While the world watches the growing dangers in the Middle East, the US political world is focused on the deadlock among House Republicans as they search for a new Speaker.

Last week the House Republicans met and by a close vote of 113 to 99 selected Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise to be their candidate for Speaker.  However, Scalise needed 217 votes to claim the Speaker’s gavel and after several days of trying to line up the needed votes he called it quits and gave up his quest.

In the initial vote Ohio Representative Jim Jordan came in second and the caucus turned to him as a possible Speaker candidate.  On Thursday when the vote was to occur the day started with no announced opponent to Jordan, but hours before the vote Georgia Representative Austin Scott announced his candidacy while conceding he didn’t really want to be Speaker. This reluctant candidate got 88 votes, leaving Jordan with 124 votes, far short of the 217 he needs to be elected Speaker.

With Representative Jordan as the favored candidate the Republicans then took another vote with the question being who would vote for Jordan with no opponent.  The vote, like the other caucus votes, was by secret ballot and the tally was 152 to 55.  The result showed Jordan still short 65 votes of ...

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