Tea Partier challenges Boehner for House seat

CINCINNATI — A tea party activist is challenging U.S. House Speaker John Boehner in the 2012 Republican primary.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that David Lewis announced his candidacy on Friday.

Lewis, 26, is the father of a 2-year-old girl, and says he plans to run on a single issue — Boehner's support of a federal budget that includes funding for Planned Parenthood, which he calls "the largest killer of unborn babies in America."

Lewis told the newspaper he plans to run graphic anti-abortion ads against Boehner. "There is a saying that people will not reject abortion until people see abortion," he told the Enquirer.

Boehner beat out two other candidates in the Republican primary for his congressional seat last year, with 85 percent of the vote. His staff declined the newspaper's requests for comment.

When asked by the Enquirer about his chances in a race against Boehner, Lewis replied, "I'm not delusional. I don't know if I have a chance at beating the Speaker of the House. But what I can do is show the Ohio voters that Boehner has a box full of empty rhetoric. ... He's an establishment Republican. He doesn't believe in the Tea Party. He doesn't really believe in the pro-life issues."

Earlier this year Lewis participated in a sit-in protest at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office in Washington organized by Randall Terry's group, Insurrecta Nex. A video of the protest was posted on YouTube.

Lewis said if he beats Boehner in the primary he will have to move into his district. (He currently resides in the congressional district represented by Republican Jean Schmidt.)

[chevyhotrod]

by GOPeconomicterror September 18, 2011 9:04 AM EDT
Another single issue moron with no idea how to bring our country back to its pre 2000 greatness under President Clinton.

______________

One more time, President Clinton was not a king, he was one part of equal branches of government. Might want to look up who the other equal branch of government was at the time prior 2000. While you at it, you might want to look at the debt and deficits prior to 1996 and then after. I wonder what happened in 1996 that brought greatness to our economy?

[starman5409]

The Speaker of the House needs to be a non-partisan person who can fairly referee between the two houses.

The current speaker should be arrested for treason and hung on the White House lawn. What he has done and is still doing is unconstitutional, absolutist and obstructionist. That is why we got rid of the British in the first place over 200 years ago.
You don't get it!! How is he supposed to get anything done when Congress blocks him at every step. It's Congress that needs replaced, not the President.

Congress does not live in the real world. They should all be paid minimum wage and living in public housing for their entire term; no fancy limo's and restaurants, no 5 week vacations, just work, like the rest of the country. You live in the trenches with the remaining 100+ million Americans on low and fixed incomes. Only then will you be able to understand what this country needs. These people forget that they work for us, not the other way around.

And taxes should be fair and equal for all, if you earn 10 billion, you pay 1 billion, if you earn 100,000 you pay 10,000. The party system should be abolished, as it serves no useful purpose other than promoting bigotry and infighting.

[chevyhotrod]

Your logic is backwards, The President is not a king, as what the British rule was centered around, he has to work with the represented members of the Republic that were duly elected to congress by We The People. There are checks and balances within our Republic and the President does not have the ultimate power, but is just (1) single branch of equal governance.

The Speaker of the House is not a referee between the two houses.
He or She represents the majority of the House of Representatives, just as they have always done. The Senate also has a majority leader, that represent the majority of the Senate.

Your comment about treason and being hung is way over the top and shows what type of radical you really are.

I do like the flat tax though, this should be a no brainer.

Americans on low and fix incomes is or was a matter of choice for each individual. Americans can continue to work and succeed for as long a they wish. They also can retire anytime they wish. What they cannot do is continue to steal from thy neighbor.

[Bojax39]

"Boehner's support of a federal budget that includes funding for Planned Parenthood, which he calls "the largest killer of unborn babies in America."

Another fundamentalist, conservative nut job. The whole political structure seems to be made of these and liberal socialist tree huggers. What the hell happened to people who actually THINK?

On second thought, many elected officials directly reflect the people who voted them into office America has been so dumbed down since the 1970s I suppose we shouldn't wonder.......

[Progress4USA]

Wow...and idiot being challenged by a bigger idiot. Love it! Let the games begin!

[ohiolad]

SamHains is right. I have voted for Boehner in every election he has been in, but he has proven to be such a weak and ineffective Speaker, so ready to compromise and so ill-equipped to stand firmly on principle, that I was hoping that the Tea Party could promote a credible challenger to him. Obviously, this particular candidate running on a single social issue at a time when we are facing a potential economic upheaval is not what I was hoping for.

[doctor_know]

what exactly has he compromised on?

[rjstolb]

AS much as I believe the Tea Party has harmed our nation, I hope he beats Boehner!!!!!

[chevyhotrod]

How has the Tea Party harmed anyone? All they want is a balanced budget, nothing more nothing less.

President Clinton is hailed as one of the best Democrat Presidents in modern times, and one of the big things he did was balance a budget with a Republican Congress.

[wdrussell1]

Welcome to wacko world, where they want to replace Boehner because he isn't insane enough.

[Lindag10]

If this wacko doesn't even live in Boehner's district, why is he allowed to run against him? Another strange one issue candidate who has no idea other than to destroy an organization that helps the poor.

[chimneyfish]

Pot-Kettle......both a black day for America

[SamHains]

This guy doesn't sound like he represents the Tea Party at all. The Tea Party is not about social issues, it is about limiting the government's attack on our economy and presonal liberties.

This guy is clearly an idiot and a loser.
I would love to see Boehner challenged by a competent candidate on appropriate grounds: pushing for TARP and a debt increase deal in the GOP caucus, and for his willingness to work with 0bama and wait for direction from the White House. Boehner lost the confidence of the American people when he allowed Reid to steamroll Cut, Cap & Balance. Boehner should have put everything behind that legislation and refused to move anything else in the House until after the Senate held an up or down vote on it. But Boehner is a very weak Speaker and lacks the backbone to do what it takes to get the job done for the American people. He would rather play golf with Biden and 0bama.