Tide turning against House GOP, which delays debt ceiling vote

[cal04]

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/174209-house-gop-still-short-on-votes

House Republican leaders are desperately looking for the votes to pass Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) debt-limit bill and have delayed a vote that had been expected for around 6 p.m.

Laena Fallon, a spokeswoman for Cantor, said the vote would occur "a little bit later" than the original 6 p.m. slot.

"The vote will be this evening," she added.

(snip)
Thursday afternoon presented major setbacks to Boehner, who can only afford 23 defections if — as expected — every Democrat votes no. Reps. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said on Fox News he is a no. Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco (R-Texas) went from undecided to no. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) said he is still leaning no.


http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/07/whip_it_good_2.php?ref=fpblg
It's reminiscent of the Part D Medicare prescription drug vote back during the Bush days, when the House vote was kept open for hours while leadership cajoled, threatened and bartered to get it passed. But this time they've held off on starting the vote until they know they have enough Members on board to pass it.

The way this is playing out, it's not an overstatement to say Boehner's speakership is on the line here.

BREAKING: Short Of Votes GOP Leadership Postpones Vote On Debt Limit Bill
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/breaking-short-of-votes-gop-leadership-postpones-vote-on-debt-limit-bill.php?ref=fpblg

just tweeted
RT @Todd_Zwillich: Solid 'no' voting GOP members visiting Boehner's office now in turn. Rep Joe Wilson, S.C., just headed in.
http://twitter.com/#!/thinkprogress

Kos
The only bipartisanship in the House right now is opposition to the Boehner debt limit bill.

Brian Beutler
Capitol police trying to clear hallway outside Speaker's lobby. Reporters refusing. Officer calling in multiple units of backup.

[Renew Deal]

1. Limbaugh and Palin came out against it today too.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. This is the end of the speakership for John as well

by the way, MR Speaker, where are the damn jobs?

[Dawson Leery]

3. Nancy Pelosi was highly successful at getting the votes

needed to pass legislation. Boehner can't do the same thing. He is a failure.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. It's Eric Cantor's job to round up the votes.

Doesn't appear he's trying too hard.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. He is not the whip, that said the whip is not effective

either.

[Drale]

6. I do love watching them rip each other apart

and slowly kill their own party, all because they are soooooo self centered.

[calimary]

7. The Selfishness Party. The Cheapskate Party. The Know-NOTHING Party.

The Amateur-Hour Party, because that's all the teabaggers are. People who know NOTHING. They don't know how a bill gets passed. They don't know how Washington works. They don't understand any of it and worse, don't WANT to! They come in with their knuckles dragging the ground, arrogant as all hell, thinking they know everything they need to know and that the whole political world is gonna bend to their will, and all they've got is shit.

Whenever I see the teabaggers carrying on, what I actually see is a whole bunch of tantrum-throwing spoiled-brat adult-size three-year-olds kicking and screaming and whining and bellyaching and hissy-fitting while they roll all over the floor in the middle of the cereal aisle at the grocery store - because Mommy wouldn't buy them five boxes of Fruit Loops. Hell, they ARE the Fruit Loops.

I must say it pleases me VERY much when I hear Jack Cafferty and other commentators referring to these know-it-all newcomers derisively as children. The more THAT frame imprints and soaks into the national psyche, the worse it'll be for these snot-noses. They represent a SMALL SLIVER of American voters, and yet they think they own it all. I hope they're put SQUARELY in their place in the next election cycle: on the UNEMPLOYMENT LINE!

:puke:

[GodlessBiker]

8. Boner stupidly thinks these tea party jackasses are members of his party. ...

They're not. They are members of a third party which has no interest in seeing Republicans succeed.

[TNLib]

12. Hmm that would be nice a third party to split the GOP in half

nt

[GodlessBiker]

13. That is what's happening now.

[gratuitous]

9. This reminds me of a Joe Garagiola story

Garagiola was a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, a contemporary of Yogi Berra, and projected to be every bit as good as the Yankee Hall of Famer. Joe was injured in a collision, and was never quite the same player again. Anyway, Garagiola is behind the plate, and the manager brings in a green kid to pitch in relief, to face some fearsome slugger, Duke Snider or Ralph Kiner or someone.

Joe puts down the sign for a fastball, and the kid shakes him off. He signals for a curve, and the kid shakes him off again. He runs through the signs twice, getting a negative from the kid. Joe calls time and goes out to the mound to ask what the heck pitch he's thinking of throwing. As he gets there, he sees the kid is practically white with fear. "What are you waiting for? Throw something!" "Just a minute; maybe he'll get a long distance phone call."

The Republicans seem to be waiting for us all to fall asleep, I think. Then they'll slip out the side door.

[DemocracyInaction]

10. Their praying

I put up a post about 45 min. ago about Fox reporting the baggers are heading to the House chapel to pray. They will either use this to come out and say "they are answering only to God" OR they will come out and say they (or a few of them)need to vote yes to save the nation. In reality, they are probably in there throwing the "fuck yous" around like water balloons!

[sofa king]

11. Evil and stupid together tastes great!

As I continue to observe, because it's the only funny thing I've said in a month, the Republican Party is now like a peanut butter cup on the dashboard of a car parked in the sun, with a thin, chocolaty coating of evil trying desperately to contain the oozing mass of stupid inside.

The stupid's done started leaking out.

[A Simple Game]

14. I disagree with the Tea Party's philosophy completely. But I admire

their conviction. They ran on this, they got elected for this, and they are sticking to it.

I wouldn't mind seeing this sort of conviction on the Democrats side, starting at the top.