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Kevin McCarthy for Speaker

By Mike Huckabee

January 4, 2023
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I’m disgusted with a small and selfish group of Republicans who probably feel they are “Spartacus” but the movie best fitting them is “The Gang Who Couldn’t Shoot Straight.”

Several of these hold-outs (I should say “hold-ups”) are friends and I supported and campaigned for many.  I won’t be in the future.  The simple of rule of politics is that you take your stand, but if you don’t have enough following to lead, then recognize that you simply didn’t sell your ideas very well.  Less than 20 GOP members of Congress are stopping 200 of their fellow Republicans from getting about the business of investigating corruption in the White House, FBI, DOJ, and in Congress itself.  Instead, without being able to articulate a specific reason for their objections, they have blocked the election of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker and in so doing making the Republicans look like a bunch of 6 year olds who refuse to play unless the majority surrenders to the tantrums of the few. 

Is Kevin McCarthy perfect?  Of course not.  But he has faithfully worked to recruit candidates, help fund them, and get them elected.  The ultimate outrage is that some he helped win and raised funds for now have shown they really DO think it’s about them and not the bigger principles of the conservative movement.  

Dr. E. V. Hill, longtime CA pastor used to say “If you think you’re a leader and you look behind you and no one is following, you aren’t a leader—you’re just out for a walk.”  The actions of the petulant circle of “Never-Kevins” don’t amount to enough votes to get close to winning.  But they may have enough to make sure their own team loses.  These guys are setting fire to their own hosue, but they are arsonists who didn’t even have fire insurance.  The mission is just “burn it down.”  And in so doing, empowering the very Democrats some of us worked very hard to put in the minority.

We did NOT work to blow up our own opportunity to take on the Pelosi, Schiff, Nadler, and Squad team, but that’s the effect of the actions of the camera hungry Congress members who may deep down believe they are more “principled” than everyone else, but have shown a startling level of political immaturity. 

If the tiny crowd of political tots can’t convince a majority of their peers to follow them off the cliff, they should have the self-awareness to admit they fired their best shot and simply missed the target.  Now it’s time to fight for the American people.  If after taking leadership, Kevin and company don’t deliver, you might be able to make a better case for lighting the fuse to the bomb to blow up the place.

 

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Comments 1-10 of 281

  • Eugene Gee

    01/11/2023 08:40 PM

    Sorry to disagree with you. Your philosophy seems to be that the Freedom Caucus must now surrender instead of being allowed to continue fighting for the change that is needed. It is a good thing that the Apostle Paul did not follow your philosophy. You are promoting the Nancy Pelosi and Democratic way of governing, which is to vote in lock step with everything the Democrat leader says and does. A representative is supposed to represent the people who voted them into office instead of being a rubber stamp for the the wishes of the party leaders. It seems that you feel that the Republicans are supposed to do the same. I don't see any problem with the Freedom Caucus members wanting to hold positions that will allow them to assure that those righteous concessions are carried out. An analogy to your way of thought seems to be that whistleblowers who come forward to tell the truth should quietly accept the punishment that they will get from their superiors instead of being protected for doing what is right. You have let your immutable bias for McCarthy blind you from the good that the Freedom Caucus accomplished.

  • Bobbi Foster

    01/10/2023 12:23 PM

    Thank you for your words about the Speaker issue. My concern was how badly McCarthy wanted the position. As you know, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." He seemed too eager to weald that power. I hope I am wrong but that did bother me. I hope he's wearing a "white hat" and that he will do a good job. We cannot afford any mistakes.

  • Eugene Gee

    01/10/2023 01:56 AM

    The following are some of the concessions that Kevin McCarthy had to make to get the votes from members of the Republican Freedom Caucus. With the possible exception of the first item, I don't understand why you are against them. We need to hold our leaders accountable. There were a lot of Obama administration corruption investigations and good Trump policy changes that didn't get done the last time that the Republicans controlled the House because of the deep state Republican Speaker of the House.

    1. As has been reported, it will only take a single congressperson, acting in what is known as a Jeffersonian Motion, to move to remove the speaker if he or she goes back on their word or policy agenda.

    2. A “Church”-style committee will be convened to look into the weaponization of the FBI and other government organizations (presumably the CIA, the subject of the original Church Committee) against the American people.

    3. Term limits will be put up for a vote.

    4. Bills presented to Congress will be single subject, not omnibus with all the attendant earmarks, and there will be a 72-hour minimum period to read them.

    5. The Texas Border Plan will be put before Congress. From The Hill: “The four-pronged plan aims to ‘Complete Physical Border Infrastructure,’ ‘Fix Border Enforcement Policies,’ ‘Enforce our Laws in the Interior’ and ‘Target Cartels & Criminal Organizations.’”

    6. COVID mandates will be ended, as will all funding for them, including so-called emergency funding.

    7. Budget bills would stop the endless increases in the debt ceiling and hold the Senate accountable for the same.

    I was very disappointed that you did not bother to investigate what the Freedom Caucus was trying to accomplish. I am sorry that you decided beforehand that Kevin McCarthy deserved to be Speaker of the House no matter what and to be allowed to do whatever he wanted. The concessions made by McCarthy should be applauded by all true Conservatives. I salute what the Freedom Caucus accomplished.

  • Guy Giannone

    01/10/2023 12:05 AM

    Mike, I disagree with you. You up to this past week rallied the right, to do something more than be tranquil with the status quo of sleepy republicans at the wheel. Then, When they stood their ground to wake the party & McCarthy up, you attacked them. That is irrational.
    We have a better more awake speaker today because of them. And you completely betrayed the men you so challenged to get action that was meaningful. Very shocked at how quickly you abandoned men with backbone. I always thought you were one with
    backbone. I see now you were all talk. Unbelievable and hard to watch you last Saturday. You are not the strong patriot you portrayed. You ran when the first shots were fired. One of the majority…follow suit republicans. Rather sickening to watch such hipocracy. You’re the towel snapper. When the boys came out to play, Mike Huckabee ran away.

  • Tom Foote

    01/09/2023 09:19 PM

    Mike, Mike, Mike- you have overreacted and the fact that it got to 15 votes is on McCarthy for not having these many stipulations in writing and ready to go. These who held his feet to the fire did their jobs and demonstrated what the party needs directionally. We the people are fed up with Rino's like McConnell and others who don't want to upset the swamp. Glad to see Kevin give a very good speech and we are behind him 100%.

  • Miguel Varona

    01/09/2023 05:04 PM

    Governor Huckabee,
    I have followed you since your days at Fox. Sherry and I watch your weekly program on TBN and read your letters and opinions regularly.
    I have never found myself disagreeing with you on major points, but your Saturday night monologue not only disappointed, but angered me. It wasn’t necessarily what you said, since you have the right to your opinions, but the derogatory tone in which it was delivered. It was reminiscent of Hillary Clinton’s infamous “deplorables” address. You might have used that word to describe the 20 Freedom Caucus McCarthy detractors and express your enmity for them with just one word.
    Kevin is your friend and I understand your partisanship. The problem is Kevin has been using John Boehner’s and Tim Ryan’s play book all along. Sadly, he seems a bit too comfortable among the swamp critters. I find it hard to believe that you can honestly defend his record.
    I think instead of attacking the detractors for exercising their rights, as per the House Rules, you should have emphasized the “Civics Lesson” the nation was witnessing in real time. The event that had only happen twice before in the last 150 years should have been a national teaching moment. It was not an embarrassment as you labeled it. It was an education. Every high school student in the country should be obligated to watch videos of the first and last days of the process. And of course, that would only be possible if they had civics being taught in their schools at all.
    You mentioned egos in your closing. The only inflated ego on display on the House floor last week was Kevin’s. And the only embarrassing situation I saw was Rep. Mike Rogers trying to put his hands on Rep. Gaetz.
    Governor, you talk about Democracy all the time, and in my opinion, the new rules package, if the Republicans have the back bones to pass them, will finally allow some real conservatives to do the work that needs to be done.
    With all due respect Governor, if you did not see Democracy on display and at work last week, you must not be getting enough sleep. You missed it!

  • Angie Wespice

    01/09/2023 04:47 PM

    Sorry, Mike. You are wrong IMHO on this one. McCarthy is unprincipled. He is NOT a leader nor is he an inspiration to others. He's a sychophantic chameleon, a consummate politician... and that's putting it politely. If you want to be disgusted with anyone, be so with MTG and others who fell in line with no questions or foresight on the type of "leader" he will undoubtedly be. Thank God for those who had the courage to demand changes in rules for the House to follow and assurances that $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bills will not be allowed under their tenure.

    I am in no way political and hope I'm wrong, but history is likely to prove me right on this.

  • Gregory Estes

    01/09/2023 03:33 PM

    This is in response to your article on Mon. Jan.9th "I expect this of the Democrats"?
    Once again I disagree with Governor Huckabee! There comes a time when his so-called "Towel Poppers" get tired of sitting on the bench
    and going along to get along! Especially when the game has been rigged all along! Sorry to say Governor, you've become a pacifist toward the insane left! My opinion! Greg Estes

  • Sarah J Yoho

    01/09/2023 02:41 PM

    all I can say about the "Elite 10" is that they disgust me

  • Marilyn Florie

    01/09/2023 02:32 PM

    I have lost respect for you Mr Huckabee. They were fighting for the American people and doing what we elected them to do, legally!! Would you have them shut up, go along to get along all to "not embarrass" the republican party and to further "deep state/swamp" ideologies? Shame on you!!

Mike Huckabee

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