That slow grinding creak you hear in the background; that’s the U.S. economic engine running without oil and beginning that slowdown phase just before it stutters and stalls completely.  Alas, the pretending continues…

As noted by the Wall Street Journal, an economic gaslighting institution with a central mission to maintain pretenses, “business surveys show U.S. factory activity declined in December, the Institute for Supply Management and S&P Global both said this week. Separately, S&P Global said Thursday that U.S. services-sector businesses reported a decline in output for the third month running in December.” This comes as “U.S. imports dropped more, by 6.4% on the month, as Americans cut back on holiday-related purchases, including items from other countries such as computers and autos.”

Keep in mind, November retail sales—which included consumer spending at stores, online and at restaurants—fell 0.6% from the prior month for their biggest decline of 2022, according to the Commerce Department. Manufacturing output declined in November as well, the Fed reported, while U.S. home sales fell for a record 10th straight month.

Into this mix of economic metrics, driven by a collapse in disposable consumer income and high energy prices, now we begin to see the number one business expense being curtailed.

(Market Watch) […] Amazon.com Inc layoffs will affect more than 18,000 employees, the highest reduction tally revealed in the past year at a major technology company as the industry pares back amid economic uncertainty.

(more…)

The tenth round of ballot counting continues in the House chamber. However, it looks like an 11th ballot will be necessary as Kevin McCarthy has failed, yet again, to gain the support of 21 House Republican holdouts.

Inside the beltway rumors have surfaced that after the 9th failed attempt, groundhog McCarthy exited the chambers, stepped outside, saw his shadow and thus predicted another six weeks of ballot counting was likely.  As noted by Politico, “the California Republican fell short in his bid for the speaker’s gavel in seventh, eighth, ninth, and now tenth ballots — a history-making stalemate that has paralyzed the party’s new majority.”

WASHINGTON DC – […] The next steps for McCarthy are unclear. GOP leadership is mulling trying to adjourn the chamber to give McCarthy more time to hold meetings and solidify a deal that they hope will win him the speaker’s gavel. But such a move would require help from Democrats or near unimity from Republicans, who only narrowly won an unruly vote Wednesday to adjourn for the night.

And Republicans are still trying to figure out if the glimmers of hope over the potential deal are just a mirage. McCarthy met nearly every one of the holdouts’ demands, but it’s not clear it will be enough to get him across the finish line. And in a slim majority, he can’t afford to alienate the other side of his conference, where centrists and institutionalists already have heartburn over the offered deal. (read more)

Voting continues.  Meme creators continue working overtime.

(more…)

Most people are unaware that outside lobbyist groups hold the power over the internal dynamic.  In addition to internal financial systems, each congressperson is aligned with a lobbyist group that pays for their political election efforts, sort of like a corporate sponsor in a professional sports team.  Ultimately the sponsors determine what issues the politician supports.  This is the business end of DC politics.

According to Politico, the Congressional Leadership Fund (team McCarthy) has come to an agreement with the Club for Growth Fund (team not McCarthy) and worked out a deal the representatives may be permitted to support.  The deal “includes a vote on term limits for members, more seats for Freedom Caucus members on the powerful House Rules Committee and allowing a single member to force a vote on ousting the speaker.”  The voting continues today.

.

(more…)

Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is one of the primary voices against Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for the House speaker role. Gaetz appeared on Fox News to discuss the background issues with Kevin McCarthy and the lack of trust held by the group opposing him.

Additionally, Gaetz refuses to accept the criticism from former House republicans who created the crisis of confidence within the American electorate.  When challenged about the specific criticism, Gaetz does a good job putting context to the failed republican efforts over the past 15 years.  The video is a good encapsulation of the current status.  WATCH (prompted to 02:29):

.

The House will reconvene at Noon Thursday to continue the process of trying to nominate a speaker.

(more…)

The previously insufferable Hannitus Interruptus has been on a downward spiral ever since his wife caught him in an affair with Ainsley Earhardt and divorced him.  Immediately thereafter, with Fox News holding leverage over his ability to pay the support needed, he has been unwatchable in the extreme.   However, that said, even at the lowest possible threshold of credibility, Hannity finds a way to go even deeper into the hole of irrelevance with this interview.

Sean Hannity invites Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert onto his television show so that she can listen to him tell her what her position is regarding his good friend Kevin McCarthy.  This is peak moonbattery from the ridiculous pundit.  {Direct Rumble Link} – WATCH (if possible):

.

(more…)

During a floor speech earlier today, Pennsylvania Republican Representative Scott Perry nominates Florida Republican Representative Byron Donalds to become Speaker of the House.  WATCH:

.

Meanwhile, Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) mounted his one-eyed high horse to slam the 20 House Republicans who oppose Kevin McCarthy’s bid for the speakership.

“I’m tired of your stupid platitudes that some consultant told you to say on the campaign trail, alright. Behind closed doors tell us what you actually want, or shut the f*** up,” he said of the holdouts, according to the Washington Post’s Dylan Wells. (link)

Crenshaw’s comments come after McCarthy failed to win the House speakership in a fourth, fifth and sixth vote. Representative Victoria Spartz (R-Indiana) voted “present,” moving her support of McCarthy away from her position in prior ballots.

(more…)

In the aftermath of the 2020 election House democrats led by Nancy Pelosi directed a national pantomime from Washington DC that extremists were running amok and terrorizing congress.  The January 6 Committee was intended to further establish that narrative.

Pelosi called up the national guard, put fences and barbed wire around congress then installed metal detectors, all as part of the theater for manufacturing the domestic violent extremist narrative.  The media engineered the supportive narrative and the ridiculous pantomime continued throughout the past two years.   However, as congress now changes hands and republicans take control, the fences are taken down and the metal detectors are being removed.

Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert highlights the return of normalcy. {Direct Rumble Link} WATCH:

However, against the backdrop of revelations from the Twitter Files where the intelligence apparatus, Dept of Homeland Security and FBI were part of the government operation to influence public opinion, the possibility of an FBI inspired and coordinated attack against the Capitol is now more likely than previous.

(more…)

There have been multiple times in the history of Congress when multiple ballots are required to nominate the House Speaker.  However, at no point in history has the same person failed to capture the majority on six ballots and remained determined to keep trying.

At this point, the hubris of Kevin McCarthy is becoming awkwardly embarrassing, which is to say, perfect.  Kevin McCarthy is becoming a human meme.

Well done rebels. Hold the line.

Six ballots with an almost identical outcome, yet California Representative Kevin McCarthy refuses to accept that no path to the speaker’s office exists despite him already moving in there.   Unless, and this is where it gets sketchy, the House votes to change the rules which would allow a plurality of the vote to determine the speaker…. which could happen.

After failing for the sixth time, the House Republican caucus requested an adjournment until 8:00pm tonight.  Democrats objected, but the Republicans won the voice vote.

(more…)

Seven masked midgets were spotted running amok in a DC Starbucks today. No one was hurt, but damage was done to several skirting boards and light sockets as a white woman with a tiara and broom feverishly chased after them.

Shortly thereafter, word spread that Kevin McCarthy’s office will assuage Republican fears about his spineless UniParty propensity by working with Democrats to construct the roadmap for his inevitable installation.

(WASHINGTON DC) – Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Wednesday failed to secure the Speakership on the House’s fourth vote. Preliminary vote totals showed him getting 201 votes, short of the 218 required to secure the gavel.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) on Wednesday said “preliminary talks” had begun with Democrats about supporting a “consensus candidate” for Speaker. Bacon told CNN, however, he wanted to hold back on the details of the conversations so as to not get ahead of the negotiations.

“There are preliminary talks, but we don’t want to go too fast on this because that then highjacks what Kevin is trying to do, and we want to support Kevin, he’s worked hard to get this,” Bacon said. (read more)

(more…)

Day two of the House Speaker battle is scheduled to begin at noon, maybe.  Amid the chaos “GOP leaders and aides were still deciding how to proceed on the floor on Wednesday. Top Republicans are giving little indication of any future speaker votes, how long the battle will last, or even whether they’ll hold conference meetings. It’s possible that the House could reconvene on Wednesday only to vote to punt further speaker votes until Thursday.”

Kevin McCarthy is demanding the House Republicans give him his “precious,” an affectionate term for the speaker gavel that is in sight, but just out of reach.  Meanwhile, the conservative caucus is not flinching. “It may not happen on the day we want it, but it’s going to happen,” McCarthy said late Tuesday night.

As frustrated spectators CTH readers decry the visibility of the UniParty apparatus, yearning, thirsting for a bold contrast.  Well, finally 20 House Conservatives are delivering that battle, the big ugly, and I am happy to see this unfolding with all the brilliant and chaotic mess it deserves.  Fight on my friends, fight on.  WATCH: 

.

Let Day Two of the Big Ugly commence forthwith.

(more…)