How to kick the legs out from under the tea partiers in the House

[ZRT2209]

Boehner is running scared because he's afraid of not being Speaker. He is at the mercy of the tea party loons in the House.

So Pelosi should say the Democrats will support Boehner for speaker if the tea partiers in the House try to replace him. Without the threat of replacing Boehner as speaker, the tea party members have NO LEVERAGE over him.

Pelosi can ask for something in exchange but I'm sure they could strike a deal.

This may be one of the only ways to completely take away all power from the tea party members of the House, other than their 30 or 40 individual votes.

[samsingh]

1. to save his miserable job

boener (spelling on purpose) is letting millions of other people lose their jobs and security.

this selfish moron does not deserve to be in that role.

[lonestarnot]

2. Fuck 'im.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. I don't think Pelosi would support Boehner.

I certainly wouldn't. He's an obnoxious drunk who has no business even being in Congress, much less Speaker. He's a disgrace. If he was the least bit competent, he would have put those teabaggers in their place a long time ago. I think Pelosi and the rest of the Democrats want to see Boehner crash and burn.

[IrishAyes]

5. I'd be glad to send them some kindling and matches, but that would probably be superfluous.

The GOP has already built the fire for us, and it seems to have gotten away from them. Maybe instead I should send a truckload of bellows to fan the flames a little?

[LuvNewcastle]

8. Hell, send a gasoline truck.

[IrishAyes]

17. I think if things ever really hit the fan here, I wanna be on your side.

[B Calm]

4. No DEAL! He deserves what he gets

and that's a swift boot in the ass!

[ZRT2209]

6. but they will replace him with a tea party maniac

[HappyMe]

7. Yup.

That will make the situation and the future a zillion times worse.

The baggers can keep peddling their fact free schlock. I think more reasonable people will catch on that they are out of their minds, if this hasn't convinced them yet. Maybe a little at a time, their funding will dry up. No money = no teabaggers.

[surrealAmerican]

9. Does it matter what the Democrats want?

I was under the impression that the majority party chooses the Speaker. Do Democrats get to have any input in this?

[MSMITH33156]

11. No

You need a majority of votes in the House to elect a speaker. It doesn't even have to be a member of the House, actually.

But, Boehner is already Speaker. To remove him, a majority of House members would have to vote to do so, of all House members. The Dems wouldn't even have to vote for Boehner, just when a Tea Party member moves to have Boehner removed, the Dems vote against that removal. It doesn't really cost us anything, since it's not like Pelosi is going to get a majority of votes for Speaker if Boehner is removed, and we would likely be dealing with an even worse shit kicker.

[ZRT2209]

13. exactly

[onenote]

12. The Speaker is elected by a vote of the entire House

In practice, that means the majority party, which almost always settles on a single candidate, names the Speaker. But if the repubs were unable to agree on a single candidate, it could get interesting since you can't elected Speaker with a plurality, meaning the Democrats hold the cards.

[surrealAmerican]

15. Thanks for the info. One question though ...

... if the current speaker is removed, and they can't agree on a replacement, how would the House function at all? Does the old speaker stay until a replacement is agreed upon, does somebody (who?) take temporary control, or does all other business just stop?

[MSMITH33156]

16. They just keep voting

in theory. In practice, if they have the votes to remove him, then they should have the votes to replace him.

Even if Boehner is removed with Dems and the Tea Party voting to remove him, while a majority of Reps actually don't vote for removal, the Reps will just coalesce around a new speaker, and vote in lockstep on that.

[librechik]

10. I'm sure that's already understood.

but getting the speakership through "democratic" means would have that African American President stuff all over it. Boner would be boned.

[ZRT2209]

14. and what is he now? emasculated by Ted Cruz

[IrishAyes]

18. Cruz is the one who'll be walking funny when this is over.

"GOP" amounts to a big red target anymore. Strictly figuratively speaking, of course.

[IrishAyes]

19. Besides, the greater power now rests with the chairman of the House Rules Committee

and you know who that is. Not Cruz and not Boner either one. You don't need to think he's interested in sharing power at all.