RIP Alcee Hastings

[Michael_ Gee]

Longtime Florida member of the House of Representatives and former federal judge dead at 84. Was former judge because he got impeached in the early '80s. During the House debate on Clinton's impeachment in 1999, brought down the house at one Christmas party I was attending by opening his remarks with, "now when I was impeached...."

 

[DanOregon]

Seriously, Pelosi needs to start culling members from the safe districts in this next election. A good way to lose a slim majority is to have it come down to special elections.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

There's nothing Pelosi or any Speaker can do if members in safe seats keep running for re-election until they croak. There's nothing Kevin McCarthy can do if Matt Gaetz doesn't resign, either. It's up to the voters in those districts. Also, safe seats tend to stay that way.

 

[Slacker]

There's nothing Pelosi or any Speaker can do if members in safe seats keep running for re-election until they croak. There's nothing Kevin McCarthy can do if Matt Gaetz doesn't resign, either. It's up to the voters in those districts. Also, safe seats tend to stay that way.

The House could vote to expel Gaetz.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

The House could vote to expel Gaetz.

Yes, they could. But it'd probably take actual criminal charges, and maybe a conviction. It is known within Florida politics that the GOP got Gaetz to run for Congress rather than for his dad's old state Senate seat, where they feared he could really **** things up.

 

[DanOregon]

There is plenty that Pelosi can do - encourage a primary challenge, cut off support to the incumbent, direct donors to support a challenge, get the local party to turn on the incumbent. Usually this is done behind closed doors, followed by an announcement that the incumbent has "decided to retire" or "move on to other things." I still don't understand Toomey's decision.

 

[The Big Ragu]

It's her job to keep a coalition and get them to vote along party lines when things are close. She isn't going to launch primary challenges against people from her own party. Even if she thought that was a good idea, she'd never have gotten to be Speaker of the House in the first place if she treated people from her own party that way.

 

[DanOregon]

Sure - and yes, I agree. But Pelosi has said this will be her last term as Speaker in any event. (I'm guessing she'll stay in charge through the midterms and to orchestrate a handoff to Jeffries) Most of these 70 year plus Ds already have a pension secured - appeal to their sense of duty, let them "pick" their successor, whatever - but the Ds right now cling to a majority that I'm certain is on the wrong side of life expectancy. If what they are doing in DC really, truly matters, they should be willing to do everything possible to keep the party strong and vibrant.