Posted on 09/28/2005 5:25:29 PM PDT by slowhand520
If temporarily deposed House Republican Leader Tom DeLay didn't like "Operation Offset" and its creators at the Republican Study Committee, led by Rep. Mike Pence, he surely hates it now.
That's because Pence and his budget-cutting plan probably helped propel Republican whip Rep. Roy Blunt into the temporary party leader post late today.
DeLay in meeting earlier in the day with Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, had asked that Rep. David Dreier be elevated to the leadership post. But instead, during a late afternoon caucus meeting, it was determined by Republicans that Blunt would take the post.
There is bad blood between DeLay and Blunt, in part due to sheer power politics, and an attempt by DeLay loyalists to embarrass Blunt last year by airing dirty laundry from Blunt's personal life to reporters at the Washington Post. The reason insiders gave then was that DeLay felt Blunt was getting too big for his britches as whip and needed to be brought down a few notches.
So how does "Operation Offset" come into play here? Yesterday, Blunt and other party leaders met with Pence to discuss how best to implement some of the Republican Study Committee's spending cut recommendations. Blunt has previously helped Pence and his fiscal conservatives beat back budget appropriations issues earlier this year, a victory that burned DeLay.
Right now up on Capitol Hill, fiscal conservatives are feeling pretty good about their chances of getting their cuts at least considered by the full House with Blunt in the leadership chair.
And Blunt ought to be feeling pretty good, too. "If Roy actually gets something done that brings these spending bills pulled back a bit, it isn't far-fetched that we won't see support for him growing even if Tom comes back free and clear of his problems," says an RSC member.
Posted By: The Washington Prowler
Oops...I thought this was about the kind of blunts you smoke!!!
May find this thread of intrest
Anyone who thinks that Blunt will be a temporary leader is fooling themselves. It'll be a year or two before Delay is brought to trial, and assuming he's found innocent why should Blunt just step aside and let him walk back into the leadership role? If Blunt gets it, then he'll keep it.
I smell a Republican civil war
I hope not.
prospective spending reduction ping
I hope not.
I hope so!
I hope not but I hope the party remembers who elected them.
I'm not that up to speed on Blunt... but have we made lemonade out of the lemons the Dem's sent us this morning?
Good for Blunt.
Can we make Spector and McCain and Chris Shays the first casualties of this Civil War?
Well If you're on the side of conservative republican politics like small government and strong border control, Blunt is your man.
I thought I heard DeLay tell Hume that the Republicans had never been more unified coming out of the caucus meeting. In fact, he said this is having the opposite effect that Democrats intended, was welcomed after a tough week of battles and the best thing to come out of this.
"The present leadership has gotten a little stale of late. Maybe some fresh blood is needed."
Agreed, and Hastert's powers are actually not as significant as Blunt's will be because Hastert only got elected to Speaker because he's a Delay crony.
Anything that weakens Hastert is good because Denny boy is a squish.
Thoughts?
Thats lip service. Pence is heading a new (fiscal) conservative revolution. And it's about time because our guys in the house and senate are acting like country club republicans and we are all sick of it!
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