Scalise Withdraws as Speaker Candidate, Leaving G.O.P. in Chaos
Category: News & Politics
Via: hallux • last year • 74 commentsBy: Luke Broadwater, Catie Edmondson and Karoun Demirjian - NYT
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana withdrew on Thursday from consideration for the speakership he was on the cusp of claiming after hard-line Republicans balked at rallying around their party’s chosen candidate, leaving the House leaderless and the G.O.P. in chaos.
After being narrowly nominated for speaker during a Wednesday closed-door secret-ballot contest among House Republicans, Mr. Scalise, their No. 2 leader, found himself far from the 217 votes needed to be elected on the House floor. Many supporters of his challenger, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, the right-wing Republican endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump, refused to switch their allegiance.
With no clear end in sight to the G.O.P. infighting that has left one chamber of Congress paralyzed at a time of challenges at home and abroad, Mr. Scalise said he would step aside in hopes that someone else could unite the fractious party.
“I just shared with my colleagues that I was withdrawing my name as a candidate for speaker-designee,” Mr. Scalise said. “If you look at where our conference is, there’s still work to be done. Our conference still has to come together, and it’s not there. There are still some people that have their own agendas.”
They planned a Friday morning meeting to discuss how to move forward.
“Steve won fair and square, and yet we had people who refused to vote for him,” said Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, adding, “If you reward bad behavior, you’re going to get more of it.”
Mr. Scalise’s downfall came after an extraordinary few days on Capitol Hill that put Republican divisions on vivid display. Mr. Scalise surpassed Mr. Jordan during the internal party contest by just 14 votes. But rather than consolidating his narrow base of backers, Mr. Scalise almost immediately began hemorrhaging supporters, as lawmakers from several factions publicized that they did not intend to fall into line behind him.
Then Mr. Trump weighed in on Thursday against Mr. Scalise, arguing that the Louisianian was unfit for the speakership because he has blood cancer .
“Steve is a man that is in serious trouble, from the standpoint of his cancer,” Mr. Trump said on Fox News Radio, adding, “I just don’t know how you can do the job when you have such a serious problem.”
After Mr. Scalise’s withdrawal, Mr. Jordan’s supporters immediately began endorsing him as next in line, and he was expected to pursue the speakership on Friday. But he is likely to encounter opposition from the party’s more moderate members.
“I hope now he’s the obvious choice,” said Representative Jim Banks of Indiana, who backs Mr. Jordan. “He barely came in second place to Steve Scalise.”
But Representative Mike Garcia of California said the way Mr. Jordan’s supporters acted after he lost would make it hard for some in the conference to back the Ohioan.
Mr. McCarthy did not rule out a return to the speakership as well, saying he would “let the conference decide” whether to reinstate him to the job from which he was ousted just last week .
And Representative Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina, who was named the interim speaker after Mr. McCarthy’s removal, was also being talked about as a potential candidate.
Foreseeing a fight that could last for weeks, some members were discussing how they might give Mr. McHenry, whose role is primarily to hold an election for a speaker, more power to carry out the chamber’s work until the conflict could be resolved.
Mr. Scalise’s exit was the latest remarkable turn in a saga that has been marked by whiplash, shifting alliances and petty grudges. The situation has highlighted major changes in the nature of the House Republican conference, whose members once dutifully lined up in support of their chosen leaders but increasingly appeared to be pursuing a strategy of every member for themselves.
“There’s some folks that really need to look in the mirror over the next couple of days and decide: Are we going to get back on track, or are they going to try to pursue their own agenda?” Mr. Scalise said. “You can’t do both.”
Even though the votes on Thursday had clearly stacked up against Mr. Scalise, some of his allies were still surprised by his withdrawal announcement in a closed-door meeting. Several openly wept.
The uncertainty has hobbled the House, as it confronts multiple crises, with U.S. allies Israel and Ukraine at war and a government shutdown looming next month without a congressional spending agreement.
Representative Mark Alford of Missouri said the conference was in disarray: “There is some deep mistrust. There’s some communication problems. Some things are jacked up.”
Mr. Scalise has served in House leadership since 2014, and overcame great personal hardship to become the choice of a majority of Republicans to lead the chamber.
He is undergoing intense treatment for his blood cancer, which has prompted him to wear a mask to vote on the House floor and at news conferences. And in 2017, during a practice for a congressional baseball game, an anti-Trump extremist shot and seriously wounded Mr. Scalise . He still walks with a limp from the incident.
It was not clear whether Mr. Scalise could keep his post as majority leader after his failed attempt to win the top job, though Mr. McCarthy expressed confidence that he could. And Mr. Scalise indicated he would try.
“I’m the majority leader of the House. I love the job I have,” Mr. Scalise said. “I’ve had many challenges in my life. I’ve been tested in ways that really put perspective on life.”
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And these characters think they can run the nation?
This infighting is gonna bury us all
I hope not but all the signs point in that direction.
I'm actually enjoying fascists eating their own.
Who do you think are fascists?
the people that can't grasp the obvious and then ask stupid questions in their comments...
So you have no answers either.
That is what I suspected.
It is usually the case when people shout inanities about fascists.
Especially when they don't even have a passing understanding of the word.
As evidenced almost daily here, and invariably they are used by some small subset of folks who band together in their ignorance.
Whoever is triggered by the word fascist!
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Do you think its like like when some Republicans call any Democrat they don't like a "Socialist"?
I am aghast at how dysfunctional the contemporary GOP has become. Look no further than Trump and his sycophants for the root cause.
Most people harbor a combination of liberal, conservative and libertarian ... the 'modern' GoP seem bent on destroying all three.
Frankly, I do not think the modern GOP has clue one about where it is going and what it is doing. There is no strategy, there is no rational leadership. It is a dysfunctional mess.
the traditional republican blood letting seems a bit early in the season for this next election, although it could easily be argued that the campaign been going on for the last 8+ years. republicans are demonstrating to the voters that they cannot legislate, compromise, or lead, let alone rule. unfortunately, it's american citizens and possibly the world that will suffer as the victims while republican party owners work out their differences.
They have one goal, power at any cost.
Certainly, but the 'they' is not cohesive. It is a dysfunctional mess.
So hate of the other is not a viable strategy?
What does it accomplish?
I wonder?
While that's probably true for some, if their main goal was really power, they would probably take more actions towards that end.
I think for many of them its a question of "control issues"-- trying to control things to get what they think they want. (And if they can't win control against the other party-- they try and gain control over members of their own).
Between their member in the House and their probable candidate for president, I would predict that in the next election Republicans will lose both Houses of Congress as well as the presidency.
(And another factor-- the "Big Government Republicans" obsession with having the Federal gov;t having more control over citizens' lives {the Abortion issue} )
It helps the Democrats-- by raising the question in voters' minds: "Do I really want this party running (or more exactly "attempting to run") this country?
Perhaps the Dems should send bouquets of flowers-- or perhaps boxes of expensive chocolates to eash republican in the House-- with a nice card thanking them for their help in getting more Democrats elected in the next election!
Sure, but when people like McCarthy or Scalise (or Boehner and Ryan before them) give up on leadership, those “people” win.
They put me in mind of Hamas, which was formed by people who objected to the fact that the PLO was negotiating with Israel. Like those extremists, our so-called “Freedom Caucus” nut bags would rather make the world burn than negotiate with anyone they disagree with or compromise on anything.
If I were an American I damn well would never vote for a party that is a combination of not wanting to get it together and not able to get it together. I'd be curious to see what the polls are going to indicate - and by polls I mean by a REPUTABLE polling organization like Pew. Polls are just too easy to manipulate and they damn well are manipulated.
You got it.
That alone is a good reason.
But as previously mentioned, IMO most people want less interference in their lives from Big Government (and not more which would happen if the Republicans' crazy Abortion views become law).
Perhaps the republicans should also change their position on the issue of guns. By making it harder to get a gun-- because the republicans keep shooting themselvwes in the foot! (to coin sa phrase).
It may well have been one of the reasons for Hamas' timing that the American Congress is paralyzed. How long do you think it will take for a Speaker to be installed? Personally, I doubt it will be soon. IMO I have felt that Liz Cheney should be POTUS but if not, she might garner the votes to be Speaker - and why not? She has displayed the integrity and principles lacking in so many other lawmakers, has proven bipartisanship and would probably gain enough support from both sides to win, unless MOST of the lawmakers are complete assholes - However, I guess I fear that could be the case.
I think that the principle timing was an opportunistic one, a response to Israeli and Palestinian political dysfunction and ongoing Saudi-Israeli peace talks,
Yep, a conglomerate of reasons, and I'll add to them the current discontent in Israel over Netanyahu's attempt to shield himself from imprisonment by limiting the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, wherein many soldiers demonstrated in the streets rather than be readily available, and others were needed to control the protests. It was "A Perfect Storm".
Completely agree.
And the circus continues.
I'm guessing it will be Jordan.
He's a good choice for getting nothing done other than really bad kabuki.
Who is better?
McCarthy or Jordan?
Dave Joyce.
He is not running.
Same question.
As of this morning no one's officially running except the Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Trump endorsed both and both kowtow to Trump so they are equivalent in my view. Neither should be speaker.
McCarthy cannot hold the speakership so that is a functional problem. Maybe Jordan can. That gives him a functional edge if he can actually win (which is doubtful given the dysfunctional GOP).
It is sickening to see the GOP continue to kowtow to Trump. The party has lost its collective mind.
Liz Cheney, but the party messed up big time by surrendering to sycophancy.
I'd vote for her to be Canada's PM.
Excellent!
From the grave!
That's kind of an odd reply, a strange way to indicate that that would never happen in one's lifetime. For whom are you predicting death - me or her?
Just needling our cousins to the south. Live long and prosper Buzz.
Oh, okay.
Jordan sold his soul years ago.
Is there anyone in the majority party who should be Speaker?
There is a reason only one could answer my question.
TiG said neither because he knew exactly where I was going.
Yes. How about Asa Hutchinson? He is not going to get the nomination and is a solid individual with tons of executive / political experience and is largely moderate. A good, solid individual.
I said neither because that is my position. A position I explained @6.1.5
No comment on my answer @6.1.16?
How did we get there? Hutchinson is no longer in the House of Representatives.
I asked if there was anyone in the majority party who should be Speaker?
It wasn't an answer to my question.
The Speaker does not need to be a current member of the House (or even in Congress).
What party do you think is the majority party? Answer: Republican
What party is Asa Hutchinson a member of? Answer: Republican
It was a direct, thoughtful answer to your question. You asked @6.1.14:
Yeah, Vic, Asa Hutchinson is a member of the majority party (Republican) and I think he would make a great speaker of the House.
So why did you ask your question @6.1.14?
If you want to limit the answer to only existing GOP representatives in the House, then I would look for those who:
I think the GOP has a major problem on its hands given they are being controlled by a small group of extremists. Without working in some way with the Ds, I am not sure how the House will get back on track.
Jordan has failed at all his current committees. Why would anyone want a failure as speaker? Besides Jordan has already demonstrated his contempt of Congress.
He is virulently "anti woke", and that is more than enough for some.
…"anti woke"…
Whenever you see ‘woke’ invoked, it is a sure bet that whoever utters it is so out of touch with the realities of today they are ill-equipped to move forward in their illogical pursuit of the past.
And who was the beneficiary of past policy? Just another example of bumper-sticker sloganeering in lieu of any desire to address the issues. Weak.
He's a moron.
By "anti woke" I assume you mean "ignorant", which I believe is one of the accepted definitions. And I agree, he is.
Jordan is a failure and disgrace to the office. Anyone backing him should be ashamed of themselves.
Maybe not-- I think there are too many of them who can't decide if they want to "cross the Jordan"
(to coin yet another phrase)
Jim Jordan was a collaborator in the events of jan 6th. He had multiple phone calls with Trump on that day and the days just preceding, and when he was subpoenaed to testify what those calls were about he failed to show up.
At the least he is guilty of being supportive of the traitor and is to this day.
It would be a disgrace to make him Speaker Of The House.
Can you verify any of this or are you making stuff up?
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Don't answer him John-- its a trap!!!
The day he can "trap" me I will quit posting on internet forums.
Well, that's yet another reason why more republicans might vote for him!
Every time it looks like the GOP can make gains they go and do something really stupid to try and give it back to the Dems. It looks like they learned nothing from trying to take a far right stance on abortion rights in the states when all they had to do was go for a common sense 15 or 20 week ban that the majority of Americans could have lived with.
Now they get rid of McCarthy with no plan and just show how ineffective they are. Make no mistake, independents are watching. They are watching the infighting and they are watching as a far right winger like Gates has them by the balls.
If they were smart they would bring McCarthy back even if it takes a deal with the Dems and shove Gates and his half dozen followers in a corner and tell them to shut up.
If they were smart
That's one big "if" !!!
I totally agree. And that's one of a few foolish (and self-defeating) things they've done.
But I was thinking about their stances on Abortion for some time-- and while Big Government Republicans differ amongst themselves re: the amount of Government interference in peoples' lives they want.... IMO this issue alone might sink the Republicans' chances in the next election!
He certainly is ''anti woke'' he's been in a coma for decades.
The GOP in chaos?
I am absolutely shocked...shocked I tell you!!!
I am absolutely shocked...shocked I tell you!!!
(Usually when I type that, I post the relevant link from Casablanca but I figure that by now everyone's so familiar with that scene there's really no need to.)