"For the simple fact that no one else can get 218 [votes]," said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick to The Washington Post.
McCarthy agrees — so much so, he has already moved into the Speaker’s Capitol suite.
The Freedom Caucus disagrees with Fitzpatrick. Their problem, however, is that they have no alternative to McCarthy, whom they detest because he's part of the "establishment."
Imagine that, the outrage of it all: A speaker of the United States House of Representatives who belongs to the establishment.
On paper, McCarthy hasn't a prayer; he can lose only four Republicans in today's speakership contest — and there are five "Never Kevins."
In reality, McCarthy is a shoo-in, because ... no one else is. He'll become the speaker by default, which will be de fault of the Freedom Caucus. They never got their oppositional act together or expanded their ranks.
In 1910, progressive Republicans — such creatures existed then — moved to remove the sitting House speaker and reigning dictator, "Uncle" Joe Cannon, from the Rules Committee. A floor fight persisted for 26 hours. McCarthy's battle may surpass that.
(I have fond memories of "Uncle" Joe, indisputably the most powerful, most ruthless speaker in American history. His career was the first political biography I read as a boy, and I thrilled to the factional combat.)
"McCarthy remains defiant," reports the Post, "keeping some final tactics available as he intends to stay on the floor Tuesday as long as it may take to get elected." For when it comes to desperate ambition, McCarthy stands second to no man.
It's all rather unseemly, but McCarthy is also first in shamelessness and self-degradation.
By the second ballot we'll likely see a member or two voting "present," which could put Kevin over the top by lowering the overall number of yea votes he needs.
That, anyway, is what most analysts expect to come from today's House Hootenanny Blowout. And it's only Day One of Republican "control."
Let us not ponder, for the moment, what two years of these clowns will render.