McCarthy is *probably* about to be voted in as Speaker.

I personally advise focusing on the enormous damage he and his party have already sustained in the four day fiasco, and the massive rifts and resulting weaknesses it exposed in the R caucus - rather than on the fact of him finally managing to stagger over the line.

Some R opposition has indeed surfaced to the MAGA rules package. Without that, the whole McCarthy "deal" falls apart.

My guess? Rs are too desperate to end the Speaker debacle to stop the rules package. But a bunch of them are furious about it.

If they let it pass they're postponing the next party crackup. But the party is even more divided. That's why one R has already reminded Kevin about discharge petitions - which could bypass the rules package.

A reminder that Kevin McCarthy as well as being weak, unprincipled, and servile is simply flat-out DUMB.

(Good to see reporters asking these things, though.)

Today, on Jan 6, the orange maniac just put out a screaming rant demanding the abolition of mail and early voting because it allows all elections to be rigged and stolen (from him).

Meanwhile R strategists are in constant despair that he keeps undermining their efforts to get Rs to vote early.

Reuters actually states the obvious.

Another reminder that the Taliban20 don't actually rule the world even if Kevin hands them the gavel along with his testicles.

There aren't a lot of reasonable Rs... but you don't need a lot when the Rs can only afford to lose 4 votes.

Twitter is being flooded with people declaring that McCarthy's "concessions" promised the MAGA maniacs he'd abolish social security and Medicare and default on the debt ceiling.

That's not how government works. They can't pass laws without the Senate. Many Rs and all Ds oppose a default. If Kevin refuses to let a bipartisan bill to the floor, he can be bypassed via discharge petition - as one R rep already publicly reminded him.

I don't have the energy to get into this with people on twitter.

As a meaningful 'leader,' Kevin is already pre-expired.

It got very little attention, but IMO the biggest House news of the day was Rep Fitzpatrick (R-PA) *publicly* warning the Taliban20 that they can be bypassed via discharge petition.

The fringe of the fringe will not have unfettered power even if they control Speaker-in-name-only Kevin.

And what a triumph it will be to prevail after 14 ballots because you have no control over your own caucus.

(Of course, he also said he had the votes before Jan 3.)

The anniversary has come.

Umm... barely managing to pull a badly damaged Speaker nominee across the line after a minimum of 14 ballots while revealing intense R dysfunction and incompetence is not much of a reason to smile.

Ah, the shitshow goes on, delaying the inevitable and building up even more damage to the R brand.

BIG that a Republican member is saying this openly.

Good big.

Beyond pathetic. It's going to be Kevin - albeit with severely damaged credibility and authority. And they still can't get it finished.

What a bunch of clowns.

Yes, we all know Kevin is going to stagger, bloodied and humiliated, across the line on ballot 13 or 14.

There's no more suspense to milk. Just move on to the ongoing dysfunction of this chaotic, divided, bare majority already.

Oh FFS. Musk always manages to sink even lower.

So Kevin agreed to *policy pledges* in a "deal" to make him Speaker... which of course has no binding power, and which is going to create a huge future battle inside the R caucus.

Particularly since R hawks can force a bipartisan bypass to the floor through a discharge petition.

Corrupt, servile, MAGA-enabling... and stupid.

And what a triumph it will be for the Rs when McCarthy manages to eke out a bare win on a 13th or 14th ballot after selling half the Speaker's power to the same extremist loons who've created all this chaos.

Hmm. This doesn't sound like an investigation that's winding down, does it?