Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Craziest Republican of the Day: Louie Gohmert (for nominating Gingrich for Speaker)

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Yes, he's as insanely crazy as ever.

But I would also say that this qualifies as some of the best and funniest news of the day: 

Former Speaker and failed presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was nominated for the position of Speaker on Wednesday by conservative Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-Texas). There was no second.

Do you have to be a member of Congress to be elected Speaker? Apparently not. Which makes this all the more hilarious.

Say it with me again: There was no second.

Poor Newt.

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Update:

From Dan Amira:

Gohmert's odd stunt does allow us the opportunity to revisit one of the many gratuitous quirks of our beloved Constitution: You don't have to be a member of the House to serve as the Speaker of the House. The Constitution states that the "House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers." And that's all it says on the topic. It doesn't even specify that the Speaker has to be a living person, actually. Ronald Reagan's jar of jelly beans could probably become the Speaker if enough congressmen were on board. "Freedom" could be the Speaker.

Dan, I'm not sure it's helpful to be giving Republicans any such ideas.  

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2 Comments:

  • I can see a Supreme Court case. The Republicans can name a corporation as Speaker of the House. They've already decided that corporations are people (My friend!) so it wouldn't test the jelly bean question. But at least we could get a ruling on the question of having to be a member of the House.

    By Anonymous Frankly Curious, at 11:43 PM  

  • With clowns like Gohmert, it's hard to know how the GOP will ever straighten itself out.

    By Blogger Richard K. Barry, at 8:06 AM  

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