Paul Ryan: I Support McCarthy for Speaker

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan says in an op-ed at Town Hall  he is backing Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy for House speaker.

Ryan said McCarthy is a "principled leader who will work hard and get results."

McCarthy has been able to get results where others haven't in areas such as ending earmarks and getting unanimous GOP opposition to President Barack Obama's stimulus bill.

"Throughout his life, he has defended the sanctity of life. And he is a proud supporter of the Second Amendment," Ryan wrote.

McCarthy, considered the early favorite to succeed John Boehner, who is retiring at the end of the month, committed a verbal gaffe last week, telling Fox News' Sean Hannity that Republicans have done a good job by, among other things, creating the Benghazi committee that has ended up hurting Democrat Hillary Clinton's poll numbers.

That led Utah Sen. Jason Chaffetz,  a former McCarthy supporter, to announce his own bid for speaker on Sunday. Other Republicans have distanced themselves from McCarthy's comments, saying the committee has no political motives.

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