Boehner Faces a Restive G.O.P. and New White House Attacks
For Speaker John A. Boehner and House Republicans, returning to the Capitol this week could have the awkward feeling of a couple waking up after a night of fighting.
Mr. Boehner began 2011 with the heady wave of victory and ended the year in disarray when the Senate forced him and his members to accept a short-term extension of the payroll tax cut. Now, he begins the second session of the 112th Congress on defense, his leadership under scrutiny and his party facing an election-year attack from the White House.
His challenge is not only to rein in his restive conference but also to preserve his partys majority even as he fends off President Obama, who is making Congress his central opponent in his re-election bid. And rank-and-file Republicans are itching for accomplishments, like reducing regulations and changing the tax code, to sell in their districts.
He needs to be clear in what our strategy is, said Representative Marlin Stutzman, a freshman Republican from Indiana. I got chewed out by folks who said, Why did you fold? I got scolded back home, and I dont really like it.
full: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/us/politics/house-republicans-fear-another-session-of-infighting.html
MarianJack
(10,237 posts)...weakest House Speaker EVER!
Maybe because he thought the job meant simply kissing teabagger ass while sipping a drink in the tanning booth as he counted his lobbyist kickbacks.
PEACE!
DCBob
(24,689 posts)They are pissed about some of the "compromises" Boehner made last year on some deals they didnt like. And Boehner is concerned about the negative political consequences of blocking legislation that is popular among voters. We shall see how that works out. I suspect it will get uglier.
Skittles
(153,175 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Let the Republicans run on their non-existent congressional record in 2012.
Guy Montag
(126 posts)I hope he retires and takes the soon to be former gov of Wisconsin as a roomie. He and Scott Walker can sit and cryn together.