WASHINGTON — In January, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) was damaged goods. He was struggling to distance himself from ;Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke after revelations ;that he spoke at a 2002 gathering ;hosted by a white supremacist group. It was not the image the GOP wanted to project heading into a presidential election. ; Now, just 10 months later, Scalise may instead take on an even bigger role in the party and become majority leader, helping shape the direction and policies of House Republicans. ; House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) surprise announcement Friday that he would resign Oct. 30 has set off a leadership battle within the GOP caucus. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) threw his hat into the ring ;Monday …
WASHINGTON — In January, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) was damaged goods. He was struggling to distance himself from ;Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke after revelations ;that he spoke at a 2002 gathering ;hosted by a white supremacist group. It was not the image the GOP wanted to project heading into a presidential election. ;
Now, just 10 months later, Scalise may instead take on an even bigger role in the party and become majority leader, helping shape the direction and policies of House Republicans. ;
House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) surprise announcement Friday that he would resign Oct. 30 has set off a leadership battle within the GOP caucus. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) threw his hat into the ring ;Monday to replace Boehner. He is widely expected to get the job, although Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), a member of a conservative faction in the House, is also vying for the position. ;
Scalise is technically next in line to become majority leader, but he will have a fight for the spot. He suffered a setback ;Monday, when Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) backed Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.). ;
Scalise, meanwhile, has been calling lawmakers ;to build support for his candidacy, according to the Times-Picayune. A group of lobbyists pulling for Scalise met Monday to strategize on helping him get elected. ;
In 2002, Scalise spoke at a conference hosted by the white supremacist group European-American Unity and Rights Organization, which was founded by Duke. After a Louisiana blogger dug up Scalise’s appearance, the congressman claimed he was unaware of the group’s racist views. ;But three years earlier, in 1999, then-state Rep. Scalise told a Washington newspaper that he agreed ;with many of Duke’s “conservative” views.
In January, when news broke of Scalise’s appearance, civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) said the congressman should apologize to his colleagues. But House Republican leaders — including Boehner and McCarthy — continued to stand by Scalise. ;
House Republicans are scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss electing new leaders. ;
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Months After White Supremacy Scandal, Steve Scalise May Become House Majority Leader
