Paul Ryan has begrudgingly agreed to run for Speaker of the House, but only if the party accedes to his rather steep demands. As he said in a closed-door meeting with House Republicans yesterday, “I hope it doesn’t sound conditional… but it is.”

For instance, he doesn’t want Speaker-level responsibilities for fundraising, which will allow him to spend more time with his family. This will almost certainly be acceptable for Republicans if it means that they get to have him as the face of the party. From the National Review:

The speaker has traditionally taken on heavy fundraising duties, helping to elect Republicans to the House. Wagner, who serves as finance chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, says the committee is fine with Ryan’s proposal and is working on a plan to ensure the committee’s fundraising remains in good shape. She says she was also heartened by his statement that when he did travel to help Republicans campaign, he would focus not just on fundraising but on communication, and would do more local press and grassroots events – activities past speakers have not usually engaged in.

Other conditions of his, though, are likely to be highly contentious, such as his insistence on having the support of all 247 House Republicans (“If I can truly be a unifying figure, then I will gladly serve”) and reforming House rules so that members cannot file motions to vacate the chair and oust him once he’s assumed his role (“I’m willing to take arrows in the chest but not in the back.”)

To be clear, Ryan has probably set a high bar for the House GOP as a first move in what will likely be a negotiating process between himself and the House Freedom Caucus. At the end of the day, Ryan probably can’t (and doesn’t) expect to be elected Speaker as a consensus candidate, as multiple members aren’t happy with his candidacy and others, including HFC member Daniel Webster, have maintained that they are still running. What’s more, what the HFC really wants out of all of this — more than a more conservative Speaker — is process changes that will decentralize power in the House. Giving up the motion to vacate the Speaker seems to be going in the opposite direction, there.

This being the case, it’s unclear if there is an opportunity for Ryan and House conservatives to come to an agreement that results in Ryan agreeing to become Speaker. Ryan knows full well that he would face the same political difficulties that John Boehner and Kevin McCarthy faced in trying to manage the ultra-conservative and philosophically divergent Republican caucus, and “[doesn’t] want to be the third log on the bonfire.”

In any case, Ryan appears to have gotten the ball rolling, as the House will vote to confirm a new Speaker on October 28th, only a few days before John Boehner is supposed to resign: