Subject: Re: Speaker's Election
Some of them are so distrustful of him that they won't accept him even if he gave them the rules they want

He keeps giving them more and more, and it will never be enough. The semi-amusing thing is that even if they get everything they want, it won't be enough because he will have damaged himself with everyone else and taken away nearly any bargaining chip he might have used in the future to corral reluctant members.

I am not predicting anything, but in Pennsylvania they just made a Democrat Speaker of their House, even though there are more Republicans seated.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/0...

I can also envision (though I am not saying it likely) that Democrats could be convinced to support a moderate Republican rather than Kevin, but only after Republicans have humiliated themselves for weeks or possibly months.

Where this ends is hard to say. McCarthy won't blink, the extremists are, well, extremist nihilists so' they won't either. This could go on forever, or Kevin could give them everything they want (including the ability to fire him at a moment's notice, which would be fatal anyway) and get the job, temporarily.