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GOP set to pick its leadership team

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, November 17) -- Republicans are all but certain to name Rep. Bob Livingston as the next House speaker in a closed-door caucus meeting Wednesday, but it is still unclear who may capture other spots on the GOP leadership team.

Livingston is poised to succeed House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who opted not to seek re-election as speaker after Republican setbacks in the November 3 midterm elections. Gingrich plans to resign his seat in Congress as well.

The Louisiana Republican, who announced he would challenge Gingrich before the speaker took himself out of contention, has all but locked up the speaker's gavel. Other would-be speaker candidates either considered running and decided against it, or withdrew in the name of party unity.

The biggest Republican leadership fight remaining is over the fate of Texas Rep. Dick Armey as majority leader, the No. 2 job. Armey's challengers -- Reps. Jennifer Dunn of Washington and Steve Largent of Oklahoma -- say the struggle is about putting a "new face" on the Republican Party.

Armey says he has in hand more than 100 committed votes of the 112 he needs to win re-election, but others say he is bluffing and really has closer to 65 firm votes. There are 223 GOP members in the new House.

Largent, champion of the conservative bloc, claims about 65 votes in his corner; others say he has more like 50.

And Dunn, the not-quite-so conservative alternative, claims more than 60 votes; others put her level of support at about 45.

The winner must capture a majority, so if no one wins on the first ballot, the person who gets the least votes drops out and the others compete for that member's supporters.

But outgoing New York Rep. Bill Paxon, a veteran of the Gingrich's team who left the leadership in the wake of an aborted coup, says the game may have a new player, Deputy Whip Dennis Hastert of Illinois.

"There is no question the race for majority leader has been dealt a curve ball, an unexpected one, the reluctant candidacy of Dennis Hastert," Paxon said.

There is a "Draft Dennis Hastert" movement underway. And he is considered a real threat to Armey as well as his challengers.

Hastert had committed long ago to Armey and sources say Armey wouldn't release him. So Hastert insists he will not campaign for the job. But other sources say Hastert has told them he would "serve if elected."

There is no contest for the No. 3 spot. The hard-liner Republican Whip Tom DeLay of Texas remains unchallenged. But in the fourth spot, Republican conference chairman John Boehner of Ohio faces a challenge from J.C. Watts, a conservative and the only African-American Republican in the House.

Watts is burning up the telephone lines, even though many feel he has gone over the top in his effort to unseat Boehner.

Tom Davis of Virginia is "stomping" John Linder of Georgia, one source said, in the battle to take over the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee.

Linder, as current chairman, is shouldering much of the blame for the GOP's disappointing election results. Democrats defied history and gained five seats in the House and avoided losses in the Senate.

CNN's Bob Franken contributed to this report.

VIDEO

Profile of Bob Livingston, candidate for speaker of the House (11-9-98) , Windows Media: 28K | 56K


RELATED STORIES

Gephardt, Bonior retain Democratic leadership posts (11-16-98)

Gingrich urges Republicans to 'pull together' behind Livingston (11-09-98)

Livingston moves a step closer to speakership (11-09-98)

GOP leadership hopefuls hunt for votes (11-08-98)

Republicans vie for speaker's job (11-08-98)

Special election for Gingrich seat likely early next year (11-08-98)

Gingrich says he didn't want to be 'a distraction' (11-07-98)

Who's who in the battle for the GOP leadership (11-07-98)

Gingrich's career: Highs, lows and a knack for survival (11-06-98)

Gingrich stuns Washington by stepping aside (11-06-98)

Reaction pours in to Gingrich's decision (11-06-98)

Gingrich's decision: How it happened (11-06-98)

Text of Gingrich statement (11-06-98)


CQ PROFILES

Dick Armey

Christopher Cox

Jennifer Dunn

Steve Largent

Robert Livingston


'TOONS

Unintended consequences (11-9-98)

Candygram for Newt (11-6-98)

Big time spin (11-4-98)


RELATED SITES

SpeakerNews Web site

Republican National Committee Web site


COMMUNITY

Message board - GOP leadership changes hands


MORE STORIES:

Tuesday, November 17, 1998

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