“I think I shocked some of you, huh?”
That’s a quote from erstwhile would-be Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who abruptly announced his withdrawal from the race:
There is no clear successor who can overcome the deep divisions in the party and win the post. An influential group of conservatives endorsed a long-shot candidate, Rep. Daniel Webster, on Wednesday, placing McCarthy’s ability to win the House floor vote later this month in doubt.
“If we’re going to unite and be strong, we need a new face to do that,” McCarthy said, adding that he did not want to win the race on the House floor with only enough votes to squeak by.
Personally, I don’t think that McCarthy would be withdrawing at this point if he hadn’t inadvertently given Democrats a beautiful talking point that they immediately twisted and exploited:
McCarthy’s candidacy ran into trouble last week after he suggested that the House’s select committee on Benghazi was an attempt to hurt Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers.
Asked if that affected his decision, McCarthy acknowledged: “Well, that wasn’t helpful.”
Of course, despite the CNN article and all the other Democratic talking points, McCarthy never “suggested” any such thing. What he did say was that the Benghazi investigation had the effect of hurting Clinton politically, not that this was its original motivation and purpose. But truth doesn’t matter; what matters is that his statement was politically inept, and he seems to have realized this.
So, now what? Ryan’s out, Gowdy’s out, Chaffetz is in. Speaker is a powerful job, but in many ways a thankless and extremely difficult one, all the more so now when Republicans are so deeply and contentiously divided.
Pity about Gowdy. I like him very much. This summer I was watching a TV show about police cold cases, and thought the local DA looked familiar. Turned out to be Trey Gowdy, back in the day.
Surellin:
Gowdy’s great on that show. Very smart, very dry sarcastic sense of humor.
Seems to me important to review (at least in one’s own mind) the many people who have been saying since Boehner announced his departure that McCarthy would be the next Speaker. Better, perhaps, if each of those had their foolishness thrust into their faces today.
Very well put… and very accurate…
Another “Shock” was another person who decided to say people should short fannie and freddie… completely irresponsible to say such a thing if your sitting in a power or policy position
Just as long as it’s a sober conservative! Is that too much to ask?
How about Newt?
(Don’t laugh; one doesn’t have to me a member of the House to serve as speaker!)
Carl:
I’m with you. Newt is the one! He knows how to treat the press and he understands how the speaker can bend the House to his will. Go Newt! Go Newt!
Re those “deeply and contentiously divided” Republicans, there’s this depressing column by Daniel Henninger — Republicans on the Brink: The GOP may be throwing away a chance at victory in 2016:
I just hope this gives reps some time to think before they start tweeting how conservative they are or how realistic they are. They should all spend some time thinking about the skills needed for the job and the policy priorities the want to fight for. They do not need to give the MSM and Dems more opportunities to tell the world how fragmented and incapable the are.
Newt would be an ideal temporary Speaker.
All 435 members vote for speaker on a secret ballot. It is conceivable that a liberal Republican, a distinct dark horse, might be nominated and then elected with the aid of unanimous support from the Democrats.
Roy…
You are right and wrong.
It’s a two-step procedure.
The Republicans pick their party’s choice.
The Democrats caucus and pick their party’s choice.
The final vote is a mere formality as no-one ever crosses the aisle.
No minority vote means anything at that point — as the majority party will vote straight down the party line.
The Republicans will NOT let the vote even occur until they’ve fallen into unity around a new Speaker.
This may actually entail bringing Newt back — as a temp — for just the next session.
BTW, the Speaker can’t vote on any bill. He’s the Speaker.
If Newt were installed, the GOP would actually gain a vote because of this, not that their majority is hanging by a thread.
If HRC is our next president – I figure the Republic is finished.
America will have taken the same plunge as ancient Rome… with the legislature reduced to farce and corruption.
For HRC has all of the high hat of Barry — with a LOT more industry.
…my first thought was “what’s Obama got on him?” and the second was “why O’ doesn’t want Kev’ in particular?”
Blert,
“Representatives are not restricted to voting for one of the nominated candidates and may vote for any person, even for someone who is not a member of the House at all.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives
Hypothetical: Peter King gains pledges from 29 Republicans and tells the Democrats. Come the vote 188 Democrats and 30 Republicans vote for King.
A Speaker elected by majority Democratic votes in a Republican House would be the kiss of death. Very, very few Republicans would be able to defend that to their constituents, and few would try.
That was why Boehner never took that route, even though Dems would’ve supported the whiny crybaby in an instant over a real conservative. It would’ve been Boehner’s last term in Congress if that had happened.
P.S.: Considering the recent education we’ve gotten about a motion to vacate the Speaker’s chair, Boehner’s tenure would’ve lasted 5 minutes if elected by Democrats.
A motion to vacate is privileged, and cannot be blocked.
McCarthy *might* have been a tiny bit more conservative and accommodating than Boehner, but he was still Boehner’s creature.
He wasn’t installed in that position so he could buck the establishment.
This is a Mexican standoff. The only way it will end is with a compromise candidate, or if the establishment finds a way to bribe/threaten enough of the House conservatives.
neo, the rumor going around D.C., and North Carolina, is McCarthy is/was having an affair with Renee Elmers, a ‘conservative’ Republican recently elected from North Carolina who turned RINO once she got into Congress. (The affair is an open secret to many North Carolinians as well as to many Congresspeeps.) That’s why Rep. Walter Jones, R-NC, sent a letter to House Republicans saying those who have skeletons in their closet should not run for speaker. That letter came out and BOOM!, McCarthy pulled out of the running. I’d say that some ’cause and effect’ right there.