This isn't the kind of history you want to see created

 Let’s be clear about one thing: the unprecedented – literally – ousting of sitting Speaker of the House by a maverick group of extreme-right Republicans yesterday?

Idiotic.

Last week Speaker Kevin McCarthy orchestrated a bi-partisan effort to avoid a government shutdown. Whatever the merits of the act, and your opinion of it, it was mundane. It was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a grand betrayal of the Republic.

Enter Rep. Matt Gaetz, who as part of the deal McCarthy made to secure his leadership, had pushed for a rule change to allow any single lawmaker the ability to file a motion to vacate the Speakership.

He did so.

Gaetz and seven Republicans voted to oust; they were joined, ironically, by 208 Democrats.

No Speaker had ever been ordered to vacate the post. Until yesterday.

Don’t try and tell me that this was some triumph of principle over tradition. That’s a lie, both for the extremist cadre of Republicans and their newfound Democratic allies. The former are content to scorch the earth, as governance seems a secondary desire to them. And the Democrats? A petty, partisan pile-on. Unless you think they voted to oust McCarthy because he worked with them last week, which seems like a good way to ensure no olive branches are extended in the future.

Chaos rules the House today. There is no Speaker. There is no easy *path* to Speakership, as any candidate would have to concede points to the fringe to get the votes, and after yesterday, who will trust them?

If Gaetz and company wanted to demonstrate to the world that the party is in turmoil, mission accomplished. If they wanted to handcuff a third of the government, the mission was accomplished.  Beyond that . . .

Shameful.