Gilead
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Fig. 1. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Aaron Blake is leaning heavily on the question of where Kevin McCarthy’s supporters in his bid to be Speaker of the House of Representatives might draw a line[1] on the seemingly endless concessions he’s offered his opponents[2] who really just seem more interested in burning it all down or at least in self-promotion and fundraising.[3] While McCarthy continues to get a vast majority of Republican votes,[4] one might more than reasonably wonder if, indeed, he actually has a path to victory.[5]
Blake still considers the possibility of a deal with the Democrats to elect a so-called ‘moderate’ remote but even the fact that people are starting to breathe these words speaks to a certain desperation.[6] I see two questions here: 1) Does such a ‘moderate’ actually exist? 2) Would they risk the opprobrium—consider Liz Cheney’s fate[7]—attaching to any such deal?
Something to consider here, however, is that thanks to Republican opposition to McCarthy, the Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, has consistently winning more votes in each ballot than McCarthy.[8] The path very likely exists, if even a few Republicans dare to walk it.
Natalie Andrews and Eliza Collins, “Kevin McCarthy Falls Short of House Speaker Win in Three Rounds of Voting,” Wall Street Journal, January 3, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-prepares-to-vote-for-speaker-as-kevin-mccarthy-tries-to-rally-support-11672750973
Aaron Blake, “McCarthy’s big concession — and how it could hamstring a GOP speaker,” Washington Post, January 3, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/03/motion-vacate-house-speaker/
John Cassidy, “Behind the Humiliation of Kevin McCarthy,” New Yorker, January 3, 2023, https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/behind-the-humiliation-of-kevin-mccarthy
Clare Foran et al., “House adjourns after chaotic day without electing a speaker as McCarthy fails to lock down votes,” CNN, January 3, 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/03/politics/house-speaker-vote-mccarthy/index.html
Tara Palmeri, “We Need to Talk About Kevin, ” Puck News, January 3, 2023, https://puck.news/we-need-to-talk-about-kevin/
Clare Foran et al., “House adjourns for second day without electing a speaker with McCarthy’s bid in peril,” CNN, January 4, 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/04/politics/kevin-mccarthy-speaker-vote/index.html
Molly Jong-Fast, “The Kevin McCarthy Mess Is Peak Trumpism,” Vanity Fair, January 4, 2023, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/kevin-mccarthy-speaker-vote-gop-trumpism
Nolan D. McCaskill, “Deadlocked House adjourns until evening after Kevin McCarthy racks up yet another defeat,” Los Angeles Times, January 4, 2023, https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-01-04/trump-mccarthy-speaker-votes
Tara Palmeri, “Scalise Smoke Signals,” Puck News, January 4, 2023, https://puck.news/scalise-smoke-signals/
Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey, “The House hard-liners blocking McCarthy aren’t listening to Trump,” Washington Post, January 4, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/04/trump-mccarthy-speaker/
Dan Zak and Ben Terris, “Does the House even exist right now?” Washington Post, January 4, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/01/04/house-of-representatives-in-purgatory-without-speaker/
Olivia Beavers et al., “McCarthy nears tentative deal with conservatives after days of stalemate,” Politico, January 5, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/05/mccarthy-bid-00076520
Aaron Blake, “What McCarthy’s concessions could cost him — and the GOP,” Washington Post, January 5, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/05/mccarthy-concessions-gop/
Bess Levin, “Kevin McCarthy Debases Himself in Hopes of Finally Winning Speaker Vote, Then Loses Again (And Again, And Again),” Vanity Fair, January 5, 2023, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/kevin-mccarthy-speaker-vote-concessions
Eric Levitz, “The GOP Is More Ungovernable Than Ever Before,” New York, January 5, 2023, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/01/the-gop-is-more-ungovernable-than-ever-before.html
Nolan D. McCaskill, “House adjourns for night after McCarthy amasses 11 speaker vote losses,” Los Angeles Times, January 5, 2023, https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-01-05/mccarthy-speaker-thursday-votes
Tina Nguyen, “McCarthy’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold,” Puck News, January 5, 2023, https://puck.news/mccarthys-chronicle-of-a-death-foretold/
Jenavieve Hatch, Gillian Brassil, and David Lightman, “California GOP on McCarthy Speaker bid: ‘The Republican Party is entirely dependent on him,’” Sacramento Bee, January 6, 2023, https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article270831322.html
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh
Unauthorized violence
Fig. 1. “Ed Gainey poses with CeaseFirePA during the 2020 Women’s March in Downtown Pittsburgh.” Photograph by Megan Gloeckler, undated, via Pittsburgh City Paper,[9] fair use.
I first heard about a shooting along McKnight Road[10] from a passenger talking about it on the phone. By the time I went through, the evidence had been swept up, but the days are short right now and I was there during daylight, so it couldn’t have been long.
At about the same time, there was a shooting and hostage situation at the Eat ‘N Park restaurant along Banksville Road,[11] which is the road I drive on most nights at the end of my day.
Both these incidents occurred in what I generally consider to be relatively safe areas in broad daylight at around 2 pm.[12] But oh yeah, I’m safe driving for fucking Uber.[13]
Megan Tomasic, “2 injured in shooting along McKnight Road in Ross,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 5, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/01/05/mcknight-road-shooting-ross-township-allegheny-county/stories/202301050127
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Arrest made after shots fired, hostage situation at Eat ‘N Park in Banksville,” January 6, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/01/05/pittsburgh-shooting-eatn-park-hostage-situation-banksville-road-man-arrested/stories/202301050130
- [1]Aaron Blake, “What McCarthy’s concessions could cost him — and the GOP,” Washington Post, January 5, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/05/mccarthy-concessions-gop/↩
- [2]Olivia Beavers et al., “McCarthy nears tentative deal with conservatives after days of stalemate,” Politico, January 5, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/05/mccarthy-bid-00076520; Aaron Blake, “McCarthy’s big concession — and how it could hamstring a GOP speaker,” Washington Post, January 3, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/03/motion-vacate-house-speaker/; Aaron Blake, “What McCarthy’s concessions could cost him — and the GOP,” Washington Post, January 5, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/05/mccarthy-concessions-gop/; Bess Levin, “Kevin McCarthy Debases Himself in Hopes of Finally Winning Speaker Vote, Then Loses Again (And Again, And Again),” Vanity Fair, January 5, 2023, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/kevin-mccarthy-speaker-vote-concessions↩
- [3]Molly Jong-Fast, “The Kevin McCarthy Mess Is Peak Trumpism,” Vanity Fair, January 4, 2023, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/kevin-mccarthy-speaker-vote-gop-trumpism; Eric Levitz, “The GOP Is More Ungovernable Than Ever Before,” New York, January 5, 2023, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/01/the-gop-is-more-ungovernable-than-ever-before.html↩
- [4]Nolan D. McCaskill, “House adjourns for night after McCarthy amasses 11 speaker vote losses,” Los Angeles Times, January 5, 2023, https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-01-05/mccarthy-speaker-thursday-votes↩
- [5]Nolan D. McCaskill, “House adjourns for night after McCarthy amasses 11 speaker vote losses,” Los Angeles Times, January 5, 2023, https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-01-05/mccarthy-speaker-thursday-votes↩
- [6]Aaron Blake, “What McCarthy’s concessions could cost him — and the GOP,” Washington Post, January 5, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/05/mccarthy-concessions-gop/↩
- [7]Natalie Andrews, “Liz Cheney Concedes to Trump-Backed Challenger in Wyoming Primary,” Wall Street Journal, August 16, 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/liz-cheney-faces-uphill-fight-in-primary-against-trump-backed-opponent-11660642201↩
- [8]Nolan D. McCaskill, “House adjourns for night after McCarthy amasses 11 speaker vote losses,” Los Angeles Times, January 5, 2023, https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-01-05/mccarthy-speaker-thursday-votes↩
- [9]Charlie Wolfson, “Neighborhood groups try to curb shootings as Pittsburgh’s mayoral campaign puts political focus on gun violence,” Pittsburgh City Paper, October 20, 2021, https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/neighborhood-groups-try-to-curb-shootings-as-pittsburghs-mayoral-campaign-puts-political-focus-on-gun-violence/Content?oid=20401296↩
- [10]Megan Tomasic, “2 injured in shooting along McKnight Road in Ross,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 5, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/01/05/mcknight-road-shooting-ross-township-allegheny-county/stories/202301050127↩
- [11]Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Arrest made after shots fired, hostage situation at Eat ‘N Park in Banksville,” January 6, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/01/05/pittsburgh-shooting-eatn-park-hostage-situation-banksville-road-man-arrested/stories/202301050130↩
- [12]Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Arrest made after shots fired, hostage situation at Eat ‘N Park in Banksville,” January 6, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/01/05/pittsburgh-shooting-eatn-park-hostage-situation-banksville-road-man-arrested/stories/202301050130; Megan Tomasic, “2 injured in shooting along McKnight Road in Ross,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 5, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/01/05/mcknight-road-shooting-ross-township-allegheny-county/stories/202301050127↩
- [13]David Benfell, “Gaslighting Uber drivers on safety,” Not Housebroken, November 9, 2022, https://disunitedstates.org/2022/04/28/gaslighting-uber-drivers-on-safety/↩