The eight House Republicans who ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy two weeks ago are getting exactly what they bargained for, whether they knew it then or not. The instigator, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, thinks a better Speaker would be Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan. But on Friday Mr. Jordan lost another floor vote, making it three this week, first with 20 defections, then 22, and finally 25.
Some of the Jordan dissenters are still angry about the shabby treatment of Mr. McCarthy and the conference’s No. 2 choice, Rep. Steve Scalise. Others seem to believe Mr. Jordan is too much of a firebrand to serve as the party’s frontman.
The no votes Friday included half of the Republicans in districts carried by President Biden in 2020. Mr. Jordan lost ground despite some notable attempts at sausage-making.
He reportedly tried to lure blue-state Republicans with a plan to double the federal deduction for state and local taxes, or SALT. Capping it at $10,000 was a huge victory in President Trump’s 2017 tax reform, so Mr. Jordan’s pledge contradicted the claim that as Speaker he’d be a conservative’s conservative.
Also, seven of the McCarthy mutineers said in a letter that in exchange for electing Mr. Jordan, they’d accept “censure, suspension, or removal from the Conference.” Maybe they could have landed Mr. Jordan the job if they had offered seppuku.
By late Friday afternoon, chaos reigned. About a dozen Republicans had begun making calls to line up their own supporters, or were considering it, in advance of another Speaker candidate forum expected Monday. Hope they had a fun weekend.
The GOP is right to refuse the idea, dangled by Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, of a “bipartisan governing coalition.” But Republicans need to come up with a consensus candidate, and fast.
Perhaps it’s acting Speaker Patrick McHenry, or perhaps someone else. This isn’t a life sentence, after all. But friends in Israel and Ukraine need America’s support, government funding runs out again in a month, and Virginia goes to the polls a week before that.
