Letter: "Not my fault"

Back in January Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) might have appeared to be the obvious choice to become Speaker of the House of Representatives. He had coveted this position for years and now he would finally grab the gavel. But not all members of his slim majority were convinced Kevin should be their leader. So began a game of give and take, resulting in promises to individuals and groups within the fractured caucus in exchange for votes for Kevin for Speaker. After 15 ballots he gained his prize… and then came the critical issue of raising the debt ceiling. With conflicting demands coming from his troops Kevin asked select members to lead negotiations which, as I write, continue to be bogged down. And now Kevin, Speaker of the House and supposedly commander of his caucus, stands tall and tells all the world: “Not my fault.” I’d venture to predict Kevin will be just plain Representative McCarthy before July 4.