The Caucus was Scheduled to Pick a Candidate Today

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) pulled out of the running for House speaker on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

House Republicans had been scheduled to pick their candidate for speaker on Thursday. McCarthy reportedly told his caucus at the meeting that he was pulling out. The election for the Republican candidate for the next speaker has also been postponed.

McCarthy withdrew his name from contention in a two-minute speech, according to one Republican who was in the room.

"He asked for the floor, and it was a 2-minute speech. He said the country is asking for a new face, new leadership, and he said I'm going to pull out. I'm not the right person for this job," said Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-N.C.). "I think we're all in shock."

Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Penn) said he wasn't sure whether McCarthy could muster enough votes to become speaker.

"I suspect had this gone to the House floor, it might have been uncertain as to whether Kevin could get 218 Republican votes," he said.

McCarthy was considered the top contender to replace House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who will retire from Congress at the end of this month.

McCarthy has been haunted by recent comments in which he praised the House Select Committee on Benghazi for hurting Hillary Clinton politically.

Reps Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) were also running for speaker. On Wednesday, the House's conservative "Freedom Caucus" endorsed Webster.

Disaster case.

hoo boy

You know it's bad when Gawker is quoting Breitbart for a story.

Quote from: HurtfulTurkey on October 09, 2015, 01:53:27 AM

Paul Ryan would be nice.

He's considering it after first flat out refusing.

And who wouldn't refuse after seeing the mess he's got to clean up.

He won't take it - honestly, he has more power at his current position.

Was he the one that was fairly moderate and would actually work with the dems?

He worked with Patty Murray back in 2013 on the Bipartisan Budget Act, which outlined spending for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015, as well as negotiating spending cuts in future years - the negotiations for the deal came as a result of the 2013 Government shutdown.

More Here

Quote from: spewky bewgie on October 09, 2015, 03:42:06 PM

Quote from: SoporificSlash on October 09, 2015, 03:35:14 PM

Was he the one that was fairly moderate and would actually work with the dems?

He worked with Patty Murray back in 2013 (I think) on the Bipartisan Budget Act, which outlined spending for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015, as well as negotiating spending cuts in future years - the negotiations for the deal came as a result of the 2013 Government shutdown.

More Here

So with him out we're fucked?

The problem is the small faction of hard right Republicans that would have been able to deny McCarthy the job, unless he gave into their demands. Assuming they're unwavering, they could do so to any candidate that is viewed as a moderate and willing to work with Democrats.

There have been talks that the GOP would nominate an interim Speaker (Likely a retiring member) through the end of 2015 while they work out their...differences behind closed doors.