Cronkite school of journalism at
Arizona state university.
>> Just today after house
Republicans narrowly voted to
nominate Steve Scalise to be
speaker of the house, the
Louisiana congressman is with --
withdrawing his name from
consideration after was clear he
did not have the votes went on
the house floor.
Our congressional correspondent
joins me now from capitol hill
with the latest.
Lisa, good evening and thank you
for joining us.
Another wild night on capitol
hill.
Can you tell us why is Scalise
dropping out?
Lisa: You said it, it was just
not there for him.
He is someone who is generally
known as affable, he has tried
not to make enemies, but made
enemies at the wrong time,
yesterday when the conference
got together to vote on their
selection for speaker.
For they did that, they took a
vote to try to change the rules.
So members said let's not go
through that 15 round debacle
that we saw on the house floor.
Instead, let's select a speaker
inside behind closed doors, only
when someone reaches 217 votes
in private will we take that
nomination to the floor.
That probably would've failed
regardless, but Scalise and his
team moved quickly to quash that
.
That was something that offended
many members who have gotten
used to the hours -- the idea,
Steve Scalise and his team quash
that quickly.
The other thing that happened
was Steve Scalise had a chance
to talk to congress, all of them
gathered this morning and I'm
told members who were pulling
for Scalise came out and told me
he just was not effective, he
did not spell out a plan for how
to deal with the situation or
the spending deadline coming up
and leadership is the word you
hear a lot tonight.
Regardless of whatever the
problem was, the house
Republican conference is moving
on and so is Steve Scalise.
Vanessa: Can you give us more
detail on what has been the
reaction overall from his
Republican colleagues?
Lisa: I just ran from the
basement of the capital where
all of this happened.
It is still kind of being
digested by house Republicans,
some are frankly dumbfounded
that this happen.
They did not expect this
tonight.
But others are moving on
quickly.
Some have said let's give Jim
Jordan a try.
That seems to be what is going
to happen, the conference will
see if Jim Jordan come the
Republican from Ohio, if he can
get 217 votes, then he has a
shot at being speaker.
However, it's not clear that he
can do that.
Some moderates told us a few
minutes ago he does not think
Jordan has the votes, even
though he himself is going to
support him.
Essentially we are in a no man's
land.
It is not clear which candidate
can get to 217.
There is some talk from
moderates working Democrats,
it's just a deep chasm of divide
and a bit of a political and now
governmental mass.
Vanessa: Given the chaos in the
world we just saw, what is
happening in Israel and gaza,
especially those challenges
abroad and some of the
challenges here at home
internally, what pressure does
all of this put on Republicans
to select a speaker and get some
of this chaos under control?
Lisa: For most Republicans, an
immense amount of pressure.
Many of them have constituents
in Israel, trying to get home,
under threat right now.
These are serious times.
They know it is not the time for
our government to look
unorganized.
Some are worried it's a signal
to adversaries.
The situation is that house
Republicans have not made any
decisions yet except one.
They will meet again tomorrow at
10:00 A.M. Eastern time and from
there, we truly don't know what
will happen next.
Vanessa: Like you said, we are
in no man's land.