January 6, 2023 News and Notes

• Almost appropo to the day:  Vince McMahon is back at WWE to lead the media rights negotiations.
• Jadaevon Clowney has been fired by the Browns for mouthing off.  It sounds like it's a mutual feeling -- Clowney made comments that he knows he's not going to win with the Browns and has no desire to continue to play for them.
• So much so, it is now alleged he refused to play on first or second down last week!
• You know it's a slow news day (still waiting, Dodgers!!!  Deadline is about 2 PM Pacific, last we checked...) when MLB.com is actually doing an article about a late 1800's pitcher using ventriloquism from the dugout to get batters thrown out of the game at home plate.
• And an entire fanbase awaits, with bated breath, the announcement...  The decision has had to be made and filed with Major League Baseball, but no word as of 2:06 Pacific.
• Took far longer than many Dodgers fans might like, but the announcement came at 4:15 Pacific.  They eat the contract and DFA his ass.  He's gone.
• It has taken the better part of 72 hours, but Damar Hamlin is off the breathing tube and FaceTimed with the team today, per reports.  You do realize you have some of these anti-vaxxers actually claiming POIDH???
• Most of Denninger's website believe Hamlin is either already deceased or will have the plug pulled after the Super Bowl to try to hide another vaxx death.  Do you fuckers realize how STUPID you sound?  Even if you are correct, do you have even an ounce of an idea what that actually would MEAN?  I posted about this a couple days ago.
• Does THIS explain Harbaugh and Michigan winning the last two Big Ten titles?  NCAA investigation into illegal contacts with players during COVID-prohibited periods.  At least one allegation of non-cooperation, etc. has been alleged.
• The NFL owners approved the playoff changes announced last night.
• Mark Capps, a three-time Grammy winning producer (Polka albums -- yes, that Grammy exists!) was killed by cop today after his wife and stepdaughter charged him with aggravated assault and attempted kidnapping...

Speaker Situation:

• Major progress on a deal has apparently left Kevin McCarthy four votes short of the total required.
• Round 12:  McCarthy 213, Jeffries 211, Jordan 4, Hern 3.
• And as President Biden speaks on the second anniversary of the January 6th coup attempt (Arrest Trump now, while we still can!!!), McCarthy will be short again in round 13.  432 votes were cast the last and this round, meaning 217 is required to win.
• And Round 13 has actually seen McCarthy get one of the "Others" votes.  214 McCarthy-212 Jeffries-6 Jordan.  Still three short, and it gives you an idea of just how tenuous this majority actually is.
• Now a motion to adjourn until TEN PM EASTERN TONIGHT??!?!?!?
• Which passed.
• This was because two Representatives, one from each party, were absent.  A Republican was witnessing the birth of his child (a month premature), the Democrat had surgery.  If all people vote, that's 434 votes again, and McCarthy actually needs the full 218 votes at that point, so he would be a fourth vote short.
• 10:23 Eastern:  After one of the resistance voted for Jordan early in the order, Lauren Boebert actually voted Present, taking herself out of the total (and the majority of it required), meaning now that Kevin McCarthy needs only the 217 again.  However, that now means that his theoretical maximum is 219, meaning he has very VERY little margin for error on Vote #14.  If the two representatives above didn't return, he would only need 216, because the number to vote would be 431.  But that still would require two of the other five to vote for him, and one has already voted against.
• 10:29:  A second vote against McCarthy has been filed.  He needs, by my math, two of the other three against him to vote for him, to win.
• Gaetz is absent from the first round of voting -- he will be called again.
• 10:34:  A third vote against has been registered -- Rep-elect Good for Jordan. If everyone else is there, that means that the total votes would be 433, meaning 217 to win.  Gaetz has not voted, the theoretical maximum is now 218 (since Boebert has already voted present).  If one more vote goes against McCarthy, other than Gaetz, then Gaetz can vote to extend this.
• Gosar (one of the flips) also was apparently not present for his turn in the first roll call.
• It appears this vote is probably going to come down to Matt Rosendale of Montana.  If either of the two (him or Gaetz) vote for McCarthy, he wins.  If both vote present or don't vote, McCarthy wins.  If both vote otherwise, Round 15.  This is how small the majority actually is.
• 10:51:  Rosendale votes against.  That's 4 against and 1 present among the Republicans.  That means McCarthy cannot get more than 217 votes.  Meaning Matt Gaetz holds the keys -- he has to vote for McCarthy or vote Present for him to win -- and that's presuming all the other votes for McCarthy go in, and at least one flip was passed over as well on the first round.
• 11:00:  Gaetz votes Present, and that appears to be the number.
• 11:01:  NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Even with the two "Presents", McCarthy is ONE VOTE SHORT!!!   216 for McCarthy, 212 for Jeffries, and 4 others (Jim Jordan and Andy Biggs two each).  The two Presents (Boebert and Gaetz) do not matter, McCarthy is ONE VOTE SHORT.
• At least one Republican legislator (Mike Rogers of Alabama) had to be physically restrained from going after Matt Gaetz after Gaetz and McCarthy got into a pitched argument.  It now appears as if either Boebert or Gaetz is going to have to vote for McCarthy or one more flip.
• Rogers apparently threatened McCarthy and another Republican had to step in, physically restrain, and physically MUZZLE Rogers.
• As I said above, this is how razor-thin this majority is.  It takes only six Representatives to scuttle Round 14.  They've got everyone else in line now behind Kevin McCarthy.
• 11:15 PM EDT:  14th round declared failed.  216-(212-2-2)-2.
• And now adjournment is on the question until Noon Eastern MONDAY.  After it appeared a party-line mess screamed on the question, the Clerk ruled it failed, at which point a "Yeas and Nays" was called, so 15 minutes with the cards and we'll find out if we're going to Round 15.
• 11:33:  After a discussion between McCarthy and Gaetz, McCarthy is asking all of the Republicans to reject the adjournment.  It appears he now has the votes, Gaetz being the last one, on the 15th Round.  That is, unless Boebert goes against and makes it a pure 217-217 situation.
• The adjournment will be rejected.  Trailer-Trash Greene was trying to get Rosendale to listen to Donald Trump on the phone.
• So here are the names to watch for Round 15:  Boebert and Gaetz voted present, Biggs and Good voted for Jordan, Rosendale and Crane for Biggs.  Those are the six you need to watch for.  Now that it appears McCarthy and Gaetz MAY HAVE cut a deal, it may now come down to Lauren Boebert.  If McCarthy now has Gaetz, he needs one (at minimum) Present vote to win 217 to a total of 216.  If Boebert then votes against and nothing else changes...
• 11:45:  McCarthy nominated on Round 15.
• 11:53:  Biggs votes PRESENT.  That's one.
• 11:54:  Boebert votes PRESENT -- that should clinch it.
• 11:58:  Crane votes PRESENT.  That's two of the four votes against moving to Present and that should make Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House on the 15th round.
• It now appears that the six votes against are all voting Present.  Good has voted PRESENT, and it appears Gaetz has as well.  That means that, at worst, it's 216-(212-1)-5, and that's a 216-213 majority for Kevin McCarthy to be Speaker of the House.