‘Revenge of the squishes’ as Jim Jordan’s bid for US speakership falters

It is being referred to in Washington as “the revenge of the squishes”.

“Squishes” being the name given to centrist or more moderate members of the Republican Party in the US Congress who, over recent years, have tended to roll over to the demands of their more hard right colleagues.

This week as conservative Jim Jordan sought to become speaker of the House of Representatives, a constitutional position second in the line of succession to the presidency after the vice-president, the Squishes showed they had a spine.

Ignoring abuse and even alleged death threats in some cases, a group of about 20 defied a campaign to pressure them and voted to reject Jordan.

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For a fortnight, after a group of hard right Republican politicians rebelled and joined with opposition Democrats to force out the then speaker Kevin McCarthy, the House of Representatives had been paralysed. In the absence of a speaker the House can not pass legislation.

Riven with internal splits, feuds and grudges, the Republican Party has been unable to agree on a replacement for McCarthy or reach a consensus on how the gridlock can be fixed.

Initially Republicans opted to nominate Louisiana congressman Steve Scalise. But some refused to back him in a full vote on the floor of the House.

When Scalise withdrew, Jordan took up the baton, but he also failed to secure the full backing of his party and get the 217 votes needed in the chamber to win the speakership. He fell short by 20 votes in a first ballot, and even more in the second.

From Ohio, Jordan has been in Congress since 2007 and became known as a firebrand conservative with a forceful and combative political style.

A co-founder of the hard right freedom caucus, he was viewed as a thorn in the side of the Republican Party establishment. Former Republican speaker John Boehner described him memorably as a “legislative terrorist”.

Jordan is a strong supporter of Donald Trump and the former president has backed him for the speakership.

Initially last week about 50 Republicans in the House made clear in a secret ballot they did not want him.

However, over last weekend Jordan and his grassroots supporters around the country lobbied hard and ultimately about 30 changed their minds.

But a core of about 20 held firm. Some believed Jordan was too extreme and disliked some of his past behaviour and voting record. Others believed he had been too lukewarm in backing Scalise as nominee.

The campaign of pressurising Republicans opposing Jordan, which varied from legitimate lobbying to outright abuse, appears to have backfired. Jordan has condemned threats being made to his party colleagues as “abhorrent”.

On Thursday, however, details of some of the messages sent to some Republicans became known. The New York Times reported that one New York congressman received an email stating: “If I see your face, I will whip all the hair out of your head you scumbag”.

Another politician reportedly told an internal Republican meeting that police had had to be stationed at their daughter’s school.

CNN on Thursday broadcast a voicemail left for the wife of another politician . The caller said he was not violent but threatened that she would be followed and receive calls and emails and have her details published on the internet.

“[Vote] Jim Jordan or more conservative or you are going to be f**ing molested like you can’t even imagine. Again, non violently.”