[DoodleDawg]

You might be right, but I don’t think it sends the right message to the base to just lay down.

But it does hang the 'loser' tag on Labrador, and come January the conservatives might think twice about running him again. So if all he wants to do is just run someone against McCarthy to keep him from being elected unopposed, well and good. If he really wants to be Majority Leader then he does his cause little good by running now.

[Cowboy Bob]

Was Reagan labeled as a “loser” after he lost the nomination to Ford in 1976?

[mason-dixon]

Since Rep Labrador is from the class of 2010.. only 2 terms in the House, I believe he is just a "pawn" so that McCarthy is not unopposed. Once the class of 2014 is elected and new caucus elections in January 2015, the real leaders of the conservative wing, like Rep Hesterling will step up. Perhaps there's a conservative lining up the votes to get the Whip job now that McCarthy will vacate.

And how many votes did Boehner have to cancel at last minute because the Whip (McCarthy) didn't get the votes to make it happen? So why do RINOs want to give him a promotion?