By now you have heard all about the mini revolt in the House GOP……some wanted to overthrow Boehner from his Speaker position….people like Gohmert (bat crap crazy) and Yoho (sounds like an awful drink)……
In case you were otherwise occupied and missed the tension……
In winning a third term as House speaker today, John Boehner had to fend off a defection from within his own party that was the biggest such revolt in more than 150 years, reports the Washington Post. In all, 25 conservative Republicans voted against Boehner, though that wasn’t enough to force the humiliation of a second vote. House rules allow members to vote for any US citizen, which is why Rand Paul and Jeff Sessions—who happen to be senators—each got a vote, reports the Hill. (On the Democratic side, Tennessee’s Jim Cooper voted for Colin Powell, notes CNN.)
A dozen GOP members voted for Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida, but today’s opposition was largely symbolic. It shows the “the clear limits” of Boehner’s clout in the GOP conference, observes Politico, while Chris Cillizza at the Post writes that it doesn’t bode well in terms of avoiding the logjams of the previous Congress. “If more than two dozen House Republicans are willing to stand up and voice their discontent with him in a vote that is almost certain to go his way, what will the prognosis be for Boehner when the legislative outcomes are less certain?” Here’s the full list of those who voted against him.
Okay the idiots on the Right did not succeed……but what will Boehner do?
Glad you asked!
John Boehner struck a magnanimous tone after fighting off the biggest anti-speaker rebellion in 150 years yesterday—”May the fruits of our labors be ladders our children can use to climb to the stars,” he told the House—but payback has been swift for some of the 25 conservatives who voted against him. Florida Reps. Dan Webster and Richard Nugent been kicked off the powerful House Rules Committee, which is appointed directly by the speaker, in apparent retaliation, the Hill reports. Webster ran against Boehner for House speaker yesterday and received 12 votes, including Nugent’s.
The move to kick the rebels off the Rules Committee could be just the beginning of Boehner’s revenge, according to Politico, which notes that some of the speaker’s allies say he has been too much of a pushover and will welcome this kind of action. In a process that GOP sources say could take months, the conservative insurgents may also lose perks including subcommittee chairmanships. With the increased GOP majority in the House, “we don’t need these fringe guys as much as we did anymore,” one Republican leadership aide says.
Revenge is sweet……and quick!