House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is walking a fine line on Capitol Hill. On one end of his daily dance he has the hardcore far-right members of his caucus who routinely threaten to jam up all forms of legislative business in service of MAGAworld grievances and disingenuous austerity flexing. On the other, he has his moderates and those from swing districts whom he tries to keep happy and onboard with the party agenda while downplaying hardliner’s shenanigans. It’s a balance the Speaker must strike just to keep the House functioning with a slim majority.
Lawyers for former president Donald Trump met Thursday morning with prosecutors from special counsel Jack Smith’s office, more than a week after Trump said he received a letter from the Justice Department telling him he could face criminal charges in connection with his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The meeting, confirmed by a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss it, is another sign that Smith could be close to seeking an indictment of Trump — or making a charging decision — in the long-running elections probe.
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It is not uncommon in high-profile cases for defense lawyers to get a meeting with Justice Department officials toward the end of an investigation, essentially so they can present their best argument for why their client should not be charged. But such presentations rarely change prosecutors’ minds, current and former officials say.
What must it feel like for McCarthy to know he’ll always be the far right’s bitch and if history ever mentions him it’s as an example of the weakest, most laughable speaker in this country’s history.
Two thoughts. First impeachment is a political act. You don’t have to have a reason to impeach Biden. The utter lack of evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors is no impediment to the Freedumb Caucus.
Second, the political risk associated with bringing an evidence free impeachment is they won’t be able to bring the moderate Republicans or even the Repubkicans in districts that voted for Biden in 2020 on board. Lying shamelessly about the “Biden Crime Family” might convince Fox News voters, but not everybody watches right wing media in swing districts. Lossing an impeachment inquiry might cost a lot of representatives their next election. McCarthy doesn’t have many votes to lose. Bringing an impeachment without compelling evidence is political suicide for a lot of congress critters. That will cost McCarthy his speakership.
…if the White House does not hand over the information House Republicans are requesting, while clarifying he had raised the prospect of an “impeachment inquiry,” not impeachment. “If they do not provide the information we need, then we will go to an impeachment inquiry,” McCarthy said during a Thursday press conference.
So impeachment threat used as an intimidation method? I don’t see Kevo as a gangster.
He’ll never be a Nancy Pelosi but he’s awfully close to being Newt Gingrich who led today’s R party to the perilous path it’s on. He was brazenly hypocritical but he led Rs to power and that’s all that matters.
From the Contract with America to the rise of the Tea Party and the Trump presidential campaign, his fingerprints can be seen throughout some of the most divisive episodes in contemporary American politics. Gingrich and his allies created a new normal in Washington.
