Is
this funny or scary?
House Republicans are taking a mulligan on the first ballot for Majority Leader. The first count showed more votes cast than Republicans present at the Conference meeting.
Update: Ha ha! Blunt has been saying for weeks that he had the necessary votes locked up. Ooops. I guess he was lying. John Boehner wins.
Update II: And who is Boehner?
Boehner can rely on K Street Cabinet
By Jonathan E. Kaplan
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), a likely candidate for a position in the House Republican leadership if former Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) does not return, has assembled a loyal and effective network of lobbyists.
Boehner formed his alliances on K Street when he served as chairman of the GOP conference from 1995 to 1998, when his portfolio included working with lobbyists on K Street.
“He was a policy traffic cop for the business community,” one of Boehner’s allies said. “When [former Rep. J.C.] Watts [Okla.] won [the election for conference chairman], DeLay, in the whip position, vacuumed in the policy and business outreach. He added staff and translated business outreach into votes, which is something [Missouri Rep.] Roy [Blunt] is doing now.”
Many GOP sources say Boehner would receive strong support from his so-called K Street Cabinet if he decides to run for another leadership post. He is considered a strong contender to become majority leader or speaker if DeLay, who is under indictment on charges of conspiracy and money laundering in Texas, does not return to his post or if Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) retires in 2008.
Will Boehner pull a Santorum and pretend he didn't even know there was a "K Street" on the DC map?
Regardless, we welcome DeLay-lite as our new House overlords. I'm just glad they didn't pick one of the three or four Republicans in the House who are still unsullied by the Culture of Corruption.