Every day I wake up with a single dream Runnin' through my head To throw a little stone into a mighty stream And watch the ripples as they spread If you wanna make a ripple If you wanna make a wave Playing safe and thinking small Doesn't move the ball at all There's humanity to save Can we really make a ripple With our feet up while we float To afraid to rock the boat, If we never test the waters we'll never know Just how far the ripples go (by Benj Pasik & Justin Paul, "Spirited")
The Speakership election is only one week away, January 3. The next few days are crucial, so please don't "put your feet up while you float." You only need to make a ripple, do your little part.
If Kevin McCarthy becomes Speaker, MAGA wins -- simple as that. The next two years will feature a procession of ugly and hate-filled spectacles in the House of Representatives. All semblance of a normally functioning legislature will be gone.
As of now, McCarthy does not have enough votes, because the MAGA group is still trying to extract even more concessions in exchange for their support. Some are vowing never to vote for him at all.
But he still has support from the rest of the Party conference. If the MAGA holdouts change course, McCarthy becomes Speaker. That's the balance we're now aiming to affect.
We need to convince a few Republican moderates to back another candidate on the first ballot, so the half-dozen or so extremists don't have enough votes to become king-maker. Since you can't beat somebody with nobody, I'm suggesting we actively promote Dan Bacon for the office.
Here's a half-hour video of him on C-Span, three weeks ago. At minute 12:04 he talks about his statement that he’d be willing to “work with like-minded people across the aisle to find someone agreeable for Speaker.”
This may not be as difficult as it sounds.
Whatever they may say publicly, most of the Republican establishment now recognizes that Trump's base is not enough to win elections. The independent center of the country has turned decisively away. The faction McCarthy is wooing will only be an embarrassment if allowed to hog the stage through 2024.
Thanks to the efforts of so many like us, and McCarthy's obvious weakness, the idea of a cross-party alliance is no longer considered a fantasy. Conversations are happening all over Washington about possible scenarios.
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So here's what we (specifically you and I) need to do now.
We need to contact influential members of the House, and urge them to vote for the moderate Republican Dan Bacon for Speaker. There's very little time left, so that means using your phone. It's quick, easy and effective. Your phone is right there. Pick it up.
Please call one or more (or all) of the members listed below right away. There’s also a suggested message you can use, or use your own words. Just try to be as brief as you can while still getting the point across clearly. Long messages get ignored. (Believe me, I know!)
The media is distracted with year-end best/worse lists, predictions for 2023, and New Years Eve celebrations. Ironically, that gives us more power. No one will be calling to urge votes for McCarthy. The more calls members receive asking that they support Mr. Bacon, the more encouraged they'll be to take what is, for them, a bold step.
There's only a few days left, so please pick up your phone now and start dialing.
Also, please pass this request on to your contacts, and ask them to pass it on to theirs.
If we never test the waters we'll never know Just how far the ripples go
Thanks for doing your part.
Republicans:
Don Bacon (NE) (202) 225- 4155 Blake Moore (UT) (202) 225-0453
Young Kim (CA). (202) 225-4111. Dave Joyce (OH) (202) 225-5731
John Curtis (UT) (202) 225-7751 Maria Salazar (FL) (202) 225-3931
David Valadao (202) 225-4695
Democrats:
Hakeem Jeffries (202) 225-5936 Katherine Clark (202) 225-2836
Pete Aguilaro (202) 225-3201 Nancy Pelosi (202) 225-4965
Steny Hoyer (202) 225-4131 James Clyburn (202) 225-3315