Checking in on McCarthy's power quest — is he OK?

WASHINGTON >> They were only

trying to help.

A group of House Republican moderates (yes, a few specimens still survive in the wild) met with Kevin McCarthy this week to help him right his listing bid for the speakership. In a show of support, they passed out pro-McCarthy lapel buttons: stars on a field of blue with a red band in the middle that proclaimed, simply, “O.K.”

The letters were meant to signify “Only Kevin,” CNN's Melanie Zanona reported, as a rejoinder to the Never-McCarthy hard-liners on the right. But the message had an unfortunate double meaning that highlighted the doubts about the always-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride candidate for speaker. McCarthy is just that: Okay. As in: not great. Not even above average. Just okay. One can anticipate future pro-McCarthy slogans as the Jan. 3 speaker election approaches:

“McCarthy is adequate.” “Meh.”

“He's the best we've got.” “[Shrug emoji].”

The “O.K.” buttons may have been the biggest messaging misfire since McCarthy, called a “moron” by Speaker Nancy Pelosi over his resistance to pandemic safety measures, removed all doubt about the charge by selling T-shirts with large letters proudly announcing: “Moron.”

In fairness, the zaniness in McCarthy's caucus would be enough to scramble the most orderly mind.

McCarthy's flip-flop on if he wants anyone in the Biden administration to impeached is just one of many concessions hard-liners are extorting. Some are parliamentary. Others are oddly specific, such as cuts to food stamps. (Take food from hungry people or kiss your speakership goodbye!) Members of the far-right Freedom Caucus have demanded McCarthy include right-wing poison pills in future debt ceiling increases and must-pass bills — an almost certain prescription for defaults and shutdowns.

Fearing just such an outcome from the House radicals, Senate Republicans have reached out to House Democrats to negotiate an omnibus spending bill for 2023 (an “omni-bill” in McCarthy-speak) before the GOP takeover of the House on Jan. 3. Why? They don't think McCarthy will be up to the task.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) told Politico “it's too much to ask” of McCarthy to fund the government. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told Semafor that “for Kevin's sake . . . some Republicans just feel like we should relieve him of that burden.”

McCarthy initially agreed with his would-be Senate saviors, and encouraged negotiators to reach a deal. But (recurring theme alert) he reversed himself under pressure from hardliners, and now says the matter should wait until Republicans take control.

A band of Senate conservatives this week tried to rally support behind McCarthy's latest position, urging GOP colleagues to postpone the negotiations.

Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said he disagreed with the several Republicans who told him “it'll be too hard for Kevin McCarthy.”

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) urged a postponement to give “House Republican leadership opportunity to ... come up with a plan.”

But the Senate band was small: only four lawmakers. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), billed as a participant, was a no-show. A reporter asked if the sparse attendance meant that Senate Republicans are “tacitly admitting that House Republicans just aren't ready.”

“Umm,” replied Lee, “those who are making that point are not doing so tacitly. They're doing so explicitly.”

And they're doing so because they know that an O.K. speaker of the House is not good enough.