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The Hill: Republicans Recruited Carson for House Speaker in '14

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The Hill: Republicans Recruited Carson for House Speaker in '14
Thursday, January 7, 2016 06:06 PM

By: Greg Richter

A group of conservative House Republicans approached retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson about becoming speaker in 2014 if they could have succeeded in ousting then-Speaker John Boehner, The Hill reports.

Carson told The Hill he turned them down because he was planning to run for president and believed he wouldn't have enough time to do both. Ultimately, conservatives were unsuccessful in their bid to get rid of Boehner that year anyway.

Boehner resigned last October and was replaced by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan. Carson said "the jury is still out" on Ryan, but he is optimistic about his leadership.

House rules do not require the speaker to be a member of the House, so Carson could have served if elected.

The Hill quoted a second source who backed up Carson's story. That person said "several" House conservatives called Carson to Capitol Hill to discuss the offer.

"It would have pretty much ruined my presidential bid," Carson told The Hill. "It would have been very difficult to do my job as the Speaker of the House while running for president. You’ve seen how difficult a time Sen. [Marco] Rubio is having fulfilling his senatorial obligations. The Speaker of the House has even more obligations."

Rubio has been criticized by several of his GOP rivals for not attending key votes while he was on the campaign trail.

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