(Mark Pellin, Headline USA) A band of House Freedom Caucus members and a growing coalition of Republican rebels that continued their fight Thursday against a D.C. establishment uni-party are being castigated as “terrorists” and “infidels,” as lawmakers failed for a third day to elect a speaker.
In historically epic fashion, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was once again denied his political career’s ambition when his bid for House speaker fell short on the 11th round of balloting. It was the longest stretch of anyone scrambling for the speakership in 164 years, with McCarthy only managing to harvest 200 of the 218 votes needed to secure the gavel.
The McCarthy hold-outs are pushing for substantive change from a status quo that has turned Congress into a well-oiled machine used to advance self-interests, partisan clout and political ambition above constituent service.
“When all the dust settles I hope the infidels pay a real prices [sic] for all the chaos and problems they’re causing,” tweeted Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, about the rebels fighting the establishment. “Actions should have consequences.”
In addition to leading an organization that self-identifies as “the Republican voice in the Jewish community,” Brooks also has deep ties and heavy sway with influential campaign donors infesting the swamp.
Unsparing anger from an influential Republican (and one who is influential with donors.) https://t.co/RX8rUkwJkQ
— Ron Kampeas (@kampeas) January 3, 2023
A prescient House Freedom Caucus memo issued in October nailed a likely post-midterm battle with the entrenched GOP establishment and offered guidance on moving forward with a new Congress.
“Republicans ran to fix Washington,” the memo read. “We cannot continue to govern in the same way that broke it.”
For its audacious efforts, the McCarthy opposition has been slagged as “terrorists” akin to the “Taliban” who are “enemies” of Republicans.
“Let’s face it,” Freedom Caucus member and McCarthy hold-out Rep. Dan Bishop, N.C., told Headline USA in October. “Leadership in Congress for years has not heard the voice of the American people, not been prepared to act, has done business as usual, when everybody understands that things have to change.”
Maybe not everybody, according to Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a McCarthy-backer who earlier this week told Fox News, “The pro-McCarthy side, there’s anger out there right now. There’s the chaos caucus, the Taliban 19, Taliban 20.”
Bacon refers to me as the “Taliban”
Well….as hurtful and false as that is….I too am prepared for an extended battle that I will ultimately win. https://t.co/zW7fLqj6tr
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) January 3, 2023
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., one of the demonized Taliban 20 who has been nominated for House speaker, called out Bacon for his vitriolic hyperbole.
“I think it’s outrageous,” Donalds told CNN. “We’re going through a legislative process, actually a democratic process, where votes have to be earned, not just given.
“So for that kind of language to be used, I think is reprehensible,” Donalds said. “What we have to do is be careful doing stuff like that.”
Bacon responded on the eve of Jan. 6 by comparing the Freedom Caucus’s fight against the uni-party establishment to “terrorism.”
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, shared that assessment, bleating to Fox News that the McCarthy hold-outs only goal was to “Get another scalp, get another scalp.”
“We cannot let the terrorists win,” said Crenshaw, who also claimed that, “They are the enemies now.”
Rep. Dan Crenshaw on bloc of hardliners determined to block McCarthy: “They are enemies now,” he told me. “They have made it clear that they prefer a Democrat agenda than a Republican one.” pic.twitter.com/w0LFmbFEED
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 3, 2023
“This handful of members is very clearly looking for notoriety over principle,” Crenshaw told CNN. “That’s what it is, and anyone who suggests differently is in some kind of make-believe, fantasy reality.”
The Republican rebels who Crenshaw accused of “very clearly looking for notoriety over principle” have since been able to extract several key concessions on principle from the current minority leader pining to become speaker.
Those concessions won by the Taliban 20 as the House adjourned Thursday included lowering the threshold to begin removing the speaker, stopping McCarthy-aligned establishment PACs from meddling in primaries and adding additional Freedom Caucus members to the influential House Rule Committee.
The freedom rebels were reportedly huddled in negotiations on the eve of J6 working on a deal that would allow additional time for lawmakers to review bills, term limits and open amendments.
“We have had more discussion and debate over the last three days than I have participated in on this floor for the past two years,” Rep. Matt Rosendale told the Associated Press. “And it’s healthy. It absolutely promotes the collegiality that everyone is striving to obtain.”
Bishop weighed in with similar sentiments.
“If you think the challenges to America are maybe even existential, are really bad, this is exactly what you should want to see happen,” he said.
Infidels. Terrorists. Insurrections.
