Paul Ryan Won't Step Up For House Speaker Unless His Conditions Are Met

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In an unusual move, Rep. Paul Ryan wants all GOP House caucuses to unite before the speaker election and endorse his candidacy, among other conditions — and he’s given his "colleagues" a Friday deadline to make up their minds.

Ryan’s four conditions to run for House Speaker are:

* The GOP moves from an opposition party to a proposition party.

* Update House rules so everyone can be a more effective representative.

* Unify as a conference now, not after a divisive speaker election.

* Avoiding have to give up time with his family.

It's hard to imagine the GOP's Freedom (tea party) Caucus would comply with Ryan's demands since their identity is born on an unwillingness to roll over for anyone. So I think this is a cynical ploy on his part for making demands that he knows are almost impossible to fill just so he can avoid taking ownership in the final decision (rejection) and keep his career path intact.