Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) are running to be speaker of the House now that Democrats and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) have successfully ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the position.

Anyone who wants the job should have his motives or sanity questioned.

THE RACE IS ON: WHO COULD REPLACE MCCARTHY AS SPEAKER?

Here’s the problem with being a Republican speaker of the House in the current Congress: It is now abundantly clear that any GOP speaker would be beholden to the five most reckless members of his party. While Democrats gave McCarthy-specific reasons for joining in Gaetz’s most recent crusade, it seems likely they would team up with Gaetz again if he were to come after the next GOP speaker.

Holding the speakership at the pleasure of Matt Gaetz is not a condition anyone should accept. In fact, the next speaker should make it clear that he’s unwilling to take demands from any tiny rump of the party.

McCarthy’s problem was that he wanted the speakership too desperately. He even agreed to a rules change that made it easier for Democrats and Gaetz to remove him, which created the current chaos.

I wrote back in January:

“I don’t know Kevin McCarthy’s reasons for wanting to be speaker of the House, but I do know that he’s spent the past decade-plus staying close to power and doing what it takes to climb the ladder. At times this has involved sucking up to Donald Trump, who was woefully unfit for the presidency and a curse on McCarthy’s party.

“These days, McCarthy has tried to win the speakership by agreeing to rules that are probably bad for the party and for the House.

“Specifically, McCarthy has agreed to a rule that effectively allows a rump of five Republicans to depose him. In a conference call Sunday with dissident Republicans, McCarthy agreed to a rule allowing a vote of no confidence in the speaker if five members sponsor it.”

So who might be a good speaker?

Former NRCC Chairman Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) has said he is not seeking the speakership, which might make him qualified. Another plus for Emmer is that he understands, and says out loud, that Donald Trump is a millstone around the GOP’s neck.

Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern (R-OK) is another man who is qualified for the job — unless he announces he is running.

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Former Michigan Rep. Justin Amash was the best Republican in the House, in my opinion. He opposed Trump when Trump was wrong, but unlike former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger and others, Amash never made opposing Trump his personality.

There are a hundred possibilities once you start considering nonmembers like Amash. A main qualification should be that the person isn’t seeking the speakership.