McCarthy May Lose More Votes on Next Ballot

Playbook: “As of 1 a.m., the thinking in McCarthy’s camp was that if they can winnow down his opposition from 20 to a half-dozen or so, the pressure on the remaining holdouts will be so great that enough will cave.”

“However, one McCarthy ally cautioned us that the situation could ‘get worse before it gets better.’ There’s an expectation that McCarthy could actually lose a handful of votes from exasperated members if balloting continues today.”

“Meanwhile, time is running out as some McCarthy backers frustrated by the stalemate eye an exit strategy.”