Steve Scalise's run for House majority leader likely over
WASHINGTON House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's surprise decision Thursday (Oct. 8) to drop out of the race for speaker likely puts an end to Rep. Steve Scalise's run for the No. 2 House leadership post.
McCarthy announced that he plans to stay on as majority leader. McCarthy, a California Republican made his announcements to a GOP caucus meeting that had been expected to vote him the members' choice to be elected speaker during a full House vote slated for Oct. 29.
McCarthy said it's important the GOP caucus be "100 percent united," and that "if we're going to unite and be strong, we need a new face to do that."
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said McCarthy dropped out because he didn't think he could get the 218 votes needed in the House to replace John Boehner as speaker. Issa said neither of the other candidates Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., and Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, could, either, although McCarthy had the backing of a majority of the GOP caucus.
There was no immediate comment from Scalise, who Sunday said he had commitments from more than half the 247-member GOP caucus to move up from majority whip to majority leader from the No. 3 House leadership position to the 2nd highest post.
more
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/10/what_does_mccarthys_decision_t.html#incart_river