McCarthy abruptly withdraws candidacy for US House speaker

[webfact]

McCarthy abruptly withdraws candidacy for House speaker
By ERICA WERNER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Confronting insurmountable obstacles, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy suddenly withdrew from the contest for speaker of the U.S. House on Thursday, shocking colleagues just before they were to vote and producing ever-deeper chaos for a divided Congress.

"We need a new face," McCarthy declared after a closed-door meeting where House Republicans were prepared to nominate him as speaker but instead listened in disbelief as he took himself out of the running. "If we are going to be strong, we've got to be 100 percent united."

Allies said that even though he would certainly have emerged the winner from Thursday's secret-ballot election of Republicans, McCarthy had concluded he did not have a path to getting the needed 218-vote majority in the full House later this month. A small but determined bloc of conservatives had announced they were opposing him, and they commanded enough votes to block him on the floor.

These same lawmakers, members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, pushed outgoing Speaker John Boehner to announce his resignation just two weeks ago by threatening a floor vote on his speakership. Some of them cheered the announcement by Boehner's No. 2.

"The establishment has lost two speakers in two weeks. K Street must be shaking in their boots. Mitch McConnell must be shaking in his boots, too," said Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, naming the Republican majority leader of the Senate.

One immediate impact, however, might be to prolong Boehner's tenure. The Ohio Republican, who had intended to leave Oct. 30, said he would stay on "until the House votes to elect a new speaker."

The man most widely seen as a potential speaker in McCarthy's place immediately ruled it out.

"While I am grateful for the encouragement I've received, I will not be a candidate," said Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the former vice presidential nominee who now chairs the Ways and Means Committee. But Ryan was under intense pressure to reconsider, including from Boehner and McCarthy himself.

"I would hope he would" run, McCarthy said of Ryan.

Establishment-minded Republicans expressed bitter frustration at the sway of the Freedom Caucus at a time when Republicans command their largest House majority in 80 years. And stark uncertainty lies ahead as lawmakers question how any candidate backed by mainstream Republicans will be able to prevail in the House.

It all comes with Congress in desperate need of steady leadership as major fiscal and budgetary deadlines loom, starting with the need to raise the government's debt limit to avoid a market-shattering default in a month's time.

"This is unprecedented to have a small group, a tiny minority, hijack the party and blackmail the House," said Rep. Peter King of New York.

McCarthy might have been able to eke out a win, but he said that's not how he wanted to become speaker. It's now unknown when the House GOP election will occur, and in doubt as to whether a scheduled Oct. 29 floor vote by both Democrats and Republicans will go forward.

McCarthy's two announced GOP rivals 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 Freedom Caucus, whose members dismissed McCarthy as a clone of Boehner.

Numerous other names began to surface of possible candidates, and lawmakers were openly discussing the possibility of elevating a "caretaker" speaker to serve for a short time.

"You understand it could be a quick end to your political career," remarked Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., one of those discussed. He held up his cellphone to show calls coming in from McCarthy.

The Republicans' noontime meeting was adjourned moments after it began with McCarthy making his jaw-dropping 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."

Several Republicans were crying after McCarthy's announcement, lawmakers at the meeting said.

Despite the pandemonium, the business of government continued, with committees holding hearings and the House convening to vote on a piece of energy legislation that passed on a largely party-line vote.

McCarthy, a 50-year-old from Bakersfield, California, in his fifth term in the House, is personable and friendly, popular with fellow lawmakers and known for his political acumen, if not his policy depth.

But his 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 ammunition to Democrats to discredit the committee ahead of Clinton's appearance Oct. 22 to testify.

Thursday morning, at a closed-door GOP candidate forum ahead of the elections, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California, a natural McCarthy ally, stood up and told McCarthy that he wouldn't be able to support him because of that comment, people present said.

McCarthy brushed off a suggestion that his decision had anything to do with a letter circulated earlier this week by Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., asserting that any candidate for leadership should withdraw from contention "if there are any misdeeds he has committed since joining Congress that will embarrass himself, the Republican Conference and the House of Representatives if they become public."

Jones has said the letter wasn't directed at anyone in particular. Asked whether it played a role in his decision McCarthy said: "Nah."

But the episode evoked memories of the shocking moment in December 1998, when Rep. Bob Livingston, R-La., astonished Washington by suddenly dropping his bid to replace Newt Gingrich as speaker. Livingston was the heavy favorite, but had been dogged by allegations that he had been unfaithful to his wife.

Livingston's announcement came as the House was debating President Bill Clinton's impeachment with its roots in Clinton's own infidelities.
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Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor, Mary Clare Jalonick and Alan Fram contributed to this report.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-10-09

[zaphod reborn]

The Benghazi investigation should have ended long ago. It was obviously politically driven. If the GOP was genuinely interested in investigating security concerns, they would still be investigating Bush's negligence in 9/11. The GOP should drop Benghazi and focus on Clinton's email server.

[pitrevie]

McCarthy declared "If we are going to be strong, we've got to be 100 percent united." Just what planet is this guy living on?

[Publicus]

Republican party center-middle in the House of Representatives has collapsed.

The Republican party campaign for POTUS had already abandoned the American political center-middle, and is anyway far over to the right of the general electorate.

McCarthy was unable to survive his confession on Faux that the Ben Ghazi committee has always had the purpose to destroy without evidence or proof the standing of Hillary Rodham Clinton for POTUS. October 22nd is the date of the big public hearing of the committee and former SecState Clinton, although Republicans in the House are having second thoughts about going ahead with it..

The general electorate knows it is watching a giant circular firing squad in real time.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Publicus

[Thaidream]

The United States has such a lack of real leadership or politicians of any substance that it is frightening. Their only interest to to see how long they can stay in power so the can stay on the gravy train. None of them really care about the struggling citizens, many under employed and working for a minimum wage which they refuse to raise; or facing huge medical bills based on a system that rewards wealthy hospitals and insurance companies. The only thing that can save the United States is the emergence of an individual who is articulate,doesn't care whether he/she gets re-elected; and starts to dismantle the military industrial complex; closes down the special interests and actually cares about the American people. Frankly, I don't see anyone like that out there. And, we as Americans continue to let this travesty go on and call it Democracy.

[Jingthing]

Many would say Bernie Sanders is close to your dream but the U.S. isn't going to elect anyone who labels themselves as a socialist.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Jingthing

[Ulic]

Well......He did admit to what everyone with half a brain already new, that the dozen of so

Benghazi investigations are politically motivated. That said at least he did not admit that

the e-mail server investigations are the same.

[JakeSully]

LOL Jing.. you'd be surprised at what we would choose in contrast to Racist Homophobic Xenophobic Neocon Right Wingers. They don't even want to govern, they want to bring down the government which would mean anarchy.

And Amanda Marcotte said it best, "The first rule of Fight Club is you don’t talk about Fight Club. Similarly, the first rule of right wing politics is to never, under any circumstances, admit what your true motivations are. No matter how implausible your cover story is, stick to it. Abortion bans are about “life” or “protecting women,” not punishing women for having sex. Voter ID laws are about “preventing fraud,” not stopping black people from getting the vote. Opposing same-sex marriage is about “religious freedom” or “the children,” anything but homophobia. And the Benghazi hearings are about “safety” or “justice,” anything but trying to trick the public into thinking the presumptive Democratic nominee for president is corrupt or incompetent."

The Tea Party so desperately are intent on:

[OMGImInPattaya]

Many would say Bernie Sanders is close to your dream but the U.S. isn't going to elect anyone who labels themselves as a socialist.

They said the same thing about someone with dark skin and kinky-hair too. ;-)

[OMGImInPattaya]

I've heard, sub-rosa, that he has bimbo issues.

[JingerBen]

Many would say Bernie Sanders is close to your dream but the U.S. isn't going to elect anyone who labels themselves as a socialist.

And why would that be?

Maybe because anyone with even half a brain knows that "socialist" is often just a euphemism for an old Marxist knucklehead.

[JakeSully]

I am loving the fact that Pelosi said she will not bail out the GOP! It's their bed and they have to lie in it!

This should finally put an end to why Obama couldn't change the tone in Washington. Right wingers keep saying Obama wouldn't work with Republicans in Congress but here is the reality.. Republicans can't even work with Republicans in Congress.

When you figure the house is mostly non representative of the people and its members only in their as a result a gross abuse of the system i.e. district gerrymandering, well is anyone surprised when their system self destructs?

District gerrymandering sounded GREAT on paper, BUT....
Not so much great in reality.
I guess when you scam the system and cheat the voters, this is what you get in return.
As they say... crime doesn't pay.

Gee.... to think district gerrymandering could possibly destroy the republican party AND and... cost them still another presidential election.
Cheaters never prosper.

[Thaidream]

The American people are so fed up they would vote for anyone that could articulate a change that would improve their lives. Actualy, Bernie Sanders probably would do that or come close to it if he followed what he said he would do. The problem is that he can't and no one can until there is a complete change in the money politics and their wealthy minions who control every aspect of American life. If this doesn't change- in 30 years, I would expect another American Revolution-widespread discontent and a change that will shock many people.

[Publicus]

McCarthy declared "If we are going to be strong, we've got to be 100 percent united." Just what planet is this guy living on?

Planet of the apes where their arms are still longer than their legs. Also, someone said McCarthy meant to say 'untied' instead of united.

The guy above who posted he hopes the Rs drop the Ben Ghazi rubbish but instead focus on the email garbage would encourage the great ape contingent in the House to go bananas all the more. (Maybe not such a bad idea actually given how things are turning out for this Mcatty guy who loves flapping his beak.)

Many would say Bernie Sanders is close to your dream but the U.S. isn't going to elect anyone who labels themselves as a socialist.

Ralph Nader running for prez in 2000 attracted enough Flordia far out leftnut Democrats to lend a huge helping hand to Bush getting the presidency and the rest is history.

Bernie is not even a Democrat so when Mr. Independent Socialist reaches the end of the road paved with gold let's hope he simply goes quietly and without any similar stunts and feats as Nader the not-Democrat inflicted upon us back then. Careful what one wishes for.

[Thaidream]

I wish they would all go away. Frankly, I don't like any of them. It is just the lesser of evils. I could pick out 5 friends that can up up with a better program for the American people than any of the politicians who are in or those running. None of them get it Everyone is tired of the high cost of living in America; low salaries; poor government agencies; obscene costs of the military; being spied on by your own government and being lied to consistently.And to top it off- there is not much hope that anything is going to change.