Jason Chaffetz announces bid for House speaker

Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, the brash 48-year-old chairman of the high-profile House oversight committee, is challenging McCarthy, saying he can bring the caucus together.

Achieving a lifelong dream, House Speaker John Boehner seemed deeply moved watching Pope Francis speak to a joint session of Congress. The next day, he resigned.

While Boehner gets criticism from all quarters of his party, those Republicans who identify as part of the Tea Party (just over one in five of all Republicans today) are especially negative. “They want a fresh start”, Chaffetz said. “That doesn’t signal change”.

Dukakis described Chaffetz in the 2013 interview as “a comer, I think, on the Republican side”. The odds are in the California Republican’s favor that he will be the Republicans’ official choice. And his viability as a speaker nominee became even more tenuous last week after he implied that a special investigation into the 2012 attacks in Libya is politically motivated.

This is a critical moment for the GOP. He’s shared about 34 percent with fellow Republicans and his party.

Chaffetz may be a smart bet for Republicans, in two ways. He made a similar case speaking to reporters after his Sunday show appearance.

Others may also now feel they can be that messenger. In August, InsideGov, a technology-based Washington consulting firm, listed Webster among the 10 least-effective members of the House. Both initially ruled out running last month, before McCarthy’s candidacy weakened. If Scalise wins majority leader, the caucus will then pick a new whip.

What happens on the floor?

McCarthy was angered. Senate Majority Leader Mitchell McConnell (R-Kentucky) and others in the GOP establishment are not happy.

When Boehner surprised everyone with the news he was stepping down McCarthy quickly locked down enough commitments from members to stave off any serious challenge. He has worked against government waste and abuse, and his uncompromising style would be a welcome addition to a Republican leadership that so far has done little with its power to make any meaningful change in Washington. “An affirmative vote for this plan…is a specific intent to disfavor me as an incumbent”. But he’s having a tougher time winning over a few of the conservative hard-liners he needs to secure 218 votes in a roll call of the entire House set for October 29. “It won’t take long to find out who was right”.

Chaffetz said he told McCarthy in person on Friday that he was running and Chaffetz said he “wasn’t too happy”.

“Kevin’s record in Congress demonstrates a rare combination of principle, leadership, and effectiveness”.

McCarthy’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The American people have entrusted Republicans with the largest majority since the 1920’s, but with that majority comes a responsibility to get the job done that we were elected to do”. That’s why I’ve entered this race.

“I’m trying to unify us, so instead of firing on each other we can fire on the Democrats”, he said. “Dan sneaks up on people’s good graces, quietly, and I think is very widely respected”.

Perhaps mindful of the criticism of Boehner – that he wasn’t willing to be more combative – McCarthy’s media rounds, especially with a conservative favorite like Sean Hannity, might help ease those concerns that his speakership would just be more of the same.

Jordan, who has denied requests from Freedom Caucus members to run for speaker himself, wants members to unite as a bloc behind a candidate, rather than peel off separately.

They certainly have that a competitive race now. “So the question is, would the rest of the group come along and support?”.