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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

John Boehner on Independent Thinking and Retribution

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  December 5th, 2012 at 03:39 PM  | 

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John Boehner is making clear to Republican House members that the four conservatives removed from committees were removed because their votes defied House leaders.

There was a time when John Boehner thought otherwise and valued independence from House members. From Meet the Press on January 5, 1997, over the dissatisfaction with Newt Gingrich:

MR. RUSSERT: And with us now the Democratic whip, David Bonior of Michigan; the chairman of the House Republican Conference, John Boehner of Ohio. Gentlemen, welcome.

REP. BOEHNER: Tim, good morning.

REP. BONIOR: Nice to see you.

MR. RUSSERT: Congressman Boehner, let me start with you. You just heard a fellow Republican say that if there was a secret ballot on Tuesday, Newt Gingrich would lose.

REP. BOEHNER: Well, I don’t think that’s the case. We’ve talked to a lot of Republican colleagues, and it’s clear that Newt Gingrich will be re-elected on Tuesday. He’s admitted that he’s made mistakes. He’s willing to take his punishment. But the Ethics Committee hasn’t laid anything out that should deny Newt Gingrich being the first re-elected Republican Speaker in 68 years.

MR. RUSSERT: Will any other Republican other than Michael Forbes vote against Newt Gingrich?

REP. BOEHNER: I’m not sure, but it looks clear to us now that the sufficient votes are there to re-elect Newt.

MR. RUSSERT: But you may have a handful of Republicans oppose him?

REP. BOEHNER: I don’t know what the number’ll be. There’s only one at this point. And I hope that all of the Republican members, presented with the facts about what this case are, will, in fact, stand with Newt, because he is, in fact, our leader.

MR. RUSSERT: Will Michael Forbes keep his seat on the Appropriations Committee? Will there be any other retribution against him?

REP. BOEHNER: I don’t think there ought to be any retribution. All members are entitled to make their own decision. They’re all independently elected.

REP. FORBES: Thank you.

But now, because House Republicans are refusing to sell out their principles and raise taxes they must be punished by John Boehner.

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  • mch2212

    I don’t think that’s off topic at all – isn’t that really what’s going on here? Sad state of affairs.

  • rkinroanoke

    I don’t think it is fair to call Mr. Boehner bland. I think he is very colorful.
    His spray on tan would do Snooki proud,

  • bdirks

    Here is how Newt Gingrich addressed a similar budget dilemma in 1998. Clearly, it’s a little easier to come off as an articulate and principled conservative now that he doesn’t have any actual responsibilities.

    –

    I would say for just a minute, if I might, to my friends who were asking for a “no” vote, the”perfectionist caucus, “And then what would you do under our constitution?” It is easy to get up and say vote “no,” but then what would they do?

    The fact is, under our Constitution, 435 Members of the House, each elected by a constituency based on population, work with 100 Members of the Senate, two from each State, then we work with the President of the United States. And surely those of us who have grown up and matured in this process understand after the last 4 years that we have to work together on big issues. And if we do not work together on big issues, nothing gets done.

    The fact is there is a liberal Democrat in the White House, and he legitimately represents the views of the party which nominated him. And there are things he wants in order to sign a bill, and that is legitimate and a part of precisely what the Founding Fathers established: A balance of power. And the fact is conservative Republicans control the House and Senate, much, I might say, to the discomfort of my good friend from Michigan, the Democratic whip, who seemed unhappy at his having to vote “yes” tonight. But that is the nature of reality.

    So the question is: Can we craft a bill which is a win for the American people because it is a win for the President and a win for the Congress? Because if we
    cannot find a way to have all three winning, we do not have a bill worthy of being passed.

    Now, my fine friends who are perfectionists, each in their own world where they are petty dictators could write a perfect bill. And it would not be 4,000 pages, it would be about 2,200 of their particular projects and their particular interests and their particular goodies taking care of their particular States. But that is not the way life works in a free society. In a free society we have to have give and take. We have to be able to work.

  • clyde30475

    Boehner has made it official. Everyone is welcome in the “Big Tent” except conservatives.

  • Seedyrom

    Wow, so much for free speech, its free so long as you agree with the establishment and lobbyist buffoons. We just lost to a vulnerable potus and noting has really changed in the GOP.

    After Mr. 47% screwed the pooch, you’d think the GOP would want a fresh start with a new management style. Nothing spells *rd party like 2 more years of the same ole same ole!

  • http://llphsecondrevolution.wordpress.com/ spoasteph97

    I completely agree with Mr. Ryun in another diary entry. It’s time that conservatives protest Speaker Boehner and make him step down! Nothing bad happens with a “speakerless” house. All we need are at least 16 brave house members to simply abstain. Who agrees?!?!

  • shadowmane

    This whole mess makes me wish someone would come out with some scandal on Boehner. I say the Conservatives vote down everything this guy proposes until he gets the message. Vote with the Democrats if you have to for a short while, just to prove a point.

  • gunnyg2002

    I have not sent a dime to the GOP since 2004 and that likely won’t change. In fact, I hope they go the way of the Whigs and the rise of the Constitution Party takes off with a bullet.

  • everclear

    Newt was unthroned by the House GOP Conference in 1998 because of a deal he cut on appropriations with Clinton. He agreed to too much spending as a way of avoiding a government shutdown. After Republicans lost seats in the 1998 midterm election about ten conservatives announced they would not vote for Gingrich for speaker in the new Congress. Gingrich knew he could not win reelection as speaker so he immediately resigned. Boehner was there and saw it, and knows what happens to a speaker who alienates part of his caucus.

  • runner12

    Ugh. One more reason why Boehner needs to go.

  • guein

    Shades of John Kerry…I was for it before I was against it.

  • http://www.libertylives.org madnorskie

    When the Hill covers this story but National Review, the mouthpiece of conservatism, doesn’t run even one story on The Corner, how in the world do we stand a chance of removing Boehner as Speaker? How do we ever change the Republican party?

  • Bill S

    The idea that National Review is still a “mouthpiece of conservatism” is pretty much laughable. #RomneyEndorsements

  • http://www.libertylives.org madnorskie

    You are right. It is still disappointing. Steyn and Nordlinger keep the hope alive.