On his fancy re-election campaign literature that is piling up in our trash and recycle bins, Rep. Jack Bergman’s advertising proudly blasts, “Political Outsider. Proven Leader,” and it calls him “A proven leader in Congress.”
Not so fast, Jack. We call BS. Because we remember that it was one year ago on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, when Rep. Bergman announced he was running to serve as Speaker of the House. And we know how that turned out.
Bergman’s office issued its press release that Friday afternoon after Ohio's Jim Jordan had lost his third vote for the position that morning with 25 Republicans rejecting him.
You also may remember the House had been without a Speaker since Oct. 3, when Kevin McCarthy became the first person to be ousted from the position, following a 216-210 vote.
In the release, Bergman said, “My hat is in the ring, and I feel confident I can win the votes where others could not. I have no special interests to serve; I’m only in this to do what's best for our nation and to steady the ship for the 118th Congress.” More BS.
We should note that after House Republicans dumped Jordan, seven candidates threw their hat in the ring for the top spot. But Bergman was the only candidate in the running who publicly announced his bid for the role. And two of those seven lawmakers had actually voted to certify the 2020 election, raising a few eyebrows among the MAGA faithful about who they would next support in the speaker battle.
According to Bergman, “What we need right now is a Speaker who has experience leading and can put ego aside to work together for the American people. We need a leader who shuns permanent power and recognizes the current crisis of leadership. I’m ready to serve. Together we can end the deadlock, and win the vote.”
Bergman went all in on Friday afternoon, Oct. 20. Four days later, on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 24, Bergman suffered his TKO. He only made it to two rounds of the secret ballot vote amongst his colleagues in the Republican Conference before dropping out of the race. The winner needed 117 votes, a simple majority in a roll call taken behind closed doors. According to The Detroit News, Bergman received 16 votes on the first ballot, which then sunk to only seven in the second round. Bergman threw in the towel.
“A proven leader in Congress?”
Congressional Republicans went through five overall rounds of voting that Tuesday before landing on Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota as their nominee. Emmer was one of the two people who had voted to certify the 2020 election, releasing a statement shortly afterward condemning the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
But Emmer withdrew only hours later once it became clear he did not have enough support from the MAGA extremists. Of course, Donald Trump took all the credit, saying his “un-endorsement” had torpedoed Emmer’s bid. “He wasn’t MAGA,” Trump said.
Enter MAGA Mike Johnson of Louisiana and now we painfully know the rest of the story. Worst. Congress. Ever.
But we should ask ourselves, why is the GOP in such disarray and fractured with an inability to govern? The answer may lie in the fact that from McCarthy to Jordan to Bergman to Emmer to Johnson, we have elected the wrong people to lead us. The notion that Jack Bergman could lead the House of Representatives is delusional. He only represents the far-right extreme of his party.
The role of a Speaker is to build coalitions, cooperate, collaborate, and compromise to pass meaningful legislation. Bergman can’t do any of those things. He calls himself a "unifier" without an agenda, but that’s far from the truth.
Jack Bergman does not live in the district he represents. He voted against certifying the 2020 Presidential Election, and his inappropriate actions in an election lawsuit ignited the Big Lie that led to Jan. 6.
Again and again, he votes against the interest of his district and with the Freedom Caucus 90% of the time.
Bergman has "F" grades from every organization that represents everyday American workers, and he voted in favor of unfunded tax cuts for billionaires and giant corporations that led to the third-largest deficit in U.S history. He also wants to cut Social Security and privatize Medicare.
So, it leaves us wondering about Bergman’s bid for House Speaker. He said he wanted to be Speaker, but he refuses to speak with his constituents. And he has yet to show any ability to lead or work in a bipartisan way. We elect our representatives to work for us. Yet, time and time again, Bergman and the rest of the extreme MAGA Republicans have shown their contempt for our democracy. As a result, nothing gets done in Washington. They have proven themselves incapable of governing.
We say it every election. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone different came along. Someone has, Callie Barr. On the day Bergman announced he was running for Speaker, Callie issued a statement of her own, calling the four-term incumbent a "divisive extremist who is only looking to pad his political resume." Yup. That sounds just like Jack.
In 2024, we must defeat anyone who violated their oath to the U.S. Constitution and encourage a new type of politics based on collaboration, cooperation, and a collective vision to get things done for the American people.
As Congress has seemingly shifted its focus away from working folks in our district and across the country, we need new leaders like Callie Barr who are willing to put people above partisanship. Nothing is more indicative of Callie’s commitment to her family and community than the tremendous sacrifices she has made advocating for veterans and military families. When government bureaucrats refused to listen, Callie was there.
It's time to put country before party, end dysfunction and turmoil, and work together to solve problems, improve our union, and promote the general welfare of the American people.
It’s time to turn the page. It’s time to elect Callie Barr to Congress!
