LANCASTER – Rep. Kevin McCarthy, whose congressional district includes portions of Lancaster and Quartz Hill, threw Congress into disarray Thursday when he abruptly withdrew from the race to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.
McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, made the stunning announcement at the beginning of a Republican House conference in Washington, D.C., where he was expected to be officially nominated to replace Rep. John Boehner.
“I have the deepest respect and regard for each member of the conference and our team as a whole,” McCarthy said. “It is imperative for us to unite and work together on the challenges facing our country. Over the last week it has become clear to me that our conference is deeply divided and needs to unite behind one leader.
“I have always put this conference ahead of myself. Therefore I am withdrawing my candidacy for Speaker of the House. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to help move our conference’s agenda and our country forward.”
Although McCarthy was widely expected to become the next Speaker, he still couldn’t shore up full support from conservative Republicans who were instrumental in driving Boehner out of the post. McCarthy’s candidacy was also damaged by comments he made in a recent interview suggesting that the House committee that investigated the deadly uprising in Benghazi sought to damage Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
McCarthy told reporters Thursday he wanted Republicans to be united behind the next Speaker, and did not want the voting process to be divisive.
“If we are going to be strong, we’ve got to be united,” he said.
Two other Republicans — Daniel Webster of Florida and Jason Chaffetz of Utah — have been bandied about as possible alternative candidates. Following McCarthy’s announcement, Republicans postponed the nomination process, calling into question the possibility of an Oct. 29 vote.
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pirrurris says
Republicans are having issues with republicans. Thanks to the teabaggers, we now have extremist running congress. I think we should be able to inflict the teabaggers/republican policies on every idiot that votes republican. For example, if Claire votes for a republican that wants to get rid of social security, she should lose her social security as soon as the election is over. If a republican is a union member, and votes for a republican that wants yo get rid of unions (Scott Walker), he or she should be tossed out of the union and start earning the minimum wage. Also, how the hell do we have republicans representing districts where we have 80% minorities? Why are we naming high schools after biggots like Pete Knight?
V says
@pirrurris
If you are represenitive of what a democrat is everyone should vote republican. You are obviously uneducated and probably not born in this country. You call everyone a biggot just because they don’t agree with you, which proves your lack of intelligence.
pirrurris says
Vd, all i am doing is highlighting what your God loving hypocrite republican party is all about. And i am definitely do not representing nor speaking for my fellow democrats. I am speaking for myself. And by the way, wether you
ike or not, my family and i, are US citizens, and vote democrat across the board. God bless the democrats.
pirrurris says
Vd, i really try to seethings from your republican perspective, but can’t get my head that deep up my ass.
V says
Pirrurris
You are so immature in your text. Your name calling and stupid remarks shows your juvenile brain. You are way to dumb to be a republican. Enough said!
pirrurris says
Vd, the only immature loser is you. You are right, i am not a republican, nor will i ever affiliate with this hypocrite party. Vd, are you one of those intelligent seniors that is receiving social security, yet keeps voting for the same republicans that want to take it away? Or are you that intelligent union member, that keeps voting for republicans that are trying to get rid of unions? You chucklenutz don’t make sense.
Claire says
The two party system of voting is a joke! It’s perpetuated by the two major parties, and third parties are bullied out of debates. The two parties collude to keep it this way. They cheat if necessary. This is all true, and pardon my colloquialism, but it sucks. But a lot of things suck, and realists deal with it. Have a peaceful day.
William says
Oh, Claire.
You are not expecting us to buy that you are a ‘realist’ are you?
“Secular liberalism is undermining the country.” -Claire
“Ben Carson 2016” – Claire
“Obamacare is worse than the Holocaust (and/or slavery)” – Ben Carson
Yeah, Claire
You claim to be in touch with reality and that makes us laugh.
Thank you so much for your reliable and unintentional humor. The odd thing is, when you try to be humorous, you bomb big time.
Where are V and LR when you need them, Claire, to back up your nonsense? Oh, that’s right. You made them up.
You try to make it significant that others disagree with me here, usually the 1-hit wonders but when Tim Scott, pirrurris and I disagree with you, it doesn’t mean anything. Right?
And, we aren’t the 1-hit wonders that dump a comment/reply that sounds just like your voice, never to be heard from again. That’s because you are a foolish hypocrite and come here daily to prove it.
How can we miss you if you won’t go away?
Have a peaceful day, Claire.
Claire says
Have a peaceful day!
pirrurris says
Claire, the only problem that we havr is called republicans. People need to wake the hell up and vote the do nothing rublican congress out of office.
Claire says
Looking at what seems to be a predesigned action and then looking at who benefits from it and drawing the only logical conclusion is now what they called conspiracy. 1+1=2 but to the elitist left 2 is just a conspiracy theory. That is if 2 harms or damages any of their members. If 2 damages their enemy then 2 is now the gospel truth.
Tim Scott says
Claire, are you speaking in tongues, or some sort of code? Who exactly is calling what exactly a “conspiracy” in your fevered view of events here?
Literally NO ONE benefits from this little bout of chaos inflicted upon us all by the House Republicans. The fifty angry men will vote as a block, and they will not vote for anyone but a nut. The rest of the Republicans won’t vote as a block, but there are certainly not enough of them willing to vote for a nut to get one elected. So Boehner will remain the Speaker until the end of the term.
William says
Now, now, Tim Scott.
Have you ever known Claire to make any sense? I wonder how she finds the door to leave a room.