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Why it matters The House Republicans will begin a formal, and pointless, impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden.

Back in January, as the Republican caucus of the U.S. House went through repeated convulsions before finally ratifying Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House, two things were glaringly obvious.

First, that a significant portion of the majority caucus has no serious intent of governing.

Second, that McCarthy wanted to be speaker in the worst possible way.

The worst way is what he got. He has the title, the trappings and the responsibility, but no genuine way to accomplish anything. He is the weakest House speaker in generations.

This week, with the federal government a little more than two weeks away from a shutdown and McCarthy unable to cajole his slender majority into anything resembling a realistic negotiating position, he ordered a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

This is the fever dream of his conspiracy theory caucus, such fringe characters as Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Months of hearings and investigations into

Biden’s son have turned up no evidence of illegality on Joe Biden’s part and more refutations than evidence of the idea that the president was involved in Hunter Biden’s business activities.

No matter. The crazy caucus has the power to pull the speakership from McCarthy, and he dare not resist their demands.

So now, with a economy-shaking shutdown looming, the House majority is about to launch a pointless round of impeachment theater.

We are disappointed, but not truly surprised, that Rep. Brad Finstad, the 1st District Republican, supports this nonsense. He should know better, and probably does.

But the House caucus, and McCarthy as its leader, surrendered the steering wheel to the fringe months ago. The caucus isn’t interested in governing. And it appears to have little interest in keeping its majority either.

— Mankato Free Press, Sept. 14