This new year brings to mind the late John Prine. Will we all reside just a block inside at 23 skidoo?
Neither Meat nor I have any idea exactly what that means. But Jesus The Missing Years is one of Prine's masterpieces and living anywhere near 23 skidoo sounded right for us.
It took Tater to explain to us that 23 skidoo was VVOSS --very very old school slang--for split the scene. To make like a tree and leave. Bounce.
Prine was just dusting it off for a picture.
Anyway, here we are in 2023 and 23 skidoo sounds better than the last couple of twenty-somethings. The minor fact it's been about a century since that phrase was last in regular use doesn't matter. We can repurpose it.
In truth, it's quite pertinent since it's also been a century since the last time a Speaker of the House wasn't elected on the first ballot. In 1923 it took 9 ballots to get one.
As of this writing, we're six in and it looks like there might be 60 more to go.
Meat, Tater and I will remind you that the Speaker comes from the majority party in the House. As of this week, that's the GOP. But that person has to be elected by the whole house with a minimum number of votes to win.
Twenty ultra right house members stand against Kevin McCarthy's bid to become speaker. Thanks to the Republican's very thin majority, there aren't near enough remaining Republican votes to give him the gavel.
Here's where it gets kind of interesting. The renegades are, of course, very pro-Trump and pro big lie. They see McCarthy as too moderate and not a true Trump Republican. But Trump endorsed McCarthy to be speaker and encouraged the party to take the victory.
Beavis Gaetz called it "sad".
Trump is no longer Trump enough for the Trumpers. That's eye opening.
What we're getting to start this year is a very clear look at what governing under the grand old party looks like in the age of the big lie. If they can't even come together to elect one of their own to preside, what do you think anything else will look like?
It'll look like nothing happening because the problem with having no Speaker of the House means no new members get sworn in, no committees are assigned, no transactions are made and no laws are passed. It means the legislative process stops.
No new members being sworn in means Representative elect George Santos gets to stay in his comfort zone hanging around the capital pretending to be something he isn't. He's obviously good at it. Look where it's gotten him.
But we digress. Meat, Tater and I are enjoying this start of the new year. The air's been warm and we've had our black eyed peas and greens. This transparency in DC is a laugh a minute and we think we're gonna like this.
You can join us where we reside. Come and take a ride on 23 skidoo.