I noted on Sunday that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor had not only been booed in his home district, but his ally had been ousted as the chairman of the 7th District Republican Committee. Clearly, the natives are getting restless. Jenna Portnoy and Robert Costa think that Cantor’s primary challenger, Prof. David Brat, is gaining momentum, and John Fund reports that Prof. Brat will be attending Grover Norquist’s infamous Wednesday meeting today to make connections with key conservatives.
Fund also notes that Tea Party-types had a decent evening last night in West Virginia and Nebraska. In West Virginia’s Second District, the Republican candidate will be Alex Mooney, a transplant from Maryland who moved to West Virginia (he says) for the freedom. In Nebraska’s Second District, incumbent Lee Terry barely survived a Tea Party challenge from businessman Dan Frei, who carried over 47% of the vote.
These results help explain why John Boehner agreed to create a Select Committee to investigate the Benghazi attacks. It’s the same motivation that led him to acquiesce to a government shutdown. Eli Lake explains:
Boehner’s calculation was, in part, political, according to one House Republican aide. The Speaker was looking to mollify the Tea Party faction of his caucus who were upset with him about a range of issues from the federal budget to immigration reform.
“There is a whole combination of factors here,” this aide said. “You have the email. But remember Boehner has also gotten a lot of resistance from House Republicans on immigration. He wanted to turn the page on this.” This aide said that Boehner’s view was that, “OK, I am giving you guys this committee, now it’s on you to make this work.”
But, remember how that government shutdown worked out:
Boehner recalled the government shutdown in October, blaming conservative activists who he said “pushed us into this fight to defund ObamaCare and shut down the government.”
The day before the government reopened, he said, “one of these groups stood up and said, well, we never really thought it would work.”
“Are you kidding me?!” Boehner asked.
Apparently, Boehner is not a quick learner.
Apparently, John Boehner is really, really bad at his job.
Which is perfect for House Republicans in 2014. If you don’t want anything to work, model that behavior! Elect as your own leader someone incapable of making anything work! Surely the American people will rally behind your bold new vision of ineptitude!!
And don’t forget to end every sentence with at least one exclamation point! BENGHAZI! FREEDUMMM!!!!11!
facepalm!
He’s even bad at being bad at his job. From the Tea Party point of view, his crime is that he’s been way too constructive. The one thing he’s succeeded at is paralyzing the government, and they hate him because he hasn’t destroyed it.
So all those people who keep posting on blogs, comments, twitter, etc. that the Tea Party is dead need to reevaluate their stance. Snicker.
The mad tail is wagging the rabid dog.
Perfect!
Just waiting for the day the Boehner stands, stunned and terror stricken, as he hands over the keys and title of his party to the crazies in his caucus. Because that is the inevitable result if someone doesn’t grab the wheel quickly and put in a drastic change of course.
I can’t help but think Boehner believes that if he keeps throwing them bones that they will eventually be sated, and at that point they will finally decide to just assimilate and everyone will live happily ever after.
Pure fantasy. That is all it is. They will not rest until Boehner either caves to their every demand, or his head is on pike, displayed on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to serve as a reminder to those who contemplate not conforming in the proper way.
Just another craven feather in the cap of the most feeble, useless and clueless Speaker in history most likely. Could ANYONE conclude that the Speakership is actually a powerful position from watching the antics and flailings of this hapless 5 o’clock drunk?
“He wanted to turn the page on this.” WTF does this even mean? Boner is “turning the page” on Tea Party Benghazi idiocy by…letting them set up a star chamber on the matter? He’s “turning the page” on their hostility to immigration et. al. by…letting them have their Benghazi committee (in exchange for nothing)? Again, WTF does this mean and what does Boner think he is getting here? He most certainly doesn’t have the interests of the entire House in mind, but he never could carry out that part of the job.
There is no page being turned on ANYTHING in Boner’s woeful House of Boneheads. Turning a single page would be too much work for Boner’s Boneheads. And none of the TPers know how to read a book anyway, so the analogy flops on several levels, haha.
sure they thought it would work. They thought the President and the Dems would cave, not understanding that the Dems and President had had their last nerve snapped.
So who is the Democrat running against Cantor et. al.? It does no good to fixate on the troubles of Republicans if you don’t have the ability to turn it into a pickup. In fact, that situation is pretty frustrating if you are concerned about policy instead of personalities.