If you didn’t get a chance to watch Robert Costa’s perfect interview with the failed speaker of the House, I break it down here. Yet again, it reinforces that Kevin McCarthy is a vapid vessel. It is truly extraordinary. The Warning with Steve Schmidt is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Thanks for staying the course Steve. More and more, we will need to hear your words and heed your warnings as the new year drags us along an ever scarier path because of Trumpism and loathsome beings like Kevin, Josh, Matt, Marge, Lauren, Rudy, and the rest of this dangerous MAGA clown-car. You are the voice of my American neighbours who won't give up or give in to lies. All the best for 2024.
Thanks Steve, I watched part of the interview, but it was 30 minutes of my life I’ll never get back.
Kevin reminds me of Charlie Brown, and Lucy is the FreeDumb caucus that kept pulling the football out from right under him. Clearly, Scalise is Linus, and the rest of us are the school kids who only hear WahWahWahWahWah when Kevin speaks...:)
That said, RIP Kevin. He makes me think of the good old days when the “Young Guns” of new conservative leadership, were supposed to be the savior of the Republican Party. Now you’ll just a bunch of “Never was,” relegated to the dustbin of history. Good riddance!...:)
I watched the video,and you told the ugly truth about Kevin McCarthy,and it is stuff that is fairly common knowledge.He isn't worthy to carry water for a Sam Rayburn,or Nancy Pelosi.
Good riddance to bad rubbish!Don't let the door hit'cha where the Good Lord split ya!
Here’s what one author had to say about Kevin McCarthy:
"No one could buy him. Lobbyists could not buy him so much as a meal. Not even the taxpayer could buy him a meal. He refused not only fees but travel expenses for out-of-town speeches; hosts who... attempted to press checks upon him quickly realized they had made a mistake... he would say, 'I'm not for sale' - and then he would walk away without a backward glance."
Oh. Did I say Kevin McCarthy? I meant Sam Rayburn. I guess that’s why there was no sucker-punch in there, too.
Kevin "built" nothing but a collection of morons and goons scrambling to please their criminal fuhrer.... Good riddance to you McCarthy - may you bake right into the sun scorched fields of Bakersfield
The party politics and corruption to “rule” vs govern has forgotten the most basic, “The heaviest head is the one that wears the crown”. They all want the job without the gravity of the power and consequences. It’s truly failure to govern to live in perpetual grievance and dereliction to responsibility. The fights of social issues by the gop is to make their narratives the politics vs. the need to govern and enact 12 bills of appropriations to run the government.
They’ve officially neutered the Article I branch house authority by flouting every attempt at doing the job description listed in the Constitution - to succor to a criminal as their party standard.
If we don’t vote for government as the Constitution expects to give consent to be governed vs. ruled then the 247 year experiment in self-rule ends. It is the power brokers steering towards an old Lords and Serfs model with the “Devine rights of kings” bestowed upon the Presidency, but only of their type - the authoritarian to rule.
Kevin McCarthy is a legend in his own mind. Sadly, he exemplifies the type of “leader” that walks the halls of Congress today in great number. That is- self aggrandizing, power hungry, and unconcerned with the common good. He sacrifices the country’s interests for that of his party via political expediency joining the ranks of people like Comer, Jordan, and McConnell who have no idea or interest in what our country really needs from them which is servant leadership. They care only about themselves and their political future. And certainly the last thing they care about is our democracy. History will not be kind to them and deservedly so.
Thank you! It is deeply alarming to ponder the magnitude of damage that can be done by small, vapid, petty, self-serving individuals, especially in the absence of checks and balances. Given realities including purchased politicians and justices, the Electoral College, and perpetually hamstrung courts (“justice delayed…”), voices like yours are invaluable.
For those who watched the “Bewitched” series, My Kevin is Larry Tate... no principles, no real position, but would say or do whatever his audience would agree with. His stance was on a 360degree swivel. Steve your words were right on the money. Kevin lied to everyone , democrats and republicans alike. He’d asked to be trusted (I remember Adam Schiff saying he was on a flight with Kevin. They talk about a subject that Kevin agreed was off the record, then when he got to Washington published what Schiff said. In Liz Chaney’s book it was said how Kevin would say one thing to someone and immediately tell the opposite to someone else.
We can only hope that we have seen the end of this low life in public office. As punishment he should have to live in Bakersfield.
Wow, Steve, you define "excoriate" right there with that commentary. And Mykevin certainly deserves every word. He is the lowest of the low and an embarrassment to those of us who live in California. I can only hope a Democrat will take over his seat, but then again, it's Bakersfield and who knows. Keep up the good work you are doing!
He is the avenger for those of us who want blood....and we can be forgiven for that. The other side is (we are so, so sure) as misguided as the Germans in the 30's. Like those Germans, they went into what they needed to do, needed emotionally, and needed through hunger and humiliation, just as the MAGA is doing.
Like Trump, Mr. Schmidt is charismatic, but Mr. Schmidt brings light, nor aubergine darkness.
People like us, the readers and viewers of this column, must resist evil charisma, and not want anything but to be Stoical, a quality Mr. Schmidt often praises. Stoics like Marcus Aurelius or Cicero or Seneca, men who outlived several tyrants as vicious as Hitler, did it by remaining intellectually intact, consistent with their views, yet wily and circumspect, and, also not ever ostentiously bending their knees. The Roman public respected their oratorical and rhetorical powers and therefore the tyrants greatly respected and feared them.
Mr. Schmidt is somewhat like those Stoics. Robert LaCosta would have probably done well if he had lived in their ancient era, but he could not have been--as Mr. Schmidt is--a lengthy speaker. Steve is a juicy, ineffable, inimical orator, and has personally built a much longer platform in which to give his long, measured, moderate-toned, well spoken, historically profound views, (unlike his hero Robert LaCosta, who must have short, TV-style, thumbnail, agressive interviews). Mr. Schmidt is self-effacing and wondferfully appreciative of stalwart, fine journalists like Mr. LaCosta, and we all like that quality in Mr. Schmidt.
We Americans must FINALLY read or re-read Philosophy and do it very seroiusly and studiously. If we do, we will know that none of us has any power to change the "Passing Show Of Our Times"
"Power does what it wants", is one of my favorite adages. Yes, it does: in spite of Mr. Scmidt and 80-90 million of us, power does do ( although surreptitiously and furtively) exactlty what it wants. We are not the oligarchs who rule.
We are only witnesses.
However, Mr. Schmidt is doing a great job or setting the record straight and giivng us the illusion of revenge, or at least a feeling of revenge, and that is why we read and watch him.
Robert Costa is the BEST. So sick of so called "journalists" who are more about the brand and how they look. And thankful that PBS put Robert on the national platform at the beginning of his career.
Thanks for staying the course Steve. More and more, we will need to hear your words and heed your warnings as the new year drags us along an ever scarier path because of Trumpism and loathsome beings like Kevin, Josh, Matt, Marge, Lauren, Rudy, and the rest of this dangerous MAGA clown-car. You are the voice of my American neighbours who won't give up or give in to lies. All the best for 2024.
Thanks Steve, I watched part of the interview, but it was 30 minutes of my life I’ll never get back.
Kevin reminds me of Charlie Brown, and Lucy is the FreeDumb caucus that kept pulling the football out from right under him. Clearly, Scalise is Linus, and the rest of us are the school kids who only hear WahWahWahWahWah when Kevin speaks...:)
That said, RIP Kevin. He makes me think of the good old days when the “Young Guns” of new conservative leadership, were supposed to be the savior of the Republican Party. Now you’ll just a bunch of “Never was,” relegated to the dustbin of history. Good riddance!...:)
I watched the video,and you told the ugly truth about Kevin McCarthy,and it is stuff that is fairly common knowledge.He isn't worthy to carry water for a Sam Rayburn,or Nancy Pelosi.
Good riddance to bad rubbish!Don't let the door hit'cha where the Good Lord split ya!
He will NOT be missed!
Goodbye, Kevin. Now we need to get rid of the rest of the Vandals.
Five Stars for this video.
Here’s what one author had to say about Kevin McCarthy:
"No one could buy him. Lobbyists could not buy him so much as a meal. Not even the taxpayer could buy him a meal. He refused not only fees but travel expenses for out-of-town speeches; hosts who... attempted to press checks upon him quickly realized they had made a mistake... he would say, 'I'm not for sale' - and then he would walk away without a backward glance."
Oh. Did I say Kevin McCarthy? I meant Sam Rayburn. I guess that’s why there was no sucker-punch in there, too.
.
Kevin "built" nothing but a collection of morons and goons scrambling to please their criminal fuhrer.... Good riddance to you McCarthy - may you bake right into the sun scorched fields of Bakersfield
The party politics and corruption to “rule” vs govern has forgotten the most basic, “The heaviest head is the one that wears the crown”. They all want the job without the gravity of the power and consequences. It’s truly failure to govern to live in perpetual grievance and dereliction to responsibility. The fights of social issues by the gop is to make their narratives the politics vs. the need to govern and enact 12 bills of appropriations to run the government.
They’ve officially neutered the Article I branch house authority by flouting every attempt at doing the job description listed in the Constitution - to succor to a criminal as their party standard.
If we don’t vote for government as the Constitution expects to give consent to be governed vs. ruled then the 247 year experiment in self-rule ends. It is the power brokers steering towards an old Lords and Serfs model with the “Devine rights of kings” bestowed upon the Presidency, but only of their type - the authoritarian to rule.
Kevin McCarthy is a legend in his own mind. Sadly, he exemplifies the type of “leader” that walks the halls of Congress today in great number. That is- self aggrandizing, power hungry, and unconcerned with the common good. He sacrifices the country’s interests for that of his party via political expediency joining the ranks of people like Comer, Jordan, and McConnell who have no idea or interest in what our country really needs from them which is servant leadership. They care only about themselves and their political future. And certainly the last thing they care about is our democracy. History will not be kind to them and deservedly so.
www.tomthedemocratist.com
Thank you! It is deeply alarming to ponder the magnitude of damage that can be done by small, vapid, petty, self-serving individuals, especially in the absence of checks and balances. Given realities including purchased politicians and justices, the Electoral College, and perpetually hamstrung courts (“justice delayed…”), voices like yours are invaluable.
For those who watched the “Bewitched” series, My Kevin is Larry Tate... no principles, no real position, but would say or do whatever his audience would agree with. His stance was on a 360degree swivel. Steve your words were right on the money. Kevin lied to everyone , democrats and republicans alike. He’d asked to be trusted (I remember Adam Schiff saying he was on a flight with Kevin. They talk about a subject that Kevin agreed was off the record, then when he got to Washington published what Schiff said. In Liz Chaney’s book it was said how Kevin would say one thing to someone and immediately tell the opposite to someone else.
We can only hope that we have seen the end of this low life in public office. As punishment he should have to live in Bakersfield.
Robert Costa needs to interview Trump!
Wow, Steve, you define "excoriate" right there with that commentary. And Mykevin certainly deserves every word. He is the lowest of the low and an embarrassment to those of us who live in California. I can only hope a Democrat will take over his seat, but then again, it's Bakersfield and who knows. Keep up the good work you are doing!
Mr. Schmidt is "Our Retribution",
He is the avenger for those of us who want blood....and we can be forgiven for that. The other side is (we are so, so sure) as misguided as the Germans in the 30's. Like those Germans, they went into what they needed to do, needed emotionally, and needed through hunger and humiliation, just as the MAGA is doing.
Like Trump, Mr. Schmidt is charismatic, but Mr. Schmidt brings light, nor aubergine darkness.
People like us, the readers and viewers of this column, must resist evil charisma, and not want anything but to be Stoical, a quality Mr. Schmidt often praises. Stoics like Marcus Aurelius or Cicero or Seneca, men who outlived several tyrants as vicious as Hitler, did it by remaining intellectually intact, consistent with their views, yet wily and circumspect, and, also not ever ostentiously bending their knees. The Roman public respected their oratorical and rhetorical powers and therefore the tyrants greatly respected and feared them.
Mr. Schmidt is somewhat like those Stoics. Robert LaCosta would have probably done well if he had lived in their ancient era, but he could not have been--as Mr. Schmidt is--a lengthy speaker. Steve is a juicy, ineffable, inimical orator, and has personally built a much longer platform in which to give his long, measured, moderate-toned, well spoken, historically profound views, (unlike his hero Robert LaCosta, who must have short, TV-style, thumbnail, agressive interviews). Mr. Schmidt is self-effacing and wondferfully appreciative of stalwart, fine journalists like Mr. LaCosta, and we all like that quality in Mr. Schmidt.
We Americans must FINALLY read or re-read Philosophy and do it very seroiusly and studiously. If we do, we will know that none of us has any power to change the "Passing Show Of Our Times"
"Power does what it wants", is one of my favorite adages. Yes, it does: in spite of Mr. Scmidt and 80-90 million of us, power does do ( although surreptitiously and furtively) exactlty what it wants. We are not the oligarchs who rule.
We are only witnesses.
However, Mr. Schmidt is doing a great job or setting the record straight and giivng us the illusion of revenge, or at least a feeling of revenge, and that is why we read and watch him.
Thank you, Mr. Schmidt.
I watched enough of it to get nauseous - that was all I needed - he's a punk.
Robert Costa is the BEST. So sick of so called "journalists" who are more about the brand and how they look. And thankful that PBS put Robert on the national platform at the beginning of his career.