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Issa disses on Chaffetz: He's no longer a fighter. Chaffetz sees opening in McCarthy withdrawal. Becker, Biskupski debate.
Happy Friday. California Rep. Darrel Issa was curt yesterday when asked if Rep. Jason Chaffetz now had a better chance of becoming speaker. "No," Issa responded. Now, this morning, Issa appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and acknowledged that he's considering a bid for House speaker himself. And he dissed on Chaffetz again. "Well, look, Jason's a good man. ... But he got his job by going to Boehner and saying he would shut down that rancor that was going on. That he would 'go along, get along.' And he's done that. He put shining pictures of Utah on the wall and he basically stopped doing it. ... The fact is, he's a good guy, but whatever he was as a freshman, when he was a fighter on our committee, when he was trying to hold government accountable, he took a break from that." [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Hgh8GeAS0&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">YouTube]
Topping the news: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy shocked Washington by dropping out of the speaker's race yesterday, and Rep. Chaffetz, who was a long-shot to begin with, now sees an opening. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/3043729-155/utahs-chaffetz-sees-opening-in-speakers" target="_blank">Trib] [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638567/Chances-of-a-Speaker-Chaffetz-may-have-just-increased.html" target="_blank">DNews] [http://fox13now.com/2015/10/08/kevin-mccarthy-out-chaffetz-and-webster-step-closer-to-speaker-of-the-house/" target="_blank">Fox13] [http://kutv.com/news/local/even-with-favorite-out-chaffetz-may-face-uphill-battle-to-become-speaker-10-09-2015" target="_blank">KUTV] [http://www.good4utah.com/news/top-stories/major-shake-up-in-speaker-race-changes-the-game-for-utah-representative-jason-chaffetz" target="_blank">ABC4]
-> McCarthy's departure leaves the House with no apparent line of succession [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/mccarthy-withdraws-from-speaker-race-election-postponed-214560" target="_blank">Politico] and causes some to wonder if the GOP can continue functioning. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/?nid=top_nav_politics" target="_blank">WaPost]
-> SLC Mayor Ralph Becker and challenger Jackie Biskupski debated issues facing Salt Lake City yesterday. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/3043701-155/becker-and-biskupski-spar-in-salt" target="_blank">Trib] [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638611/SL-mayoral-candidates-tangle-over-political-track-records-city-issues.html" target="_blank">DNews]
Tweets of the day: From http://twitter.com/jonfavs" target="_blank">@jonfavs: "Wanted: House Speaker, Pros: 3rd in line for the presidency, Cons: Literally everything else"
From http://twitter.com/JonathanTamari" target="_blank">@JonathanTamari: "Boehner's plan to save the institution from unnecessary turmoil working like a charm."
From http://twitter.com/meredithshiner" target="_blank">@meredithshiner: "Boehner stepped aside to 'unify' the party; McCarthy stepped aside to 'unify' the party. Who's next in the GOP unification plan?"
From http://twitter.com/seungminkim" target="_blank">@seungminkim: ". https://twitter.com/OrrinHatch">@OrrinHatch offers himself up for Speaker: 'Tell them I'd be glad to do it if I don't have to give up the Finance Committee.'"
Happy Birthday: Today to Laura Dupuy, former executive director of the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy. Tomorrow to Rich McKeown, on Sunday to former state Rep. Ben Ferry and on Monday to Parker Lester.
Tune in: Tribune reporters Thomas Burr and Robert Gehrke, government and politics editor Dan Harrie and editorial writer George Pyle join Jennifer Napier-Pearce to talk about the week's top news stories, including Rep. Jason Chaffetz's campaign for House speaker, the public vetting of a health plan for the poor and a Salt Lake City mayor's race update. Tune in to http://kcpw.org/stream/" target="_blank">KCPW or http://upr.org/streaming-upr-live" target="_blank">Utah Public Radio at 9 a.m. for the live broadcast.
Programming note: Political Cornflakes will be off Monday for Columbus Day but back in your inboxes and on your computer screens bright and early Tuesday morning.
In other news: Salt Lake City plans on hiring 15 more police officers thanks to a federal grant. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/3042999-155/salt-lake-city-to-hire-15" target="_blank">Trib] [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638573/Salt-Lake-police-receive-18-million-federal-grant-to-hire-new-officers.html" target="_blank">DNews] [http://kutv.com/news/local/slcpd-receives-federal-grant-to-hire-new-officers" target="_blank">KUTV] [http://kuer.org/post/salt-lake-city-police-department-receives-18-million-grant-hire-new-officers" target="_blank">KUER]
-> A Utah Highway Patrol blitz will target those violating laws in the car-pool lane. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/3038558-155/utah-highway-patrol-blitz-will-target" target="_blank">Trib] [http://fox13now.com/2015/10/08/state-agencies-stepping-up-enforcement-of-express-lane-violations-on-i-15/" target="_blank">Fox13] [http://kutv.com/news/local/hov-crackdown-on-its-way-for-i-15-drivers" target="_blank">KUTV]
-> Paul Rolly notes some concern over politics behind road repairs. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/3040367-155/rolly-takin-it-to-the-street" target="_blank">Trib]
-> A judge ruled yesterday that federal prosecutors did not "intentionally intrude" into confidential emails between a criminal defendant and his attorneys. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/3043557-155/judge-federal-prosecutors-did-not-intentionally" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Utah's debate over rooftop solar resumed this week as experts appeared before the Public Service Commission. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/3039905-155/fight-over-value-and-cost" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Rio Tinto Stadium, meanwhile, added more than 6,000 solar panels, offsetting 73 percents of its power needs. [http://fox13now.com/2015/10/08/rio-tinto-stadium-adds-6000-solar-panels/" target="_blank">Fox13]
-> Allegations that Westminster College failed to protect a student who reported a sexual assault in 2013 is drawing federal investigators to campus. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/3044271-155/feds-coming-to-utah-college-to" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Utah's State School Board gave preliminary approval Thursday to a policy clarifying how parents can opt their children out of state-mandated tests at school. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638642/State-School-Board-Parental-opt-out-law-doesnt-apply-to-civics-test-graduation-requirement.html" target="_blank">DNews]
-> The Utah Transit Authority is launching an expanded service initiative to accommodate those headed to game day at the U. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638615/UTA-to-bolster-transit-service-for-College-GameDay.html" target="_blank">DNews]
-> Workplace fatalities statewide increased significantly in 2014, according to a report. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638553/Report-Workplace-related-deaths-up-nearly-46-percent-in-2014.html" target="_blank">DNews]
-> Utahns join in lawsuits against Volkswagen. [http://kutv.com/news/local/utahns-join-lawsuits-against-volkswagen" target="_blank">KUTV]
-> The state has launched an online tool to assess mental health issues. [http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/state-launches-new-tool-to-help-assess-mental-health" target="_blank">ABC4]
-> Participants in a tourism conference this week shared ideas on how to keep the momentum in Utah going. [http://fox13now.com/2015/10/08/tourism-conference-focuses-on-ways-to-keep-folks-coming-to-utah/" target="_blank">Fox13]
-> A Utah state prison inmate has been charged with sending threatening letters to the Utah Board of Pardons [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638639/Inmate-charged-with-sending-threatening-letters-to-Board-of-Pardons.html" target="_blank">DNews]
Nationally: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says nobody cares about the race for House speaker. [http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/10/08/gov-chris-christie-lead-intv-part-1.cnn" target="_blank">CNN]
-> Vice President Joe Biden has asked that an ad, featuring the story of his family's fatal car accident in 1972 and recruiting him to run for president in 2016, not air. [http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-10082015-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">LATimes]
-> Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders is skeptical of President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the FDA and worries about the prices of prescription drugs. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/08/bernie-sanders-to-oppose-obamas-nominee-to-lead-the-fda/" target="_blank">WaPost]
-> Ted Cruz raised $12.2 million in his third quarter, surpassing other GOP hopefuls by a significant margin. [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/ted-cruz-raises-122-million-in-third-quarter-214595" target="_blank">Politico]
Where are they?
Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com" target="_blank">cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven't already, sign up for our weekday email and get this sent directly to your inbox. [http://www.sltrib.com/pages/email" target="_blank">Trib]
— Thomas Burr and Mariah Noble
https://twitter.com/thomaswburr" target="_blank">Twitter.com/thomaswburr and https://twitter.com/mnoblenews" target="_blank">Twitter.com/mnoblenews