In the wake of the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R–Calif.), President Joe Biden called on lawmakers Wednesday to fix the "poisonous atmosphere in Washington" and get their act together. "We cannot and should not again be faced with an 11th-hour decision or brinkmanship that threatens to shut down the government."
But the "poisonous atmosphere" existed in Washington long before this week's events. And given that one of the central reasons for the McCarthy drama—other than long-brewing animus toward McCarthy, who struggled to get elected speaker in the first place—was a faction of Republicans being concerned about runaway spending and the looming threat of a debt crisis, the ouster may actually be a welcome sign.
