... or sixth, or seventh, just try again.
Such is the g-g-g-governing philosophy of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who last night suggested that next time — "next" being the charm — he may try a "clean" continuing resolution.
This one would screw desperate Ukrainians battling Russian hegemony in addition to the GOP's customary go-to: screwing poor children and their desperate young mothers.
"I think" — McCarthy's first mistake, and for the umpteenth time — "if we had a clean one without Ukraine on it we could probably be able to move that through," said the speaker after a full caucus chitchat last night.
He added: "I think [there he goes again] if the Senate puts Ukraine on there and focuses Ukraine over America, I think that could cause real problems."
Well there we get at the heart of the matter. Things have been working smoothly over in Kevin's department, the House, but we can never rely on that doggone Senate, stuffed as it is with villainous troublemakers.
But what, exactly, does "focusing" on Ukraine look like? It closely resembles an expense of $6.15 billion, with $4.5 billion going to the Defense Department and $1.65 billion to State for Ukraine's defense. (President Biden had requested nearly $10 billion.)
For fiscal 2023, the entire federal budget entailed an expense of $5.8 trillion. So the tiny sliver marked up for Ukraine is too minuscule for my pocket calculator to comprehend.
Meanwhile, reports The Hill, "other Republicans ... said lawmakers are still exploring GOP-only possibilities." That, despite the looming reality that only with Democratic votes can a CR get through the House.
McCarthy should be leading that particular charge, since sooner or later but probably sooner he's going to lose his job anyway. (Earlier this week, and clearly while suffering from a psychotic break, I predicted that Kevin would indeed take the helm. Just as clearly, he won't.)
Hence "top Democrats are calling on centrist House Republicans to team up with them to keep the government open," says NBC News. This could be done via a straightforward discharge petition, for which, only six Republicans are needed. But GOP takers are scarce — and for a head-scratching reason.
"That would require breaking with Speaker Kevin McCarthy," observes NBC. Yes? And? This is a problem? That would be like breaking with Benito Mussolini on 27 April 1945.
Said Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle yesterday: "The irony is the Republican members who are the most endangered in November [2024] are the ones who are just MIA right now."
They're a strange bunch — stranger, even, than their vastly imperiled speaker.