Ryan seeks to tame conservatives

Speaker Paul Ryan is frequently asked if he’s managed to tame the raucous House Freedom Caucus. His consistent response: Nobody can be tamed. Despite those protestations, Ryan has spent his first couple months as Speaker aggressively courting some of the same Freedom Caucus conservatives who forced his predecessor, John Boehner, out of office last fall. The Wisconsin Republican ensured that conservative rebel Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas), ostracized for years by Boehner and his allies, won a subcommittee gavel and a coveted spot on the powerful Speaker-aligned panel that picks committee chairmen. More...