GOP faction wants Ryan gone now
Source: Politico
A number of rank-and-file members, including several allies of Kevin McCarthy, say a protracted fight for speaker would hurt the party.
By RACHAEL BADE and JOHN BRESNAHAN 04/12/2018 05:06 AM EDT Updated 04/12/2018 09:26 AM EDT
Paul Ryan wants to serve the rest of his term as speaker. But some senior Republicans are suggesting that Ryan relinquish his gavel now and allow a successor to take over.
Several allies to speaker hopeful Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the majority leader, say House Republicans need to be united heading into the midterms, and that a leadership race could split the conference. Other Republicans are questioning whether having a lame-duck speaker at the helm of the Republican Conference will hurt their fundraising.
“We would have more success if there’s no ambiguity as to what the leadership structure might look like,” said Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.), one of McCarthy’s closest allies, who is pushing for a vote to replace Ryan sooner rather than later. “Certainty is important. ... From the conversations I’ve had, everybody wants our ‘A team’ in place, our strongest team in place, so we have the strongest outcome going into the election cycle.”
That‘s directly at odds with the message Ryan delivered on Wednesday, when he vowed to serve out his term. And most of the conference appears to be behind him — at least for now. Some hard-line conservatives who’ve butted heads with Ryan think a protracted leadership contest would mean a prolonged courtship of them by McCarthy and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) — and potentially more influence down the road.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/12/paul-ryan-speaker-leadership-election-516854
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of the stoopid and the sleazy? 
