Democrats host dance party on Kevin McCarthy’s political grave

Democrats are hosting something of a metaphorical dance party on Kevin McCarthy’s political grave following his historic ouster from the House speakership.

In an Aaron Rodgers-style flameout, McCarthy made history Tuesday when he became the first House speaker in history to be plucked from his post. Ultimately, his speakership was consumed by a right-wing revolt that he empowered. And Democrats — who could have voted to save McCarthy’s speakership but found no reason to do so — appeared to relish watching Icarus fall to earth. And they’re getting a kick out of watching GOP chaos, as well.

Democrats traded turns in the spotlight on Tuesday, cha-cha sliding on the remains of McCarthy’s time atop the House. Each sound bite reminded me of when a dope single drops and your favorite artists follow it up with their own remixes.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., ethered the former speaker ahead of the vote to remove him, saying that Democrats would not do anything to save McCarthy and that nobody trusts him. 

I was most interested in hearing from the three House Democrats whom McCarthy spitefully removed from their committee assignments earlier this year: Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell of California. 

Swalwell laid out McCarthy’s fall from grace in an interview Tuesday on “The ReidOut.”

“Over the past three years, I have witnessed in the Congress just too many first times,” Swalwell said. “And they’re bad first times: first insurrection; the first time a speaker degraded themselves so long to get the job; and then, first time that a speaker is removed.”

Swalwell said the GOP dysfunction is proof they can’t responsibly lead in Congress: “America is a Corvette. You can never give these guys the keys to the Corvette — it’s too good of a country to let them drive it or ever be in charge.” 

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‘Trying to pull America into the chaos they crave’: Swalwell slams GOP after McCarthy ouster October 3, 2023 / 07:02

On “All In With Chris Hayes,” Schiff said Democrats were glad to see McCarthy go. He mocked McCarthy and other Republicans who’ve denounced Rep. Matt Gaetz, who led the effort to oust McCarthy, as an agent of chaos.

“It is more than amusing and hypocritical to see them attack Gaetz for being a chaos agent,” Schiff said during the interview on Tuesday. “They elected a chaos agent. They still owe their fealty to the greatest chaos agent, tragically, the country has seen in Donald Trump.”

And during an appearance on “The Beat With Ari Melber,” Omar jabbed McCarthy over his history-making downfall. 

“Kevin has brought this onto himself. He keeps wanting to make history in all the wrong ways,” she told guest host Katie Phang.

The House is traditionally a place where members count on one another to live up to their agreements, she said, which doomed McCarthy, who’s been accused of untrustworthiness. 

“The fact that McCarthy has become known as chief liar, whether it is within his conference or within the Democrats,’ really sealed his fate,” Omar said, noting it led to one of the most precipitous downfalls of a House speaker in U.S. history. 

It’s safe to assume most Democrats aren’t shedding tears over McCarthy’s political misfortune. They’re putting their dancing shoes on instead.