WASHINGTON — Disgraced former Secretary of the Interior-turned-Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) told Raw Story Wednesday on Capitol Hill that the reality about the Republican debate isn't really about Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) at all, it's about government functioning.
"I don't think it's about speaker," he told us. "I think it's about governing."
Zinke explained that the GOP members were likely to meet in another caucus meeting after Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) called that they adjourn until 8 p.m. EST.
He went on to said that the overwhelming majority of Donald Trump's allies in Congress, and in the House Freedom Caucus, are supporting McCarthy.
RELATED: 'Going to be chaotic': McCarthy ally says his goal is keeping GOP turmoil to a 'manageable level'
"The rules package was modified under a Republican Congress," Zinke continued, agreeing that McCarthy conceded a lot to the MAGA Republicans.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) told a gaggle of reporters after they adjourned, “I do sense progress, I do. I think there’s gonna be a resolution.”
When asked if it was a resolution for a new speaker option, Biggs agreed that was the likely next step.
"You gotta hand it to him," said Zinke. "He tried his best. But at the end of the day they're either with us or they're against us. There can't be any 50/50 allegiance. The longer we wait the harder to get things done."
ALSO IN THE NEWS: GOP's Scott Perry blasted for invoking Frederick Douglass and Civil War reconstruction
The characterization Zinke made was one that former George W. Bush adviser Matthew Dowd also stated.
When he spoke to MSNBC, Dowd agreed with former Rep. David Jolly (R-FL) who said earlier on Wednesday that the ramifications are coming home to McCarthy and to the GOP.
"I think it's really important not to fully separate the 20 from the other 190 or whatever that number is, 200. You can't separate the two because they both basically operate from the same principle, right?" said Dowd. "The 20 may be keeping Kevin McCarthy from being speaker, the vast majority of the people voting for Kevin McCarthy have no interest in the institution, no interest in democracy as demonstrated by votes. So, I don't think you can say all these 20 crazies, well, a huge part of the 190 or 200 are of the exact same ilk, they just are taking a stand with Kevin McCarthy as opposed to opposing Kevin McCarthy in the midst of this."
While Americans voted for these people, and he said that gerrymandering is a factor, every other place where Republicans and Democrats were elected is functioning from local offices to state offices and the Senate and White House. It's only in Congress where the problem appears to exist.
With additional reporting by Matt Laslo
