Isolating the Fringe

Let’s turn this on its head.

Having watched virtually every twist and turn of the GOP speakership drama, the main conclusion I can draw is not that the system is “broken” but that it held. It may have taken a long time and allowed figures like Gaetz and Boebert to get national media exposure, but in the end, the party that prevailed in the midterms elected its leader as speaker.

More importantly, the extremist faction of the Republican Party after a few moments in the spotlight was banished back to the shadows — for now.

Many are saying that the speaker’s role that McCarthy now holds is vastly weakened from what it was, but that is unclear at this juncture. Pelosi survived some close calls in her party’s fight to choose its leader in the past and that didn’t ultimately diminish her influence, which was substantial over many years.

Meanwhile, the ongoing threat to democracy was beaten back and forced into remission once again. Trump’s clones caused a fuss but were humiliated in the end. As a result, I doubt we’ll be hearing all that much from the clownish fringe for at least a little while.

And that, my friends, would be a blessing. Because the threat remains.

LINKS:

• House Speaker Fight Could Preview Months of Turmoil (WSJ)

• Inside the House GOP's speakership crisis (Politico)

• Kevin McCarthy, a divided GOP and the curse of Jan. 6 (WP)

• Biden aides struggle to respond to Taliban’s latest curbs on women (Politico)

• In Kabul, Taliban rulers are changing the face of the capital (WP)

• ‘Holy grail’ wheat gene discovery could feed our overheated world (Guardian)

• California’s not done. Three more atmospheric rivers are on the way. (NYT)

• California’s deadly floods won’t break the megadrought (Vox)

• Sex Trafficking Row Helped Fuel Gaetz’s Hatred for McCarthy (Rolling Stone)

• Bryan Kohberger case: Why didn't Idaho roommate call 911 after encountering masked madman? (Fox)

• What Snow Days Mean to Adults (Atlantic)

• COVID Is Doing Something to Our Sleep, And Even to Our Dreams (ScienceAlert)

• RSV recedes and flu peaks as a new COVID variant shoots 'up like a rocket' (NPR)

• China in talks with Pfizer for COVID drug (Reuters)

• China suspends social media accounts of COVID policy critics (AP)

• Salesforce co-CEO Marc Benioff hints at more potential layoffs after this week’s job cuts (CNBC)

• McDonald’s CEO says layoffs are coming (CNN)

• Harvard blocks role for former Human Rights Watch head over Israel criticism (Guardian)

• Sparrows and Bradleys for Ukraine (Reuters)

• Moscow’s war in Ukraine brought harsh tactics against gay Russians at home (NYT)

• Mystery of why Roman buildings have survived so long has been unraveled, scientists say (CNN)

• Space mining startups see a rich future on asteroids and the moon (Space.com)

• A New Approach to Halting the Effects of Aging: Boosting Immune Cells Improves Brain Waste Clearance (SciTechDaily)

• Alzheimer’s drug that slows cognitive decline gets FDA approval (WP)

• The ozone layer was destroyed during Earth's biggest mass extinction (New Scientist)

• Most species evolve by adapting to similar, large-scale environmental pressures, study finds (Phys.org)

• Prince Harry's memoir is anything but spare (Reuters)

• Shower Head Snarls Like Vicious Jungle Cat Before Turning On (The Onion)