by Dan Burns

Nov 29, 2022, 5:00 PM

Imagine being GOP House Majority Whip, starting in January

After all, you’ve got a miniscule majority, and plenty of members who have shown themselves to be by no means team players, when opportunities to promote #1 beckon instead. Yet it’s a done deal that Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) is going to be that person, and, while it was contested, without any of the ongoing drama surrounding the Speakership.

(My own take on Speaker is that some serious GOP moneymen will get in touch with some recalcitrant Party of Trumpers in the House. Just as many as are needed. And, while they won’t literally do any Vito Corleone/Luca Brasi-type things, they will make their expectations clear. And put an end to any more unseemly antics. But I could be wrong.)

Could it really be that hardly anyone else actually wants the job, with its potential for being hugely frustrated and humiliated, time and time again, by a caucus bottom-heavy with deranged egomaniacs? I doubt that’s it. I think it’s more a matter of Emmer having worked his way into being next up, and more than enough colleagues accepting that. Maybe he’s seen as having successfully kept a foot in both worlds: enough of a reality-based professional for the corporatists, yet also enough of an obnoxious asshole for the crazies. And it’s also hard to see how in the current GOP caucus in the U.S. House they could find anyone “better.”

Does Minnesota’s own Rep. Tom Emmer see this as a next step to being the GOP presidential nominee, somewhere down (but not too far down) the line? Wouldn’t surprise me, even though Emmer is a lout who doesn’t exactly flourish charisma, political or otherwise. If Trump can get there, anyone can. Yeah, they probably won’t, but that’s another matter. Certainly just about everyone in Congress has to have at least fantasized about it, at one time or another. The difference is that among Party of Trumpers the dividing line between fantasy and reality tends to be awfully dim.

What interests me in all this is whether we’re going to find out if Emmer, and many others, really have ever been Trump true believers, or have just been pretending to be, for the sake of their own ambitions. Just one of those psychological questions that I can’t resist pondering.

Comment from Mac: IMO … the Whip election was really close (115-106) …. IN03 Jim Banks had been campaigning for it and since he lives in Virginia, he would have been an available guest for FOX, AON, etc Banks has experience as Chairman of the Republican Study Committee so he surely had the votes of many of the old Tea Party { Banks is now considering a run for Senate if Senator Mike Braun runs for IN Governor … so Emmer winning would relieve him of those Whip duties.}

Emmer’s experience ??? Heading up the RNCC which featured a fight with Elise Stefanik over not seeking more women (which lead her to start her own PAC and endorse candidates) … and the election results were not impressive — considering redistricting and gerrymandering, Emmer should have been a questionable candidate.

What we should watch for is how Emmer announces the scheduling of bills and floor votes. How many times will he have to pull bills because the Party Of Trump does not want what McCarthy has scheduled.

Being Majority Whip may give him a higher national profile but doesn’t that sorta take him out of Minnesota politics … who will the MNGOP offer to challenge Klobuchar in 2024 (Emmer presumably would be out … would Fischbach make the leap or Stauber ? Hopefully Jen Schultz will seek a rematch ’cause having Klobuchar on the ballot should help her.) And what about MN Governor in 2026 … is he gonna stay on as Whip or take another shot at Guv ?

What Emmer does gain though is fundraising cash …. Scalise’s Eye of the Tiger PAC distributed a lot of dollars. Of course with that comes the job of raising the cash … will Sixth District voters wonder when he will be visiting the district.

Another issue to watch is what the GOP does with “earmarks” … Emmer and Stauber participated in “Community Project Funding” requests and brought dollars home to their districts … will Emmer keep a similar program ’cause Jim Banks would not have.

Last thought … Speaker and Whip were not the only contests … Elise Stefanik had to fend off a challenge from Byron Donalds for Conference Chair 144-74. Donalds will be a second-term Representative when the new session starts but already is a seeking leadership role. Fun Fact : Donalds was charged with marijuana distribution and plead guilty to felony bribery charges … and his “swag” bag featured cigars and wine tumbler … wonder what Emmer’s offered as incentives to win his slot ?