice trips plus a chance to win more money. Most of the games in this country give only a first price and if so a huge gap between second or third. So that is how it works here. Like they say in Dutch "It throws it all on the same big heap".
  • eternal flame
    2015-10-14 04:38:47 AM
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    Thanks for all the kind words, Dutch. It really helped. Did you really want to know how I got some Birchers to come to my place with suitcases of literature? (ha)

    i was living in California, at the time, & visited a high school pal one night, & she had an Aunt who asked us over for a snack. Then it turns out the Aunt had a boyfriend who happened to be a major Bircher, & he wanted to "talk to us" --- we were young & innocent, so we figured "why not"? So we did meet the nice Aunt & then the (older man) boyfriend showed up with 3 suitcases of brochures. It was friendly & fairly "convincing" about joining his organization. It was all wrapped in "patriotism" and as Claire Conner says in her book "wrapped in the Flag" --- so we were kind of getting interested & ready to "sign-up." Then the recruiter guy said "of course you know that America is not a democracy, & it was never meant to be a democracy." WAIT A MINUTE. I was shocked to hear that, because I knew it was NOT TRUE. So right then I walked away, & never looked back. But for years, her Aunt kept sending me literature, & I collected it, as "evidence" of all the crazy things the JBS orgn was doing. And then they killed Kennedy, & I began to see the whole plot. So here I am now, still trying to explain what it was that took-over the whole Republican Party, And I kept trying to find a way to prevent that from happening. But of course, I did not succeed, because who is going to listen to a 21 yr old girl? Nobody. So that's the way it WAS & is.

    WOW --- Did you see the Hillary & Bernie DEBATE tonight? Wasn't that spectacular? It made me laugh & cry & clap my hands right here sitting on my sofa.

    That sweet guy really has got "charisma" --- and is a fabulous speaker. No pretense with Bernie. I've always loved Hillary, so it is really a difficult choice.

  • that guy in AZ
    2021-11-19 07:03:41 AM
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    More and more of what the GOP is doing today can only be described as a "clown show".

    The Quora Digest explained this morning why Giuliani and his associate screwed Trump out of any chance of claiming executive privilege because the Trump campaign, not Trump, reimbursed them for their expenses.

    Then there's Kevin McCarthy, and Heather painted an interesting picture last night.

    The CBO score predicted that the savings from prescription drug reforms in the bill would come in $50 billion higher than the House had predicted.

    As soon as the score was released, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would vote on the bill tonight, suggesting that she had the votes to pass the bill.

    And then something interesting happened. Kevin McCarthy took to the House floor to slow down the passage of the Build Back Better Act, throwing the vote into the middle of the night. The minority leader put on a Trump-esque show of non-sequiturs, previewing the kind of speech he would make to rally Republicans behind him if the Republicans retake the House in 2022. The speech was angry, full of shouting, and made for right-wing media: it was full of all the buzz-words that play there. McCarthy spoke for more than three hours—as I write this, he is still speaking.

    But the blows he was trying to deliver didn’t land. The Democrats made fun of him, catcalled, and eventually just walked out, while the Republicans lined up behind McCarthy looked increasingly bored, checked their phones, and appeared to doze off. When Axios reporter Andrew Solender asked a Republican aide for some analysis of the speech, the aide answered: “I’m watching the Great British Baking Show.”

    As he spoke, Pelosi’s office fact-checked him, noting that while he is attacking the elements of the bill, saying no one wants them, the opposite is true.

    But it felt tonight as if the dynamic in the House has changed. The Republicans are now openly embracing Trump and his one-man rule. But their support for Gosar yesterday appears to have created a breach. Democrats are no longer trying to reason with the Republicans and are instead treating them with derision. That is, psychologically at least, a much more dominant position than they held recently.

    Rather than vote in the middle of the night, the Democrats have delayed the vote on the bill until tomorrow, when the American people can watch. In the past, Republicans have criticized Democrats for passing legislation “in the dead of night.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said of this important bill that dramatically expands the nation’s social safety net: “We are going to do it in the day.”

    https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/november-18-2021

  • that guy in AZ
    2021-11-19 07:51:26 AM
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    House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California early Friday concluded a marathon speech in opposition to the Democrats’ social policy bill, after talking for eight hours and 32 minutes, surpassing the length of one by Representative Nancy Pelosi in 2018 that held the record for the longest continuous House speech in modern history.

    The debate over the bill had been scheduled to last 20 minutes before Mr. McCarthy took over after 8 p.m. to deliver an at times rambling speech stuffed with Republican talking points against the legislation and punctuated with riffs about history.

    While the House has no equivalent to the Senate filibuster, Mr. McCarthy used the so-called magic minute rule, which allows the House speaker, the majority leader and the minority leader to talk for as long as they want. Ms. Pelosi used the infrequently deployed tactic when she was minority leader in 2018 to speak for just over eight hours about the young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers.

    “It is a feat of epic proportions to speak for four hours straight and not produce a single memorable phrase, original insight or even a joke,” Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, wrote on Twitter. “McCarthy thinks he is a wit but so far he has proved he is only half right.”

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/19/us/politics/kevin-mccarthy-speech.html

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