Ryan: I'll Run For Speaker, But Only If I Can Secure Broad Support From Conservative Congressional Groups

By broad support, I fear he means a promise of general acquiescence towards his corporate-friendly agenda, but I suppose a foolish optimist could think he means something like "coming to an understanding on both sides."

Paul D. Ryan told colleagues Tuesday night he will run for House speaker if he can win broad support from the Freedom Caucus, Republican Study Committee and the Tuesday Group. The Wisconsin Republican said he expects their decision by Friday.

The Ways and Means chairman addressed his GOP colleagues at a special conference meeting, finally moving off his long-held position that he wants nothing to do with the speakership.

Allahpundit had a thorough post on Ryan's immigration views earlier, which included this assessment from Mark Krikorian -- that Ryan is essentially a radical libertarian on the idea of the border, and thinks anyone should be able to work for anyone else, irrespective of citizenship status.

I think it’s almost certain Ryan would bring an amnesty/immigration-surge bill to the House floor, which would pass with monolithic Democratic support plus enough Gutierrez Republicans to get to 218.

This is because for Ryan immigration isn't a matter of appeasing corporate lobbyists, as with Boehner, or a response to changes in his district’s electorate, as with McCarthy. Ryan is a true-believer in unlimited employer-driven immigration, a devotee of Jack Kemp. John Fonte writes that Ryan is the leading figure in the faction he labels "neo-Kemp idealists" on immigration. Bob Cost'’s long NRO piece in 2013 on Ryan’s central role in pushing for ever-higher levels of immigration, inspired by Kemp, cites an earlier Wired observation that Ryan’s "ties to the pro-immigration mafia ran deep."

Allah guesses that Ryan wouldn't dare to do that, at least not until the election, because it would split the party.

But the party is fundamentally stupid.

Update:

Sounds like what is wanted is simple acquiescence.

posted by Ace at 08:15 PM

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