Another Inevitable Right-Wing Night Of The Long Knives-- This Time John Boehner's Kolibri

Jake Sherman at Politico doesn't exactly describe it as a modern day reenactment of Night Of The Long Knives, but when far right freakshow Chris Chocola was screaming about it on Twitter yesterday, he saw exactly what Boehner and his Chamber of Commerce/Big Business allies were up to in cutting off the legs of the Tea Party extremists who had given the GOP a populist patina in recent years. They would have liked to have gotten to Boehner before he got to them. With Steve Israel guaranteeing a solid Republican majority after the midterms, Boehner and his allies are making certain that the teabaggers won't be in any position to threaten his reelection to the chancellery Speakership. Up until now, they have concentrated on defeating Tea Party candidates in primaries and, with Chamber of Commerce money, they have succeeded spectacularly. Next they plan to flaunt their power by taking out an incumbent bagger, poor confused extremist Kerry Bentivolio with a detestable foreclosure and eviction monster, Dave Trott. They already failed when they tried defeating Walter Jones, another Republican who's sick of Boehner's systemic corruption.

Next step is to neutralize the noisy gaggle of libertarians, Tea Party stalwarts and principled conservatives who have rattled Boehner's cage for the past two years. According to Sherman, "A group of his closest allies-- including fellow Ohio Republicans like Pat Tiberi-- are discussing tactics such as trying to change GOP Conference rules to punish members who do not support the party’s nominee during a floor vote. A lawmaker who bucks the Republicans’ choice for speaker could lose committee assignments-- or worse. Boehner’s allies have already stripped some Republicans of their committee assignments for straying too far from the team.

In a sign of force, some of Boehner’s friends are considering releasing a letter with the names of several dozen GOP lawmakers pledging to vote for no one else besides the speaker-- making the election of a more conservative rival logistically impossible.

The effort is playing out amid ongoing speculation that Boehner may retire soon after the midterms, though the Ohio Republican insists he will stick around. And while his tenure has been defined by the tea party’s fury, the maneuvering to keep him in power is a reminder of the enduring strength of the GOP’s establishment wing.

Boehner’s critics are loud but disorganized and stand little chance of toppling him at the moment. But the talks represent a drastic shift in Boehner’s corner of the House Republican Conference and are, in part, a reaction to a laid-back attitude that is seen as both a strength and hobbling weakness for the speaker.

The Republicans who either voted for someone other than Boehner or just refused to vote for him in 2013:

• Jim Bridenstine (R-OK)
• Steve Pearce (R-NM)
• Ted Yoho (R-FL)
• Paul Broun (R-GA)
• Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
• Tim Huelskamp (R-KS)
• Justin Amash (R-MI)
• Walter Jones (R-NC)
• Tom Massie (R-KY)
• Steve Stockman (R-TX)
• Raul Labrador (R-ID)
• Mick Mulvaney (R-SC)

Many of the extremists are plotting to replace Boehner with deranged Kansas fascist Tim Huelskamp, who was kicked off the Agriculture Committee 2 years ago for giving the Boehner wing of the party a hard time. It may cost them a lot more dearly if they go up against Boehner this time.