Who said chivalry is dead? Certainly not House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

In a deliciously naked act of political retribution, McCarthy made good on his promise to keep California Democrat Congressmen Adam “Shifty” Schiff and Eric “The Spy Who Shagged Me” Swalwell from continued service on the House Intelligence Committee.

In doing so, McCarthy also defended the honor of his House colleague and newfound ally, Georgia firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, who in February 2021 was unceremoniously stripped of her committee assignments for things she’d said and promoted years prior to her election — QAnon stuff she disavowed even before then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her fellow House Democrats booted her.

House Minority Leader Hakeem “Election Denier” Jeffries had written a sternly worded memo to McCarthy over the weekend, demanding that both Schiff and Swalwell be allowed to sit on the Intel Committee. To no avail. But that communication, along with five bucks, will almost get him a Venti at Starbucks.

McCarthy replied: “I appreciate the loyalty you have to your Democrat colleagues … But I cannot put partisan loyalty ahead of national security, and I cannot simply recognize years of service as the sole criteria for membership on this essential committee. Integrity matters more.”

For good measure, we’d also like to see the speaker deny Minnesota congresswoman, immigration scammer, and vile anti-Semite Ilhan Omar a spot on the Foreign Affairs Committee. But while McCarthy has unilateral authority to block members from sitting on the House Intel Committee, banishing Omar from Foreign Affairs would take a House floor vote.

Still, we think it’d be time well spent. After all, Omar is more than just a Jew hater. She’s also a tax cheat, a home-wrecker, a 9/11 apologist, and a police defunder. As such, she’s an unequivocal disgrace to our nation’s legislative branch.

As for the rookie speaker, he’s definitely been eating his Wheaties these days. Get a load of this lengthy dressing-down of a member of the Democrats’ water-carrying press who came to the defense of that inveterate liar Schiff:

.@SpeakerMcCarthy to reporter: Let me be very clear & respectful to you. You ask me a question when I answer it it’s the answer to your question. You don’t get to determine whether I answer a question or not, okay? In all respect…what happens in the Intel Cmte you don’t know. pic.twitter.com/WD57QB7m1v

— CSPAN (@cspan) January 25, 2023

“Let me be very clear and respectful to you,” McCarthy began. “You ask me a question, when I answer it, it’s the answer to your question. You don’t get to determine whether I answer your question or not, okay? With all respect, thank you.”

The speaker continued: “So, no, [Schiff] does not have a right to sit on [the Intel Committee]. But I will not be like Democrats and play politics with these where they removed Republicans from committees and all committees. So, yes, he can serve on a committee, but he will not serve on Intel because it goes to the national security of America and I will always put them first.”

He’s not as eloquent as, say, Newt Gingrich, but the guy’s starting to grow on us.

Lastly, a history lesson is in order here. As our Nate Jackson wrote last week:

This isn’t the first time Democrats have not enjoyed living with the rules and standards they created. McCarthy is simply taking a page from Mitch McConnell’s book. Back in 2013, Harry Reid invoked the so-called “nuclear option” to ram through a few of Barack Obama’s nominations on a bare majority without a cloture vote. It wasn’t long before McConnell decided that same new rule should apply to Supreme Court nominations, and boy did Democrats caterwaul when that happened.

What was it Carlos Santana George Santayana said about those who slept through history class?

Updated with Speaker McCarthy’s reply to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.