Did You Know...

**Written by Doug Powers

Yesterday the rumors were flying that either John Boehner was on the verge of resigning as Speaker, or that enough Republicans would defect in order to hand the gavel to somebody else. It didn’t happen, partly because there was no active GOP opposition:

Boehner won a bare majority in a vote that saw nine Republicans vote for other GOP members, and several others who abstained from voting or voted “present.” Two years ago, Boehner won all 241 available GOP votes.

In a vote that opened the 113th Congress, Boehner received 220 votes, compared to 192 for Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the minority leader. Fourteen members voted for other candidates or present. Boehner needed 218 votes to win reelection.

Defectors from Boehner included Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), who voted for Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho). Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) and two freshmen, Reps. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) and Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), all voted for Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), but Cantor himself voted for Boehner.

Reps. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) and Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) voted for outgoing member Allen West (R-Fla.). Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) voted for former Comptroller General David Walker. Speakers of the House do not have to be members of the House, although historically they all have been.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) voted for Amash, and Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) voted for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

Boehner abstained from voting, but Nancy Pelosi voted for herself — just like in January of 2011.

In a move that might have helped shore up some of the Republican vote, during the fiscal cliff negotiations, Boehner told Harry Reid to go f–k himself… twice.

In this video from today, Boehner’s not really tearing up… it’s just that some joker put allicin in his bronzer. Probably Harry Reid:

(h/t Weasel Zippers)

**Written by Doug Powers

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