John Boehner Still Speaker and Still Inexplicably Orange

After the surprising news that House Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, would be dropping his bid as next Speaker of the House, many conservatives on Capitol Hill were scrambling to figure out their next move. That is, not before a good cry.

The Hill reports:

McCarthy stunned his his colleagues by telling them of his decision as they were preparing to cast ballots for Speaker. The election was immediately postponed.

Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) said McCarthy’s withdrawal drove some lawmakers to tears.

“The person next to me was crying,” he said.

Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.), who has been a fierce critic of the current GOP leadership team, said McCarthy spoke only briefly to the conference.

“Kevin McCarthy said, ‘I am not the one,’ and it looks like he’s pulling out of the race,” he said.

“He said, ‘I’m not the one, I’m not the one that can unite the conference and get to 218.”

Huelskamp said McCarthy’s supporters “all looked in shock to me.”

“They were lined up to give him a hug,” he said. “I saw tears in eyes.

“It’s the strangest thing I’ve seen in a long time.”

Strange, indeed.

But the moderate GOP “squishes” need not cry too long, for the “weeper of the house”  and inexplicably orange man, John Boehner will be sticking around as House Speaker longer than was expected.

Bret Baier from Fox News reports:

Speaker John Boehner has agreed to stay on as Speaker–not just until the Caucus nominates someone –but, until that person can confirm 218 votes on the House floor (needed to take the Speaker’s gavel).  Short of that – Boehner will stay on for the rest of this Congress and steer legislation that is pending.

What does this mean?   Moderates and leadership types are cheering and saying Boehner is the only one they will support.   Conservatives will go ballistic since they know this signals that Boehner will make ALL kinds of deals to get big ticket legislation through the House even if it means using Democrats votes to do it.

The news… short of another candidate that can get 218 votes (and that looks like a long shot with leadership and moderates lining up behind Boehner)

Looks like he may be here to stay to handle the very tough debt ceiling and next CR.

Stay orange, my friends.