John Boehner’s re-election as Speaker of the House may not be a surprise. However, there were many (including Rep. Curt Clawson [R-FL]) who would have preferred new leadership and their displeasure was noticeable. Boehner lost 25 votes, according to Aaron Blake of the Washington Post, in one of the biggest revolts against a House Speaker in 100 years. But that’s not all. One of those votes was for Sen. Rand Paul!

While the chances of a Senator ever becoming House Speaker is a huge long-shot, contrary to what most might think, the House Speaker does not in fact need to be a member of the U.S House of Representatives, according to one government website tracking the history of the House. …Still, why did Rep. Curt Clawson vote for Sen. Rand Paul out of everyone else?

According to Bloomberg:

Clawson had announced his vote in advance, in a tweet, and while other members had reached out to him before the vote, he wouldn’t characterize what they told him. He wanted his vote to stand as an endorsement for a “better process” and more transparent bills.

“I think an outsider should vote for an outsider, and I’m for real on that,” Clawson said. “We need more people in here who haven’t spent their whole lives in legislatures. In sports, my coach would have called that a new voice. In business, you’d call it a new set of eyes.”

It may have looked like a throwaway vote for Rand Paul but it was part of a clever political statement by Rep. Curt Clawson. What do you think? Send us a tweet or comment below.

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