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* He lost on the first ballot…
Rep. Peter Roskam on Thursday failed in his bid to become majority whip in the U.S. House of Representatives.
House members chose Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La.
Scalise will succeed Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was elected majority leader on Friday. McCarthy was filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., who relinquished his leadership post after being defeated earlier this month the primary.
* Roskam’s fellow Illinois Republicans were not all on board…
Mr. Roskam’s defeat could leave him out of leadership entirely, since the whip names his own deputy. There has been talk that another Illinois Republican, Peoria’s Aaron Schock, might get the spot. Mr. Schock had been expected to vote for Mr. Scalise.
At least two other Illinois Republicans were rumored to back Mr. Scalise: Springfield’s John Shimkus, who is Mr. Scalise’s Washngton apartment-mate, and Joliet’s Adam Kinzinger, who is tight with Mr. Schock.
Apartment-mate over fellow Illinoisan. Brilliant.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:07 pm
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Guess Roskam just wasn’t Young Gunny enough.
But seriously I doubt the Illinois delegation standing behind him would make much difference. The Southern Party was not gonna have all top 3 House leadership spots filled by northern states.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:13 pm
Schock fails to impress. Again.
Comment by Big Muddy Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:19 pm
Shades of Henry Hyde voting for Newt Gingrich over Ed Madigan!
Comment by Anyone Remember Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:20 pm
If Roskam couldn’t get his own delegation on board…
Comment by Chi Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:20 pm
File this under the “with friends like this, who needs enemies” categories.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:20 pm
It will be interesting to see what Consolation prize, if any, is offered. Those roomies are as loyal as Schumer and Durbie.
Comment by A guy... Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:21 pm
–Apartment-mate over fellow Illinoisan.–
Say what? Shimkus lives with another dude in Washington?
Does Natasha Korecki know about this? I smell Pulitzer!
The core of the House GOP caucus is in Dixie — 24 members from Texas alone.
It would have been strange to put a guy from the Chicago suburbs at No. 3, when No. 1 is from Cincinnati and No. 2 is from Central/Silicon valleys.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:25 pm
Shimkus ran on Term Limits - But Still There - So don’t count on him for nuthin
Comment by x ace Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:28 pm
So short-sighted. Typical. Only in that U.S. House GOP caucus would somebody like Roskam be considered liberal. Ridiculous.
Now Aaron can get back to working out and looking in the mirror.
Comment by LincolnLounger Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:32 pm
Wait, if Schock gets Deputy Majority Whip, then isn’t this a win for him?
Comment by Hamilton Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:33 pm
A would be leader needs to act like a leader. Roskam was always AWOL on helping IL Republican candidates for Congress. Shimkus and Schock carried the burden. What did Illinois candidates get in extra help from the Chief Deputy Whip? Nothing. So why would anyone expect they would get extra help from a Whip who resides in Illinois? Roskam failed to impress. Schock led the effort against him. Schock won, Roskam lost.
This is yet another example of how fatal it is to take your base for granted–just like Cantor whose defeat set this in motion. Roskam also lost on the first ballot so his 2nd ballot strategy was a failure. Apparently, many who pledged to him voted for Scalise. Probably from his home state.
Comment by Riley Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:36 pm
Or is Team Aaron trying to build a campaign by calling IR and other media suggesting he will get the appointed position and trashing Roskam?
Gee, we’ve never seen anything like that before from Aaron.
Comment by LincolnLounger Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:37 pm
Got to love the IL GOP! Stand with one of your own and give your state a boost, or cut the best deal for yourself and screw the best interests of your state?
It’s an easy call for these guys.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:45 pm
Peter Roskam’s strategy has been to only ever look out for Peter Roskam. Such a strategy has limits.
Today Peter Roskam crashed against those limits and foundered.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM (@MisterJayEm) Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:45 pm
Riley & Mr. JM are correct. Shimkus and Schock carry the water for the ILGOP Congressional Delegation. They are forces behind fundraising, national support, logistics and sometimes staffing and hires. They are the ones who put the sweat equity into the 2010 and 2012 elections.
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:49 pm
It is DC media who have floated the idea Schock may be appointed. Illinois Republicans deserve to know that Roskam has been AWOL on helping Republican candidates in Illinois. Shimkus and Schock gave $250,000 and $350,000 respectively to Illinois state House and Senate candidates in Illinois in 2012. Roskam zero. What did Kinzinger, Schilling, Rodney Davis, Dold, Biggert, etc get from the chief deptuy whip? Nothing more than token support. Leaders lead. Roskam failed to impress his colleagues with over 5 years in the number two whip position. So they didn’t promote him. Promoting weak leaders on the basis of seniority or a sense of entitlement leads to destruction. Again, what did any Illinois Republican candidates get in extra support from Chief Deputy Whip Roskam in his 5 years in leadership? If you can’t think of anything, then why do you think they would get anything from having the Whip reside in Illinois? He would take Illinois for granted all over again.
Comment by Riley Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:52 pm
I would have loved to have seen the “House of Cards” esque negotiations with Schock. Me thinks he has a goody coming his way.
Comment by Bring Back Boone's Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 3:59 pm
First of all, Shimkus wasn’t running for leadership. To his credit, he has always been great about supporting local and legislative GOP candidates in Illinois.
As for Aaron, no secret he had his eyes on the Executive Mansion before Team Rauner stepped in. I suspect that was more motivated from his gubernatorial ambition; however, I also will give him credit for raising and spending money for state and local GOP candidates.
I don’t give a flip who the Deputy Whip is; however, I continue to believe this was more about Aaron advancing Aaron’s cause than anything else. His statewide ambitions are cut short for the moment and he’s long been jealous of Roskam’s path to leadership. He saw his opportunity in the wake of the Cantor defeat and took it, but own it instead of having your minions wrap the stars and stripes around it and put lipstick on it.
In the end, I think Roskam’s fundraising efforts on behalf of Republican candidates around the country, as well as Illinois, are being unfairly portrayed by Aaron’s (probably paid) henchmen. That probably doesn’t include legislative candidates, but, then again, it shouldn’t have. Anyone expecting the Deputy Whip of the United States Congress to raise money for legislative candidates in Illinois is rationalizing rather than being sensible.
Comment by LincolnLounger Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 4:09 pm
Kevin McCarthy, literally a used car salesman, who fondly tells at public meetings, his hardscrabble story. a story that he purchased cars at auction and then sold them, which he claimed was against the law. oh my.
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 4:14 pm
From having the #4 leadership spot in the GOP caucus to now finding himself “on the outside looking in”, and to have only 2 of his 5 Illinois GOP colleagues publicly support his bid, I wonder if this experience affects his attitude toward being in Congress and whether this upcoming fall election will be his last for Congress?
Comment by Dave Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 4:16 pm
–Apartment-mate over fellow Illinoisan. Brilliant.–
Makes you wonder who he’s really representing.
Comment by Ahoy! Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 4:20 pm
In my experience several years ago, the Illinois Congressional delegation worked together pretty well. Democrats and Republicans sat down at weekly meetings to discuss issues that were important to Illinois. I’ve been out of the game for a while now but it blows me away that a couple of Illinois Republican Congressmen would not support one of their own for a leadership slot. The lack of camaraderie seems pretty stunning to me or is there more than meets the eye here?
Comment by Stones Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 4:24 pm
–Apartment-mate over fellow Illinoisan. Brilliant.–
If he gets along with and works better with his apartment mate than he does with Roskam, it may be the more pragmatic decision. Particularly if: 1.) Roskam hasn’t provided much value in leadership to date (more of nothing still = nothing); 2.) Southern conservatives were going to win anyway; and 3.) If the vote was a blowout (we don’t know), why not go the way the wind is blowing with the winner? If this was a squeaker of a vote, then maybe he and Schock would have something to answer for. No evidence of that.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 4:27 pm
Ahoy— the bottom line on Shimkus is that he knew both Roskam and Scalise very well. He chose the better person based on ability to lead. Shimkus had more insight on each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. So his judgment is telling.
This has zero to do with who is more conservative but rather on individual leadership qualities.
Comment by Riley Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 4:27 pm
–Apartment-mate over fellow Illinoisan.–
I know I’d choose apartment-mate every time. The garbage isn’t going to take itself out.
Comment by Robert the Bruce Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 4:48 pm
This implies Kinzinger lives in Joliet which is not really correct. Adam actually lives in Channahon, Illinois which is near Joliet.
Comment by Coffee Cup Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 5:06 pm
Maybe the others in the delegation are still waiting for Roskam’s apology to Tammy Duckworth for suggesting that leaving two legs in Iraq was not a tough enough stance.
Comment by DuPage Dave Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 5:07 pm
@hisgirlfriday—-Southern Party was not gonna have all top 3 House leadership spots filled by northern states—-
McCarthy is from Bakersfield CAL-that would southern (and very hot) CAL.
Comment by Pius Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 5:46 pm
Pius: no south’ner would consider california a southern state…
Comment by bored now Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 7:40 pm
bored now–do you know any north’ners that would consider CAL to be a northern state?
Comment by Pius Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 9:17 pm
A man who only cares for himself, has nobody else to blame when the bubble bursts. Roskam this is what you get for not supporting local, state and federal candidates who have run in northern suburbs and DuPage County. Shimkus and Schock supported and fundraised for candidates in and around their respective territories. You bet Rodney Davis supported Scalise with all the help Shimkus has given him over the past 2 years. People will argue Schock did it for selfish reasons, but at least his selfish reasons was a better strategy than Roskam’s. Now Roskam faces the reality of being a congressman in a Democratic state with no chance of moving up on the leadership ladder. Keep cashin’ them checks
Comment by Almost the Weekend Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 9:42 pm
It’s too bad, I’ve known him for many, many years, and I think he would have been able to help Illinois get more federal grant money. Scalise isn’t going to do anything to help Illinois.
Comment by DuPage Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 9:46 pm
=It’s too bad, I’ve known him for many, many years, and I think he would have been able to help Illinois get more federal grant money. Scalise isn’t going to do anything to help Illinois=
Durbin has been carrying the torch on this for years. Keeping Scott Air Force Base open, Rock Island Armory, Chicago’s Digital Manufacturing Hub. He has not gotten enough credit especially with Mark Kirk recovering. He was doing twice the work with a state that has over 12 million people. I know Durbin has been in public office for almost 25 years, but the man has done nothing, but help Illinois at the federal level. It will be a shame when he steps down in 2020.
Comment by Almost the Weekend Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 9:54 pm
–Scott Air Force Base open, Rock Island Armory, –
The boys in Dixie have had those on the chopping block for a long, long time.
Alan Dixon practically propped Mel Price up in a chair and ran his office through Costello during Mel’s last years as chair of the Armed Services Committee to protect them, and carried a lot of water on his own in the Senate.
Durbin has delivered, too. Losing the Arsenal would be a huge hit to the Quads, which has taken decades to re-orient itself from the changes in the farm-implement industry.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 19, 14 @ 11:34 pm