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    Boehner's Fear of Turning Tea Party Congressmen into Martyrs

    Boehner's Fear of Turning Tea Party Congressmen into Martyrs

    House Republican leaders are afraid to punish conservative congressmen for not toeing the line because it would turn them into martyrs, but they don't have much to reward them with either. Roll Call's John Stanton reports the House Speaker John Boehner promised to punish who didn’t vote for govermnent funding bill last month, but it was an empty threat. Leaders wanted to strip Rep. Tom Graves of his seat on the appropriations committee for voting against the measure, but decided Grave would use it to his advantage. "You give them a bigger megaphone when you turn them into a martyr," a Republican aide told Stanton. Politico called Graves "either a rising star or Exhibit A in making the case that Republican newcomers can't be reasoned with." Rep. Cynthia Lummis said of Republican freshmen, "The culture around here is changing ... And with change comes angst," Politico reports.

    When Boehner became speaker, he did what the Tea Party wanted and banned earmarks. That means it's really hard to reward freshmen who make nice. During the debt ceiling debate this summer, Boehner tried holding a pizza party to win over reluctant lawmakers. Stanton reports that Republican leaders are coming up with other incentives for freshmen who play by the rules, but they seem kind of lame:
    • Loyal lawmakers' bills get voted on first.
    • Invites to press conferences.
    • Leaders might show up in home districts.
    • Help with fundraising not officially tied to votes.
    The last reward is tricky -- federal election law forbids such paybacks for votes -- but "there is no denying that [leaders] ... are much sought-after fundraisers, particularly for lawmakers facing difficult re-elections or for freshmen who do not have a substantial bullpen of top-dollar donors." But the problem is, some of these Tea Party guys don't care if they're reelected anyway! Then there are cases like Rep. Jeff Landry, who lost his Louisiana district through redistricting, and is  now running against the well-behaved Rep. Charles Boustany. In September, Boustany voted for Republicans preferred stopgap funding bill, and Landry didn't. It failed, and "embarrassing defeat" to Boehner. Landry raised more money than Boustany in the third quarter of this year, the New Orleans Times-Picayune's Jonathan Tilove reports. "Boustany is a far more low-key inside player, whereas Landry, a Tea Party favorite, has a far noisier, more peppery style, and has proven quite adept at drawing free media attention," Tilove writes.
     

    66 comments

    • J D  •  7 mths ago
      The Party of NO.
      • Bert 7 mths ago
        The party of "no" to socialism and failure. Good thing.
    • Blair  •  Jacksonville, United States  •  7 mths ago
      Face it Bonner, the tea party owns your butt. You had better do as they wish or they will run you off. See what happens when you lay down with dogs, Johnny
    • DefendOurConstitution  •  7 mths ago
      Where are all the jobs bills that were going to come out of the House?
      • Blair 7 mths ago
        ask Bonner.
      • TS 7 mths ago
        Ask the Republicans and Nazi Tea Partyers.
      • Me 7 mths ago
        Until the corperate pocket books tell them to promote their job packages you aren't going to see anything. Once you start hiring the HUGE profits start to disappear. Don't forget the GOP and tea bag trademark "Profit before people"
    • A Yahoo! User  •  Chicago, United States  •  7 mths ago
      Is the bottomfeeding pc of crap politician CRYING???????
    • greatandmightyrulerofallh ...  •  Louisville, United States  •  7 mths ago
      These people don't really know what a martyr is, do they? Somebody tell the anonymous Republican aide to get a dictionary.
    • J D  •  7 mths ago
      Pass a jobs bill or you'll be out of a job along with the Teabaggers, Boehner.
      • Bert 7 mths ago
        Real jobs don't come from government. Double digit IQ people know that.
    • The Zip  •  Pleasanton, United States  •  7 mths ago
      Boehner get in line or you may be out.
    • DefendOurConstitution  •  7 mths ago
      BTW Speaker Boehner, where are all the jobs bills that were going to come out of the House? 10+ months and there's just one bill with jobs creation in it's name (it actually is just more corporate welfare and tax cuts for the rich, as if these "job creators" are using their tax breaks and subsidies to create any jobs in the USA - sure, many of them are creating jobs overseas!). On the other hand, there have been seven (7) bills to restrict the right of women to an abortion (or eliminate it completely) and they are working on an eighth. (I respect that people may be on one side or the other of this issue, but our crisis right now is the jobs crisis and if we don't resolve it we will end up much poorer, which will in turn result in many more abortions). Over 15 million unemployed and all Republicans keep finding time for is hot-button issues that they hope will get them elected next year.
      • Blair 7 mths ago
        Remember people vote there pocketbook. They know if they keep the unemployment up and the economy down people will vote for them or against the party in power. It's real simply, it works and many are stupid enought to fall for it. These tards are playing with fire, at some point WE THE PEOPLE will say enough and then the real revolution will begin. OH happy day!
    • Bill  •  De Forest, United States  •  7 mths ago
      Let's hang their pictures in the Post Office with the other criminals... they're taking our tax dollars to do nothing worthwhile. High paid stupidity ought to be a crime when done deliberately.
    • Vietnam Vet  •  Louisville, United States  •  7 mths ago
      No jobs buddy means you might be voted out soon just like the rest of GOP who have stayed to long. I"m sure you could open back up your popa"s eatery .
      • Brian 7 mths ago
        Not when the people realize that the Government doesn't create jobs...ask Bachmann and Boehner they will tell you. And that everything the President has done to stimulate job growth has been soundly rejected by the GOP without even an adult discussion or negotiation.
    • James  •  7 mths ago
      Looks like the GOP is in disarray
    • TS  •  7 mths ago
      If the Republicans want to survive, they need to remember that MODERATION is the key. They encouraged the "Tea Party" nuts, who are nothing more than Nazis, and now they have to lie in bed with them in the Senate and House of Representatives. They got what they deserved! Why would I give advice to people that I detest? Because they are too egotistical and arrogant to conduct themselves with moderation.
    • illuminator  •  Indianapolis, United States  •  7 mths ago
      The house Republicans won't create no jobs..and that's the point..That's why the Republlicans are going to collapse..
    • OLDAMERICAN  •  7 mths ago
      WE THE PEOPLE say " BANISH the BUSTARDS" americafairjust/usworkingclass
    • TallMan  •  7 mths ago
      Hilarious that the same tea party bunch promoted by the GOP are now out of control and Boehner himself can't even reason with them. This and the republican gridlock in Congress all because the GOP just could not stand having a black man in the White House. They wanted to ruin the country in order to retake the presidency, and their own monster is going beyond their control.
    • D.  •  7 mths ago
      Most radical groups do worship their martyrs.
    • Robert  •  Schaumburg, United States  •  7 mths ago
      Hey Boehner, where are the jobs you promised us during to 2010 elections?!
    • Business as usual  •  Phoenix, United States  •  7 mths ago
      I never liked it when my parents withheld my allowance either.
    • illuminator  •  Indianapolis, United States  •  7 mths ago
      Republicans ahha..the surprise is coming
    • Brown  •  7 mths ago
      Tax payers should punish John Boehner demanding his resignation.

      John Boehner created one job for wealthy attorney Paul Clement, Bancroft PLLC shareholder and partner using tax payers money. Tax payers should demand John Boehner, Kerry W. Kircher, Daniel E. Lungren resign immediately and demand Paul Clement return tax payers money.

      http://www.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/DOMA_ContractModification_9_2011.pdf
      Speaker Boehner Triples Fund to Deny Protections to Gay and Lesbian Couples

      When the Obama Administration determined that they couldn’t mount a legal defense to the Defense of Marriage Act – the law that denies federal recognition to legally married gay and lesbian couples – House Speaker John Boehner entered into a contract with private attorneys to defend the law in court with a cap of legal fees at $500,000. A new contract that was revealed today increases that amount to $1.5 million.

      Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese issued the following statement:

      “There seems to be no limit to how much taxpayer money the House Republican leadership is willing to spend to keep this discriminatory law on the books. At a time when budgeting is the watchword in Washington, Americans will be rightly aghast at this boondoggle for right-wing lawyers. The Defense of Marriage Act singles out same-sex couples for unfair treatment and no amount of money can overcome the fact that it flies in the face of our cherished constitutional principles.”
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