Politics

Republican Rep: “We Look Like A Bunch Of Idiots”

“It’s a tough scenario, but there are people in there that are honorably trying to get to the right place. And then there are people in there, as you know, that like to go on the TV and are not necessarily negotiating for anything other than TV time. Makes us look like a bunch of idiots.” – GOP Rep. Austin …

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House Republicans Float New Candidates For Speaker

Politico reports: House Republicans will meet again at 10 a.m. this morning to take another shot at choosing a new speaker after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise abruptly withdrew from the race last night. Just as the overthrow of McCarthy embittered McCarthy’s supporters and cost Scalise, the defenestration of Scalise has infuriated Scalise allies who are hardening their opposition to …

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GOP May Give Temporary House Speaker More Power

The Associated Press reports: When Rep. Patrick McHenry took the House speaker’s gavel for the first time, he slammed it down with such force at adjournment that it gained viral internet attention as the defining image of a House in turmoil. But as the House nears a second week stuck on pause, and Republicans struggle to unite around a candidate, …

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DeSantis: I Don’t Want A Doctor From “Woke Harvard”

Florida Politics reports: During an event in Berlin, New Hampshire, hosted by the Never Back Down super PAC, the Florida Governor and Harvard Law School graduate called the university “woke central” and suggested that if he needed medical care, he wouldn’t want a Harvard doctor to provide it. “I used to think to myself, like, you know, if anything ever …

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Jeffries Urges GOP To Break From “MAGA Extremists”

The Hill reports: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called for Republicans to “get their act together” and elect the next speaker while slamming the “extremists” within their party. Jeffries joined PBS News Hour inside the Capitol Thursday night after Speaker-designate Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) withdrew his name from consideration for the role. “I know there are traditional Republicans who …

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Israel Tells UN 1.1M Gaza Residents Should Evacuate

CBS News reports: As it continues to conduct relentless airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in the wake of the surprise Hamas attacks, the Israeli military informed the United Nations late Thursday night that the entire population in northern Gaza should evacuate south almost immediately. Stephane Dujarric, a U.N. spokesperson, told CBS News that liaison officers with the Israel Defense Forces …

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John Fetterman Calls On Senate To Expel Menendez

Philadelphia’s CBS affiliate reports: Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman on Thursday called on the Senate to expel Sen. Bob Menendez after being hit with new charges of conspiring to act as a foreign agent for Egypt. A statement from the Office of Fetterman states: Senator Menendez should not be a U.S Senator. He should have been gone long ago. It is …

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Steve Scalise Drops Out Of Race For House Speaker

NPR reports: Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., has dropped out of the race to become the new House speaker, after failing to secure enough support for his bid to succeed on the floor. “I was very clear we have to have everybody put their agendas on the side and focus on what this country needs,” Scalise told reporters in the Capitol. …

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Wife Of Dem NJ Gov May Run For Menendez’s Seat

Gothamist reports: Sen. Bob Menendez says he’s still in the 2024 race. But could Democrats see First Lady Tammy Murphy’s name on the primary ballot — either running against him or ultimately in his place? “I think if she has news to break on this, she’s going to be the one to do it,” Gov. Phil Murphy, her husband, said …

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POLL: Majority Of Jewish Israelis Blame Netanyahu

The Jerusalem Post reports: Four out of five Jewish Israelis believe the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are to blame for the mass infiltration of Hamas terrorists into Israel and the massacre that followed, a new Dialog Center poll released on Thursday found. An overwhelming majority – 86% of respondents, including 79% of coalition supporters, said the surprise attack …

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US To Stop Iran From Accessing $6 Billion Account

The Washington Post reports: U.S. officials and the Qatari government have agreed to stop Iran from accessing a $6 billion account for humanitarian assistance in light of Hamas’s attack on Israel, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told House Democrats on Thursday, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private remarks. The decision not …

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GOP To Meet Today Ahead Of Possible Speaker Vote

The Washington Post reports: The Republican-led House remains in limbo Thursday as Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) struggles to secure the majority of votes needed to be elected by the full chamber. On Wednesday, Scalise narrowly topped Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) in a conference-wide vote, winning the majority by 113-99, with nearly a dozen Republicans voting present or for someone else …

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Tuberville Warns Against “Picking Sides In Middle East”

“I’m hoping that cooler heads prevail, they don’t go into Palestine. Hopefully they get the hostages back and people start cooperating. But this has been really bad. Israel has the right to go because they they came in and they did some terrible things in their country. But the problem is when you start picking sides in the Middle East, …

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DeSantis Rips Trump For Calling Hezbollah “Very Smart”

“You know, I said that President Xi of China — 1.4 billion people, he controls it with an iron fist — I said he’s a very smart man. They killed me the next day [for saying it]. I said he was smart! What am I gonna say? But Hezbollah, they’re very smart and they [Israel] have a national defense minister …

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REPORT: Trump Won’t Back “Disloyal” Steve Scalise

The Messenger reports: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise should not expect any help from Donald Trump in his bid to become speaker of the House, sources tell The Messenger. Scalise hasn’t been loyal enough to the former president and 2024 presidential frontrunner, so he shouldn’t count on Trump to help woo enough GOP holdouts — who include Trump allies — …

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Progressive Podcaster Cenk Uygur To Challenge Biden

Semafor reports: Progressive pundit Cenk Uygur will challenge President Biden for the Democratic nomination, offering himself as an alternative to an incumbent who “is definitely going to lose” if he makes it to the general election. “I’m going to do whatever I can to help him decide that this is not the right path,” Uygur, 53, told Semafor, as he …

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Mace Opposes Scalise Due To David Duke Connection

“I plan on voting for Jim Jordan on the floor. I’ve been very vocal about this for the last couple of days. I personally cannot, in good conscience vote for someone who attended a white supremacist conference and compared himself to David Duke. I would be doing an enormous disservice to the voters that I represent in South Carolina if …

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Full House Will Not Vote For New Speaker Today

CNN reports: The House of Representatives will not vote on a new speaker today, just hours after Republicans voted behind closed doors to select Rep. Steve Scalise as their nominee for speaker. The final vote tally was 113 for Scalise and 99 for Rep. Jim Jordan. The vote came after the conference rejected a proposal to raise the threshold required …

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NC Republicans Override Vetoes Of Voting Restrictions

The Associated Press reports: North Carolina Republicans enacted vote-count restrictions and weakened the governor’s ability to oversee elections and other state regulatory bodies on Tuesday by overriding Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes. Lawsuits attempting to block the new laws are likely as the 2024 elections approach. In a series of votes, the narrow GOP supermajorities in the House and Senate …

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Israel Forms Emergency Unity Govt To Fight Hamas

The Jerusalem Post reports: An emergency government was formed on Wednesday afternoon after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Unity leader Benny Gantz met in the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv earlier in the morning. The meeting lasted half an hour after which lawyers representing the Likud and National Unity stayed behind to finalize the details. As part of the …

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