Never has a House freshman become so instantly ignominious. At this point, walking SNL punchline and GOP Rep. George Santos (NY-03) might be just as big a household name as Hakeem Jeffries or Kevin McCarthy, thanks to over-the-top absurdities ranging from allegedly pocketing a GoFundMe for a homeless veteran's dying dog to fables about starring on the Baruch volleyball team and perhaps even Hannah Montana.

Yet the drip-drip nature of the tall tales engulfing the "fake it 'til you make it" congressman remains a very real PR problem for House Republicans. It's awkward for McCarthy and others to seek credibility from unaffiliated voters on investigations into everything from Hunter Biden's entanglements, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas's handling of the border and the FBI when they've refused to kick the lowly Santos to the curb.

The political incentives at play here are pretty clear: not only did McCarthy desperately need Santos's vote for speaker; he can't afford to cut the GOP's lease on the seat short. A Santos resignation or expulsion would set up a special election in a Long Island district

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