We're stuck in a Kevin McCarthy doom loop

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     September 25, 2023 Bummed that it is once again Monday? Well, one petty exercise that could help you overcome the start of the work week is imagining who out there is having it worse. (Like I said, petty.) For me, one such person is Kevin McCarthy, [who is all but certain to be having one rough Monday](. The House Speaker, who, as I mentioned in a post this weekend, only clinched the position after suffering a [series of historic humiliations](, suffered two more last week after a group of far-right Republicans tanked his plans to continue funding the government. And even after working through the weekend to hammer out a deal to avoid a looming shutdown, as of this writing, it doesn't look like a resolution is anywhere close to materializing. Compounding McCarthy's woes is Donald Trump, [who is out here publicly rooting for a shutdown](. None of this is to stir up sympathy for McCarthy—far from it. In fact, I hope the man gets a parking ticket today. Has his lunch go missing. That's because the current spending bill fight is what happens when your career is built on the [rickety foundation of selling out]( and giving into the demands of bad people to further your own ambitions. But while it's fun to imagine McCarthy suffering at the hands of his ineffective leadership, it instantly becomes far less comforting when you remember that the lives of millions of people will reap the damage. OK, so back to ways to boost your Monday mood. I've got two bits of great news: Hollywood writers have secured a [tentative deal with studio execs]((!), and Joe Biden is [about to go where no other US president]( has gone before. Good stuff folks. —Inae Oh P.S. I want to take a minute to talk fundraising. Right now, our team is doing everything we can to raise the $253,000 in [online donations we need]( by October 7. Unfortunately, we just had a bit of a slow weekend, and now we need to pick up the pace—big time. So if you can, will you [part with a few bucks and help]( make our reporting possible? The deep dives, underreported beats, the fact-based and fiery perspectives. After all, pumping out solid and rigorous writing costs money, a lot of it. [Please help if you can! Thank you](. Advertisement [The Jed Foundation]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [We’re Living in a Kevin McCarthy Doom Loop]( The spending bill fight extends a career built on concessions, shamelessness, and selling out. BY INAE OH SPONSORED CONTENT FROM THE JED FOUNDATION   Support Young Adult Mental Health This School Year Starting a new school year can bring on many emotions, especially for teens and young adults. The Jed Foundation works to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults, giving them the skills and support they need to thrive today…and tomorrow. [Sign JED's Open Letter to our nation’s youth]( as they head back to school and get mental health resources to support them. [Trending] [Is the writers' strike nearing an end?]( BY JAMES WEST   [Why did it take so long for Dems to turn against Bob Menendez?]( BY JEREMY SCHULMAN   [Joe Biden is about to go where no president has gone before]( BY TIM MURPHY   [Trump really, really doesn't want more people to vote in Pennsylvania]( BY INAE OH Advertisement [The Jed Foundation]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [You’re Sexually Assaulted. You Report. And Police Make You the Suspect.]( Police unleash a slew of interrogation techniques meant for criminal suspects on vulnerable people. BY RACHEL DE LEON [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755