Boehner Is Speaker, But 19 Democrats Vote Against Pelosi

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: NPR

Ohio's John Boehner has been elected speaker of the House for the 112th Congress.

That part was not a surprise. Republicans will overwhelmingly control the chamber.

But what was noteworthy was that 19 Democrats voted for candidates other than Nancy Pelosi, the outgoing speaker and now the minority leader.

A dozen Democrats voted for Heath Shuler of North Carolina, a Blue Dog who announced a quixotic challenge to Pelosi. That was probably more than expected. Plus, two voted for John Lewis of Georgia. Jim Costa voted for his California colleague, Dennis Cardoza — and vice versa. One vote each for Ohio's Marcy Kaptur and Maryland's Steny Hoyer. And one Democrat voted present.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/01/05/132680680/boehner-is-speaker-but-19-democrats-vote-against-pelosi

[Ian David]

1. NPR said that Newt Gingrich still holds the records for most defections from his own party...

... on votes for Speaker of The House.

FWIW, I would have voted for Barney Frank.

But I bet Barney Frank would have yelled at me if I did.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. They are incorrect

Only 10 Republicans didn't vote for Gingrich in 1997:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1997/roll003.xml#Leach

No defections in 1995:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1995/roll002.xml

[Ian David]

20. Thanks! n/t

[No Elephants]

27. Please see Reply 26,

[watajob]

2. I started out as an agnostic...

... when it came to Pelosi but she got the job done, in spades. Did a hell of a lot better than Reid. I know, I know... the Senate is WAAAAY different than the house, blah, blah, blah. But, still...

[nyy1998]

13. Honestly i thought she was one of the best speakers we ever had, she deserved more then 4 years

Hopefully we could get her back to the dais in 2 years!!!

[No Elephants]

24. I disagree. Given marching orders from Obama, DINO Senators, and the freakin Senate rules, I

think Reid does amazingly well at what the head of his party and the Dem Senators who elect him over and over want him to do. When he can possibly get done what Obama wants, he does. (Or what a majority of his caucus wants.) When he cannot, he takes 100% of the heat for it most of the time.

He never sells out his President or his fellow Dem Senators or his Party. You rarely know which Dems opposed him.

That is his job.

[blackspade]

3. Why is this even a story?

Pelosi is already the minority leader.
Who cares how many people voted for Heath Shuler?
Is he planning on trying to blue dog his way into power?

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. It shows that Democrats in the House are far from united

When was the last time this many members did not support their caucus' candidate for Speaker?

[blackspade]

7. Don't know.

I can't say I'm surprised that the blue dogs cast these votes against her.
What concerns me is the M$M spin.
It looks to me like the blue dogs are setting themselves up to be spoilers in the House.

[No Elephants]

26. Think this is about her election as minority leader. If not, it is about a two year old election and

REALLY not news today.

[24601]

21. The Dems not voting for Pelosi likely are trying to avoid defeat in

2012. Running against the Obama - Pelosi - Reid triumvirate was a winning strategy in 2010 and changed the balance of power in Congress.

[shawn703]

6. Yawn...

This might be a story if the Democrats held an 18 vote majority in the House and Pelosi lost the Speaker's chair because of the defections. Republicans have a 49-seat edge in the House, and it didn't matter if 19 Democrats or 190 Democrats didn't vote for Pelosi.

It's easy to cast a vote like that when it means diddly squat.

[on point]

8. I have complaints against the Blue dogs, but only applause for Pelosi

[harun]

11. +1

[UrbScotty]

9. Many of them deserve primaries. (nt)

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. Do they represent districts that are capable of electing more liberal candidates?

[No Elephants]

28. Depends on what the candidates say. if they label themselves liberals, maybe not.

If they simply run on liberal principles, who knows?

Maine is not socialist, but Bernie gets elected. When he was Mayor, BOTH parties baked his opponent, and Bernie still won.

[Freddie Stubbs]

29. Do most of them represent districts which supported Obama or McCain?

[No Elephants]

30. Does not affect my response, one way or the other.

[Freddie Stubbs]

31. Then you disapprove of Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy of recruiting electable candidates to run in

GOP-leaning districts?

[Tx4obama]

10. Thanks for the post. I didn't catch them all earlier on TV. n/t

[NYC Liberal]

12. Because no Democrat was going to be elected so there was no

reason to care who voted for who. Had the vote actually mattered then more would have gotten "in line"

[bemildred]

14. I gotta feeling that Pelosi doesn't give a shit. I intend to follow her lead. nt

[Xenotime]

18. Thank you.

[russspeakeasy]

15. Name a better Speaker in the last 25 years.

[provis99]

22. Tip O'Neill was a better speaker.

[slackmaster]

25. I tried to post that from my cell phone last night but failed

He retired in 1987, so that puts him within the 25-year time frame.

He accomplished far more during his career than Nancy Pelosi ever will.

[savalez]

16. Just proves dems are not lemmings. that's all.

[blue neen]

17. How did I know, without even looking first, that Jason Altmire was one of them.

<sigh>

[Joe Bacon]

19. And Jason will be one of the Blue Dogs who votes to repeal Health Care

Now I'm getting afraid that Upton was right and the GOP has the 2/3 of the House it needs to repeal Health Care!