As I said last week compromise is a four-letter word with certain members of congress. To them, compromise is a sign of weakness. Unfortunately, the House Freedom Caucus has enough members who are willing to flex their muscle, and Speaker McCarthy may not survive in his position.
From various news sources. Hard-right Republicans pressed their mutiny against Speaker Kevin McCarthy into a second day on Wednesday, keeping control of the House floor in a raw display of their power that raised questions about whether the speaker could continue to govern his slim and fractious majority.
Mr. McCarthy, who enraged ultraconservative Republicans by striking a compromise with President Biden to suspend the debt limit, has yet to face a bid to depose him, as some hard-right members have threatened. But the rebellion has left him, at least for now, as speaker in name only, deprived of a governing majority.
The situation has provided me with a whole bunch of Quotes of the Day, all the courtesy of Republicans.
“House Leadership couldn’t Hold the Line,” Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida and a leader of the rebellion, tweeted on Wednesday. “Now we Hold the Floor.”
“There was an agreement in January and it was violated in the debt ceiling bill,” said Representative Ken Buck, Republican of Colorado.
“Political incontinence. We are wetting ourselves and we can’t do anything about it. This is insane. This is not the way a governing majority is expected to behave, and frankly I think there’ll be a political cost to it.” Representative Steve Womack of Arkansas called it — and predicted a major backlash against their party in 2024 if they did not get themselves in order soon.
“We’re back to the normal state of affairs where the speaker has to worry about this group — and that’s how it’s been for a decade,” said Brendan Buck, who was a top adviser to Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin and Mr. Boehner. “These guys want to be relevant more than anything else. They find a way to reassert themselves into the conversation.”
“Don’t expect that it’s always going to be like this. Every team will encounter adversity at some point. That’s literally what we’re going through.” Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the majority whip.
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On Tuesday I wrote about being concerned about wildfires and their fallout for the first time in my life. Little did I know it was only going to get worse. I have followed the Tigers for my entire life and Wednesday was the first time I can recall that one of their games was postponed because of air quality. Here is another Quote of the Day.
“Today is our chance to understand what it really feels like every day on a fossil-fueled planet, for the billions of people unlucky enough to really bear the brunt. My eyes are stinging a bit from the smoke, but I’ve never seen more clearly.” Bill McKibben, the writer and environmental activist, lives in Vermont and argued that the Canadian fires have given millions of North Americans a sense of what other people already know.
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As a follow-up to my blog last week about the challenges Michigan faces with attracting high tech jobs, I was encouraged by an article that occurred in Bridge Michigan today. Here are excerpts.
A report last month by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a public policy think tank, and Altarum, a Michigan-based health nonprofit, warned that population loss will become a growing problem for Michigan unless state officials find a way to reverse it. It also identified Michigan’s livable climate as “an opportunity for growth.”
Michigan may be facing hard times now, the theory goes, but if marketed correctly, its abundant water, mild summers and insulation from the most devastating natural disasters offer a competitive edge over regions that are becoming unlivable due to hurricanes, drought, wildfires, heat and sea level rise.
But it’s difficult to predict when, and to what degree, worsening climate peril will produce a wave of climate migrants big enough to sway census trends. And Michigan faces stiff competition from neighboring states that can also tout “climate haven” bona-fides — while also offering better schools and roads.
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Quote of the Day: See above.
Orchid of the Day: Mia, the waitress referenced in the Onion of the Day who did not let the bad tippers affect how she does her job.
Onion of the Day: Bad tippers. This morning I watched a middle-aged couple have breakfast. Based on what I saw them eating, I estimate their bill was around $30. The food is always good, and the service is even better, yet they only left a $2 tip for Mia, the waitress who was on top of their every need. It pissed me off.
If you cannot afford to tip properly, eat at home.
Question of the Day: When did compromise become a weakness?
Video of the Day: I hope you enjoy this video. It is worth your time.