Many Republicans plan to skip House GOP retreat as they grumble about location and spending time with one another

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN Politics

Published 1:58 PM EDT, Tue March 12, 2024


Many Republicans plan to skip the House GOP retreat as they grumble about both the location and the idea of spending time with one another, with tensions still running high inside the party in the wake of their unprecedented speakership drama. Fewer than 100 Republicans have RSVP’d to attend the retreat, which is less than half of the entire conference, according to a GOP source familiar with the attendance sheet. The retreat is scheduled to take place Wednesday and Thursday in West Virginia.

Publicly, Republicans have cited a litany of reasons for not attending: from having to tend to reelection races to scheduling conflicts. GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, for example, is scheduled to appear on “Real Time with Bill Maher” later this week. Meanwhile, when asked if he was attending, GOP Rep. Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota told CNN: “No way, I have to run for governor.” And Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee quipped: “I don’t retreat, I move forward! I got a farm to run.”

But privately, some Republicans have complained about the venue choice. Sources said Speaker Mike Johnson selected the Greenbrier Resort because it was “family friendly,” in a break from past retreats which have taken place in sunny Florida – the preferred location of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

And other GOP lawmakers and aides told CNN they were simply not enthusiastic about the idea of having to huddle with the rest of their party at a time when Republican infighting has prevented them from even passing procedural votes.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/12/politics/house-gop-retreat/index.html

[Aristus]

1. Who the hell wants to spend time with Republicans in West Virginia?

Not even other Republicans, evidently.

[Katcat]

13. Not me for damn sure

I guess since the WV governor is running for the senate this year he’s letting the gop meet at his resort for free to try to help himself somehow.
I wish he’d take his stupid dog and move his overweight self back to greenbrier county and STAY THERE!

[cstanleytech]

17. I would not object to spending time with them.

Of course by time I mean taking time to watch them on TV as they are sentenced before an honest Judge and a bootlicking toad such as Cannon does not count as honest.

[Dulcinea]

18. Sounds like they were expecting Repub spring break in "sunny Florida."

Maybe they wanted to get drunk on the beach instead of doing something constructive.

"Fuck these people." --Hunter S. Thompson

[BaronChocula]

2. I'd love to see that trust fall exercise

They better line the floor with Mike Pillows.

[SeattleVet]

14. Wow! You *really* want them to get hurt by falling on those foam scraps, don't you?

[4lbs]

3. "Family friendly"? Does that mean they have to take all of their illegitimate children too?

That would wind up being more money than the entire RNC has, I bet.

[tanyev]

10. Probably means they can't bring their mistress.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. The Greenbrier, maybe? On a special Amtrak train?

That's where they were headed back in 2018 when the train they were on hit a garbage truck at a grade crossing just west of Crozet, Virginia.

Train carrying GOP members of Congress hits garbage truck, one dead
An Amtrak train carrying Republican lawmakers collided with a garbage truck near Crozet, Virginia, on Wednesday morning, killing one person.

Jan. 31, 2018, 11:47 AM EST / Updated Feb. 1, 2018, 12:04 PM EST
By Daniella Silva, Tom Costello and Jonathan Allen

A chartered train carrying Republican lawmakers collided with a garbage truck in Virginia on Wednesday morning, killing one person, authorities said.

The train was carrying House and Senate Republicans to a retreat in West Virginia when the crash occurred. No members of Congress or their staff were injured, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.

{snip}

Why, yes:

But privately, some Republicans have complained about the venue choice. Sources said Speaker Mike Johnson selected the Greenbrier Resort because it was “family friendly,” in a break from past retreats which have taken place in sunny Florida – the preferred location of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. I'm gonna lose a brain file now

but you made me suddenly recall a work conference/retreat to WV years ago held at Coolfont.

The brain is a funny thing!

[Novara]

6. Oh, it's positively delicious that they all hate each other.

They can't get anything done anyway.

[Gregory Peccary]

9. What do you call it when a train full of Republicans crashes?

............ A good start

[I_UndergroundPanther]

7. What do you get when you

Get a bunch of narcissist republicans
together.

A multi player temper tantrum .

[pfitz59]

8. I'm sure every day of the retreat will start with a special prayer

'Jesus, give me strength to be an asshole, and hate everyone but my MAGAt pals.'

[JHB]

19. "Oh Christ, I have to listen to these idiots again, over and over again."

[Kennah]

11. Not Merry Lardo?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

12. Russiapublicans can't stand Russiapublicans -- too devious, too backstabby.

[Marcuse]

15. President Obama said it best:

[markodochartaigh]

20. I guess that

having a "productive relationship" didn't include holding hearings on supreme court nominations.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

16. they know that Michael Johnson will be holding long prayer sessions

[spedtr90]

21. Greenbrier is owned by WV's own little Trump

Gov. Jim Justice is West Virginia’s richest man and owns its most storied resort. When lobbyists and state agencies book there, he profits. Here’s how the governor, dubbed “Big Jim,” became West Virginia’s little Trump.

https://www.propublica.org/article/west-virginia-greenbrier-governor-jim-justice-little-trump

[johnnyfins]

22. Should we be worried that

The repubs are literally heading for the bunker? Greenbrier. Look it up.

[Renew Deal]

23. And seems to be in the middle of nowhere.

It's a 4 hour drive from DC.