WASHINGTON (By Billy House,
Arizona Republic) November 18, 2006 — Arizona Republican Rep. John
Shadegg says he will continue battling for reforms in Congress, and
losing his bid Friday to become the House's No. 2 GOP leader will not
change that.
"I have fought for reform till now," Shadegg said. "I have no intention of not continuing to fight for reform."
Shadegg's hopes of becoming the GOP's minority whip were dashed when his Republican colleagues in House voted 137-57 in private balloting to keep Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., in the whip post.
It represented Shadegg's second loss for a GOP leadership post this year. He was beaten in February by John Boehner of Ohio in a contest to succeed Tom DeLay of Texas as majority leader.
Shadegg would not say so Friday, but his efforts to defeat Blunt may have been hindered by fellow Arizona GOP Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who is steamed over his defeat last week by Democrat Harry Mitchell.
In angry comments to fellow House Republicans this week in Washington, Hayworth has been pointing to what he views as involvement by Shadegg and fellow Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake in negative pre-election depictions of him and other Republicans in some media.
Hayworth was not available for comment for this story.
In the race for the top House GOP spot Friday, Boehner also was returned to leadership as the new minority leader, defeating Indiana conservative Mike Pence 168-27, with one other vote for Texas Rep. Joe Barton.
Shadegg and Pence are both affiliated with the 100-member caucus of conservatives called the Republican Study Committee. And with Republicans having lost control of the House majority after last week's elections, both men had pushed for new party leadership as one way to signal to Americans that the GOP could get back on track.
Although the GOP had brought reforms to welfare, balanced the budget and reduced tax rates, Shadegg had complained while running for whip that "Republicans stopped acting like Republicans, and we ceded our reform-minded principles in exchange for a seemingly tighter grip on power."
Shadegg said he was not disappointed in the number of votes he received, though it is clear he did not get the backing of a good number of Republican Study Committee members, his closest allies.
"Vote counts in these leadership races are very tough," Shadegg said. "Leadership elections are unique (unto) themselves. There are all kinds of different cross-currents."
Shadegg also said he had not received any concrete commitment from leadership on reforms.
"Going forward, I will work both with and for every member of our conference and with and for our leadership," Shadegg said.
"I have fought for reform till now," Shadegg said. "I have no intention of not continuing to fight for reform."
Shadegg's hopes of becoming the GOP's minority whip were dashed when his Republican colleagues in House voted 137-57 in private balloting to keep Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., in the whip post.
It represented Shadegg's second loss for a GOP leadership post this year. He was beaten in February by John Boehner of Ohio in a contest to succeed Tom DeLay of Texas as majority leader.
Shadegg would not say so Friday, but his efforts to defeat Blunt may have been hindered by fellow Arizona GOP Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who is steamed over his defeat last week by Democrat Harry Mitchell.
In angry comments to fellow House Republicans this week in Washington, Hayworth has been pointing to what he views as involvement by Shadegg and fellow Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake in negative pre-election depictions of him and other Republicans in some media.
Hayworth was not available for comment for this story.
In the race for the top House GOP spot Friday, Boehner also was returned to leadership as the new minority leader, defeating Indiana conservative Mike Pence 168-27, with one other vote for Texas Rep. Joe Barton.
Shadegg and Pence are both affiliated with the 100-member caucus of conservatives called the Republican Study Committee. And with Republicans having lost control of the House majority after last week's elections, both men had pushed for new party leadership as one way to signal to Americans that the GOP could get back on track.
Although the GOP had brought reforms to welfare, balanced the budget and reduced tax rates, Shadegg had complained while running for whip that "Republicans stopped acting like Republicans, and we ceded our reform-minded principles in exchange for a seemingly tighter grip on power."
Shadegg said he was not disappointed in the number of votes he received, though it is clear he did not get the backing of a good number of Republican Study Committee members, his closest allies.
"Vote counts in these leadership races are very tough," Shadegg said. "Leadership elections are unique (unto) themselves. There are all kinds of different cross-currents."
Shadegg also said he had not received any concrete commitment from leadership on reforms.
"Going forward, I will work both with and for every member of our conference and with and for our leadership," Shadegg said.
