Angry House Republicans demand better communication

The Hill ^ | September 15, 2013 | Molly K. Hooper

[maggief]

Republican lawmakers are growing increasingly frustrated with what they say is a lack of communication from their leaders.

Both centrist and conservative members in the House believe that Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his lieutenants could have done more earlier this year to counter the Tea Party's effort to defund ObamaCare. Some Republicans on Capitol Hill say such an effort is politically impossible with a Democratic-controlled Senate and a Democrat in the White House. Regardless, the rift on what to do on ObamaCare has opened up a civil war within the GOP.

That deep division is flaring at a time when fiscal showdowns are front and center following the August recess. A number of lawmakers, who spoke with The Hill on the condition of anonymity, say they are upset that their leaders don't appear to have a strategy and didn't communicate more with them during the summer break.

Shortly after Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz unveiled his intention in mid-July to turn up the heat on House Republicans on ObamaCare funding, a GOP lawmaker walked to Boehner's office to warn the Speaker of the impending public relations battle, according to a lawmaker close to the situation.

The source said that Boehner was asked to “get in front of the issue or else the battle will be set for us."

But the Speaker and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) opted not to publicly shoot down Cruz's ideas. Cruz has been subsequently joined by other senators, most notably Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

Over the five-week recess, GOP lawmakers dealt with angry constituents on a daily basis, provoked by the conservative crusade to defund ObamaCare by any means necessary — even at the risk of a government shutdown.

[RDasher]

Actually I am in favor of having ObamaCare be fully implemented in 2014 as the legislation called for. Over riding Obama’s waiver for the employers mandate. But to nothing to correct any problems found as it launches. I wan to see it implode as fast as possible. I don’t want to wait until after the 2014 election.

[LibLieSlayer]

“”What is the platform of Mr. or Ms. Keelhauling?””

“The trip from port to starboard will kill you”

[Timber Rattler]

Wah! They deserve what they get.

[muleskinner]

It's easy to talk big about eliminating Obamacare when you're running for congress. Then, when you find out the actual rules, and can't do it, you have put yourself into a corner with your constituents. And being a constituent, they don't want to hear or don't want to know the finer details of legislation and why some things actually can't be made to to disappear. I.E., you can't use Continuing Resolutions to defund entitlements, no matter what it says or how it's presented.

[HiTech RedNeck]

How do you hope to get more conservatives then? :-)

[HiTech RedNeck]

Which is apparently one abomination the no-budget budgets have brought us, but what prevents simply not putting an appropriation for it in the bill. Then when they try anyhow, sue.

[Timber Rattler]

Yeah, makes you wonder about supposed “conservatives” complaining about the TEA Party.

[LibLieSlayer]

I wasn’t thinking that any Conservatives would put to that form of punishment. rinos and rats yes! ;-)

[MasterGunner01]

“About 20 GOP lawmakers attended the initial meeting, during which they elected three co-chairs: Reps. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, and Erik Paulsen of Minnesota.”

I would not consider these Republicans as “moderates” or “centrists” — they are liberal RINOs. Rep. Adam Kinzinger is a liberal RINO that needs to be retired after his present first term. this guy is an absolute disaster. He is clueless and brain dead.

[itsahoot]

Boehner is freaking useless...

That would depend on whom he is working for wouldn't it?