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itshappening
12-05-2012, 01:22 PM
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) warned his conference on Wednesday that leaders are "watching" how the rank-and-file vote to determine committee assignments, according to sources in the closed-door meeting.

Boehner addressed the firestorm over the removal of four lawmakers from plum committee assignments at the weekly GOP conference meeting.

According to Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.), one of the lawmakers denied a spot on his current committee in the next Congress, Boehner "did note that 'we [leadership] have punished four members,' he claimed that it had nothing to do with their conservative ideology, but had to do with their voting patterns."

Also removed from committee spots were Reps. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and David Schweikert (Ariz.).

Huelskamp added that Boehner warned GOP lawmakers that "there may be more folks that will be targeted ... 'we're watching all your votes.' "

"It was a message to the Republican conference in general, especially the comment today that there may be more punishment coming if you don’t vote the right way,” Huelskamp said.

A source at the conference meeting disputed Huelskamp's characterization of Boehner's point, noting that the Speaker said "some votes factored into [the decision to remove lawmakers from committee assignments] but it wasn't just [votes], it was a bigger picture than all that, that caused this to happen."

The crux of the problem is that Democrats have successfully employed a "divide and conquer" strategy when outspoken GOP House members "gratuitously bad-mouth the leadership," a separate source told The Hill. "That [GOP members] run to the press to get their own headlines and that divides us and that's really where Boehner's coming from," the source said.

Another GOP source who was in the room corroborated that Boehner addressed the question of a supposedly punishing conservatives.

The source quoted Boehner as saying "the Steering Committee this week decided to remove committee assignments from four members, and replace them with other members. This was not done lightly. This is something the committee took seriously, and hopes never to have to do again."

According to the source, Boehner continued, "the committee's decision had nothing to do with ideology. For those suggesting otherwise, I'd respectfully suggest that you look at some of the people the Steering Committee put in charge of committees. I'd also suggest you look at some of the members who were added to the committees by the Steering Committee. If you do that and come away with the conclusion that there was a 'conservative purge,' I'd be interested hearing the rationale."

Huelskamp addressed the conference, receiving, he said, a "warm reception from some and silence from others," and requested that leaders provide "that list of votes used in the Steering Committee to reward or punish members."

Huelskamp said his request for committee votes was met by “stony silence” from leadership, and said Boehner’s refusal to release the votes was akin to stabbing him in the back.

“Where I come from in Kansas if you want to stab a guy you look him in the eye,” he said. “You don’t go behind a closed door.”

Huelskamp declined to say if he would vote for Boehner to retain his Speakership in January.

“The Fiesta Bowl with K-State is the same day,” he said, indicating that he may abstain.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/271173-boehner-members-punished-for-their-votes

sailingaway
12-05-2012, 01:23 PM
I saw that. We're watching your VOTING PATTERNS which is worse, they are SUPPOSED to vote for their constituents, not for Boehner.

Is there anyone else we can get a coalition behind, that fast, for speaker?

TER
12-05-2012, 01:24 PM
That's okay Mr. Boehner! We are watching you too!

itshappening
12-05-2012, 01:24 PM
Go to hell Boehner!

Call his office and tell him to STFU...

phill4paul
12-05-2012, 01:25 PM
WAR

CaptUSA
12-05-2012, 01:28 PM
Is there anyone else we can get a coalition behind, that fast, for speaker?I'd love Walter Jones, but I'd hate to see him go through the BS that comes with being Speaker.

AGRP
12-05-2012, 01:45 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra-cEPTUQNs

frodus24
12-05-2012, 02:12 PM
I just emailed John and basically told him to go fuck himself for messing with liberty representatives.

sailingaway
12-05-2012, 02:13 PM
I'd love Walter Jones, but I'd hate to see him go through the BS that comes with being Speaker.

I'd love him or any of the four purged, but I don't think we could get the votes together. I was thinking more like someone who is a power rival who could owe the speakership to us even if they weren't OF us.... just to show Boehner immediate consequences.

AFPVet
12-05-2012, 02:14 PM
Oh yeah, well, we're watching you watching them :)

Lucille
12-05-2012, 02:25 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASY4KeQE24k

itshappening
12-05-2012, 02:27 PM
I'd love him or any of the four purged, but I don't think we could get the votes together. I was thinking more like someone who is a power rival who could owe the speakership to us even if they weren't OF us.... just to show Boehner immediate consequences.

Redstate.com new post says "Fire Boehner" and points out House rules say he needs 218 votes, if 16 Republicans abstain and he gets 217 then the House is speakerless like during the Civil War.

We need to work on finding 16 Republicans to deny him the speakership in January.

Lucille
12-05-2012, 02:29 PM
Redstate.com new post says "Fire Boehner" and points out House rules say he needs 218 votes, if 16 Republicans abstain and he gets 217 then the House is speakerless like during the Civil War.

We need to work on finding 16 Republicans to deny him the speakership in January.

That should be easy to do!

sailingaway
12-05-2012, 02:35 PM
That should be easy to do!

who is the alternative?

Carole
12-05-2012, 02:38 PM
I cannot express how angry this made me.

However, in the spirit of, "Don't get mad; get even", I would love it if Boehner could be ousted as leader. He makes me sick.

Better yet I hope he loses his house seat to a Dem in 2014. (Best if he lost to a conservative Rep or Ind but I would settle for anyone. :)

itshappening
12-05-2012, 02:46 PM
who is the alternative?

There's no alternative, the post calls for a speakerless House. Then hopefully Boehner resigns/withdraws from seeking the Speakership, then there will be a contest. The author recommends Rep. Jim Jordan in those circumstances.

itshappening
12-05-2012, 02:47 PM
That should be easy to do!

It's not that easy because most members have been there forever and are unlikely to 'rebel' against Boehner and risk losing their positions on committee's.

The class of 2010 and 2012 would be more likely to abstain as they have a lot less to lose. We need to find enough of those members to fire Boehner.

Pisces
12-05-2012, 02:49 PM
Redstate.com new post says "Fire Boehner" and points out House rules say he needs 218 votes, if 16 Republicans abstain and he gets 217 then the House is speakerless like during the Civil War.

We need to work on finding 16 Republicans to deny him the speakership in January.

I think we have four so far.

itshappening
12-05-2012, 02:50 PM
Yes so we need 12 more... preferably from the class of 2010 and 2012.

I doubt any members who have been there for a long time would rebel against Boehner because they could lose their plum committee spots and the ranking they have built up.

Pisces
12-05-2012, 02:54 PM
Yes so we need 12 more... preferably from the class of 2010 and 2012.

I doubt any members who have been there for a long time would rebel against Boehner because they could lose their plum committee spots and the ranking they have built up.

Louis Goehmert might. He strikes me as kind of a loose cannon sometimes. Also maybe Jimmy Duncan from Tennessee.

itshappening
12-05-2012, 03:01 PM
Those two have been there for a while and have ranking built up so unlikely to go with this...