Saturday, October 26, 2013

NY Times loves that GOP House Speaker Boehner raised $100 million to make sure that if any GOP congresspersons were elected in Nov. 2012 they were beholden only to him and not the voters. Boehner message to GOP House: Obama's election is only one that matters

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Shortly after Obama’s 2012 re-election the NY Times was given access to contents of  "private" conversations between GOP House Speaker Boehner and "subdued" House GOP members. Duly elected GOP House members agreed with Boehner, the GOP lost and now must do what Obama wants. Perhaps as a reminder of what befalls those who don't follow orders, the Times notes Boehner raised $100 million for select 2012 House campaigns:
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12/6/12, Boehner gains strong backing from House Republicans,” NY Times, Steinhauer

“Many House Republicans appear to view Mr. Boehner with the same sort of respect that adult children award their parents for the sage counsel they ignored in their younger days.

On Wednesday, in a private meeting between Mr. Boehner and House Republicans, member after member spoke in support of him, in some cases saying a deal they would have rejected six months ago would most likely be taken today. 
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“I want to be a strong advocate and say that I am with the speaker,” said Representative Scott Rigell of Virginia, a House freshman. “I am with the leadership.” 
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Further helping Mr. Boehner, at least for now, is the sense that he is no longer forced to look constantly over his shoulder, fearing a counterproductive move by Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the majority leader who has spent much of the past two years quietly maneuvering around Mr. Boehner.
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Mr. Cantor signed on this week to Mr. Boehner’s package including $800 billion in new revenue, putting him squarely on the same page with the speaker. Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, the chairman of the Budget Committee and recent vice-presidential candidate whom many of the most conservative members look to for cues, also signed on.
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That proposal, along with the speaker’s approval of a decision to strip plum committee assignments from four members who consistently voted against the leadership, has brought great consternation from conservative groups and influential conservatives outside the House. But Mr. Boehner and the majority of his members seem willing to ignore the outcry.

Then there is the not-small matter of fund-raising:

Mr. Boehner, who on Wednesday spoke briefly by phone with Mr. Obama about the budget standoff, raised nearly $100 million for Republican House candidates this election cycle, including incumbents, further securing good will. 

The dynamic may shift if some members, especially those from very conservative regions, begin to chafe against any deal they feel gives too much ground to Democrats. But for now, Mr. Boehner’s stronger hand is a significant shift from previous periods of negotiations, from the first battle over a short-term spending agreement to a fight over the payroll tax to the battles last year over the debt ceiling that led to the current crisis.”…
(continuing):Our members understand the serious issues this country faces,” Mr. Boehner said Wednesday, when asked about the shift in his conference. “They understand that we’ve got to solve this problem, and we will.”
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Several Republicans said Wednesday that the combination of the onerous nature of the potential tax increases and spending cuts and the realities of the recent election combined to bolster Mr. Boehner’s support.
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“I think the presidential election has something to do with it,” said Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.
  • “We understand that we’re going to have to deal with Obama for four more years.
Also, there is an understanding that this is a very serious situation.“”…
(continuing): “Over the last two years, many conservative members, buoyed by a group of freshmen who constantly moved the bar for Mr. Boehner on budget negotiations, seemed to drive much of the House agenda, assuming that a Republican would occupy the White House next year.”…
  • [Ed. note: The Times says Republicans in the House did what they did from Nov. 2010 to Nov. 2012 because they assumed a "Republican" would win the 2012 election. House members are only elected for two year terms. Many don't even know if they'll be there after Nov. 2012.  Congressmen are elected to serve the people who elected them, not an imaginary future president.]
(continuing): “But with Mitt Romney’s and Mr. Ryan’s White House dreams dashed, Mr. Boehner resumes the role of the titular head of his party here, and many
members realize they have little choice left but to support him. 
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He is the de facto negotiator for the party,” said  
Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, 
who along with other lawmakers from his state has given Mr. Boehner headaches in the past.“…
  • [Ed. note: Trey Gowdy fans, barf alert.]
(continuing, NY Times): ““Perhaps I am practicing the grace that comes from watching someone try to do  
Further, many members saw some of their loudest oppositional colleagues marginalized or voted out of office, like Representative Joe Walsh of Illinois.”…
(continuing): “In turn, members who have previously supported Mr. Boehner without comment
 
“I think many of us who were being quiet two summers ago are going to call it for what it is,” said Representative Pat Tiberi, Republican of Ohio. It is Mr. Obama, not Mr. Boehner, he said, who should be the focus of Republican ire. 
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Mr. Tiberi was at once resigned and hopeful. 
“I don’t think we have much leverage, to be honest,” he said. But, he added, “This is 
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a rare opportunity 
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to get something done.""

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Ed. note: “Much leverage?” You’re the House. You have 100% veto proof power on allocating and withholding money. You have a radical left president in a second term who’s already achieved his stated goal of ‘fundamentally transforming America’ and who never has to face voters again. The duplicitous GOP seeks to deprive citizens of checks and balances authorized by the government they pay for. At minimum, everything a radical left president proposes should simply be turned down. A President can still do whatever he wants by Executive Order and regulation. If Obama’s is the only election that counts, fine, then go home! As to “getting something done,” when the GOP says it wants to “get something done, (parag. 7) it means screw the people and reward cronies and the radical left.
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Among comments to NY Times article, a former Dept. of Energy worker says its budget could easily be reduced by 20%:

“rodgerleanne, Florence, CO

I am a retired Department of Energy engineer who served in Washington and I can say from my experience, there is absolutely no need to increase revenues by any tactic whether it’s increased taxes, elimination of deductions or magic dust. I witnessed
  • gross incompetence,
  • no concern for serving our tax payers,
  • empire building,
  • redundant staffing,
  • outstanding performance awards for everybody,
on and on.

I recall my Division Director bringing me one of VP Al Gore’s Reinventing Government questionaires and telling me, “Don’t submit any of your exotic money saving comments.” I tossed it in the trash.

A 20% reduction in DOE’s budget would be a good start.”
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Citation, Aug. 2011 debt deal merely smoothed the road for Obama’s re-election:
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8/1/2011, “Debt-ceiling disaster postponed – but not for long,” John Case, peoplesworld.org
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NPR is also thrilled about the Boehner-Obama team:
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12/8/12, “Once Boxed-In, Boehner May Finally Be Master Of The House,” NPR, Frank James
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The House has 100% authority on funding:
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10/2/13, Obamacare can be defunded without Senate approval, Examiner, Christopher Collins
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10/6/13, “Obama and the Counterrevolution,” American Thinker, By Richard Winchester
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6/24/13,Dems Unlikely to Target Boehner in 2014 Messaging, Real Clear Politics, Caitlin Huey-Burns


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