The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 3 of 3)

WHIPPED INTO SHAPE br> There remains talk that Rep. Roy Blunt is not long for the House Whip post, though his exit might not occur until after the 2006 election. Look for some shakeup in Blunt's deputy whip contingent in the short-term. It's expected that both newly elected House Majority Leader John Boehner and members of the Republican House Study Committee will have a say in who steps into some of those positions for this session of the House. /p>

The talk of changes took on greater volume after Boehner and Blunt held a long, private meeting -- no staff allowed -- in Blunt's Capitol office on Friday morning. Blunt, according to a leadership staffer, did not reveal what was discussed.

Boehner's staff is already mulling just what he needs to do to cement his position over the next eight months moving toward election day in November. "We want him to be solid as leader, with no risk of challenges by the old guard," says a Boehner staffer. "We want him to be leader for some time. He'll take care of working with the White House on the policies that will help that. We'll focus on the politics of the conference."

topics:
John Boehner, Law, NATO