One of the criticisms of Mr McCarthy, one that led Republicans to prevent his rise to the speakership in 2015 when he was next in line for the job after John Boehner"s forced resignation, is that he has been insufficiently loyal to the conservative cause and too willing to bend to pressure. If that"s the case, Mr McCarthy"s efforts to placate his critics, to offer a range of concessions to win them over, may be only a further strike against him.