“Presumed Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.” “Incoming House Speaker McCarthy.” “Presumptive House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.” Fake news. The media is doing it again. Kevin McCarthy does not have the votes to become House Speaker at the time of this writing.

Now, as I’ve said before, that could change. But for now, anyway, he is far, far away from his dream job. He’s on another island from where the speakership sits. And all the paddling in the world is not bringing him any closer as of now.

So you’d think the media would manage to get this one thing right. But sadly, they aren’t. Many, if not most, pundits continue to blissfully make assumptions. Ass-umptions. And that is not fair reporting. Because McCarthy right now is being betrayed by his own party.

In fact, Rep. Ralph Normal — one of the House members who oppose Kevin’ — has said there is a secret candidate. And it’s not Kevin. “It willl be apparent in the coming weeks who that person will be,” Norman explained.

Hmm. If this is true — and that’s a big if– it sounds like Kevin’s chances are weakening, not strengthening. It would be nice if the media actually reported on this stuff. It really would. So if there IS a secret candidate — who might it be? The only clue we have is that, reportedly, this person is not a House member.

So — could it be Mike Lindell? How about Newt Gingrich? Clarence Thomas? Just kidding on that last one, but with the GOP, honestly, anything’s possible. The media needs to do better and stop taking McCarthy’s crowning so seriously. Yes, it could still be Kevin. But there are many others it might be as well. Time will indeed tell all.

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