The GOP's House speaker quest: A comedy in many acts

[Daily Kos Evening Brief]( [The GOP's House speaker quest: A comedy in many acts]( It’s been a week and a half since Kevin McCarthy was ousted as House speaker. Still, Republicans failed to elect a new House speaker, and they didn’t even come close. Rep. Steve Scalise got his conference’s nod in a [113-99 vote over Rep. Jim Jordan](, but with Republican Freedom Caucus nihilists refusing to budge, he never came close to the 217 votes he needed to secure the job. Rather than try to negotiate a deal with Democrats, he quit his bid on Thursday. On Friday, the Republican caucus voted 152-55 on the question of whether they supported Jordan’s candidacy, [leaving him far short of 217](. Republicans adjourned for the weekend. And with that, it is no surprise that the Republican civil war took center stage this week, with a series of fumbles and embarrassing headlines: - [Republicans in turmoil, Democrats extend a lifeline—and a dash of ridicule]( - [Republican meltdown: McCarthy's surprising bid for House speaker]( - [Liz Cheney goes at Jim Jordan for his role in Jan. 6 insurrection]( - [Republican congresswoman gets a reality check while defending Jim Jordan]( - [Vulnerable Republicans fret over losing seats in 2024, but not enough to reach across aisle]( Other top stories: - [This isn't a joke: Donald Trump boasts of support from Hannibal Lecter at campaign rally]( Another Donald Trump speech has left us with serious questions about his grip on reality. - [Ukraine Update: Russia suffers catastrophic losses in two ill-fated attacks]( Russia’s effort at a major land grab hit the brick wall of Ukrainian resistance. Ukraine claims hundreds of Russian vehicles destroyed over the past couple of days, many of them visually documented in that story [and its follow-up](. - [Former Pence aide says Trump is a phony Christian who 'disparaged' his supporters in private]( While it’s always been glaringly obvious that Donald Trump is a fake populist and fake Christian, it’s still nice when Republicans–especially those who worked in his administration–come forward to confirm it. - [If you can afford to make a monthly donation, please take a minute right now to give $3 to keep Daily Kos online and accessible for everyone.]( - [Nom nom nom leopard ate face of this former Trump-supporting conservative writer]( A Trump-loving conservative writer now admits that Trump is destroying the Republican Party. People tried to warn him, but he knew better! And now his party is suffering the consequences. - [Rumors swirl over DeSantis' cowboy boots on Trump social network]( We have a lot of questions about what’s going on inside these DeSantis boots, which Donald Trump is gleefully spreading rumors about. - [Tommy Tuberville calls the cops over a mean tweet]( This freakin’ guy called the cops on a retired general. Seriously. - [Leopards ate face of Republicans who recruited Kennedy to run for president]( Steve Bannon spent months recruiting conspiracy monger Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a “chaos agent” in the Democratic primary. But Kennedy spent all summer touring conservative media, building support among Republicans, and now having failed in the Democratic primary, he is an independent candidate for president (where his bid launched with [absolute hilarity](). Deliciously, all the chaos is happening on the Republican side. - [We don’t talk about Leonard: The man behind the right’s Supreme Court supermajority]( We are still in awe of this ProPublica report on the driving force behind the corruption of the Supreme Court. - You’ll find the best [daily Ukraine coverage]( at Daily Kos! - [Winter is coming, so get your Daily Kos beanie and stay warm through the cold. Click here to get yours now!]( Before you leave, can you do one more thing? 2023 has been a hard financial year for Daily Kos. Donations of just a few dollars from our readers and activists helps us pay the bills. Please support progressive news and activism by making a donation of $5 today. [Chip in $5]( If you wish to donate by mail instead, please send a check to Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Contributions to Daily Kos are not tax deductible. Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.