Kevin McCarthy is out. Now whose party is in disarray? It's the GOP's turn

The “clown show,” as some call the power struggle among Republicans in the House, has brought a special joy to Democrats. For a change, somebody else is being called “the party in disarray.”

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That’s obvious after Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday became the first speaker of the House in history to be voted out of office. The House, now needs to do what got them into this mess: elect a new speaker. That is, if anyone wants to subject themselves to the job of being a spear-catcher.

That’s what the job has become for a Republican House caucus taken over by a power-hungry minority, the far-right faction led by Florida’s Matt Gaetz, Colorado’s Lauren Boebert, Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, and others who seem to prize attention over governance.

The trouble began when House Republicans narrowly averted a government shutdown but were angry about it. They were upset because McCarthy had committed what the new factional leaders call the mortal sin of compromising with some Democrats to win just enough votes to — horrors! — keep the government’s lights on until at least mid-November.

To win their support for his pursuit of the speakership, the dissident Republicans forced McCarthy to accept changes in the procedure known as “motion to vacate,” a resolution that is used to remove a presiding officer from a position. The maneuver has been tried before but never successfully — until now.