Free Republic

When House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) announced his resignation earlier this month, the likelihood that his successor would be able to navigate a series of high stakes deadlines looked uncertain at best. Since then, the leadership succession has erupted into full-out chaos. What was supposed to be a relatively smooth ascension for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has been rocked by his own gaffes, outsider challengers, and the threat of an unprecedented floor fight that could undermine efforts to avoid a government shutdown and a historic default on the national debt before the year's end. According to Norman Ornstein,...

WMAL Radion in Washington DC just announced Rep. Kevin McCarthy has dropped his bid for Speaker of the House

Former Congressman Charles Brownson, Indianapolis Republican, used to say, “I never quarrel with a man who buys ink by the barrel.” Maybe McCarthy should not mess with conservative bloggers who have 1's and 0's by the barrel. Sniff.

Now THIS is getting interesting!!!!!

I have no more information. Just heard it on the radio.

Breaking.

Jake Sherman ‏@JakeSherman 10m10 minutes ago MCCARTHY OUT. Drops out of race for speaker. Election postponed.

Kevin McCarthy just dropped out of race for speaker. (Just heard it on Rush)

The conservative House Freedom Caucus announced Wednesday that it would back Rep. Daniel Webster to be the next speaker, which would provide enough support to the Republican conference to deny the position to establishment favorite Kevin McCarthy, the current majority leader. Emerging from a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, conservative lawmakers pledged to present a united front in support of Mr. Webster, Florida Republican, signaling that the same rift in the conference that forced Speaker John A. Boehner to resign would continue to roil the largest Republican majorities in the House since the 1920s. Members of the Freedom Caucus, led...

GotNews.com has been hit with a cease and desist letter from the counsel of Congresswoman Renee Ellmers amid allegations of her own martial infidelity. GotNews.com stands by its story regarding the DC, NC, and Bakersfield rumors regarding an alleged affair between Congresswoman Renee Ellmers and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. We look forward to the opportunity to avail ourselves of deposition with seated members of congress should it come to that.

"BREAKING: GotNews.com Hit With ‘Cease & Desist’ Letter For McCarthy-Ellmers Affair Story" GotNews.com has been hit with a cease and desist letter from the counsel of Congresswoman Renee Ellmers amid allegations of her own martial infidelity. GotNews.com stands by its story regarding the DC, NC, and Bakersfield rumors regarding an alleged affair between Congresswoman Renee Ellmers and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. We look forward to the opportunity to avail ourselves of deposition with seated members of congress should it come to that. The letter, reproduced here, was written by Thomas A. Farr, an attorney from Ogletree Deakins, a white shoe...

The race to replace John Boehner as Speaker of the House just heated up big time.Reports say the House Freedom Caucus will back Congressman Daniel Webster for Speaker.The other candidates for Speaker include House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz.The group recently met with Speaker candidates and came to the conclusion that Webster was the candidate to support in tomorrow’s vote.  A full floor vote will occur later this month.Congressman Curt Clawson, a former basketball standout at Purdue University and Congressman from Southwest Florida, praised Webster in a statement to Conservative Intel.“In basketball and in business it is critical that...

Conservative frustration over Republican efforts to force a House vote on reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank boiled over Wednesday during a contentious GOP meeting. Members of the conference’s conservative wing criticized Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.) at the meeting for moving to file a discharge petition to bring a vote on legislation renewing the embattled bank’s charter for five years, after it lapsed June 30 because of Tea Party opposition. "A lot of people don't like that we're doing a discharge petition. You know what? I don't like it. I wish we could've done something in committee," Fincher said in an interview...

Conservatives emerged from a late Tuesday night gathering in which they questioned a trio of candidates to be the next House speaker, only to report that none of the three has likely secured the support of the 218 Republicans needed to win when the election takes place Oct. 29. "I wouldn't predict there is one at this point if there was a vote right now this night," said Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, as he left the forum, which was held near the Capitol at Republican headquarters. "Hopefully by Thursday we can get there but it's going to be difficult." House...

House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), an ally of House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in the upcoming Speakership elections, tells reporters that he thinks any GOP House member who doesn’t back McCarthy on the floor should be kicked out of the GOP to go form their own third party. “We’ve been down this road several times and at some point you have to realize how elections work, how the Congress functions and how—what’s laid out clearly in the Constitution as a Democratic Republic,” Nunes says. Several conservative House members are considering bucking McCarthy on the floor...

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is making a promise to conservative Republican lawmakers—“I’m not John Boehner”—as he seeks their support to replace Boehner as speaker. […] “I think McCarthy’s pitch was ‘I’m not John Boehner, I’m going to run things differently, I’m my own man,’” said Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas. “And I think that’s a case that he does have to make. One of the things I hear all the time from my constituents back in Texas is we don’t want John Boehner 2.0.” …

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...