Now-Rep George Santos (R-NY), of ethical scandals fame, is refusing to fold under the pressure:
“He deceived voters,” Cairo said. “His lies were not mere fibs. He disgraced the House of Representatives … He’s not welcome here at Republican headquarters.”
Moments after the news broke, Santos, who was in Washington at the time, refused to resign.
“I will not,” he told reporters on Capitol Hill when asked if he will step down. He refused to answer additional questions as he went into an elevator.
The top Republicans in the House – Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Majority Whip Tom Emmer – did not answer questions from CNN about Santos and the Nassau County GOP’s calls for his resignation.
A source close to House GOP leadership said the calls from the county GOP will not have any bearing on their decision regarding Santos’s political future. [CNN/Politics]
Santos will be a continual embarrassment for the House GOP, but they do not dare expel him. Why?
Because it’d be an acknowledgment that there are, indeed, ethical lines in the sand.
And the Democrats would then know where to push any subsequent GOP scandals – right over that line.
Representative George Devolder-Santos, NY-CD3, currently
That’s why I quoted the House GOP leadership source, because I think it indicates they’ll be sticking their poo-covered fingers in their ears. After all, their current advantage in the House is only ten, when they had forecast something in the fifties a few months before the election. If Santos resigns, the advantage is nine – and if the Democrats win the special election, it’s down to eight. This effectively means the number of votes they can lose to out of sorts extremists actively working against them goes from 4 to 3, assuming all Democrats are present and voting en bloc.
But the more moderate Republicans are those that are thinking more than a week ahead, and they have already begun to press Santos to resign. While McCarthy would not agree, that’s the best result the GOP can hope for, as it doesn’t result in a goal for which Democrats can try to push the next Republican ethics scandal, but kicks out someone who puts out a vibe best described as pathetic and power-hungry. Pathetic Republicans will not attract enough votes to retain control of the House in 2024, and they’re already in trouble after the collapse of the GOP leadership during the Speaker elections.
But does Santos realize how pathetic he’ll look if credible evidence of campaign finance laws infringement emerges, if his misrepresentations concerning schooling, personal finances, religious position, and who knows what else continues to dominate headlines? In politics, winning elections is not the end-all, be-all. Truth be told, it’s barely the first step. Bungling the second step is a fool’s move.
