A loud, boorish, and stupid Trumpist nut wants to be Speaker

Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan announces bid for House Speaker

A wrestling coach accused of turning a blind eye to sexual abuse during his tenure.

Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, a conservative firebrand and staunch ally of President Donald Trump, said Thursday he would run to succeed Paul Ryan as House Speaker.

"Should the American people entrust us with the majority again in the 116th Congress, I plan to run for Speaker of the House to bring real change to the House of Representatives," Jordan, a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, said in a statement.

"President Trump has taken bold action on behalf of the American people. Congress has not held up its end of the deal, but we can change that. It's time to do what we said," added Jordan, who also sent a letter to his House colleagues announcing his intention to run.

This is how nuts.

He loudly echoes every craziest wingnut claim about Russiagate, the FBI, the Justice Department, and even Hillary's exoneration for the email business.

Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that he doesn't support the effort by some of his conservative House colleagues to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

"Do I support impeachment of Rosenstein? No, I do not," Ryan, R-Wis., said at his weekly press conference as lawmakers packed up to leave Capitol Hill for a month-long recess.

"I don't think we should be cavalier with this process or term," he said of impeachment, adding, "I don't think this rises to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors."

A group of conservative House members filed articles of impeachment against Rosenstein Wednesday night, alleging that he has withheld documents from Congress and made misleading statements to lawmakers. The resolution was introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the House Freedom Caucus; Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and nine co-sponsors.

Ryan said that while Congress hasn't gotten full compliance on its requests for documents from the Department of Justice, lawmakers have seen "tremendous progress" since he stepped in and got involved.

If an impeachment resolution were to pass the House, Ryan warned, it would "tie the Senate into knots," delaying both appropriations bills and the confirmation of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

"For many reasons, I don’t think it's the right way to go," Ryan said.

. . . .


And Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, indicated Thursday that he doesn't back the impeachment effort.

"I am supportive of our desire to gain of getting the documents. Impeachment is a punishment. So, I want the documents," he said. 

"My position for the most part has been I don't like drama but I want the documents. It hasn’t changed."

The other issue with impeachment, added Gowdy, is that it's unlikely to succeed: "I don't see the votes."

Meanwhile, Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended Rosenstein.

"My deputy, Rod Rosenstein, is highly capable. I have the highest confidence in him," Sessions said at a press conference in Boston.

Sessions said that Congress has far more pressing issues to deal with than impeaching a top DOJ official.

"We need Congress to deal with the immigration question," he said.