Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee on Thursday said the discord over the next House speaker shows the time has come to burn the “Washington political machine” to the ground and then build it back up.
“The race for Speaker of the House is not about Kevin McCarthy, it’s about burning the corrupt Washington political machine to the ground and rebuilding our country so America can win again,” Mr. Huckabee said in a statement.
“We all fought hard to elect conservatives to Congress, but the campaign promises made weren’t kept — because they’re beholden to Wall Street, K-Street and the donor class. It’s time to elect a speaker who will lead Congress and do what we conservatives sent them there to accomplish,” Mr. Huckabee said.
Mr. McCarthy, California Republican, abruptly pulled out of the race to succeed outgoing House Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, after it became clear that he could not garner enough support to clinch the spot, leaving no clear successor.
Setting Washington ablaze and then rebuilding it has become a central part of the message Mr. Huckabee is espousing on the campaign trail. He recently rolled out a video likening the nation’s Capitol to a stripper bar in which lawmakers are dancing for an audience of deep-pocketed donors.
Mr. Huckabee’s stock sank over the summer.
National polls show him running eighth and seventh in Iowa, where he won the 2008 caucuses. The state is seen as crucial to Mr. Huckabee’s chances for a serious run at the Republican presidential nomination next year.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.