'Never Kevin' GOPers causing chaos as war over McCarthy speakership rages

On Friday, The Daily Beast reported on the mounting turmoil in the House Republican caucus as members "play chicken" over whether or not to provide the votes for GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to become Speaker.

McCarthy needs 218 votes to secure the gavel; however, the incoming House GOP majority is so narrow that there is virtually no room for error — and warring factions are clashing over it.

"The 'Never Kevin' camp is small: just five archconservative lawmakers have publicly said they will not, under any circumstances, vote for McCarthy. But if they stick to their guns, five votes is all it could take to throw the process into chaos — and potentially open up an avenue for another candidate to ascend to the top job," reported Sam Brodey and Ursula Perano. "The much larger 'Only Kevin' camp, meanwhile, has formed to head off that scenario before it even materializes. Dozens of GOP lawmakers, from moderates to MAGA loyalists, have said they will only vote for McCarthy for Speaker, no matter how many rounds of votes it takes. If followed, that commitment to respond to hardball with hardball would basically ensure no other Republican comes close to the gavel."

"The emerging game of chicken is, to a large extent, about winning the run-up to Jan. 3, when the new House will convene and vote on its Speaker," said the report. "Most insiders understand that if the Never Kevin camp is unable to grow its numbers by then — or put forward a true consensus candidate — their effort is doomed to fail. The threats of the Only Kevins are meant to stifle those efforts."

One reflection of the tensions is in the growing feud between usually like-minded far-right Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who backs McCarthy, and Lauren Boebert (R-CO), who is uncommitted. Boebert lashed out at Greene for whipping votes for McCarthy, saying that "I don't believe in [electing McCarthy], just as I don't believe in ... Jewish space lasers." Greene hit back, saying Boebert "childishly threw me under the bus for a cheap sound bite."

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"That McCarthy — the GOP speaker-in-waiting for years and the overwhelming choice of his current members — is continuing to struggle in his bid for the gavel is indicative, perhaps, of the relative lack of excitement he generates. That Only Kevin lawmakers were wearing buttons that simply said 'O.K.' seemed to unintentionally drive the point home," said the report. "But the murky speakership race also reflects a party experiencing no small degree of angst about the direction it will take after spending four years in the minority. Many GOP lawmakers are downplaying the significance of the current leadership fight, with some calling it a healthy part of the process and arguing that past fights were far more intense."

"If they are wrong, however, the consequences could be far-reaching," said the report. "The looming concern floated by the Only Kevin Republicans is that amid multiple rounds of ballots, a unified Democratic caucus could, theoretically, persuade a handful of Republicans to vote for a unity candidate instead. Names of some centrist Republicans have been floated around the Hill, like pro-Trump-impeachment Reps. John Katko (R-MI) and Fred Upton (R-NY)." Both of them are retiring from Congress, but the Constitution allows the House to choose a non-member as Speaker — though this has never happened before.