4 January 2023 — 0651 mst

Rosendale runs with junkyard dogs

Montana’s Matt Rosendale continues his diehard
opposition to electing McCarthy Speaker of the House

By James Conner

Montana’s eastern district congressman, Republican Matt Rosendale, began his congressional career voting to not certify Joe Biden’s election as President. Since then, he’s kept company with the likes of Reps. Paul Gosar (R, AZ) and Andy Biggs (R, AZ), and a handful of other junkyard dogs who growl around the right edge of their political party, biting the legs of Republican leaders and embarrassing the voters who sent them to Congress.

Yesterday, Rosendale was one of 20 Republicans who refused to vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R, CA) for Speaker of the House. McCarthy actually received fewer votes for Speaker than Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; neither received a majority.

Rosendale in Kalispell, 2014.

Voting for Speaker may resume at 1000 MST today. I doubt McCarthy can muster the votes he needs. I have the sense that no matter how many concessions he makes, that won’t be enough. His detractors are on a political murder-suicide mission, determined to take him down no matter the cost to their country or caucus.

Rosendale’s keeping company with the GOP’s junkyard dogs hurts his ability to help Montana. He’s establishing himself as an unserious legislator. Were he to build up seniority and learn to run with the big dogs, he could do Montana a lot of good. But right now, he’s doing his state and nation a lot of harm by keeping company with his party’s outlaws and curs.