Paul Ryan isn't even speaker of the House yet, but he already seems to be following in John Boehner's tradition of weakness and caving to the far-far-far right of the Republican Party. First, he agreed to run despite
not getting the full endorsement of the Freedom Caucus. Now, another of his demands for agreeing to take the speaker job has
bitten the dust:
Rep. Paul Ryan has agreed to delay a discussion about reforming the procedural motion used to remove a House speaker, a major concession to the House Freedom Caucus.
The Wisconsin Republican, now the presumptive next speaker of the House, delivered the message to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the chairman of the Freedom Caucus, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussion. Possible changes to the so-called “motion to vacate” will now come as part of a larger discussion of reworking internal party and House rules.
That's two of Ryan's demands gone, in both cases thanks to the Freedom Caucus—the very people who forced John Boehner into quitting. What's next? They'll tell him he can't spend weekends with his family and he'll cave on that, too? Boy, Ryan is not exactly beginning his career as speaker on a strong note. But it's very much in the Boehnerian tradition.
(Via Steve Benen)