How do we know the House GOP impeachment threats are just a bunch of political theater? Facing more consequences from his Corrupt Bargain, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is dangling the threat of impeachment in front of MAGA House Republicans to convince them to *checks notes* do their job and fund the government. Except not all House Republicans are sold on impeachment theater, with one even telling CNN “there’s no evidence” of wrongdoing by President Biden and that they don’t think the evidence exists.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is going to give himself whiplash with all the flipflopping he’s been doing. Back in June, McCarthy squashed Rep. Lauren Boebert’s impeachment temper tantrum. Then he suggested former President Trump wasn’t the “strongest” 2024 Republican presidential candidate. Then, he bent over backward in a cringe-inducing show of fealty to kiss the ring. Then, Politico reported that McCarthy made a secret pinky promise to Trump, that the House would vote to expunge his two impeachments, but McCarthy denies he made such a promise. Then, McCarthy claimed that House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer’s embarrassing performance was “rising to the level of impeachment inquiry.” Then just days later, McCarthy reportedly privately told his Caucus that they don’t have evidence to justify an impeachment inquiry. Then Rep. Matt Gaetz admitted that House Republican impeachment pushes are about providing House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer with a stage in the senate to broadcast his conspiracy theories and help Republicans in 2024.
Now, a new profile of Comer shows how he has lost any credibility he may have once had. It also quotes him declining to rule out a run for higher office as his bogus investigations have boosted his national profile. In true Comer fashion, he also claimed he wanted to eventually leave Washington, DC to return to farming in Kentucky, then said he declined to run for governor in 2023 so he could chase DC glory with a high-profile committee chairmanship. But sure, this totally isn’t about settling partisan political scores. *wink*
House Speaker McCarthy Demands To Be Taken Seriously In The Face Of More Corrupt Bargain Karma
SPEAKER MCCARTHY DOESN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT HIS OWN CONFERENCE IS DOING – THREATENS IMPEACHMENT OVER IMAGINARY DOCUMENT REQUESTS
PoliticusUSA: “Kevin McCarthy Is Threatening To Impeach Biden For Not Turning Over Documents Republicans Never Requested”
- A House Oversight Committee Aide Confirmed To The Hill That The Committee Had Not Requested Documents From The White House That Speaker McCarthy Claimed They Asked For And Hadn’t Received. “McCarthy at one point added they were seeking bank statements and credit card statements, though did not specify for whom. ‘If they hold that up, we would have to move to an impeachment inquiry. Which you know, Larry, gives the apex of power to Congress when it comes to our subpoena power and others to get the documents we need. The bank statements, the credit card statements and others. Show us where the money went, show us were you taking money from outside sources? And that would clear most of this up, but they seem to fight it every step of the way,’ he added. But an aide for the House Oversight Committee, which has led the investigation into the matter, confirmed the panel has not requested such documents from the White House.” [The Hill, 8/22/23]
- June 2023: House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer Told Fox News The Committee Had Received “100 Percent” Of What It Had Requested Through Subpoenas. “At the end of June, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) told Kudlow in an interview that the panel’s investigation and expertise are ‘centered around bank statement and bank records,’ but went on to note that the committee has received ‘100 percent’ of what it requested through subpoenas. ‘Every subpoena that I’ve signed as chairman of the House Oversight Committee over the last five months, we’ve gotten 100 percent of what we’ve requested,’ Comer said. ‘Whether it’s with the FBI or with banks or with Treasury. We have built up success that will lead to more success because now what we’re subpoenaing is a lot more challenge.’” [The Hill, 8/22/23]
SPEAKER MCCARTHY CAN’T KEEP HIS OWN CONFERENCE UNITED WITHOUT DANGLING POLITICALLY MOTIVATED IMPEACHMENT PROMISES IN FRONT OF THEM
New York Times: “McCarthy Tries to Leverage Biden Impeachment to Avoid a Shutdown”
- House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Is Trying To Persuade House Republicans To Support Funding The Government By Arguing A Shutdown Would Interfere With House GOP Biden Investigations And A Potential Impeachment Inquiry. “Facing the prospect of a politically damaging government shutdown within weeks, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is offering a new argument to conservatives reluctant to vote to keep funding flowing: A shutdown would make it more difficult for Republicans to pursue an impeachment inquiry against President Biden, or to push forward with investigations of him and his family that could yield evidence for one.” [New York Times, 8/30/23]
Talking Points Memo: “McCarthy Dangles Hunter Biden Probes In Front Of Hardliners Risking Shutdown”
- Talking Points Memo: “Risking Financial Crisis For The Sake Of Shoving Right-Wing Grievances And Spending Cut Soundbites Into The News Cycle Has Become Republican Hardliners’ Go-To Power Flex In This 118th Congress.” [Talking Points Memo, 8/30/23]
- Talking Points Memo: “Now The House Speaker Is Going To Comedically Desperate Lengths To Urge [The House Freedom Caucus] Away From Mucking Up The Appropriations Process Upon Return.” “Members of the House Freedom Caucus endangered House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) plan to avert a shutdown before the House even returned from August recess. Now the House speaker is going to comedically desperate lengths to urge them away from mucking up the appropriations process upon return.” [Talking Points Memo, 8/30/23]
Vanity Fair: “Kevin McCarthy Suddenly Very Open to a Joe Biden Impeachment Push”
The Independent: “Kevin McCarthy has to choose between his House majority and Trump on Biden impeachment”
MSNBC: “Facing a shutdown, McCarthy struggles to get his unruly caucus in line”
The Hill: “Trump presses Republicans to impeach Biden or ‘fade into oblivion’”
U.S. News & World Report: “McCarthy’s ‘No Win’ Shutdown Scenario”
The Hill: “House conservatives flirt with shutdown: ‘So be it’”
SPEAKER MCCARTHY CAN’T KEEP HIS OWN CONFERENCE UNITED BY DANGLING POLITICALLY MOTIVATED IMPEACHMENT PROMISES IN FRONT OF HARDLINERS
CNN: “McCarthy starts to plot Biden impeachment strategy while GOP skeptics remain”
- Republican Sources Claimed House Speaker McCarthy Privately Told Republicans He Hoped To Pursue An Impeachment Inquiry Against President Biden By The End Of September. “In recent weeks, McCarthy has privately told Republicans he plans to pursue an impeachment inquiry into Biden and hopes to start the process by the end of September, according to multiple GOP sources familiar with the conversations. While McCarthy has already publicly threatened to launch an inquiry if allegations from IRS whistleblowers hold up or if the Biden administration does not cooperate with requests related to House Republicans’ Hunter Biden probe, sources say that McCarthy has sent even stronger signals about his intentions behind closed doors.” [CNN, 8/28/23]
House Republicans Are So Afraid Of Their Own Impeachment Political Theater They May Not Even Hold A Floor Vote To Officially Start An Inquiry
Politico Playbook: “The House GOP mulls some impeachment hypocrisy”
House Republicans Were Reportedly Considering Opening An Impeachment Inquiry Without A Floor Vote. “But leadership recognizes that the entire House Republican conference is not yet sold on the politically risky idea of impeachment. That’s why one of the biggest lingering questions – and something Republicans have been discussing in recent weeks – is whether they would need to hold a floor vote to formally authorize their inquiry, sources say. There is no constitutional requirement that they do so, and Republicans do not currently have the 218 votes needed to open an impeachment inquiry. Skipping the formal vote, which would be a tough one for many of the party’s more vulnerable and moderate members, would allow Republicans to get the ball rolling on an inquiry while giving leadership more time to convince the rest of the conference to get on board with impeachment.” [CNN, 8/28/23]
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Has Been Making The Case To House Republicans That An Impeachment Inquiry Is Not The Same As An Impeachment Vote. “And McCarthy has been making the case, both publicly and privately, that an impeachment inquiry is not the same as an actual impeachment vote, though privately many Republicans believe that if they open an inquiry that they would have no choice but to follow through with impeachment.” [CNN, 8/28/23]
- 2019: Kevin McCarthy Opposed Holding An Impeachment Inquiry Without A Floor Vote And Said It “Undermines The Voting Privileges Afforded To Each Member And The Constituents They Represent.” “That, as some on the Hill have noted, would go against his own words: ahead of the first Trump impeachment in 2019, McCarthy wrote a letter to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling on her to suspend the inquiry pending the full approval of the House, going as far to even introduce a resolution claiming that launching an inquiry without a full House vote ‘undermines the voting privileges afforded to each Member and the constituents they represent.’” [Newsweek, 8/28/23]
One House Republican Said There Is No Evidence For James Comer’s Baseless Claims About President Biden And That They Don’t Believe Evidence Exists
CNN: “Even Some Republicans Are Still Not Convinced That They Have Uncovered Any Evidence Of High Crimes And Misdemeanors, Which Is The Bar For Impeachment.” [CNN, 8/28/23]
Republican Lawmaker: “There’s No Evidence That Joe Biden Got Money, Or That Joe Biden, You Know, Agreed To Do Something So That Hunter Could Get Money. There’s Just No Evidence Of That. And They Can’t Impeach Without That Evidence. And I Don’t I Don’t Think The Evidence Exists.” “And one GOP lawmaker, granted anonymity to speak more freely, offered an even blunter assessment: ‘There’s no evidence that Joe Biden got money, or that Joe Biden, you know, agreed to do something so that Hunter could get money. There’s just no evidence of that. And they can’t impeach without that evidence. And I don’t I don’t think the evidence exists.’” [CNN, 8/28/23]
A Skeptical House Judiciary Committee Republican Reportedly Questioned Chair Jim Jordan About The Purpose Of An Impeachment Inquiry. “Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, where impeachment articles would originate, held a conference call with panel members last week to discuss the topic of impeachment and other matters, according to two lawmakers on the call. […] But not everyone is on board yet. During the call, one skeptical committee member pressed Jordan on the purpose of an impeachment inquiry, according to a source on the call. Jordan’s legal counsel then chimed in and argued that impeachment could strengthen their hand in court battles over document requests, since impeachment is enshrined in the constitution.” [CNN, 8/28/23]
Senior House Republican Aide: “We Haven’t Proven The Case For Impeachment Yet…How Can You Start Impeachment? We Haven’t Done What You Need To Do To Start Impeachment. There Is No Way We’d Get The Votes.” “‘We haven’t proven the case for impeachment yet,’ one senior GOP aide told us last night. ‘How can you start impeachment? We haven’t done what you need to do to start impeachment. There is no way we’d get the votes.’” [Politico, Playbook, 8/30/23]
James Comer Shows Once Again That His “Investigation” Is All About Politics
Washington Post Fact Checker: “An FBI source, a Burisma deal, the Bidens and details that don’t match up”
NBC NEWS REPORTED ON HOW JAMES COMER’S “INVESTIGATION” HAD BOOSTED HIS NATIONAL PROFILE…
NBC News: “In His Media Appearances, Comer Often Dabbles In Unfounded Claims, Exaggerations And Innuendo That Sometimes Border On Conspiracy Theories.” [NBC News, 8/31/23]
NBC News: “After He Seized The U.S. House Oversight Committee Gavel This Year, Comer Quickly Shed That Bipartisan Image — And Earned The Wrath Of The Very Democrats Who Once Praised Him.” “But after he seized the U.S. House Oversight Committee gavel this year, Comer quickly shed that bipartisan image — and earned the wrath of the very Democrats who once praised him. During his eight months as chairman, Comer, who is in his fourth term in Congress, has emerged as the face of the GOP’s sprawling — and some have said conspiratorial — probes into Hunter Biden and the chief antagonist to his father, President Joe Biden.” [NBC News, 8/31/23]
…AND THAT COMER DID NOT RULE OUT RUNNING FOR HIGHER OFFICE WHEN ASKED
And Asked Whether He Had Ambitions For Higher Office, James Comer Did Not Rule It Out And Said “I Can’t Predict The Future. I Don’t Know What’ll Happen.” “While the Biden probe has divided Democrats and Republicans, they agree on one thing: The ambitious Comer, 51, now has the stature, national fundraising network and popularity in the GOP to excel in a future race for governor or to succeed arguably the state’s most powerful politician, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is 81 and has been battling health issues. On Wednesday, McConnell appeared to freeze for a second time in as many months when a reporter asked him whether he plans to run for re-election. Comer, in a phone interview from Kentucky, said he’s happy serving in the House but didn’t rule out a bid for higher office, saying: ‘I can’t predict the future. I don’t know what’ll happen.’” [NBC News, 8/31/23]
JAMES COMER SAID HE SUPPORTED TERM LIMITS AND EVENTUALLY WANTED TO LEAVE WASHINGTON, DC…
James Comer Claimed He Eventually Wanted To Leave Washington, DC And Return To His Farming Operation In Kentucky. “Speaking before McConnell’s latest apparent freeze, Comer said he is a firm believer in term limits and eventually wants to return to his farming operation in Monroe County. ‘I certainly don’t want to be one of these people that stay in Washington forever and get old,’ he said. ‘I think that’s not a good business model.’” [NBC News, 8/31/23]
…THEN SAID HE DECIDED AGAINST RUNNING FOR KENTUCKY GOVERNOR AGAIN TO SEEK GLORY IN A HIGH-PROFILE DC COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT
James Comer Claimed He Could Have Run For Kentucky Governor Again In 2023, But Instead Chose To Have “The Most High-Profile Position In The House” By His Opinion. “‘I could have run for governor this time. And I don’t think a lot of the Republicans that filed would have filed if I had run. I think I could have won,’ he said. ‘But I knew I had the opportunity to be chairman of this committee. I knew it would be, in my opinion, the most high-profile position in the House.’ That national platform has generated a huge fundraising windfall for Comer. Since he took over the committee chairmanship and launched the Biden probe in January, his campaign committee has had a staggering increase in small-dollar donations, having raised $1 million during the first six months of 2023, compared to a little more than $230,000 in the first six months of 2021, according to campaign finance records.”
James Comer Became Mired In Scandal During His Last Gubernatorial Campaign In 2015
2015: James Comer Narrowly Lost The Republican Primary For Governor After Being Accused Of Abusing A Former College Girlfriend. “Comer nearly became Kentucky’s governor in 2015. He lost by just 83 votes in the GOP primary to tea party favorite Matt Bevin, who portrayed himself as the most conservative candidate and went on to win the general election. During the final stretch of the primary campaign, a former girlfriend from college accused Comer of physically and mentally abusing her during their two-year relationship. Comer denied the allegations.” [NBC News, 8/31/23]
BUT JAMES COMER GETS HIGH PRAISE FROM MAGA REPUBLICAN MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE WHO HE ALLOWED TO SHOW NUDE PHOTOS OF A PRIVATE CITIZEN DURING A COMMITTEE HEARING
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Who Showed Explicit Photos Of A Private Citizen During A Committee Hearing, Gave James Comer “High Praise” For His Investigation. “Greene, who showed explicit photos of Hunter Biden at an Oversight Committee hearing in July and has pushed to impeach the president, also had high praise. ‘He’s leading the best investigation into the Bidens, far better than anything the FBI has done, far better than anything the DOJ has done,’ she said.” [NBC News, 8/31/23]