[antonico]

Great reply. Here's a thought I haven't heard yet....

Suppose that the Democrats want to keep the ineffective, meandering, milquetoast Boehner as Speaker because it helps Obama and the Democrat Party to have him as their whipping boy. Then what's to stop House Dems from voting for him? They have a minority anyway - but they can't run the risk of a real effective Speaker emerging if the House Republicans want Boehner out. Is there anything that stops Pelosi from instructing House Dems to vote for Boehner and keep him where he is??

[AuH2ORepublican]

“Is there anything that stops Pelosi from instructing House Dems to vote for Boehner and keep him where he is??”

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Nothing except Pelosi’s ego, which is why she won’t do it. And the last time a Democrat voted for a Republican for Speaker (Jim Traficant voting for Hastert in 2001), the RATs didn’t name him to *any* committees.

[RKBA Democrat]

“Is there anything that stops Pelosi from instructing House Dems to vote for Boehner and keep him where he is??”

Nope. And it would be a brilliant strategic move; saddle the gop with a useless and disliked leader who owes his speakership more to the opposition than to his own party.