Remember reading how CPAC had once snubbed Chris Christie and had welcomed him as some kind of conservative hero this year? Well, maybe John Boehner will be caught up in a big scandal one day that will make him a hero too, but he-- unlike Mitch McConnell-- was snubbed by CPAC this year.
The speaker has grown increasingly vocal in recent months about his frustration with tea party members of the House Republican caucus who have broken with leadership on key votes.The antipathy is mutual.“There are not enough curse words in the English language to describe how movement conservatives think of John Boehner,” said Ford O'Connell, a party strategist. “They see him as only slightly better than President Obama.“But, I think, John Boehner is wise not to attend CPAC because he does not want to become a distraction, and fodder for the news media, by highlighting the rift between establishment conservatives and the movement conservatives,” Mr. O'Connell said.
Just over a week before, the national Tea Party Leadership Fund had endorsed J.D. Winteregg, a right-wing crackpot and high school French teacher, as it's candidate against Boehner in Ohio's May 6 primary. It's one thing for the Club for Growth and the Madison Project to endorse insurgent John Ratcliffe over doddering 90 year old Ralph Hall in Texarkana. Mounting a serious Tea Party challenge against your own party's Speaker is something entirely different.The DCCC has pointedly not targeted Boehner and not supported local Democrats who have. In fact, the national and state party has gone out of its way to undercut and humiliate the brave souls who have tried to take Boehner on. At least the Tea Party is making him defend himself and account for his behavior, even if not on the ground progressives would like to see him battling on.
Rusty Humphries with the TPLF, a political action committee, said Mr. Boehner has failed to follow through on conservative goals during his time as speaker.“This is a guy that has allowed spending to increase. This is a guy that fought for benefits for congressmen while at the same time fighting to cut benefits for our veterans,” Mr. Humphries said.Mr. Boehner has been under fire from tea party groups over last year’s budget deal, which boosted spending in 2014 and 2015, and for this month’s debt vote, when he allowed a 13-month debt increase to pass without conditions on the strength of Democratic votes.Mr. Humphries said voters in the district itself are ready to dump Mr. Boehner, who is serving his 12th term in Congress-- and second as speaker.“The one thing I found a lot when I was in the district is how few people have seen him in the district in a long time,” Mr. Humphries said. “This is a guy who has not kept up with his people.”…The No. 2 Republican in the House, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, is also facing a primary challenge. Dave Brat, an economics professor at Randolph-Macon College, is challenging the Virginia Republican, arguing his support for passing an immigration bill is kowtowing to big-business interests.
Winteregg is asking Democrats to vote for him to oust Boehner. The Tea Party Leadership Fund claims to have a poll showing Boehner's support is down to 25% in the west Ohio district. Winteregg: “People are fed up with the establishment. The one thing consistent with bad policy coming out of D.C. is the people creating the bad policy. The most common thing I hear going door to door is throw the bums out. That’s the national sentiment. Hold them accountable directly to us. [Boehner's district campaign] slogan is, ‘One of Us.’ We get these little booklets now talking about how he’s one of us. If you have to try that hard to convince people, maybe you’re not one of us.” This week Winteregg sent out a national fundraising e-mail. I even got one… although it's probably pretty bad messaging if he's serious about getting many crossover Democratic votes!
In 2010, John Boehner boldly declared about Obamacare: "They'll get not one dime from us. Not a dime. There is no fixing this." In October 2014, Boehner voted to fully fund Obamacare, going back on his promise to conservatives to not fund the government takeover of our healthcare system. This is a trend of Mr. Boehner for as long he has been Speaker. Tough talk on the IRS scandal, tough talk on the Benghazi scandal, and tough talk on reining in spending have been just that-- talk. He has refused to act on conservative principles, and he has enabled our spend-aholic president to spend away our futures. The president doesn't have to negotiate because he knows Boehner will not stand firm on his word. It's time for Boehner to be held accountable for his actions. It's time for Boehner to go. Allow me to introduce myself-- my name is J.D. Winteregg, and I'm a true conservative running against John Boehner in the Republican primary in May. Unlike Boehner, I'm not afraid to stand up to Obama, and unlike Boehner, I'm not a part of the out-of-touch establishment culture in Washington D.C. I've been preparing for this run for well over a year. After going door-to-door throughout the district and listening to the concerns of Ohio-8, I've earned the support of the local tea party leaders. Last month, I received a major national endorsement from the Tea Party Leadership Fund. While I have momentum in this race, I need your help to keep it going. You can be a part of history-- no sitting Speaker has ever been defeated in the primary. By contributing $10 to help me in this fight, you can help make history. I'll be able to let the voters in our district know that there is a better, truly conservative alternative to Boehner. Together, we can tell Boehner and the rest of the political elite that our voices will be heard. Please help contribute to this fight! In liberty, J.D. Winteregg
