Republicans Make Little Or No Progress In Effort To Find A Viable Speaker Candidate

One step forward, two steps back. That pretty well describes Republican efforts to elect a new Speaker of the House this week after removing Kevin McCarthy last week. And as of Friday night, it appears they still have a way to go.

The day started like most others this week: 200-some Republicans meeting behind closed doors to see if they could unify behind one member -- no longer Kevin McCarthy, no longer Steve Scalise, but now perhaps Ohio conservative Jim Jordan.

"That was the consensus last night," said Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK1), "we’ll see what happens. It’s going to be difficult to get to 217, so we’ll see how that works out today."

Oklahoma's Kevin Hern wasn't making any predictions, which turned out to have been wise.

Rep. Jordan, the fiery House Judiciary Chairman, does have strong support within the conference. In a closed ballot vote Friday afternoon between Jordan and Georgia's Austin Scott, who put his name in the hat at the last minute, Jordan officially won the party's nomination 124-81.

"I’m backing Jim Jordan, we’ll see what happens after that," said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL).

But lingering bitterness over the way the far right faction of the conference, led by Matt Gaetz, ousted McCarthy, means that many of those no votes behind closed doors aren't likely to change out on the House floor.

Asked if he would vote no on Jordan, Florida congressman John Rutherford said, "I’m a 'no' on allowing Matt Gaetz and the other seven to win by putting their individual in as Speaker."

In a second ballot Friday afternoon, this one on the question of who would vote for Jordan if the nomination were to the floor, 55 members of the conference said they would not support him. That's a hurdle that may be impossible to overcome.

The intense focus by hundreds of media on the GOP infighting, not to mention an outburst by disgraced and indicted Congressman George Santos in the hallway Friday, has created an almost circus-like atmosphere surrounding the Speaker election.

Democrats who were in the building Friday said this is conference leadership's own fault.

"One reason we’re here is because almost invariably they move to their extreme wing to try to solve their problems," said veteran Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD), "that’s not where problem-solving is going to happen -- it’s going to happen when we move forward together."

There is some speculation that, at this point, Republicans will only be able to elect a Speaker with Democrats' help. That still seems a long shot.

"Bottom line," one reporter asked Tennessee's Tim Burchett, "do you think you’re getting closer to a Speaker?"

"I think so," said Burchett without conviction. "I mean, yeah, yeah, I do."peaker.