[Svartalfiar]

“If there are enough votes to pass the bill, how can there not be enough votes to pass the rule? Does the rule require a supermajority???”

No. But just like cloture in the senate, conservatives can defeat the bill by defeating the rule, because as the article said, democrats don’t vote against the rule (though I suppose they could).

Right, but let's say 20 Rs vote no, but 25 Ds are gonna say yes. If that passes the bill, how would those same Rs saying no on the rule force it down? Especially if, as you suggest, the Ds all vote yes on the rule? You're guaranteed more D votes for the rule, so I would think the better chances of stopping the bill would be the actual vote, as less D yeses (yesi?) on the vote (than the rule) means you need fewer R nos (noes?) on the vote than on the rule.

[cotton1706]

It’s the same as when the democrats got republicans to help them get cloture in the senate. Boehner may indeed get it passed, but having to do that with the help of democrats weakens him as a leader. And that task should be made as difficult as possible, while at the same time exposing those that want to have it both ways.