Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) said the quiet part out loud when he nominated Rep. Jim Jordan in Round Two of his bid to become speaker of the House of Representatives.

“Unlike any other speaker we've had, he's had the courage to talk about a long-term plan, and to get at the real drivers of debt,” Cole said, referring to Jordan. “And we all know what they are. We all know it’s Social Security we all know it's Medicare. We all know it's Medicaid. No president of either side has been willing to deal with this. No speaker of either side has been willing to deal with this.”

But Jordan is ready and willing to make life harder for people who rely on those programs, Cole said, admiringly. “This is the guy that wants to create a debt commission, a bipartisan debt commission and get at the roots of our spending problem, that takes courage.”

Yes, Jordan lost Round Two, but Cole prompted a round of applause for Jordan’s gung-ho Scrooge-y spirit.