Boehner’s thugs trying to muscle out any Tea Party opposition to him being Speaker next term

The Tea Party gave Republicans the House back in 2010 and put Boehner in as Speaker.

And just like a politician who loves his power more than his principles, Boehner has his thugs trying to ensure that a Tea Party rebellion won’t keep him from keeping that power for another term:

POLITICO – They’ve given John Boehner constant headaches during his three years as speaker.

Now, Boehner’s friends are trying to make sure that a small pocket of tea-party-aligned Republicans won’t have a chance to derail his speakership next year. And if they try, they could be punished.

A group of his closest allies — including fellow Ohio Republicans like Pat Tiberi — are discussing tactics such as trying to change GOP Conference rules to punish members who do not support the party’s nominee during a floor vote. A lawmaker who bucks the Republicans’ choice for speaker could lose committee assignments — or worse. Boehner’s allies have already stripped some Republicans of their committee assignments for straying too far from the team.

In a sign of force, some of Boehner’s friends are considering releasing a letter with the names of several dozen GOP lawmakers pledging to vote for no one else besides the speaker — making the election of a more conservative rival logistically impossible.

Allahpundit explains how electing the Speaker normally works:

You need a clear majority of the House, i.e. 218 votes, to be elected Speaker at the opening session in January. If no one gets that on the first ballot, they hold a second, and then a third if necessary, and then a fourth, etc. The GOP should have somewhere in the ballpark of 240 seats, which means that a bloc of 23 Republicans — if they’re willing to stand firm and stick together — can effectively stop anyone from becoming Speaker by leaving him stuck at 217 votes.

At last check, there were something like 40 or 50 tea partiers weighing whether to vote against Boehner. If they resolve to vote together on each ballot, Boehner will continue to fall short of 218 until, eventually, the House Republican majority will abandon him altogether and nominate an alternative candidate whom both the establishment and the conservatives can agree on. But that strategy cuts both ways.

If tea partiers block Boehner on the first ballot, a group of 23 or more Boehner allies could band together and resolve to vote for no one except Boehner, no matter how many ballots follow. In that case, there’d be a stalemate, with neither Boehner nor his opponent able to get to 218. What happens then?

Allahpundit suggests that Republicans will not want to start out the year with an embarrassing floor fight, but I’m saying bring it on! It might not be the wisest of strategies but I’m tired of just the same old weak-kneed moderates getting elected to positions of power. If Boehner gets put back as Speaker, let’s make his supporters sweat blood to get him there.


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