A Scramble To Fill Vacuum Left by DeLay

The more likely scenario is Boehner mounting a campaign for majority leader if it becomes clear DeLay will not return, according to several people familiar with his thinking. Boehner and Blunt are not close personally, and the Ohio Republican has long been plotting a return to power.

Boehner was chairman of the GOP Conference, the fourth-ranking leader, in the Gingrich era, but he was ousted by Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) in November 1998. Since then, Watts has left and Boehner has rehabilitated his reputation, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and won over colleagues with his leadership on the education committee, which helped write the No Child Left Behind law.

But House conservatives, who have consolidated power through a restructured Republican Study Committee, are growing restless and talking privately of running their own candidate, possibly Pence, the leader of the RSC. They were prepared to mount a challenge if Hastert went through with a plan to put Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) in as interim leader instead of Blunt. Instead, they are holding their fire, for now.

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said conservatives will accept the speaker's call for unity only so long. Unity, he said, is "not in itself a virtue," suggesting conservatives are ready to splinter if they do not get their way in policy fights.

There are also a number of DeLay loyalists in the wings. National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Thomas M. Reynolds (N.Y.) is considered likely to move up, but only after the 2006 elections. Rogers was mentioned as a possible candidate as well.

The House GOP can force leadership elections if 50 members support the move, which Wamp and others plan to push for in January. That gives Blunt three months to build support for his own leadership bid, which people close to him said is virtually certain if DeLay does not return.

In a private meeting with Hastert on Wednesday, Blunt personally appealed for the job and persuaded Hastert to give it to him. A top GOP leader said the Missouri Republican told Hastert it would look bad for Blunt, as whip, to be passed over for the promotion.

Some members said they fear it will be untenable for Blunt to serve as majority leader with a staff loyal to DeLay. Some committee chairmen privately expressed concern about Blunt's new role because he will control the agenda and does not have the same close working relationship with many of members who run committees, GOP sources said. As a compromise, Hastert made it clear that Dreier would manage relations with chairmen and work with DeLay's staff on the agenda.

Blunt did not make himself publicly available to discuss his new role yesterday. His spokeswoman, Burson Taylor, said: "This is not a situation anybody, Mr. Blunt included, asked for or wanted."

Taylor disputed suggestions that Blunt could not juggle the jobs of majority leader and whip, saying, "This is going to be a team effort, no doubt about it." Staff writer Jonathan Weisman contributed to this report.