The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Blunt Out, Time to Dump Boehner

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The Spectacle Blog

Blunt Out, Time to Dump Boehner

By Philip Klein on 11.6.08 @ 12:53PM

A good indication of whether Republicans have learned anything from the shellacking they suffered at the polls for the second straight election is whether they decide to shake up their Congressional leadership. After the 2006 thumpin', I wrote that they should replace John Bohner as minority leader. At the time, one could defend him by saying that he didn't rule long enough to get blamed for the magnitude of the defeat. But now, more than two years has passed of Boehner leading with a minority mindset, and Republicans lost at least another 18 seats. There's no excuse for keeping him as leader, though unfortunately, it looks like that's exactly what they're poised to do. In more positive news, Roy Blut has stepped aside as minority whip, and is likely to be replaced by Eric Cantor.

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Jeff| 11.6.08 @ 1:28PM

Boehner has been a complete disappointment for Republicans in the House. He's not lead by example, and has failed to be the unifying, galvanizing leader that a party in opposition needs. The Republican Congressional leadership needs to be gutted for the good of the party. The fact that Eric Cantor is being tapped for minority whip is a good sign that this message is getting across. The resignation of Boehner would be another step in the right direction (no pun intended).

Dan| 11.6.08 @ 5:18PM

I generally like Cantor, but the last time we saw him he was in front of news cameras whining that the Republicans tanked the bailout because Pelosi was mean to them.

J David| 11.7.08 @ 8:15AM

Boehner is already trying to put Pence into the Chairmanship, so that Pence won't attempt to run for his own position as minority leader, I would suppose.
Cantor is a compromised RINO, who supported the Bailout Bill, and then later apologized for it, and admitted it was a mistake.

J David| 11.7.08 @ 8:41AM

There is absolutely NO understating the damage done to the Republic, and more specifically, to free market principles mainly championed by conservatives, of the Bailout Bill, and we have only just begun to experience the MASSIVE LEVELS of FAIL this leap into communism brought by a RINO president, and his RINO flunkies in the legislative branch. All of history will look back on the official end of democracy in free markets and blame Bush, and RINOs that supported him.