To the editor,

“There are people on the left and in the mainstream media that are trying to convince the American people that because of this debate we are not unified as a party; that is not the case. What you saw was a group of independent thinkers publicly deliberating about how the Congress should comport to better serve you. We are a stronger, more unified party because of those deliberations. We will be able to serve you better because we took the time to work out the best rules package possible."

These are the direct words of Congressman Van Orden when asked about his decisions to back McCarthy instead of a bipartisan congress. This is one of the many examples of the short-sighted failures of the Republican party as of late.

Republicans cannot even elect a speaker when they hold a majority in the House. Moderates and independents who believe that the bare minimum of any candidate is that they vote for a functioning government can no longer justify voting for Van Orden. I am sure it is "the left" and "mainstream media's" fault as usual.

Jacob Proue

Menomonie