Republicans choose Boehner to replace DeLay

Cartoons

Obama says he could 'refine' Iraq policy

It was the most contested election among House Republicans since the upheaval that followed ethics allegations and election losses in 1998. Eight years later, the GOP hopes to avoid political reversals in midterm elections as it contends with ethics problems anew.

The secret-ballot election capped a 24-day campaign in which Blunt sought to convert his experience as majority whip and DeLay’s temporary stand-in into a permanent promotion.

“This is not a party stuck in neutral,” he said as the race began, dismissing a claim made by Boehner. “This is an opportunity for reform.”

Story continues below ↓

Boehner and Shadegg both cast themselves as outsiders, better positioned to revive Republican spirits and political fortunes in the wake of the Abramoff lobbying scandal.

Democrats watched with interest, ready to pounce on the winner.

“No matter who Republicans elect, it’s easy to show they’re supporting more of the same ... part of the same pay-to-play system that’s made Washington the mess that it is right now,” said Bill Burton, a spokesman for the House Democratic campaign organization.

The three Republican rivals, all 56, have carved out different careers in the House.

Blunt, who represents a district in southwestern Missouri, had just won his second term in 1998 when DeLay, R-Texas, tapped him to take a place at the leadership table as chief deputy whip.

The two men each moved up one rung on the leadership ladder in 2003 and have worked closely together for years. Jim Ellis, a consultant who was indicted with DeLay last year on campaign fund-raising charges, also works for Blunt’s political action committee. He has denied all wrongdoing.

Boehner’s comeback
Unlike either of his rivals, Boehner came to Congress when Democrats held a majority, and he joined the Gang of Seven, a group of energetic young lawmakers eager to draw attention to a scandal involving the House bank and Democrats.

Boehner won a place in leadership when Republicans gained a majority in 1994, a position that kept him in frequent contact with lobbyists.

But he and DeLay soon clashed, and Boehner lost his leadership post four years later. Boehner became chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee in 2001, and he helped shepherd President Bush’s No Child Left Behind education bill through the House.

Shadegg came to Congress from the Phoenix area in 1994, part of the large contingent of newcomers who cemented the first Republican majority in 40 years. He showed an interest in health care and other policy issues, and won election in 2000 as head of an organization of House conservatives, now known as the Republican Study Committee. He later was elected to a junior leadership post.

DeLay, who has denied any wrongdoing, is awaiting trial in his home state on the campaign finance charges he has repeatedly denounced as politically inspired.

< Prev | 1 | 2