Posted on 09/13/2013 5:05:48 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
House Republican leadership is furious with ultraconservative Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) whom they see as hobbling their efforts to secure an achievable spending victory by insisting on threatening a government shutdown over the unachievable goal of defunding Obamacare.
House GOP leaders want to pass a continuing resolution that jams Senate Democrats with lower spending levels while forcing a vote — without the risk of a shutdown — on Obamacare. But Lee and Cruz are giving them heartburn by screaming that this proposal amounts to surrender on Obamacare.
“If House Republicans go along with this strategy, they will be complicit in the disaster that is Obamacare,” said Cruz, dismissing the plan as “procedural chicanery.” Lee spoke out against it earlier this week, and is now supporting an alternate GOP measure backed by 43 Republicans which threatens a shutdown over Obamacare.
The two senators have significant influence among conservative House Republicans and activists who want to destroy Obamacare at all costs. So their opposition to Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) plan quickly contributed to the headache for House leaders, who were foced to postpone consideration of the bill until next week. It remains unclear if they’ll be able to get the votes.
House Republican leaders are tired of being painted as weak on Obamacare while Cruz and Lee are seen as grassroots heroes without having to take risks or make unpopular moves. The Boehner stopgap bill would let these senators filibuster if Democrats try to fund Obamacare, House aides point out, if they have the courage to.
“Ted Cruz and Mike Lee have been demanding a fight to defund Obamacare. The House offers to give them one and they say, no, no, you guys fight it,” said a House GOP aide, venting about colleagues on condition of anonymity. “We have been. For three years.”
The House GOP leadership is channeling Goebbels.
And they are a bunch of flaming a$$holes. They are now as offensive as Debbie Blabbermouth every time they speak. It’s just insulting to hear them.
House Republican leaders are tired of being painted as weak on Obamacare while Cruz and Lee are seen as grassroots heroes...
Well, “leaders” there is an obvious solution, and it’s
right in front of your faces, pay attention to your
constituants.
Deal with it, RINO’s. It’s going to get even worse!!
now cruz is labeled ultra conservative.
i just laugh at the msm.
The Dems will shut down the government to keep Obamacare (and no one will say that in the media).
We should have made them do it after the 2010 elections.
It would have been clear that was what was happening- despite the media.
It won’t go as well doing it now. But Obamacare will shut down the government one day anyhow after we are so indebted by it that there is no hope.
To paraphrase Dean Wormer from Animal House: “ Mr. Boehner-Tan Drunk and stupid is no way to govern sir”
The author of the article hasn't a clue. Neither Sen. Lee nor Sen. Cruz has "threatened a government shutdown." In fact, Cruz supposedly said, "Let’s see if Obama is willing to shut down the government to fund Obamacare."
I don’t think there are two bigger d-bags on this planet than Cantor and Boehner....
Anything that can be done to bog this session of congress down and run out the clock on amnesty ought to be conservatives main priority. Drag this obamacare fight out, use every tactic and stall they can find. Drag the budget battle out as long as possible, shut the goverment down...do anything ..because the only thing that really matters is amnesty ...once that’s done, it’s ball game. No going back ever. Finished.
The Dems will shut down the government to keep Obamacare (and no one will say that in the media).
We should have made them do it after the 2010 elections.
It would have been clear that was what was happening- despite the media.
Exactly. Either with or without a shut down we are so screwed because Boehner is FUBARing this beyond belief by refusing to fight.
Right now I think this is about more than obamacare. The beltway GOP leadership is trying to blame everything on conservatives while conservatives are using this battle to show that Boehner/Cantor/McCarthy are totally unfit to lead an opposition party. What a cluster.
Yeah, they've been passing meaningless, symbolic "repeal" bills for three years. Now they're upset because serious conservatives actually want to DO something to kill Mengelecare.
The fact is, the plan favored by conservative House members, as well as by Cruz and Lee, actually forces Ubama and the rats to shut down the government if saving Mengelecare means that much to them, whereas this stinking, cowardly House aide wants Cruz and Lee to filibuster, thereby forcing a temporary shutdown for which they can take heat from the Democrat "mainstream" newsrooms all by themselves.
Very true. It’s Obama & Co. threatening to shut the government down.
Do I care what the self-styled “leaders” of the Republican party of Washington, D.C. so-called “think?”
Perhaps the House Republican leadership needs to be replaced with conservative leaders with common sense. Mike Lee and Ted Cruz are absolutely correct in wanting to stop the ineffective approach to getting rid of Obamacare. Now is the time to do it, not bait and switch legislative gimmicks.
The House Republican leadership needs to do more than listen to and placate their constituents, but instead, to take meaningful action that requires statesmanship and courage.
hard core baby!
whenever they call my house they get an earful about how awful they have been and to quit this reach across the aisle game
According to this: http://blogs.rollcall.com/218/cr-fight-about-leverage-for-round-2/
Boehner is being nice to the Dems to get them to agree to a CR at the sequester level.
Which they have to anyway!
Maybe it is all just selfish squabbling- without effective leadership that is the level most groups devolve to.
The House offers to give them one and they say, no, no, you guys fight it,” said a House GOP aide, venting about colleagues on condition of anonymity. “We have been. For three years.”
CROCK OF CRAP!!!
The beltway GOP have convinced themselves (again) that the best way forward is to tip toe to the election. They are playing a bait and switch game with the CR. Once a CR deal is done they will try the same jive with the spending limit and on and on until Nov. 2014.
Anytime the House shows signs of getting a spine the GOP Senators will sell them out.
What a disaster keeping Boehner & McConnell has been. I fear it’s only going to get worse. They are both flailing around at this point and marching to the Dems 2014 game plan.
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