Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy

Congressman Kevin McCarthy worked so hard to get his dream job, Speaker of the House.

But this week he threw it all away by backing an ethics committee probe, rather than an expulsion vote, for the indicted laughing stock of the House, George Santos.

What was McCarthy thinking? Santos is kryptonite to the Republican Party and its slim control of Congress.

The Democratic Congressional Committee wasted no time in cashing in on the McCarthy debacle.

It launched digital campaigns on May 19 targeted at Republicans in swing districts who voted in support of the ethics probe, after they publicly said they want Santos out of Congress.

New York Congressmen Nick LaLota, Anthony Esposito, Mike Lawler and Marc Molinaro are the initial targets.

“Vulnerable House Republicans have proven they are too weak to buck party leadership—instead of expelling serial grifter and indicted criminal George Santos from Congress—they are protecting him,” Viet Shelton, DCCC spokesperson, said in announcing the campaign. “Voters deserve better than hypocritical representatives who put their party above their people and the DCCC will continue to hold these Republicans accountable.”

The ads will run through Memorial Day.

The DCCC slates more Santos ads in competitive districts in California, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Montana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

McCarthy on May 17 posed with former Speakers Nancy Pelosi, Newt Gingrich, John Boehner and Paul Ryan at a ceremony that unveiled a painting of Ryan for Statuary Hall.

He will soon be posing for his official painting.

“The Village People” say enough is enough. The 1970s disco group wants Donald Trump to stop using its “YMCA” and “Macho Man” mega-hits without the band’s consent.

The former president has been using those songs at his rallies for years, which band members “tolerated,” according to a cease-and-desist letter sent by the Village People’s manager Karen Willis to Trump’s legal team.

The last straw: a lookalike Village People group performed at Mar-a-Lago and a video of band members dancing to Macho Man was widely shared on social media.

Village People fans who saw the video were shocked, thinking the actual band performed at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina told TMZ that the Village People should be grateful that Trump got them some publicity.

“I haven’t heard their name in decades. Glad to hear they are still around,” hissed Tacopina.

Getting conversations started. Minnesota’s Dept of Health slates a communications campaign to encourage family conversations at dinner time.

The effort will be based on materials created by The Family Dinner Project to promote families eating together while engaging in conversation to build connections.

The Project has compiled a list of conversation starters (e.g., talking about the future, resilience, STEM, gender roles, etc) to get the talk going.

The campaign comes as 47 percent of Minnesota students report experiencing one or more “adverse childhood experiences.” ACEs are linked to health problems, mental illness, substance abuse in adolescence and adulthood.

The DoH believes the adverse effects of ACEs can be prevented through protective factors like a connection to parents and supportive adults in the community.

Sharing a meal together increases feelings of connection, improves social and emotional learning skills and reduces conflict.

Ring that dinner bell.