One rotten GOP apple has spoiled the whole bunch

U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-CA, celebrates with the gavel after being elected as Speaker in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 07, 2023 in Washington, DC. After four days of voting and 15 ballots McCarthy secured enough votes to become Speaker of the House for the 118th Congress. (Getty)

As the ancient proverb goes, the fish rots from the head.

The expression’s been used by countless leaders in business to describe the way a bad CEO can hamper productivity downstream, or to explain how corruption can infect an organization. Of course, it’s also been used by law enforcement to describe its approach to taking down mob bosses.