No sooner had Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, launched his bid for House Speaker on Thursday afternoon than colleagues began shooting at another "trial balloon" he helped launch Wednesday night: articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
So vigorous was the opposition of fellow House Republicans to the Rosenstein impeachment that Jordan, R-Ohio, and fellow Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., pulled back on filing the articles within a matter of hours.
Now the question heard on Capitol Hill is whether the Rosenstein maneuver might have left significiant scars on Jordan to severely damage any chance he had of winning support beyond the 50-or-so-member House Freedom Caucus.
Members who spoke to Newsmax about the Rosenstein resolution co-sponsored by Jordan and Meadows made it clear they wanted nothing to do with it.
"Against!" is how Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo., said he felt about it.
"I don't think Rosenstein's actions rise to the level of 'treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanor' required by the Constitution for impeachment," Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., a stalwart conservative, said.
"Congress has the power to fire federal employees by cutting off their salaries, and it has the power to hold in contempt those officials who resist lawful subpoenas. I think these are more appropriate avenues of redress."
Freshman Rep. John Faso, R-NY, said impeachment of Rosenstein "accomplishes nothing, especially since it won't happen. Republican House Members should instead concentrate on getting our work done and maintaining our majority. The impeachment talk doesn't advance either cause."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.