First, House Republicans chose an establishment guy to be their speaker.
Then they tried an ultraconservative candidate, but mainstream members struck back, quickly killing his candidacy.
Back at square one after 20 days without a speaker, many House Republicans have found themselves asking: Are we simply too dysfunctional to govern?
With a free-for-all raging in their ranks, House Republicans were huddling behind closed doors on Monday evening to hear from no fewer than eight contenders campaigning to be the party’s latest nominee for speaker.
But the tangle of crosscurrents dividing them means that there is no guarantee that the victor can actually win the post on the House floor.
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House Republicans, Republicans