Having correctly seen that the only way to avoid a shutdown was a bipartisan CR, McCarthy introduced one this afternoon. It passed solely due to Democratic votes. Ukraine money was excluded from the bill in a sop to the Freedom Caucus. McCarthy will undoubtedly argue to them that he accomplished one of their primary objectives, so they should hold off on a motion to vacate. It is highly unlikely that they will acquiesce this time.
What we have in the House is a situation where the right-wing rabble rules 99 percent of the time, but a bipartisan coalition excluding the extremists prevails when it really matters. Should the Democrats continue to tolerate this state of affairs, particularly when they know that McCarthy is desperate to keep the gavel?
No. It’s time to make some demands. If McCarthy is going to remain Speaker with Democratic votes, the blue team deserves something important from him in return. An end to the impeachment inquiry, which is only making the red team look stupid in any event, would be a logical place to start.