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House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s message to dozens of House conservatives was succinct: “I’m not John Boehner.” McCarthy (R-Calif.) has been desperately trying to distance himself from Boehner (R-Ohio), the man he wants to replace as Speaker of the House. His latest attempt came Tuesday night as he made his pitch to a dozens of conservative lawmakers at the Capitol Hill Club. “I’m not John Boehner. I’m going to run things differently. I’m my own man,” McCarthy said, according to one conservative in the room, Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas). McCarthy is expected to easily win the nomination for Speaker when...

It probably wasn’t the best idea for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the presumptive successor to outgoing Speaker of the House John Boehner, to suggest that Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers were sinking due to the existence of the House Select Committee on Benghazi. The Clinton Team already has a campaign ad about it, and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), who is challenging McCarthy for the speakership, called the remarks “absolutely terrible.” In a second salvo, House Democrats are aiming to dissolve the Select Committee on Benghazi tonight, with Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) proposing the Rules Committee eliminate it tonight, though it’s bound to...

The calendar for new House leadership elections has been pushed back, meaning that the scrambling for position, internal sniping and various bits of dirty laundry being aired is going to stretch on for nearly two more months. Originally we expected to see nominations for the new Speaker and the election of the new Majority Leader and GOP Whip taking place this Thursday, but this afternoon John Boehner threw a wrench in those plans and pushed things back to after he’s left the building. (Washington Post) Outgoing House Speaker John A. Boehner said Monday that lawmakers will elect his replacement on...

Sen. Ted Cruz will meet with a group of House Republicans one day before they're scheduled to vote for a new senior leadership team. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, has invited the Texas Republican, leading presidential contender, to address his Conservative Opportunity Society at a Wednesday breakfast meeting. The agenda, according to the invitation, is "conservative strategy for the remainder of the year." Cruz has meddled in House affairs on several occassions, advising supportive insurgent Republicans in the chamber on key legislation and strategic matters. However, it's unclear if Cruz, who ranks fifth in the Washington Examiner's presidential power rankings, plans...

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday denounced the Congress’ Benghazi committee, seizing on controversial remarks by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy that she said proved the panel was political hit job aimed solely at her. Mrs. Clinton, who is scheduled to testify before the committee later this month, stopped short of backing calls by other top Democrats to shut down the committee, saying that is up to Congress. “Now that they have admitted that it is a political partisan committee for the sole purpose of going after me, not trying to make our diplomats who serve in...

The front-runner to replace House Speaker John Boehner says the United States should work with its allies to set up a no-fly zone in northern Syria in the campaign against Islamic State militants. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy also said Monday that the U.S. should consider putting some special forces on the ground in Iraq to help in directing more effective airstrikes against the militants.

I saw House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's attempt to "clarify" his comments about how the Benghazi Select Committee affected Hillary Clinton's poll numbers to Brett Baier earlier this evening and I must say he does not inspire confidence. McCarthy makes John Boehner look like Ronald Reagan. Now I have no sympathy for Harry Reid who characterized McCarthy's comments as a "political witch hunt". Given Reid's attacks on the Senate floor against Mitt Romney and the Koch Brothers, it is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. But if Republicans are to offer a credible legislative program and...

House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz is planning to run for House speaker, taking on Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in what appears to be a long-shot bid to lead House Republicans, according to multiple sources. The Utah Republican, first elected to Congress in 2008, is launching a campaign less than a week before the Oct. 8 leadership elections for the House GOP Conference. The date for a floor vote to pick the next speaker has not been set yet. McCarthy (R-Calif.) is the overwhelming favorite to win, and it’s unclear how many votes Chaffetz can garner. Chaffetz's office would not comment....

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s upcoming appearance before the U.S. House Select Committee on Benghazi was supposed to be a crucible: a chance for Republicans to prosecute the former secretary of state for her handling of the 2012 terrorist attacks that killed four Americans as well as for her use of a private e-mail server. Instead, it may have turned into a political gift for Clinton following this week’s suggestion by the likely next House speaker, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), that the taxpayer-funded Benghazi investigation was politically motivated. Clinton’s allies say his comments will help recast Clinton’s scheduled Oct. 22 hearing...

Does this woman have any shame? Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton took offense to remarks by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy that the ongoing House select committee investigation into the Benghazi attacks is hurting her campaign, and used members of the U.S. military as political pawns in disparaging the probe. Clinton appeared Wednesday on MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation” and told host Al Sharpton that McCarthy’s comment “demonstrates unequivocally that this was always meant to be a partisan political exercise.” She then claimed the pursuit for answers to why four Americans died in the attack is somehow an affront not only to those...

House Republicans on Wednesday sharply repudiated Rep. Kevin McCarthy's comments that suggested the Benghazi oversight committee had succeeded by tarnishing Hillary Clinton, saying it undermined their party's messaging on a key issue and raised questions about his ability to be the GOP's top communicator. The California Republican, who is the leading contender to become the next speaker of the House, said Tuesday night that the GOP-led Congress had succeeded by bringing down Clinton's poll numbers because of the long-runninig investigation into the 2012 terror attack that killed four Americans. "Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right?" McCarthy said on Fox...

Americans are cynical about Congress.  Approval ratings are in the basement at 15.2 percent according to RealClearPolitics. We see congress like a bad TV show being acted before our eyes, with the real purpose to only sell us one more show to watch.  It’s like the fake freak shows at county fairs, or the ring toss at the carnival midway where the barker just wants you to spend another few bucks to win a tiny cheap stuffed animal, but behind the scenes he scorns you over a beer and a Marlboro. The only difference between that carny and the congressman...

There was Hillary Clinton, telling Al Sharpton of all people that she found Kevin McCarthy's comments about the Benghazi hearings "deeply distressing." That was too much for the Morning Joe panel, which just had to laugh. As John Heilemann put it, far from being distressed, Hillary surely sees McCarthy's comments—implying a political motive behind the hearings—as a Christmas and birthday gift wrapped into one that sent her "skipping through the park. View the video here.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is pitching himself for the role of the next speaker of the House and says he’s the leader who will know how to pick his battles — and bring everyone to the table. McCarthy laid out his vision for the speakership Tuesday in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead,” saying he wouldn’t shy away from a fight, but he wouldn’t enter one that was futile. “I’m willing to fight but I want to fight to win,” McCarthy said when asked about the call by some Republicans to force a government shutdown fight...

How damaging to Republicans are Speaker-presumptive Kevin McCarthy's comments in which he tied the drop in Hillary's poll numbers to the Benghazi hearings? Very damaging, according to the With All Due Respect duo on today's show. John Heilemann called them a "disaster" for congressional Republicans and GOP presidential candidates alike. Mark Halperin called them a "huge, huge problem" for the GOP. Interestingly, Halperin praised committee chairman Trey Gowdy, saying that he had been "carefully preparing the hearings, trying to do what no Republican has done in a long time, run a politically effective, substantive hearing." But, said Halperin, there's "almost...

Rep. Kevin McCarthy is not even Speaker of the House yet, but there is already a group ready to fire him. A group of prominent right-leaning organizations formed a coalition Wednesday dubbed "Fire Kevin McCarthy," pledging to remove the California Republican should he be chosen to replace John Boehner when he retires at the end of next month. "Having worked with Kevin McCarthy in the House, I'll admit he's a friendly guy," former Georgia Rep. Paul Broun said in a statement announcing the formation of the coalition. "But we need a dramatic change in House leadership — we can't afford...

Speaker John Boehner’s resignation could kick off a new round of skirmishing between conservatives and moderate Republicans, regardless of what happens in the race to replace him atop the House GOP conference. The outlines of the fight were apparent immediately after Boehner announced he would step down. “I’m on the House floor, I go over and talk to a [conservative] Freedom Caucus member and say, ‘what are you thinking?’ [The member replies,] ’You know, the core problem with the speaker is that he punished too many people,’” one House Republican recalls. “I walk less than 15 feet, over less than...

Updated September 25, 2015… GotNews.com first published this article earlier this year and has received numerous confirmations about it since then. Neither McCarthy, nor Ellmers has denied it and now that McCarthy is next in line for the speakership of the House the affair has taken on new relevance. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) (center) at the U.S. Capitol July 28, 2011 in Washington, DC. Multiple sources within Bakersfield, North Carolina, & on Capitol Hill tell Gotnews.com that Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Renee Ellmers (R-NC) have been carrying on a long-running affair since...

A reporter on Tuesday asked House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) how he would differ from John Boehner if McCarthy succeeds Boehner as House Speaker: “I won’t be as tanned,” McCarthy joked. “There’s a generational difference between us as well,” he added later. “I’m a little younger.” Speaking at a Republican leadership news conference on Capitol Hill, McCarthy praised Boehner as a “very good and decent man.” “We want to make sure that we’re closer to the people—that they feel this is their government, they’re in charge, and we serve them. Now, that’s not easy and it won’t change overnight....

House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), a California Republican, is running for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. “I have decided to run for Speaker of the House and graciously ask for your support,” McCarthy said in a statement.