House Republicans met Friday morning to see what other crises they can create for national government while trying to find anyone that can get enough votes to become Speaker of the House. They did not find their new Speaker, but all eyes are still on Rep. Paul Ryan, and as of this morning, Ryan is still apparently
not interested, and has
good reason.
The former 2012 vice-presidential candidate isn't much more conservative that McCarthy, but he's arguably the one Republican with the national stature to overcome the reflexive insurrection from the right. So far, no good. "While I am grateful for the encouragement I've received, I will not be a candidate," the Wisconsin Republican said in a statement on Thursday.
Why not? A Ryan pal offered this explanation to me: "Because he's not a f---ing moron." Translation: Ryan has a real future. No speaker has ever been elected president (Since James Polk in the 1840s, anyway)—and no speaker dragged into ugly budget crises by his strife-stricken party is ever, ever going to be.
The pressure on him is still
relentless and
all reports say he's "getting bombarded with calls and one-on-one appeals from GOP lawmakers, urging him to be the party's white knight." Ryan cancelled all of his fundraisers for the next 48 hours, as well as a Ways and Means Committee hearing Friday morning.
Ryan might be the favorite, but there are still plenty who think they can do the job. "Georgia Republican Lynn Westmoreland and Texas Reps. Mike Conaway and Bill Flores are among the names that have been floated. Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) also are continuing their bids for the speakership." Rep. Darrel Issa, the guy who screwed up the initial Benghazi "investigations" so badly he got it taken away from him and frozen out of it, briefly offered himself, but on Friday morning after the conference meeting backed off, saying he was part of the Ryan recruitment team.
Meanwhile, the wacky fun of this continues.
Good to see "Morning Joe" staying relevant in the midst of such a big story. Of course, not everyone thinks it's a big story. According to presidential candidate Chris Christie, "nobody in America cares" who is Speaker, the person second-in-line to the president.