DAVE ROSS

Ross: Could Liz Cheney be the next Speaker of the House?

Nov 14, 2022, 7:56 AM | Updated: 9:23 am

cheney...

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) campaigns with Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) at an Evening for Patriotism and Bipartisanship event on November 1, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan. This is the first time that the Republican Congresswoman has publicly endorsed a Democrat. Cheney was defeated in her August Wyoming Primary by her Republican rival Harriet Hageman, who recently endorsed Republican congressional candidate Tom Barrett, Elissa Slotkin's opponent, for Michigan's 7th District. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

(Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

As we wait to see who gets control of Congress, I’m hearing some dissent in the Republican ranks about making Kevin McCarthy speaker should they get a majority. They’re not sure they trust him to run a sufficiently conservative agenda.

Some Republicans want a revenge impeachment, some want a Hunter Biden investigation, some want Social Security re-evaluated, and some even want a national anti-abortion law — in short — an agenda that would create more turmoil.

More from Dave Ross: Is King County the GOP’s nemesis?

Which gave one of my listeners a crazy idea.

“Hi Dave, this is Scott in West Seattle.”

Scott is a listener and occasional e-mailer, and he thinks there’s a solution here.

“I’m sure you already know, you don’t have to be a member of Congress in order to be the Speaker of the House,” Scott said. “All you need is the majority of 218 votes.”

That’s true. So far, all the speakers have been members of Congress, but that is not a requirement.

“With that in mind, let’s say that Republicans take control of the House,” Scott posits, “There is absolutely nothing in the world to prevent Democrats from nominating Liz Cheney (R-WY) to be the next Speaker. And there’s nothing in the world to prevent three, or four, or however many additional Republicans are needed from crossing over the aisle to help elect her.”

Yes — he wants Democrats to outmaneuver the MAGA Republicans by nominating and voting for … Liz Cheney.

“I’m a conservative Republican, and the most conservative of conservative principles is the reverence for the rule of law,” Cheney said.

Liz Cheney — who lost her seat in Wyoming for speaking the words Donald Trump couldn’t tolerate.

“The election is over. That is the rule of law. That is our constitutional process,” Cheney said.

But what about Trump? This would make Trump livid. What Republican would risk their career to elect Liz Cheney?

Scott had a few ideas.

“It could be either old-school Republicans with a desire to avoid years of gridlock and pointless investigations,” he said. “Or they just might want to secure a plum committee assignment. Regardless, Liz would be expected to remain true to her conservative values while at the same time honoring ‘small d’ Democratic principles.”

And why would Democrats go along? Because, Scott says…

“Biden would finally have a Republican he could negotiate in good faith. What could be more bipartisan than that?”

I like it! And if it happens — you heard it here first. Thank you, Scott.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5 – 9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

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