There are many voices calling for Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan to seek the soon-to-open House speaker's seat, but Rep. Mick Mulvaney on Friday urged members to keep another person in mind: Florida Rep. Daniel Webster.
"Don't dismiss Dan Webster," the South Carolina Republican told
MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "I know he's boring. I know he's not very exciting. People don't know who he is, but he's an institutionalist, and he would defend the institution."
But Mulvaney, a member of the House's conservative Freedom Caucus, said his group still supports Webster, but it does not have faith in House Speaker John Boehner, who has said he will stick around as speaker until his replacement is chosen.
Ryan has a great relationship with conservatives, Mulvaney said, but conservatives like Webster, "he would simply treat us equally. He wouldn't lean our way. He would give us an equal say at the table. That's a lot of what we'll be looking for."
And if Ryan decides to run, conservatives will expect the same treatment from him or anyone else.
"Just because it's Paul Ryan, doesn't mean he sails in," said Mulvaney.
According to Fox News, Ryan on Friday said he has agreed to think this weekend about throwing his hat into the race, even though he has insisted repeatedly that he is not interested.
Mulvaney said conservatives want a speaker who does not use the very "top-down style management" that Boehner and former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor used.
"That's not the way the system should work," said Mulvaney. "We need somebody who is going to reach out to the members. We've got a lot of talent in the Congress. Probably did when you were here as well and you get really good results when you let that talent filter up."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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