House Leadership Megathread: it's House of Cards but without the monologues

[Bacon King]

The Tea Party has already started Boehnering McCarthy: http://firemccarthy.com/

[Bacon King]

• The House Freedom Caucus is up in arms over McCarthy's statements about the Benghazi Committee - there are rumors that even if he wins the internal Republican Conference election, he wouldn't have 218 votes to be elected Speaker
• Conservatives within the party are not be satisfied with either Price or Scalise, and are said to be searching for a better alternative, but no one is stepping up
• The Whip race is turning into a McHenry vs Sessions contest; the McHenry camp is claiming to be in the lead

And fun fact! Out of the eight candidates for leadership positions, only one of them has been re-elected more than five times: Pete Sessions. If/when either McCarthy or Webster are elected Speaker, it will be the first time since 1891 that someone was elected Speaker in their first decade as a Congressman.

[Mr. Morden]

Chaffetz preparing to run for Speaker:

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/chaffetz-launches-long-shot-bid-for-house-speaker-214375

[Torie]

Here is another article about rumblings from the right about McCarthy. None of it is going anywhere in the end, but the right wing types have this physiological need to ineffectually vent on a regular basis.

Not that I am in love with the import-export bank (don't know enough to have a firm opinion, and maybe it's justified since everybody else does it), but I do like the idea of getting stuff to the floor by discharge petition, which is mentioned in the article. In a more perfect world, the centrists of both parties, who believe in problem solving and governance, given who has power over what at any given time, would just negotiate, round up 218 signatures on a discharge petition, and get it done. The extremists on both sides could go pound sand. It would not take long for everybody to settle down after that. Both parties being held hostage by their more ideologically rigid members leads to poor governance almost always. It's time to free both parties from the hostage takers.

[Bacon King]

Chaffetz preparing to run for Speaker:

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/chaffetz-launches-long-shot-bid-for-house-speaker-214375

It looks like we found the Freedom Caucus candidate! While he is not publicly a member himself (and there are at least several members of the House Freedom Caucus who publicly deny their membership in it, mind you), he's had a great working relationship with them since this incident happened. That means he basically starts off with 40 votes in the bag (I'm not saying he'll win but he will be a big headache for McCarthy)

[windjammer]

Bacon King,
Wasn't Chaffetz much more interested by the United states senate rather than gaining influence in the house?

[Bacon King]

Bacon King,
Wasn't Chaffetz much more interested by the United states senate rather than gaining influence in the house?

He's not going to win the Speaker race. The fact that he's thrown his hat into the ring will just raise his profile and that can't hurt him.

And on the off-chance he somehow does manage to win, I think being Speaker right now is worth more than possibly being a Senator four years from now...

[Maxwell]

God I hope McCarthy stomps this little cockroach Chaffetz into the ground. Nothing would bring me more joy.

[Zioneer]

Bacon King,
Wasn't Chaffetz much more interested by the United states senate rather than gaining influence in the house?

He's not going to win the Speaker race. The fact that he's thrown his hat into the ring will just raise his profile and that can't hurt him.

And on the off-chance he somehow does manage to win, I think being Speaker right now is worth more than possibly being a Senator four years from now...

Chaffetz is pretty much guaranteed Orrin Hatch's Senate seat in 2018, whether or not Hatch retires/croaks. So I think this is a quick attempt to see whether can gain power in the House or in the Senate, and if he can't get one, he'll try the other.

[Blue3]

So it's the Benghazi Doofus versus the Planned Parenthood Doofus.

The one who embarrasses the GOP more wins!

[Sol]

The one issue with the McHenry candidacy is that Patrick McHenry has apparently had gay rumors for years a la Rick Perry.

[Bacon King]

"Even if Kevin is elected Speaker [behind closed doors], he can't get 218 [votes] on the floor," a House Republican source said.

[Torie]

"Even if Kevin is elected Speaker [behind closed doors], he can't get 218 [votes] on the floor," a House Republican source said.

Chaffetz is dreaming. There is no way he's going to be elected speaker. Period.

[Bacon King]

"Even if Kevin is elected Speaker [behind closed doors], he can't get 218 [votes] on the floor," a House Republican source said.

Chaffetz is dreaming. There is no way he's going to be elected speaker. Period.

It's not really even about Chaffetz- most of the House Freedom Caucus seem to love causing obstruction for its own sake. If they have the votes to keep McCarthy below 218 I imagine they will be able to extract quite a few concessions


Here's something that would change up the dynamic of the full-Congress Speaker election- a Democratic congressman has motioned for the Speaker to be elected by secret ballot!

[Bacon King]

Chaffetz officially announces, and is admitting openly that he plans to keep fighting all the way

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Also, there will be a meeting of the Republican Conference at 2PM on Wednesday where they will consider, among other things, whether someone should be required to resign their current leadership position before they're allowed to run for another

[The Other Castro]

Scalise says he has enough votes locked up to win Majority Leader.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/the-gavel/2015/10/steve-scalise-house-republicans-214416

[Bacon King]

Boehner has delayed the votes for Majority Leader and Whip, so the only Conference vote on Thursday will be for GOP Speaker nominee. Some are saying this is due to concerns that McCarthy may not be elected, but IMO it's more likely that the Conference just wants to give the leader/whip candidates more politicking time

[Simfan34]

The one issue with the McHenry candidacy is that Patrick McHenry has apparently had gay rumors for years a la Rick Perry.

Rick Perry has had gay rumors?

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

God I hope McCarthy stomps this little cockroach Chaffetz into the ground. Nothing would bring me more joy.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

The one issue with the McHenry candidacy is that Patrick McHenry has apparently had gay rumors for years a la Rick Perry.

Rick Perry has had gay rumors?

http://gawker.com/5868489/all-your-rick-perry-gay-sex-rumors-collected-in-one-handy-book

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^ quote for the ages

[/]

Chaffetz officially announces, and is admitting openly that he plans to keep fighting all the way

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Also, there will be a meeting of the Republican Conference at 2PM on Wednesday where they will consider, among other things, whether someone should be required to resign their current leadership position before they're allowed to run for another

In regard to the bolded:

I think it's more likely to be the opposite. I could see a lot of conservatives supporting Chaffetz by secret ballot, but voting for McCarthy during the roll call if they don't want to be affiliated with the Tea Party/if they don't want to lose committee positions or validity in general.

[Cory]

Rick Perry has had gay rumors?

http://gawker.com/5868489/all-your-rick-perry-gay-sex-rumors-collected-in-one-handy-book

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^ quote for the ages

Source that isn't Gawker/Buzzfeed?

[GLPman]

What are the chances that McCarthy doesn't get the Speakership?

[Bigby]

The one issue with the McHenry candidacy is that Patrick McHenry has apparently had gay rumors for years a la Rick Perry.

Rick Perry has had gay rumors?

http://gawker.com/5868489/all-your-rick-perry-gay-sex-rumors-collected-in-one-handy-book

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^ quote for the ages

Obligatory Brokeback Mountain joke.

[Blue3]

So I hear there is going to be a Speaker's Debate between Chaffetz and McCarthy, before the House GOP?