WASHINGTON (AP) — Refusing to give up, Rep. Jim Jordan told GOP colleagues Thursday he was still running for the House gavel — leaving Republicans few viable options after his hardline backers resisted a plan to expand the temporary speaker’s powers to re-open the House.

The combative Jordan delivered the message at a fiery closed-door meeting...

GOP moderates who have twice rejected Jordan are unwilling to support him now, especially after some report harassing pressures and even death threats from his supporters. At the same time, Jordan’s hard-right allies are refusing to allow a temporary speaker to gain more power.

I have zero doubt that Republicans want to choose a speaker. I also have zero doubt of their purpose:


The prolonged stalemate risks keeping the House intractably shut down for the foreseeable future...

That is their purpose. The Ohio wrestler as a congressman voted to shut down the government. If he were to become Speaker, he would shut down the government. Whether eventually he wins or loses the Speaker's gavel the government will shut down. That is the purpose of all Republicans regardless of who they want as Speaker. Read Baby Gaetz today:

“We’re shaking up Washington, DC. We’re breaking the fever. And, you know what, it’s messy. But the only reason people think there’s chaos in this town right now is because the special interests aren’t in control any more. I think we’re going to have an upgrade on the position of speaker of the House,” Gaetz told CNN.

He added: “This is what it’s supposed to be: It’s not clean, it’s not orderly.”

When pressed by CNN that the current paralysis in the chamber means that members can’t legislate, Gaetz said “There’s a lot of legislation we shouldn’t be considering that this may be blocking. So I wasn’t too thrilled with the legislation we were passing in the first place. So I don’t much mind taking a few days to ensure that we’ve got someone in the position with broader credibility than Kevin McCarthy had.”