Only days ago, when U.S. House Republicans ousted Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the list of looming crises facing our nation seemed overwhelming enough. Inflation, crime, the mounting catastrophe along our southern border — just for starters — cried out for Congress' attention.

To that list, we now can add another crisis. The Mideast is engulfed once again in violent upheaval after terrorist group Hamas' murderous assault on Israeli civilians.

But never mind any of that. Evidently, House Republicans have an even more pressing crisis of their own to take up — a leadership crisis. As reported in The Gazette, Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan failed Wednesday in his second attempt in two days to become McCarthy's successor as House speaker.

More than 20 members of the House GOP, including Colorado's 4th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, refused to support Jordan. U.S. Reps. Doug Lamborn, of Colorado's 5th Congressional District, and Lauren Boebert, who represents Colorado's 3rd, voted for Jordan.

Meaning, even Colorado's modest GOP delegation, downsized by recent elections to only three members, can't seem to agree on the matter.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country gets to sit ringside, hurling peanut shells and well-earned insults as Republicans continue to duke it out with one another — week after week. The world's problems, apparently, can wait.

With left-of-the-mainstream Democrats still in charge of the U.S. Senate, and with their fellow Democrat, a doddering semblance of his former self, occupying the White House, House Republicans were supposed to provide the electorate a compelling alternative after retaking the lower chamber in 2022. Instead, they're providing congressional Democrats comic relief.

"We're going to show this country what real leadership looks like," House Republicans seem to be saying — "as soon as we figure that out ourselves."

McCarthy was seen as a sellout to some in the House GOP; Jordan was viewed by his Republican foes as a firebrand too close to former President Donald Trump. It's a sure bet most Americans by this point couldn't care less about any of the Capitol intrigue — and just want someone to wield the gavel so Congress can get back to business.

Every day the Republicans dally, they lose more of their mandate for action, and their agenda loses more credibility. Assuming voters at this point even recall what that agenda was.

At a time when you'd think a Republican House speaker would be training the public's sights on Joe Biden's meandering, stumbling, pale imitation of a presidency, the public instead gets to see an empty speaker's seat. A squandered opportunity if ever there was one.

Most Americans have no interest in the inner-circles spats of the two major political parties. If anything, too many members of the voting public are jaded about politics in general and are more inclined to view the two parties as tweedle dee and tweedle dum.

House Republicans now risk being perceived as tweedle dumber. They'd better pick a speaker soon.

The Gazette Editorial Board

REPRINTED FROM THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE

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