Boehner to Tea Party Reps: Play Ball or You’re Out
Mark Levin Rips Boehner: Who The Hell Does He Think He Is?
This is exactly why the GoP establishment keeps on losing (2006 mid term, McCain, Romney).
During a closed meeting on Monday, House Republicans booted Reps. Justin Amash of Michigan, David Schweikert of Arizona and Tim Huelskamp of Kansas -- all freshmen -- and Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina from plum committee assignments, according to Politico. Retribution for members who voted against Boehner’s team was long discussed in leadership circles.
Daniel Horowitz, writing for the conservative Red State, said, “First, when you begin negotiations agreeing to 60 percent of the demands of the other side and fail to offer a bold contrast on the other 40 percent, you are headed for an outcome that is 80-90 percent favorable to your opponent. Second, when you need to outsource your budget plan and entire view of government to Democrat Erskine Bowles, you are relegating yourself and your party to irrelevancy.”
Perhaps with the memory etched in his brain of the debacle of the 2011 debt ceiling negotiations that led to Standard & Poor’s downgrading of the U.S. credit rating , Boehner appears to be trying to mitigate the influence of the most conservative activists while unifying the rest of his party behind a bargaining strategy that ultimately will pass muster with voters. In their letter to Obama, Boehner and other House leaders acknowledged that they were “mindful of the status quo election” on Nov. 6 that gave Obama a second term and expanded the Democrats’ membership in both the House and Senate.
Mark Levin Rips Boehner: Who The Hell Does He Think He Is?
MARK LEVIN: I've had enough of this crap. This is a member of Congress being treated like crap by the Speaker of the House. Who the hell does the Speaker of the House think he is? This man was elected by his constituents, American citizens in his Congressional district. He's voting the way he pledged to vote to the constituents in his district. Who the hell does John Boehner think he is? He's so desperate for these four votes that he punishes these men like this? Pelosi does this stuff, the old Soviet Union did this stuff.
This man Boehner, his ego is massive. His ego is way out of control. He used his role, ladies and gentlemen, to crush the Tea Party, to crush conservatives. He is selling out our children right now with these massive tax increases, and that's his starting bid. He's saying, 'Here's $800 billion, now will you sit down with us Obama?' He's prepared to go to $1.2 trillion, I'm telling you he is. They buy into this class warfare crap. You want to know why? Because he's not smart enough to argue against it, and moreover he's unprincipled. I explained that in my first segment monologue.
This guy didn't become Speaker because he's some kind of great thinker or philosopher or principled or anything else. He's not Newt Gingrich, he's John Boehner. He was a backbencher. He's clawed his way to the top. And now what is he trying to do? Is control any possible opposition, even if a guy votes 95% of the time on the House Budget Committee with the majority.
They don't allow any Mr. Smith Goes To Washington individuals to appear. They don't allow Abraham Lincoln types, serve one term in the House. They don't allow it! They're trying to crush future leadership. They're trying to crush the conservatives. No more talk about big tents. Oh, they quote Reagan all the time. They don't mean a damn word of it. Let me ask it this way -- let me put it this way: tell me one damn thing John Boehner has done since he's become Speaker to stop Obama on anything. One. Well I can't. I can't.
This is exactly why the GoP establishment keeps on losing (2006 mid term, McCain, Romney).