With debt deal, McCarthy threads the needle

While some far-right members are unhappy with the debt deal, others say Speaker Kevin McCarthy is holding an unwieldy GOP caucus together better than most. He’s also shown a willingness and ability to work with Democrats.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, dismissed by critics as weak and beholden to the right flank of his party, appears to have emerged from the first major test of his leadership victorious, if not unscathed. 

As the clock began ticking down toward a potential default on the nation’s record-high debt, he strengthened his hand in...