There are three things you can always count on with Paul Rino….

  1. He is predictably unpredictable. You never know which way he is going or what he is going to do.
  2. He always thinks of himself first, America last.
  3. He is a Clinton-class liar.

Powdered Wig published an article in December, 2017 reporting that Paul Rino was retiring and would announce his retirement shortly after Easter. Our source for the article was Politico.

President Trump was not happy to hear the news that his sometimes ally in the Speaker’s chair was planning to retire. When the president called Rino to get the story from the horse’s mouth, the Speaker declared that the article was not true and assured the president “I ain’t going anywhere.”

Thus, we deleted the original article and published another announcing that the rumor was false and calling Politico “fake news.”

Lo and behold, today Paul Rino is announcing his retirement from Congress.

Our sincerest apologies to the fine folks at Politico, who were spot-on in their original report:

“Despite several landmark legislative wins this year, and a better-than-expected relationship with President Donald Trump, Ryan has made it known to some of his closest confidants that this will be his final term as speaker. He consults a small crew of family, friends and staff for career advice, and is always cautious not to telegraph his political maneuvers. But the expectation of his impending departure has escaped the hushed confines of Ryan’s inner circle and permeated the upper-most echelons of the GOP. In recent interviews with three dozen people who know the speaker—fellow lawmakers, congressional and administration aides, conservative intellectuals and Republican lobbyists—not a single person believed Ryan will stay in Congress past 2018.”

Fulfilling the heavy legislative lift of the past few months, it is not unimaginable that Ryan lied to the president and the world about his pending retirement to avoid the lame duck weakness that would have damaged not only his legislative power and authority, as well as the odds of getting the tax reform bill and omnibus bill passed, but also his renowned fundraising skills.

Still, he lied.

Fox News’ report on today’s announced by the Speaker:

The news that House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., isn’t planning to run for re-election came as a surprise to some of his colleagues, while others commented that the departure was inevitable.

Ryan’s future has been the source of speculation over the past year, as Republicans are concerned about maintaining their majority in the House of Representatives.

The 48-year-old has held the position of speaker since the retirement of former House Speaker John Boehner in 2015. He plans to serve out the rest of his term before retiring in January.

“While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him,” Ryan aide Brendan Buck said in a statement.

Ryan has had an impressive 20-year career in Congress, which included campaigning as former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s running mate in 2012. According to Buck, Ryan is now ready to spend some time focusing on family.

“After nearly twenty years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father,” Buck added.

Some supported Ryan’s decision, though they admitted it’s a loss for Congress — and the Republican party.

President Trump’s gracious best wishes to the retiring Speaker….

Not all tweeters were so gracious….

https://twitter.com/JacobAWohl/status/984066364884172800

https://twitter.com/JacobAWohl/status/984066467254583296

 

Politico also noted “a flurry of activity in the offices of Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Majority Whip Steve Scalise, the two most likely successors to Ryan.”

Both McCarthy and Scalise apparently knew in December of Ryan’s impending retirement and made plans accordingly, McCarthy considered the favorite to replace Ryan, with Scalise acting in a backup role should McCarthy lack a consensus of support among their fellow House Republicans.

This news should open the door wide for Paul Nehlen in Wisconsin’s First District.