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McCarthy abruptly withdraws candidacy for House speaker
Oct 8, 1:48 PM (ET)
By ERICA WERNER
WASHINGTON (AP) — With no warning, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy withdrew Thursday from the contest for speaker of the U.S. House, shocking fellow Republicans just before voting was to begin and plunging Congress into chaos.
Lawmakers said they were thunderstruck and in disbelief following McCarthy's announcement, which came moments after they had showed up for an election nearly certain to end with McCarthy as their pick for speaker. A mere two weeks ago outgoing Speaker John Boehner announced his plans to resign under conservative pressure, also without warning and stunning to all.
"Over the last week it has become clear to me that our conference is deeply divided and needs to unite behind one leader," McCarthy said. "I have always put this conference ahead of myself. Therefore I am withdrawing my candidacy for speaker of the House."
McCarthy said he would stay on as majority leader. The speaker's election was postponed, as may be the scheduled Oct. 29 vote for speaker by the full House, Democrats as well as Republicans.
What happens next is unknown. McCarthy was by far the heavy favorite to replace Boehner. Congress is facing major budget deadlines and fiscal decisions.
At the White House, presidential spokesman Josh Earnest said it would be easy for Democrats to poke fun at the Republicans' troubles if not for the serious issues Congress faces. He said the next speaker will have to tame a small but vocal group of lawmakers with a strong ideological bent or find a way to "buck up" more mainstream House Republicans.
The lawmaker most widely seen as a potential speaker in McCarthy's place immediately ruled it out.
"Kevin McCarthy is best person to lead the House, and so I'm disappointed in this decision," said Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the former vice presidential nominee who now chairs the Ways and Means Committee. "While I am grateful for the encouragement I've received, I will not be a candidate.
One leadership ally, Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio, said McCarthy "didn't see a path to 218" — the number of votes needed to prevail on the House floor. McCarthy faced opposition from a bloc of 30-plus hardline conservative lawmakers who didn't command the numbers to block him in Thursday's secret-ballot elections, but might have prevented him from winning a floor vote later on.
There was talk among some lawmakers of elevating a "caretaker" speaker who could serve with consensus support at least for the short term.
Rank-and-file lawmakers seemed unsure how to react or what to say as they milled around the lobby of the Longworth Office Building where they had gathered to eat barbecue and then — they thought — vote for a new speaker. Instead the meeting was adjourned moments after it began with McCarthy making his announcement as his wife and kids looked on.
"Disbelief, from the surprise announcement by Boehner to the quick nature of this election to it now being postponed — it's uncertainty on top of uncertainty," said freshman Rep. Ryan Costello of Pennsylvania. "I've been here nine months, I've never seen anything like this. I'd bet you most other members who have been here 20 or 30 years would say the same thing."
"He was making his plea this morning for speaker and this afternoon he's out of the race. What happened in those four hours, I don't know," said Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana.
The other two announced Republican candidates for speaker — Reps. Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Daniel Webster of Florida — lack widespread support in the House GOP, although Webster has the backing of the hardline House Freedom Caucus.
Thursday's secret ballot — even if it had proceeded as expected — still would have been merely an early skirmish in the chaotic battle to lead the House. It was to have been followed by the vote in the full House where the Freedom Caucus could have blocked McCarthy's ascent.
McCarthy's candidacy for speaker had gotten off to a rough start with a gaffe when he suggested the House's Benghazi committee was set up to drive down Hillary Rodham Clinton's poll numbers, rather than search for the truth about the 2012 attacks in Libya that killed four Americans. He was roundly criticized and quickly backtracked, but the flub dogged him, giving an opening for Chaffetz to get into the race.
---
Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor, Mary Clare Jalonick and Alan Fram contributed to this report.
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20151008/us-congress-republicans-1ebd541058.html
By ERICA WERNER
WASHINGTON (AP) — With no warning, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy withdrew Thursday from the contest for speaker of the U.S. House, shocking fellow Republicans just before voting was to begin and plunging Congress into chaos.
Lawmakers said they were thunderstruck and in disbelief following McCarthy's announcement, which came moments after they had showed up for an election nearly certain to end with McCarthy as their pick for speaker. A mere two weeks ago outgoing Speaker John Boehner announced his plans to resign under conservative pressure, also without warning and stunning to all.
"Over the last week it has become clear to me that our conference is deeply divided and needs to unite behind one leader," McCarthy said. "I have always put this conference ahead of myself. Therefore I am withdrawing my candidacy for speaker of the House."
McCarthy said he would stay on as majority leader. The speaker's election was postponed, as may be the scheduled Oct. 29 vote for speaker by the full House, Democrats as well as Republicans.
What happens next is unknown. McCarthy was by far the heavy favorite to replace Boehner. Congress is facing major budget deadlines and fiscal decisions.
At the White House, presidential spokesman Josh Earnest said it would be easy for Democrats to poke fun at the Republicans' troubles if not for the serious issues Congress faces. He said the next speaker will have to tame a small but vocal group of lawmakers with a strong ideological bent or find a way to "buck up" more mainstream House Republicans.
The lawmaker most widely seen as a potential speaker in McCarthy's place immediately ruled it out.
"Kevin McCarthy is best person to lead the House, and so I'm disappointed in this decision," said Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the former vice presidential nominee who now chairs the Ways and Means Committee. "While I am grateful for the encouragement I've received, I will not be a candidate.
One leadership ally, Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio, said McCarthy "didn't see a path to 218" — the number of votes needed to prevail on the House floor. McCarthy faced opposition from a bloc of 30-plus hardline conservative lawmakers who didn't command the numbers to block him in Thursday's secret-ballot elections, but might have prevented him from winning a floor vote later on.
There was talk among some lawmakers of elevating a "caretaker" speaker who could serve with consensus support at least for the short term.
Rank-and-file lawmakers seemed unsure how to react or what to say as they milled around the lobby of the Longworth Office Building where they had gathered to eat barbecue and then — they thought — vote for a new speaker. Instead the meeting was adjourned moments after it began with McCarthy making his announcement as his wife and kids looked on.
"Disbelief, from the surprise announcement by Boehner to the quick nature of this election to it now being postponed — it's uncertainty on top of uncertainty," said freshman Rep. Ryan Costello of Pennsylvania. "I've been here nine months, I've never seen anything like this. I'd bet you most other members who have been here 20 or 30 years would say the same thing."
"He was making his plea this morning for speaker and this afternoon he's out of the race. What happened in those four hours, I don't know," said Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana.
The other two announced Republican candidates for speaker — Reps. Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Daniel Webster of Florida — lack widespread support in the House GOP, although Webster has the backing of the hardline House Freedom Caucus.
Thursday's secret ballot — even if it had proceeded as expected — still would have been merely an early skirmish in the chaotic battle to lead the House. It was to have been followed by the vote in the full House where the Freedom Caucus could have blocked McCarthy's ascent.
McCarthy's candidacy for speaker had gotten off to a rough start with a gaffe when he suggested the House's Benghazi committee was set up to drive down Hillary Rodham Clinton's poll numbers, rather than search for the truth about the 2012 attacks in Libya that killed four Americans. He was roundly criticized and quickly backtracked, but the flub dogged him, giving an opening for Chaffetz to get into the race.
---
Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor, Mary Clare Jalonick and Alan Fram contributed to this report.
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20151008/us-congress-republicans-1ebd541058.html
"A job no American will touch? There was a guy out in front of Home Depot who said he does 'House' work."
http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/
http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/
I should say this was from a GOP fundraiser, a more casual affair.
I'll just throw this out there for Saturday night listening if anyone is interested.
John Kasich gave a speech here in VT last night and there is a podcast of it
Article about it from the digger site
http://vtdigger.org/2015/10/10/170039/
and the podcast of the speech
http://markjohnsonshow.podbean.com/e/10915-john-kasich/?token=5b174126b543e85525302a4a8262b8a3
John Kasich gave a speech here in VT last night and there is a podcast of it
Article about it from the digger site
http://vtdigger.org/2015/10/10/170039/
and the podcast of the speech
http://markjohnsonshow.podbean.com/e/10915-john-kasich/?token=5b174126b543e85525302a4a8262b8a3
"In my summation, a politician that just refuses to negotiate is ineffective."
There you have it in a nutshell...
There you have it in a nutshell...
What difference are you talking about Vance. This is the thing about politicians. They are supposed to WORK OUT problems in my opinion. That doesn't mean being stubborn and not ever wanting to compromise. In my summation, a politician that just refuses to negotiate is ineffective.
No he is no better, he had a chance to make a difference but then waffled.
Paul Ryan might have the backing to get the Speaker position, but he's no better than anyone else... he's made promises he didn't keep and he's back tracked in the face of adversity, just like all the rest...
"Please . . . NOT Pelosi." Specialmom, I couldn't agree with you more!
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy should have not let his mouth overload his caboose. However I do believe that he spoke the truth, at least in a large part - right or wrong. It's a fact that both investigations into Hillary Clinton's activities were spearheaded by Republicans. Do any of us have a major doubt that these investigations would not have occurred had Hillary chosen not to run in the presidential election? Certainly there wouldn't have been the close attention from the media.
I'm disappointed at the lack of leadership in the Republican Party - and as Vance said - the lack of balls. Campaign promises are null and void upon election (Democratic Party included) - they are not delivering on promises. So just who can you believe? The answer, No one!
I've heard WI's Paul Ryan's name tossed about for the Speaker position. He's done fairly well in WI - I just don't know if he'll have the backing.
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy should have not let his mouth overload his caboose. However I do believe that he spoke the truth, at least in a large part - right or wrong. It's a fact that both investigations into Hillary Clinton's activities were spearheaded by Republicans. Do any of us have a major doubt that these investigations would not have occurred had Hillary chosen not to run in the presidential election? Certainly there wouldn't have been the close attention from the media.
I'm disappointed at the lack of leadership in the Republican Party - and as Vance said - the lack of balls. Campaign promises are null and void upon election (Democratic Party included) - they are not delivering on promises. So just who can you believe? The answer, No one!
I've heard WI's Paul Ryan's name tossed about for the Speaker position. He's done fairly well in WI - I just don't know if he'll have the backing.
They should not sink to his level, but they were elected to do a job and they have not been doing it. Both mainstream R's and more conservative R's.
I don't want people in Congress who say they will not repeal Obamacare, or those who will not block Exe. Amnesty or stop the Iran deal. People who have been elected don't have the balls (even the Tea Party ones) to stand up to Obama and send bill after bill to his office and let him veto them again and again. If the goverment shuts down then it shuts down. But they were elected to do those things.
I don't want people in Congress who say they will not repeal Obamacare, or those who will not block Exe. Amnesty or stop the Iran deal. People who have been elected don't have the balls (even the Tea Party ones) to stand up to Obama and send bill after bill to his office and let him veto them again and again. If the goverment shuts down then it shuts down. But they were elected to do those things.
So why should Republicans sink to his level? No one gets their way all the time. We know Obama isn't giving in and in order to get "anything" done, someone has to give a little bit.
Tea Partiers have not carried through the promises they made in their campaigns either, because they made promises without taking into account that other people in Congress would not agree with them... That's the way it always works... Politicians make promises that they know they can't fulfill and it doesn't matter what party they belong to.
There are only 30-40 of the hardline conservative Representatives... they can do almost nothing by themselves other than create chaos, which is going to make them look like fools to their constituency, because that's not what they were sent to Congress to do. Neither of the 2 hard liners has enough backing to win the vote for Speaker of the House.
Tea Partiers have not carried through the promises they made in their campaigns either, because they made promises without taking into account that other people in Congress would not agree with them... That's the way it always works... Politicians make promises that they know they can't fulfill and it doesn't matter what party they belong to.
There are only 30-40 of the hardline conservative Representatives... they can do almost nothing by themselves other than create chaos, which is going to make them look like fools to their constituency, because that's not what they were sent to Congress to do. Neither of the 2 hard liners has enough backing to win the vote for Speaker of the House.
Obama has already said several times that he will not work with Republicans or compromise.
A compromise is not a "cave"... You have to learn the difference.
Don't want to go into the whole abortion thing as that has been discussed already and at this time pointless to bring up.
RINO's are those who cave to Obama and the Dems or do not stand on the principles that they ran on. Moderate republicans are fine just don't cave to Obama and the Dems.
RINO's are those who cave to Obama and the Dems or do not stand on the principles that they ran on. Moderate republicans are fine just don't cave to Obama and the Dems.
Tea Partiers also ran on repeal of Obamacare and it hasn't happened; all that's happened has been a disastrous government shutdown and another one threatened. Their refusal to compromise has done irreparable damage to the party and to the government as a whole. When constituent confidence is shaken the way it is now, not much good can come from it.
I agree with SM... tea partiers want less government, yet they want regulation where government should not be involved, such as birth control and other women's choices.
I, too, thought they might be good, when they first started out, but they quickly proved me wrong by dividing the party and refusing to compromise. They have made the party weak and I agree with SM... we will not win a presidential election the way they're going. I really don't expect to see very many Republicans back in the House of Representative or even in the Senate after the 2016 elections...
I agree with SM... tea partiers want less government, yet they want regulation where government should not be involved, such as birth control and other women's choices.
I, too, thought they might be good, when they first started out, but they quickly proved me wrong by dividing the party and refusing to compromise. They have made the party weak and I agree with SM... we will not win a presidential election the way they're going. I really don't expect to see very many Republicans back in the House of Representative or even in the Senate after the 2016 elections...
I feel like the tea party split Republican the party. If you think of everyone on a continuum with the most conservative of the party to the more moderate in the party, it seems like we used to still feel like one party but with our views on subjects somewhere on the continuum. Now, there is such a great divide within Republicans that we can't get anything done because we disagree amongst ourselves and have feuding factions within our own group. You like to call people who are not all the way to the right RINO. Well, that's not true. I'm very conservative in terms of financial aspects of this country and when it comes to social issues, I'm moderate. I see both sides and don't want rights curtailed. The Tea Party says less government but they want government involved in all sorts of things that someone could argue they shouldn't be involved in (women's choices when they are not in a position to have a baby, for example).
I liked the tea party when they first started taking off but now it has morphed into a 'thing' that to me is damaging. There doesn't need to be a different sector within the party. Because it divides the group making us weaker. But the tea party got a taste of power and now refuse to blend back into the heading of one Republican party. Makes us weaker. We won't win a presidential election at this rate.
I liked the tea party when they first started taking off but now it has morphed into a 'thing' that to me is damaging. There doesn't need to be a different sector within the party. Because it divides the group making us weaker. But the tea party got a taste of power and now refuse to blend back into the heading of one Republican party. Makes us weaker. We won't win a presidential election at this rate.
If the tea party destroyed the party then why have so many of them gotten elected? Why have several RINO's not been reelected?
Boehnier was a joke and McCarthy is also a joke. The Republicans who were elected in 2012 and 2014 were so based on promises which they have done nothing on.
They ran on repeal of Obamacare, they have done with that. Ran against Executive Aminstey and done nothing with that.
The Republican party has been ruined by those who break promises and do not stand up to Obama. At least people who got backing from the Tea Party have actually done some things and stood on principles.
Boehnier was a joke and McCarthy is also a joke. The Republicans who were elected in 2012 and 2014 were so based on promises which they have done nothing on.
They ran on repeal of Obamacare, they have done with that. Ran against Executive Aminstey and done nothing with that.
The Republican party has been ruined by those who break promises and do not stand up to Obama. At least people who got backing from the Tea Party have actually done some things and stood on principles.
Yes, I totally agree that the tea party has destroyed the Republican party... I think people wanted Republicans to take a bit harder stance than they had been, but no one wanted them to become so right wing that they identified with so few people...
Tea party really has destroyed the Republican party.
Well, think about... there isn't a Republican that all the Republicans will rally around, so the Republicans are fragmented... but you can almost bet that all the Democrats will vote for Pelosi, which will make her a shoe in... The Republicans (specifically, the tea party brats who started all this) should be ashamed of themselves. This is "not" what the people wanted... It will be interesting to see how many of them who come up for election in 2016 retain their seats.
Please . . . NOT Pelosi.
I just keep feeling a bit shocked that we are in such disarray as a party---- but after seeing this for so long, I guess I shouldn't be so shocked.
I just keep feeling a bit shocked that we are in such disarray as a party---- but after seeing this for so long, I guess I shouldn't be so shocked.
"It's a shame that our House of Representatives has become the shambles it is."
Couldn't agree with you more on that one.
Couldn't agree with you more on that one.
I think it's pretty sad, because there isn't another Republican everyone will get behind and that leaves the door open for Pelosi to become the Speaker again...
It's a shame that our House of Representatives has become the shambles it is.
It's a shame that our House of Representatives has become the shambles it is.
That was such happy news when I saw that.
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