The Floor Show

Really:

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s message to dozens of House conservatives was succinct: “I’m not John Boehner.”

McCarthy (R-Calif.) has been desperately trying to distance himself from Boehner (R-Ohio), the man he wants to replace as Speaker of the House. His latest attempt came Tuesday night as he made his pitch to a dozens of conservative lawmakers at the Capitol Hill Club.

“I’m not John Boehner. I’m going to run things differently. I’m my own man,” McCarthy said, according to one conservative in the room, Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas).

(Wong)

It really is something of a dangerous phrase for Republicans, purporting to be one’s own man. One would think Jeb Bush would offer enough examples to make the point, but this is Kevin McCarthy.

Meanwhile, Scott Wong also brings us the tale of some moderately ironic hilirony:

Speaker John Boehner, who plans to leave office a day before Halloween, told a group of Republican colleagues last week he had an awful nightmare.

“I had this terrible nightmare last night that I was trying to get out and I couldn’t get out,” the Ohio Republican joked, according to one of his longtime friends, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.). “And a hand came reaching, pulling me.”

But Boehner’s nightmare could become reality if House Republicans fail to rally around their nominee for Speaker in a floor vote set for Oct. 29.

Ayuh.

This really could be interesting. No, really, I mean, if Speaker Boehner can’t even resign properly?

Worst Speaker ever? Hello? Hello?

Come on. Tell me that wouldn’t be the instant crown jewel of our young century’s disarray. Tell me it wouldn’t be awesome.

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Image notes: Top ― The U.S. Capitol is pictured at dawn in Washington D.C. on Oct. 15, 2013. (Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA) Middle ― Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA23), then House Majority Leader, in 2014. (Detail of photo by Molly Riley) Bottom ― Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH08), 18 November 2014. (Detail of photo by Francis Rivera)

Benen, Steve. “Jeb sticks to his odd ‘I’m my own man’ line”. msnbc. 17 September 2015.

Wong, Scott. “How John Boehner could stay Speaker”. The Hill. 6 October 2015.

—————. “McCarthy’s pitch to conservatives: ‘I’m not John Boehner'”. The Hill. 6 October 2015.