SPEAKER HEADING OUT
Ryan cites family for decision to quit
House Speaker Paul Ryan’s retirement stunner is the equivalent of the captain of a ship jumping overboard before it sinks.
Ryan says he’s quitting just for family reasons, and if you believe that, we have some moldy cheese from Wisconsin to sell you.
Ryan’s decision was a political and personal calculation. He is getting out of town before the place blows up in November, and likely would not be leaving if he really thought he’d be speaker next year.
But with Nancy Pelosi looking more and more like the next speaker, there’s little motive for Ryan to try and stay in Congress without any power.
Ryan also may be leaving because he feels uncomfortable carrying Trump’s water in the House. The Wisconsin lawmaker’s nice-guy image never seemed like a good fit for the president’s abrasive style. And he was clearly getting tired responding to every Twitter post of Trump’s coming out of the White House on a daily basis.
Ryan, best known for his failed vice presidential run and his workout regimen, insisted Trump had nothing to do with his decision, but it’s more likely that Ryan just didn’t want to dump on Trump on the way out the door. That’s not his style.
Ryan was a popular figure, an impressive fundraiser and generally gets along with the president.
But Ryan’s relationship with Trump often seemed strained. Ryan was part of the establishment Trump likes to diss.
Democrats, of course, gleefully pounced on Ryan’s planned departure as a sign of impending Armageddon, and claimed Trump was a major reason for the decision.
“I believe that a major catalyst for this exodus (of Ryan and other Republicans) has been a deep-seated discomfort — perhaps shame — in the Republicans’ complicity in President Trump’s personal conduct and the policies of his administration,” U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) said.
Lynch added that it would have been better for Ryan and others to stay and “take a stand and fight” Trump, but that’s not going to happen.
Now the remaining Republicans in the House have to deal with the aftermath of Ryan’s move. The speaker is a lame duck, and as we’ve seen in the Massachusetts state Senate lately, that can set in motion a succession battle that leads to turmoil and tension.
Ryan’s potential successors have already been circling for weeks in anticipation of Ryan leaving. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has the inside track to replace Ryan next year, and hopes to get the blessing of Trump.
Majority Whip Steve Scalise is also likely to make a pitch for speaker. But keep your eye out for a dark horse candidate to emerge — maybe someone who won’t exactly toe the Trump line.
And look for Ryan to emerge back in Washington soon. As a lobbyist.