Boehner Coup Attempt Fails

That didn’t take long. An effort by North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows to oust House Speaker John Boehner went nowhere fast. The move was unexpected, befuddling even some of Boehner’s staunchest critics. From The Hill:

Rep. Rich Nugent (R-Fla.), who was booted off the House Rules Committee for voting against Boehner for Speaker in January, said the resolution was a “distraction” from issues such as the Iran deal.

“If you’re voting to try to take down a Speaker, then you need to have a game plan for an alternative,” added Brooks, pointing out the lack of a viable candidate to replace Boehner.

If such reasoning sounds familiar, it’s likely because it was offered in defense of votes for Boehner in January. Then, as now, there were no viable candidates to challenge Boehner for his position as speaker.