#FireBoehner

[Bacon King]

http://www.redstate.com/nedryun/2012/12/05/fire-boehner-we-only-need-16-votes-to-depose-boehner/

Yeah, it's a movement of conservative Republicans trying to depose Boehner in retaliation for his purge of committee chairmen, for being perceived as a pushover when facing off against Obama, and for not being a 100% Genuine Tea Party Conservative.

Apparently, it only takes sixteen Republicans to abstain on the January floor vote to keep Boehner from becoming Speaker of the 113th Congress: according to House rules, a candidate for Speaker has to get a majority of the House to get elected.

[Mr. Morden]

Apparently, it only takes sixteen Republicans to abstain on the January floor vote to keep Boehner from becoming Speaker of the 113th Congress: according to House rules, a candidate for Speaker has to get a majority of the House to get elected.

Yep, that's how Gingrich was ousted in 1998.  He would have been able to get a majority of the GOP caucus to support him for another term as Speaker, but the GOP only had a 5 seat majority, and more than 5 Republican members were going to refuse to vote for him for Speaker again.

[Zioneer]

Haha, yes Republicans, feed on your own! It's not like that hurt you this year or anything.

[King]

Apparently, it only takes sixteen Republicans to abstain on the January floor vote to keep Boehner from becoming Speaker of the 113th Congress: according to House rules, a candidate for Speaker has to get a majority of the House to get elected.

Yep, that's how Gingrich was ousted in 1998.  He would have been able to get a majority of the GOP caucus to support him for another term as Speaker, but the GOP only had a 5 seat majority, and more than 5 Republican members were going to refuse to vote for him for Speaker again.

That's also how Boehner was ousted in 1998.

He won't let it happen.

[Maxwell]

Boehner knows power, he will keep it.

Well that, and with Demint leaving, the Tea Party is significantly weakened, so Boehner is safe.

[Mr. Morden]

Apparently, it only takes sixteen Republicans to abstain on the January floor vote to keep Boehner from becoming Speaker of the 113th Congress: according to House rules, a candidate for Speaker has to get a majority of the House to get elected.

Yep, that's how Gingrich was ousted in 1998.  He would have been able to get a majority of the GOP caucus to support him for another term as Speaker, but the GOP only had a 5 seat majority, and more than 5 Republican members were going to refuse to vote for him for Speaker again.

That's also how Boehner was ousted in 1998.

What?  No, I don't think that's correct.  Boehner was Conference Chairman at that time, a position that's elected purely by the party caucus, not the House as a whole.  IIRC, Watts just beat him straight up within the caucus.

[King]

Apparently, it only takes sixteen Republicans to abstain on the January floor vote to keep Boehner from becoming Speaker of the 113th Congress: according to House rules, a candidate for Speaker has to get a majority of the House to get elected.

Yep, that's how Gingrich was ousted in 1998.  He would have been able to get a majority of the GOP caucus to support him for another term as Speaker, but the GOP only had a 5 seat majority, and more than 5 Republican members were going to refuse to vote for him for Speaker again.

That's also how Boehner was ousted in 1998.

What?  No, I don't think that's correct.  Boehner was Conference Chairman at that time, a position that's elected purely by the party caucus, not the House as a whole.  IIRC, Watts just beat him straight up within the caucus.

Yeah, my bad.  My history recall sucks lately.  I seem to remember Boehner losing a committee chair because of the Gingrich ouster, so he knows the history, but clearly he was part of the Gingrich ouster and then got ousted himself for poor midterms.

I guess my point is that Boehner has seen this happen before and has more experience than the Teabaggers.   Well, everybody else in the chamber knows how the government works better than the Teabaggers.

The problem with their plan is that yes, 16 Republicans abstaining would kill him as Speaker, but just 1 Democrat voting for him would kill the abstentions.   This only gives Obama even more leverage as he can pull the negotiations further to the left by promising #SaveBoehner matching the Republican abstentions with just a handful of Democratic votes for Boehner.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

If they succeed, it'll mark the beginning of the end of the party.

[Person Man]

One could say that the Republican establishment was already fading into 1998 and 2000 and only that 9/11  resolidified the Republican establishment for four more years. This dischord could simply party of the Republican Party's natural decline unless it is given some sort of external extension.

[Mehmentum]

The problem with their plan is that yes, 16 Republicans abstaining would kill him as Speaker, but just 1 Democrat voting for him would kill the abstentions.   This only gives Obama even more leverage as he can pull the negotiations further to the left by promising #SaveBoehner matching the Republican abstentions with just a handful of Democratic votes for Boehner.

Good point, the Tea Party trying to do this would probably only hurt themselves by giving the Dems leverage.  It would be terrible optics for Boehner to have to rely on Democrats to win, though. 

[Mehmentum]

Double posting, but here are some hysterical (and one lucid) tidbits from the coments section of that article.

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To be fair, this person was subsequently ridiculed.

And then finally a reasonable voice. 

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[Joe Republic]

Who would be some possibilities for those 16 votes?

[Maxwell]

This guy wanted to nominate Newt Gingrich for Speaker of the House. Nobody seconded.

[Mehmentum]

Who would be some possibilities for those 16 votes?

Whoever got kicked off of those commitee chairs.

[Donerail]

This guy wanted to nominate Newt Gingrich for Speaker of the House. Nobody seconded.

That guy is this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQVfQCpYocQ

[Maxwell]

This guy wanted to nominate Newt Gingrich for Speaker of the House. Nobody seconded.

That guy is this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQVfQCpYocQ

Gohmert 2016

[Meeker]

Who would be some possibilities for those 16 votes?

Amash, Huelskamp, Schweikert, Jones and Gohmert are the five most likely suspects... I guess the next tier after that would be people like Jim Jordan, Mick Mulvaney, Tom McClintock and other rebellious members of the RSC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Study_Committee

[Landslide Lyndon]

Who would be some possibilities for those 16 votes?

Amash, Huelskamp, Schweikert, Jones and Gohmert are the five most likely suspects... I guess the next tier after that would be people like Jim Jordan, Mick Mulvaney, Tom McClintock and other rebellious members of the RSC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Study_Committee

Good God! That's like the cast of a cheap horror movie that takes place inside a Deep South insane asylum.

[hopper]

I;m tired of all this party purity from an idealogical standpoint. They want to fire Boehner because he wants to get a deal done on the debt ceiling and put immigration reform on the table. Its all wack to me. Thats just what it is. Is Boehner the best speaker? No but he is better than Cantor would be I just think. I'm just tired of the far right controlling the party. If this stuff continues into the 2020's with the far right controlling the party I just won't vote R anymore and go libertarian. The party needs to change: modernize and moderate and do it as soon as possible. I will give the party time to change but if it doesn't happen in 10 years I am done probably with them. Just can't take the wacko's anymore in the party. They won't compromise at all which is what the sport of politics is about. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton compromised with Tip O' Neil and Newt Gingrich respectively. Boehner needs to compromise with Obama. He has no choice.

[Sbane]

I;m tired of all this party purity from an idealogical standpoint. They want to fire Boehner because he wants to get a deal done on the debt ceiling and put immigration reform on the table. Its all wack to me. Thats just what it is. Is Boehner the best speaker? No but he is better than Cantor would be I just think. I'm just tired of the far right controlling the party. If this stuff continues into the 2020's with the far right controlling the party I just won't vote R anymore and go libertarian. The party needs to change: modernize and moderate and do it as soon as possible. I will give the party time to change but if it doesn't happen in 10 years I am done probably with them. Just can't take the wacko's anymore in the party. They won't compromise at all which is what the sport of politics is about. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton compromised with Tip O' Neil and Newt Gingrich respectively. Boehner needs to compromise with Obama. He has no choice.

I think the problem may be that many consider Obama to be the end of America (for racial reasons tbh). I know it's not politically correct, but it had to be said. These people consider any compromise with Obama to be selling out the country.

[Bacon King]

For more potential anti-Boehner rebels, also consider people running for higher office who might want to curry favor with the Tea Party to help their odds in the primary, like Tom Price or Paul Broun in GA. It would also be a great way to boost their name recognition!

[Bacon King]

Here's an article from the Atlantic on the #FireBoehner movement.

Important snippet:

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hilarious snippet:

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[Torie]

Someone has to be elected Speaker. If not the B man, then who?  It's all a fantasy in the end. It is not as if, the more "practical" Pubs will ever vote for a firebrand Speaker. So checkmate.

[Napoleon]

Someone has to be elected Speaker. If not the B man, then who?  It's all a fantasy in the end. It is not as if, the more "practical" Pubs will ever vote for a firebrand Speaker. So checkmate.

Are you assuming the Tea Partiers are rational?

[retromike22]

Didn't in 1998, some Republicans were actually considering voting to make the Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt speaker instead of Gingrich?

I wonder if the House GOP goes super crazy, Pelosi could lure 17 GOP moderate members with some nice committee chairmanships?