Tipsheet

Is She Serious? Nancy Mace Peddles Old Lefty Talking Point to Justify Anti-Steve Scalise Position

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  October 12, 2023 6:15 PM

UPDATE: Scalise dropped out of the speaker's race

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This woman is a piece of work. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) trotted into House GOP meetings on the Hill regarding selecting a new speaker wearing a red “A” on her shirt, referencing The Scarlet Letter. Mace was one of eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to boot Speaker Kevin McCarthy on October 2. Since then, it’s been a circus in the House. Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Steve Scalise (R-LA) have emerged as frontrunners, with Scalise slightly ahead, though no one has the votes right now.

Mace isn’t backing Scalise because he made an appearance at a white nationalist conference in 2002, which is a dubious claim:


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Yet, Mace received $10,000 from Scalise’s PAC and touted his endorsement during her re-election bid. Mace embodies the dysfunction and chaos that came with this bid to remove McCarthy, who is no angel, but there was no plan here. The dog caught up with the car, and the anti-McCarthy faction has created a political disaster. The hope for a smooth transition is dead, as the House Republican Conference is a mess. 

And for Mace to rehash an old lefty talking point to denounce Scalise is laughably transparent. It’s not the second time she’s been raked over the coals, especially since she torched Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who filed the motion to vacate against McCarthy, for fundraising off the first time he created havoc with the endless rounds of ballots concerning McCarthy’s initial speakership earlier this year. Love or hate him, but this is Gaetz's persona, not Nancy’s, and it’s embarrassing to watch.