John Boehner’s no-confidence vote

By Dana Milbank,
WashPost
Friday, July 29, 5:05 AM

“Get your ass in line,” Speaker John Boehner had told House Republicans who resisted his plan to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a default.

But really, it was Boehner’s butt that was on the line – and late Thursday night, he had it handed to him.

For his six-month-old speakership, it was a grievous if not mortal wound. The legislation under consideration was fairly pointless – a solution to a self-inflicted crisis that faced certain defeat in the Senate – but Boehner made it into a test of his leadership. And rank-and-file Republicans returned a vote of no confidence.

After a day of cocky predictions, GOP leaders suddenly pulled the bill from the floor Thursday evening – and when five hours of backroom arm-twisting failed to change enough minds, they called off the night’s vote. Leadership vowed to resuscitate the “Boehner Plan” (or some more conservative version of it) on Friday.

(More here.)