- cross-posted to:
- politics
- cross-posted to:
- politics
Five more Republican representatives may join Ken Buck in resigning from the House of Representatives if they continue to be dissatisfied with the party’s nominee for the presidential election, Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, Buck, a Colorado congressman, suddenly resigned, leaving his seat vacant from next week and shrinking the Republican’s slim majority in the House to 218 to 213. Previously, he had announced his intention to retire from Congress at the end of his current term.
When asked by Axios whether he was coming under pressure from colleagues over his decision, Buck then hinted that more colleagues might resign, saying: “I think it’s the next three people that leave that they’re going to be worried about.”
This is awfully thin. Like I take this as deflection through speculation. I don’t think he knows three people planning to leave, he’s just saying anyone else doing the same would feel greater pressure and anger from the caucus, while not denying he has felt the same.
And what’s more, I suspect the author and editor are keenly aware of this and this is shameless bait just to fill the news cycle. I’d be thrilled to be wrong, but I’m pretty sure I’m not.
I think Ken Buck, being a political insider, also probably knew that the media would run with that quote; and that the paranoia it would inspire would fuck with the republicans in the house who made him want to leave in the first place.
If the house republican leadership also starts exerting pressure to stay on those it perceives as weak links; it may drive some of them out, partially as a result of this statement.
Edit: spelling
That’s an interesting take, thanks!