Boehner punishes disobedient Republicans

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio gestures as he speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 29, 2012, after private talks with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on the fiscal cliff negotiations. / AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

After House Speaker John Boehner removed four Republicans from key committees, a move that has caused consternation among some in the GOP, he reportedly addressed the issue for the first time at a closed-door Republican meeting Wednesday.

"The Steering Committee this week decided to remove committee assignments from four members, and replace them with other members. This was not done lightly. This is something the committee took seriously and hopes never to have to do again," Roll Call reported Boehner told the caucus.

Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., was one of the members removed from a committee. He told The Hill newspaper that Boehner said the move "had nothing to do with their conservative ideology, but had to do with their voting patterns."

The decision by the Republican Steering Committee, which is heavily influenced by Republican leadership, to remove four Republicans - Reps. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., Justin Amash, R-Mich., Walter Jones, R-N.C., and David Schweikert, R-Ariz. - from the Budget and Financial Services committees caused uproar in Republican circles.

Conservative blogger Erick Erickson's Red State blog derided the move, writing "It's becoming clear that there is only one faction that demands ideological purity. And it's not the faction that upholds the ideology of the party."

Huelskamp and Amash attended an event at the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation earlier this week to discuss their removal.

"We haven't been told officially. I've had to read it in the newspapers," Amash said yesterday. "I have not received a single call from anyone in leadership."

"It's not about principles, it's about blind obedience," Huelskamp said at the same event.

But Boehner reportedly denied the lawmakers' removal because of ideology when he addressed his caucus today.

"The committee's decision had nothing to do with ideology. For those suggesting otherwise, I'd respectfully suggest that you look at some of the people the Steering Committee put in charge of committees. I'd also suggest you look at some of the members who were added to the committees by the Steering Committee. If you do that and come away with the conclusion that there was a 'conservative purge,' I'd be interested [in] hearing the rationale," Boehner said, according to Roll Call.

The conservative group, Club for Growth, wrote in a statement that Republican leadership should publicly post its criteria for ranking members' votes. The group's president Chris Chocola added, "The Club for Growth PAC stands ready to make sure that Republican primary voters are also watching the voting patterns of the big government crowd in the House GOP."

[me_nz]

Why doesn't Boehner dish out some real punishment? E.g. sit them in a room and make them watch the collected speeches of House Speaker John Boehner now that would scare the living daylights out of anyone and for serious offenders a weekend with Boehner at boot camp. Now that's REAL punishment. Come on John time to get tough we can't be having any of this namby pamby freedom of speech BS in the Republican party or else before you know it some of them might try to think for themselves too then where the hell would we be? It's lucky the GOP weeds out anyone that might have the brains to think (never mind for themselves) before they put them up for election otherwise the results might be two horrible to contemplate. No much better to stick with a heard of glove puppets and make sure the master mind and ace puppeteer Obersturmfuhrer Boehner is firmly in control. "Sieg Hiel"

[loveoflife]

How many years will Congress not get along with the President of USA? This is the 5th year.
Because He is African-American & not liked in Congress? Or what is the real reason?

To me Congress is acting like a group of 3rd graders, and Bohner pointing his finger, Oh you must leave class because you said something wrong???

Come on guys you are grown ups, act it. You will never pass this Fiscal-cliff because all you Rich cronies want your money, off shore accounts, your 5 houses, your medical insurance, 4 cars, prostitues you can buy(oh yes that Little Black book says so).

Try to give the Middleclass something so we will not have to suffer & you will get Rich because of us

Bunch of Buggers

Loveoflife

[loveoflife]

How many years will Congress not get along with the President of USA? This is the 5th year.
Because He is African-American & not liked in Congress? Or what is the real reason?

To me Congress is acting like a group of 3rd graders, and Bohner pointing his finger, Oh you must leave class because you said something wrong???

Come on guys you are grown ups, act it. You will never pass this Fiscal-cliff because all you Rich cronies want your money, off shore accounts, your 5 houses, your medical insurance, 4 cars, prostitues you can buy(oh yes that Little Black book says so).

Try to give the Middleclass something so we will not have to suffer & you will get Rich because of us

Bunch of Buggers

Loveoflife

[djseavy]

I have to believe this move is to distract us from what they're accomplishing for us - which is nothing. Neither party has earned its keep for a long time, and it seems like they've become very good at creating situations to keep us from getting to the bottom of the lame duck congress. Liberals, conservatives, Dems, Repubs - no matter what label, they've all failed us miserably, and I have a feeling this is a preview of the next four years.

[stevehamilton858]

You may be right, but I don't think so. I think the president learned in his second debate that there are times when you have to get down in the gutter where the opposition is and slug it out with them. No more Mr. Nice Guy. Republicans are not going to cooperate until the RNC changes the composition of its membership and throws the Tea Party under the bus. Until then, the president is going to have to go into "negotiations" with an oil-soaked 2x4. that's all those bullies understand.

[1pheasant1]

bigmanfrommaine says:
Boehner needs to get control of the Tea Baggers and other idealogs if he is ever going to be able to effectively negotiate with the President.
____________________________________
I believe that these four being pulled off of the committees signifies Boehner's going to get control of the extremists.

[stevehamilton858]

I hope so. No organization can run if its members won't follow orders. It's true in the military; it's true in business; it's true in politics. In the Navy, where I served for 11 years, what's going on in the House is called "mutiny", and the consequences to the mutineers are pretty severe. He ought to look into whether he could impeach some of the junior Representatives.

[jntlw]

The more the GOP goose stops to the right the more extinct this party becomes. The American people want this tax hike and we will get it one way or another and the GOP can fall off the face of the earth for all I care.

[cleric77]

Show us that percentage please? Where did you obtain these so-called facts... "The American people" WANT this tax hike.
I'm hearing most American citizens, who pay the taxes WANT the tax loopholes removed and cuts in federal spending.

[stevehamilton858]

I agree with you, given the composition of today's GOP. If they don't figure out how to change their membership base back to one that is conservative, but wants to solve the country's problems, and will work in good faith to do it, then they will destroy themselves. However, I disagree with you that it would be OK for them to fall off the face of the earth. There are benefits to a two party system, when operating sensibly, like the concept of check and balance.

[zenia5]

Obviously Boehner and his cronies are choosing to ignore what the majority of American voters want for this country. Did they not learn ANYTHING from the last election? I thought all the Repubs cared about was getting re-elected....but their behavior at this point proves otherwise. They are digging their own graves. Good. We need to get rid of the relics anyway and start fresh....on both sides actually.

[zenia5]

@jumpoffcliff....You really are amusing with your BS...and it is easily recognized as such. And stop with the "God Bless Yous"....you sound like you are about as far away from God as one can get with your obvious hate and venom. You are also a great example of why the Repubs lost this election and why they are on life support at this very moment.

[spacengin]

It is not clear to me from the article what idealogy Boehner is trying to achieve. Do these 4 lean toward conservative do-nothings or are they more flexible? If they are more flexible, they could side with the Dems and influence legislation.

[1pheasant1]

My take is the four are tea sipping extremists.

[bigmanfrommaine]

Boehner needs to get control of the Tea Baggers and other idealogs if he is ever going to be able to effectively negotiate with the President. I don't believe that he is the problem, it is his insane party.

[canislupus16]

Mainer - You've summed up the problem perfectly. It's the idealogues from the ultra radical right, including the Tea Baggers and other assorted misfit groups, that collectively have hijacked the Republican party. (I believe this all started with Gingrich as House speaker). Republicans and Democrats from a broad spectrum of political views historically could work together, hash out disagreements, compromise, and achive progress. Not so with the radical right - not so much "in charge" of the Republican party, but rather instilling unfounded fear in Republicans, from liberal to moderate to traditional conservatives. Until the "Republican party," i.e., its traditional core, takes back its party, it will continue to allow itself to be marginalized.

[zenia5]

Agree, Bigmanfrommaine and Canislupu....this is definitely NOT our father's Republican Party. I also believe that Newt Gingrich, the radical, irrational, hateful bag of wind that he is, started the downward, radical trend in the party.

[grumpas]

That's just one more reason among a growing amount of reasons I won't vote Republican anymore. The Republican representatives are not free to represent the people who vote for them, just Republican big wigs like Boehner. To my way that thinking that's fascism in the making.

[marscar]

Grumpas, do you honestly think that Nancy Pelosi has not, could not, would not do the exact same thing?