In Springfield and Washington there is a code of honor among politicians. They must do what they say (to each other) they're going to do. Politicos may easily forget promises made to constituents, but they know they won't succeed in politics if they vote yes after they promised colleagues or leaders they'd vote no. Kevin McCarthy sounded like a nice guy when he said after his ouster he didn't regret "choosing governance over grievance" or negotiating for compromise. "I do not regret my efforts to build coalitions and find solutions," he said. So why didn't he win reelection as speaker? He can't be trusted. House members from the hardest right to the farthest left agreed on one thing: McCarthy doesn't keep his word.
– Fletcher Farrar, editor