John Boehner is a virtual lock for re-election as Speaker of the House. After all, Republicans have a huge majority and his Republican opposition—Rep. Louie Gohmert and Rep. Ted Yoho—is lame and laughable. But that doesn't mean extremist Republicans can't embarrass Boehner along the way, and
signs are that he's nervous about the optics if not the eventual outcome:
It wasn’t clear how many members would show up to the vote Tuesday, but Boehner probably cannot afford to lose more than about 28 Republicans.
Boehner made a series of personal calls Monday to ask his colleagues for their support. A Boehner aide said the speaker has been reaching out to members for weeks. But several Republicans said the calls began to intensify over the weekend as the speaker’s associates have become skittish.
If Boehner doesn't get a majority on the first vote, a second round of voting would be held—something that hasn't happened
since 1923, though Boehner came too close for his own comfort just two years ago.
This is one time when it's a shame that Republican extremists in the House aren't more organized, crafty, and able to unite around a single opposition candidate.
7:51 AM PT: Some good luck for Boehner:
As Politico reports, at least 12 House Democrats are skipping the speaker vote to attend former New York governor Mario Cuomo's (D) funeral. That increases the threshold for pushing Boehner to a second ballot to at least 35, making him even safer.