How Paul Ryan Outfoxed House Conservatives

Under intense pressure to jump into the race for House Speaker, Paul Ryan shifted the focus onto conservatives members of his conference, demanding loyalty and rule changes in order for him to ascend to the top spot. Ryan, who has never longed for the position, is the GOP’s last, best hope to avoid months—or longer—of leadership turmoil, but said he won’t take the job unless Republicans remove the gun from the head of the Speaker. Current Speaker John Boehner saw his leadership under continued threat from a minority of Republicans who threatened to call a vote to kick him out of office, a move Ryan is seeking to limit. His power-play turns the collective weight of the GOP establishment and conservative voices looking for order on the House Freedom Caucus, freeing him from blame should he decide not to seek the job Friday.

Vice President Joe Biden opened fire on Hillary Clinton Tuesday over bragging in last week’s debate that she had made an enemy of the Republican Party. Calling her comments “naïve,” Biden said such statements make governing impossible, raising new speculation about his presidential intentions. But don’t read too much into Biden’s comments—they reflect what he’s said for decades. A Senator for decades, he’s long opposed sweeping comments critical of the opposing party, and emerged as the Obama White House’s chief negotiator with Republicans on Capitol Hill. Another explanation: Biden, who still remains undecided about running for president, has repeatedly brushed back against attempts by Clinton allies to force him to make up his mind, and his comments will keep the waiting-game alive even as allies and opponents seek to set new “deadlines” for a decision.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is continuing his effort to “disrupt” the nation’s capital, announcing his plan Wednesday to relocate the Department of Interior from Washington, D.C. to Denver, Salt Lake City or Reno—closer to most of the land it manages. The messaging shift comes as he is struggling to adapt to the rise of the outsider candidates. Meanwhile, he and Donald Trump are continuing their war of words over foreign policy and who bears responsibility for the September 11 attacks, a line of criticism that is drawing the son and brother of presidents closer to his family.

It’s “Back to the Future” day in politics too, as Marco Rubio releases a “Back to the Future”-themed video attacking Hillary Clinton, while Carly Fiorina‘s super PAC has launched a website and video to build support to “change the future.”

Biden shifts his account of the bin Laden raid. Plain-spoken candidates are being rewarded this cycle. A pro-Clinton group gives up on Martin O’Malley. And the Clinton campaign is caught inflating its roster of endorsers.

Here are your must-reads:

Must Reads

Paul Ryan Outfoxes the Freedom Caucus
TIME’s Jay Newton-Small reports on the GOP favorite for Speaker turning the tables on the conservative wing of his conference

Biden: Clinton ‘Naive’ For Calling GOP the Enemy, Hoping to Govern
The Veep—and maybe presidential candidate—takes his hardest swing yet at the Democratic front-runner [TIME]

How Fake Presidential Candidates Are Winning
TIME’s Tessa Berenson on how the jokester also-rans are gaining new prominence in 2015.

The Political Education of Ben Carson
How the man who said he’d never run for office rose to the top-tier of the GOP [Yahoo]

Report Traces Jeb Bush’s Ties to Companies That Had Business With Florida
About half of earnings since leaving office stem from companies that did business with the state [New York Times]

For candidates, How They Say What They Say Matters
Simple-speak strikes a chord with voters [Boston Globe]

Sound Off

“Let’s be clear: Donald Trump simply doesn’t know what he’s talking about. And his bluster overcompensates for a shocking lack of knowledge on the complex national-security challenges that will confront the next president of the United States.” — Jeb Bush escalating his war of words with Donald Trump over 9/11 and other foreign policy issues in an op-ed in National Review

“If we had strong immigration policies, we may not have had the World Trade Center coming down.”— Donald Trump on ABC’s Good Morning America Wednesday, asked about Paul Ryan’s potential campaign for Speaker of the House

Bits and Bites

Biden Contradicts Earlier Account of Bin Laden Raid [TIME]

Delaware, Texas Mayors: Not Behind Clinton, as Campaign Says [Associated Press]

New Ties Emerge Between Trump Operation and Super PAC [Washington Post]

Support for Carly Fiorina Dwindles in Latest Poll [TIME]

Marco Rubio’s Ambition, and Sharp Elbows, Fueled His Rise in Tallahassee [New York Times]

At Many Carly Fiorina Events, Her ‘Super PAC’ Covers the Costs [New York Times]

Donald Trump’s Baseless Claim that the Bush White House Tried to ‘Silence’ his Iraq War Opposition in 2003 [Washington Post]

Jim Webb Drops Out of Democratic Primary [TIME]

Democrats Add Candidate Forum Amid Criticism Over Debate Schedule [TIME]

Jeb Bush to Address Hispanic Group Tied to Koch Brothers [New York Times]

It’s Perfectly Legal to Take a Ballot Selfie While Voting in Indiana, Judge Rules [TIME]

Arne Duncan to Launch Crackdown on College Accrediting [Wall Street Journal]

Chelsea Clinton: Hillary’s Testimony Will Be ‘Remarkable’ [Politico]

Pro-Clinton Super PAC Gives Up Following O’Malley [Politico]