#Rep. Byron Donalds

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Update: Kevin McCarthy has, for a sixth time, lost his bid to become Speaker of the House, with the votes in the sixth round of voting unchanged from the fourth and fifth.

After three rounds of voting Tuesday, Kevin McCarthy was still more than a dozen votes short in his quest to become Speaker of the House. After three more ballots on Wednesday, only one person’s mind had changed, a previous McCarthy supporter who switched her vote to “present.”

Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida accepted a nomination to be the Republican alternative and picked up 20 votes in the fourth round, while Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana voted “present” on the fourth ballot. As a result, the House went to a fifth round of voting, where the outcome was exactly the same, down to Spartz’s “present” vote. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries won the support of all 212 Democrats and a plurality of all votes cast, but no candidate achieved the necessary majority to win.

And for McCarthy, his chances of winning what is sure to be the worst job in America appear to be slipping even further away.

Supporters and opponents of McCarthy traded personal barbs as the stalemate continued. Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, a House Freedom Caucus member, nominated McCarthy for the fifth speaker vote. He then rattled off a list of demands that McCarthy had met from conservative House rebels seeking to sink his bid to become Speaker, and said support from him and other Republicans, such as Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, was proof McCarthy was conservative enough for the job.

“As I’ve listened to my friends, 20 of whom have opposed Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House, the root issue is this—they do not trust Kevin McCarthy,” said Davidson, who last year compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust. “Right now, there are a lot of my colleagues that don’t trust 20 or more of my fellow Republicans.”

Following a brief speech in support of Jeffries from Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado rose to once again nominate Donalds. Boebert conceded that McCarthy had met the holdouts on some demands, but questioned if McCarthy was the right person for the job if he hadn’t suggested those reforms himself.

Boebert also confirmed that former President Donald Trump had encouraged her to capitulate and vote for McCarthy.

“Let’s stop with the campaign smears and tactics to get people to turn against us, even having my favorite president call us and tell us we need to knock this off,” Boebert said.

“I think it actually needs to be reversed,” she continued. “The President needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that sir, you do not have the votes, and it’s time to withdraw.”

After the fifth round, Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida rose to speak and nominated McCarthy yet again, for a sixth time. “It’s Groundhog’s day,” Cammack said.

Still, it’s not getting any better for McCarthy. Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, another House conservative, voted for McCarthy five straight times. But in an interview with CNN, however, Buck suggested McCarthy should consider stepping away in favor of Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the #2 House Republican. He also said he wasn’t committed to continuing to vote for McCarthy after five rounds of voting. 

“Stay tuned and I’ll let you know what I’m doing in the future,” Buck said.

[dontmean2bepoliticalbut]

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dean Obeidallah at The Dean's Report:

Everyone reading this knows that MAGA will try to tamper with the jurors--and even the witnesses—to help Donald Trump in his criminal trial that began Monday in New York. That is why the judge presiding over the case, Juan Merchan, ordered that the names of the prospective jurors be kept anonymous citing "a likelihood of bribery, jury tampering, or of physical injury or harassment of juror(s)."  While Trump’s lawyers will be provided with the potential  juror’s names so they can research them, Judge Merchan’s partial gag order expressly bars Trump from “making or directing others to make public statements about any prospective juror or any juror in this criminal proceeding” as well as witnesses. That is something you would expect in a criminal trial for a mob boss or leader of a terrorist movement.  But then again, Trump is both a mob boss and the leader of domestic terrorist movement as the head of the violent, criminal enterprise known as MAGA.

In fact, Trump has been called the “Teflon Don” after New York mobster John Gotti who escaped criminal convictions in a few high profile cases in the 1980’s.  Those cases are instructive as to what we may see from MAGA in Trump’s current case. In Gotti’s first well-publicized criminal case in 1986, his minions threatened a witness who conveniently got a case of amnesia in the courtroom and was unable to identify Gotti as the man who robbed and assaulted him. Gotti walked. And then in Gotti’s 1987 trial, a person named George Pape was able to get on the jury by withholding information that he was a close friend of someone connected to Gotti.  Once on the jury, Pape was paid $60,000 by a Gotti intermediary to help the mobster beat the case—which Gotti did. Pape was later charged and convicted for crimes in connection with this bribe. In 1992, though, when there was neither jury nor witness tampering, Gotti was convicted of very serious felonies.

Turning to Trump’s case, on Monday we already saw clear evidence that MAGA would attempt to tamper with Trump’s jury to help him. One of the most jarring and overt attempts came from MAGA Rep. Byron Donalds who told viewers Monday on Newsmax to get on the jury and vote to acquit Trump regardless of the evidence. I’m not exaggerating. The Florida Congressman stated, “My plea is to the people of Manhattan that may sit on this trial: Please do the right thing for this country.”  He continued, “Everybody’s allowed to have their political viewpoints, but the law is supposed to be blind and no respecter of persons.” At this point, if Donalds had ended his plea by saying please follow the evidence and be guided accordingly, that would be fine. Instead, this MAGA soldier directly told the people of Manhattan who might be watching: “This is a trash case, there is no crime here, and if there is any potential for a verdict, they should vote not guilty.”

Here is a sitting member of Congress telling people who watch the pro-Trump Newsmax that if they live in Manhattan and are called to be a juror on the case, they should ignore the evidence and vote to acquit Trump. All that was missing was the $60,000 payment that Gotti offered the juror in his case. Then there was Fox News contributor Clay Travis who Monday morning—with the Trump jury selection about to begin—made an even more direct appeal to his more than one million followers on Twitter to ignore the evidence and help Trump.  Travis wrote, “If you’re a Trump supporter in New York City who is a part of the jury pool, do everything you can to get seated on the jury and then refuse to convict as a matter of principle, dooming the case via hung jury. It’s the most patriotic thing you could possibly do.”

Travis—with the line “do everything you can to get seated on the jury” -- was telling prospective jurors to follow the Gotti playbook of withholding vital information from the court of their obvious bias. Then ignore the evidence and cause a hung jury. In response to Travis’s post, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell—a former prosecutor—tweeted: “Jury tampering. That’s what they do. *It’s a felony.”  And National security attorney Bradley Moss  wrote on social media, “Clay is arguably conspiring to commit jury tampering here by encouraging someone to deliberately engage in jury nullification.” Those two were the most in your face attempts at jury tampering. Others, like MAGA Rep. Elise Stefanik from New York, were more subtle in trying to influence prospective jurors in her home state. On Monday she wrote on Twitter that the judge presiding over the case was “corrupt” and that this was, “A 6-8 week show trial... Total election interference.” This line of attack-- echoed by many Republicans including MAGA Senator JD Vance-- is a more subtle form of jury tampering where these elected officials are intentionally attempting to influence prospective jurors about the case before they see the evidence.

Dean Obeidallah bringing the heat on MAGA jury tamperers in the Trump business deal falsification trial.

[mojave-pete]

Here Are The 22 Republicans Who Voted Against Jordan: 

Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon voted for Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan voted for Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.

Colorado Rep. Ken Buck then voted for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer.

Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer voted for McCarthy.

New York Rep. Anthony D’Esposito voted for New York GOP Gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin.

Florida Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart voted for Scalise.

Texas Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for California Rep. Mike Garcia.

Georgia Rep. Drew Ferguson voted for Scalise

New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino voted for Zeldin.

Florida Rep. Carlos Giménez voted for McCarthy.

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales voted for Scalise.

Texas Rep. Kay Granger voted for Scalise.

Michigan Rep. John James voted for former Michigan Rep. Candice Miller

Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly voted for former Speaker of the House John Boehner.

Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans voted for McCarthy.

New York Rep. Nick LaLota voted for Zeldin.

New York Rep. Mike Lawler voted for McCarthy.

Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks ended up voting for Granger.

Florida Rep. John Rutherford voted for Scalise.

Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson also voted for Scalise.

Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber voted for Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman.

Arkansas Rep. Steve Womack voted for Scalise.

These RINOs (democRats) need to be un elected!

[nodynasty4us]

It's Rep. Byron Donalds (R - Florida), and the surprise is because he's black.

[bighermie]

FUCK YEAH

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) added a new name to the House Speaker fight on Thursday, voting for former President Trump on the 7th ballot.

Why It Matters: This is a break from the unified faction of 20 House Republicans who'd been voting for Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida) and blocking GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy from winning the speakership.

• Nothing in the Constitution requires the Speaker to be a sitting member of Congress, though that has been the case throughout U.S history.

• Trump himself has endorsed McCarthy for Speaker and has been unable to sway the GOP rebels, many of who consider themselves the former president's biggest supporters.

[the-eternal-quest-for-balance]

" At some point something is going to have to break.

In a recent Rasmussen poll, Kevin McCarthy holds only a 40% approval rating with conservatives. "

HOW ABOUT LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE WHO EMPLOYED YOU ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Washington is broken alright, because of this type of attitude that Washington knows best !!!!!

[grumpycakes]

IF you are watching the live votes and want a list of the Republican Representatives who aren't voting for McCarthy to see if anything's changed, here's the list. Then you can just listen for these names and see if anyone's defected to McCarthy

Rep. Andy Biggs (Ariz.)

Rep. Dan Bishop (N.C.)

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.)

Rep.-elect Josh Brecheen (Okla.)

Rep. Michael Cloud (Texas)

Rep. Andrew Clyde (Ga.)

Rep.-elect Eli Crane (Ariz.)

Rep. Byron Donalds (Fla.)

Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fla.)

Rep. Bob Good (Va.)

Rep. Paul Gosar (Ariz.)

Rep. Andy Harris (Md.)

Rep.-elect Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.)

Rep. Mary Miller (Ill.)

Rep. Ralph Norman (S.C.)

Rep.-elect Andy Ogles (Tenn.)

Rep. Scott Perry (Pa.)

Rep. Matt Rosendale (Mont.)

Rep. Chip Roy (Texas)

Rep.-elect Keith Self (Texas)

elect means they need to be SWORN IN CAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN CAUSE A SPEAKER HASN'T BEEN ELECTED

[republicansaredomesticterrorists]

The guy between Bobo and Marge yelling during the State of the Union. Another Republikkkan shit head with criminal associates.

[mojave-pete]

These RINOs (democRats) need to be un elected!

Here Are The 22 Republicans Who Voted Against Jordan: 

Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon voted for Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan voted for Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.

Colorado Rep. Ken Buck then voted for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer.

Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer voted for McCarthy.

New York Rep. Anthony D’Esposito voted for New York GOP Gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin.

Florida Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart voted for Scalise.

Texas Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for California Rep. Mike Garcia.

Georgia Rep. Drew Ferguson voted for Scalise

New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino voted for Zeldin.

Florida Rep. Carlos Giménez voted for McCarthy.

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales voted for Scalise.

Texas Rep. Kay Granger voted for Scalise.

Michigan Rep. John James voted for former Michigan Rep. Candice Miller

Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly voted for former Speaker of the House John Boehner.

Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans voted for McCarthy.

New York Rep. Nick LaLota voted for Zeldin.

New York Rep. Mike Lawler voted for McCarthy.

Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks ended up voting for Granger.

Florida Rep. John Rutherford voted for Scalise.

Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson also voted for Scalise.

Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber voted for Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman.

Arkansas Rep. Steve Womack voted for Scalise.