Put A Sock In It, Kevin

So sad. A 37-minute screed about the failures of the Biden Administration at a time when America should be speaking with one voice condemning Hamas and its murderous, reprehensible attack on the state of Israel.

Kevin McCarthy is the only speaker of the House in the history of our nation to be forcibly removed by his fellow members of that body. The only one. It seems to me the shame alone for such a designation might have been enough to engender silence on his part, rather than a long dialogue reciting the failures of the president and his party.

Criticism about Afghanistan, energy policy, the Southern Border, our failed and failing intelligence community, the absurd suggestion that the leader of Hamas turn himself in to the International Court for punishment, all these demands by the demoted McCarthy are about as helpful as Ryan Walters has been to the civility, cooperation and educational success found within our public schools.

As rational forces worldwide are working overtime to contain the carnage in Israel and Gaza, the last thing they need is political posturing designed only to enhance the election outlook for McCarthy's party in the 2024 elections.

That is what his Tuesday morning speech was and it only serves to weaken our State Department, our executive branch and other elements of the American government – not to mention increasing the risk of losing the lives of hundreds of hostages now in the confines of Hamas and scattered throughout Gaza.

At a time like this it seems the best thing McCarthy could have done would be to try to unite his fractured caucus as it decides who to choose as its next leader. After all, as McCarthy loves to point out, all but eight of the approximately 222 Republicans voted to retain him as leader so why doesn't he go try to lead them since his voice internationally is only diminishing in value and purpose.

And his political stunt only accelerated that reality while providing comfort to the madmen who perpetrated the worst attack on our ally Israel since the never-to-be-forgotten Holocaust in Europe nearly 80 years ago.

As the headline for the linked video intones, now is the time for action, so let me second that suggestion by urging the former speaker to do the opposite.He should sit down, shut up and pray for the best outcome for a monstrous, dangerous and never-before-seen atrocity of this magnitude on Israel since its formation in 1948. That's the least he could do; and it would also be the best.