The National Review‘s Washington correspondent, Robert Costa, tweets out something interesting.
I anticipated this moment a long time ago and recommended repeatedly that the Democrats be ready and willing to save Boehner’s speakership by agreeing to vote for him if he is challenged.
Of course, Boehner probably would rather resign than become the leader of a mainly Democratic bipartisan coalition, but the only coalition that can govern in the House is the one made up of the Democrats and the moderate Republicans who don’t want to default on our debts or shut down the government over ObamaCare. It’s the same coalition that could pass immigration reform and fix the sequester. If Boehner doesn’t want to head that coalition, then some other Main Street Republican should be offered the chance.
I know what I am saying sounds a little crazy, but do Republicans like Peter King of New York and Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania and Leonard Lance of New Jersey really want to participate in a right-wing coup against Boehner? They’re going to defy the Tea Partiers and lift the debt ceiling in the next couple of days. They’ll already be written out of the conservative movement once they take that responsible step.
I can’t predict that the GOP can be officially splintered so easily, but the incentives are there and the Democrats would be stupid not to pursue a moderate coup to counteract any right-wing coup against Boehner.
