Ryan Freezes Contest for House Speaker

“It’s the Paul Ryan paralysis syndrome and it’s gripping any House Republican who wants to be speaker,” Politico reports.

“The Wisconsin Republican has said he doesn’t want to be speaker of the House, but he is considering it. And until he flatly rules it out, the other potential candidates for the chamber’s top job — a list nearly two dozen names long and growing — are forced to proceed gingerly. With one breath they’re gauging support, with the next they’re letting would-be backers know their interest could be temporary if the Ways and Means Committee chairman gets in.”

Washington Post: “His reluctance to run for the House speaker job reflects some of the same dilemmas that many working parents face.”