GOP’s Blunt Leaving House Leadership Post
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein and Dean Norland Report: House Minority Whip Roy Blunt announced Thursday that he’s relinquishing his leadership post at the end of the current congressional term, as Republicans continue to assess the fallout from the second straight election where they’ve lost seats in Congress.
Blunt, R-Mo., said he decided not to pursue another term as the No. 2 Republican in the House in part because he made a promise to himself to leave leadership if his party did not win back control of the House this year.
“Ten years of asking members to do things they don’t want to do is a long time,” Blunt told reporters at a briefing at the Capitol Thursday. “You’ve got to have a lot of optimism in this job.”
Blunt’s departure from leadership follows a similar announcement Tuesday by the No. 3 House Republican, Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla. Both men will continue to serve as rank-and-file members.
The job of House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, does not appear to be in jeopardy, and Boehner has signaled his intent to seek another term as the top Republican in the House.
Blunt’s decision clears the way for Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., to take over in the No. 2 slot. Cantor, who is 45 and won a fifth two-year term on Election Day, is considered a rising star in the Republican caucus, and part of a new generation of conservative leaders in Congress.
Blunt said the second straight set of electoral losses in the House should teach Republicans to recast their message to appeal to a broader swath of the country. He praised the “discipline and judgment” of the Obama campaign, suggesting that the GOP could learn lessons from the campaign he ran.
“I hope we have a focus that’s more than just making our base happy, and I believe we will,” Blunt said.
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Replace Boehner, he cries at every vote and is clearly unstable.
Posted by: hmn | November 6, 2008, 11:49 am 11:49 am
Can the get rid of that hateful woman Bachman!
Posted by: Angie | November 6, 2008, 11:56 am 11:56 am
Ok, maybe this is a stupid question, but I’ll ask it anyway, since I really don’t understand these roles in the House. I know they are leadership positions, I just have never understood their function. Maybe I just didn’t care, I dunno.
Anyway….
Blunt is leaving, why? and Putnam left what position and why? Is this the usual move when the incumbent party’s POTUS candidate loses?
I really wouldn’t mind someone explaining this.
Posted by: Hoping for a better Future (formerly:This is SO Old) | November 6, 2008, 12:01 pm 12:01 pm
OK, for some reason my question was removed. I’d really like to know why it was, but I know I won’t get an answer.
Anyway….
Is it the usual step, when your party’s POTUS candidate loses, for these leadership positions to step down? Why did Blunt and Putnam step down?
What exactly are the functions of their positions anyway (don’t know what Putnam’s was)? I’ve never really understood them and would like someone to explain them to me.
The Minority Leader, I understand, it’s obvious. It’s these other leadership roles, that aren’t chairs of committees, that I don’t understand or know what purpose they serve.
Posted by: Hoping for a better Future (formerly:This is SO Old) | November 6, 2008, 12:07 pm 12:07 pm
Oops. Gone one second, back the next. Sometimes these blogs are silly. :)
Posted by: Hoping for a better Future (formerly:This is SO Old) | November 6, 2008, 12:08 pm 12:08 pm
Oh good grief, Eric Cantor is a whiner. Between Boner crying when things don’t go his way, and Cantor whining it’s a good time NOT to be a Republican.
Posted by: Clint | November 6, 2008, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm
Answering “Hoping for a better Future (formerly:This is SO Old)”…
Below I tried to explain about the congressional officers, but, first, you asked why Blount would step down and if it is usual…
It isn’t unusual in these circumstances, but it was not required. Obama received a landslide of electoral college votes (though the popular vote was closer) and the Democrats picked up even more seats in the Senate and House, so it is almost seen as a “mandate by the people.” He knows he will be ineffectual, and that opposition to the Democrats right now will bring him bad PR (he may be seen as an annoying speed-bump or a petty nuisance). Blount obviously hopes to have a long stay in Washington, so even though he is giving up some prestige right now he will be protecting himself from a negative backlash from voters who want to see some sort of progress/action by the government as a whole. IMHO
Senate:
1 – President of the Senate (aka Vice President) out-ranks the Senate Majority Leader if the majority party also has control of the executive branch. He can only cast a tie-breaking vote, and has no other constitutional power over the Senate.
2 – Majority Leader – the presiding officer of the senate who sits in front and ensures the rules are abided by, does calls to order, etc. It is much less intensive than its House of Reps counterpart, the Speaker.
3 – President Pro Tempore – “a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase “pro tempore” means “for the time being”.” – from Wikipedia.com
Pro Tempore is mainly an honorary position for senior members and holds little real power.
Majority Whip – “Whip is a role in party-based politics whose primary purpose is to ensure control of the formal decision-making process in a parliamentary legislature. Whips are party ‘enforcers’, who typically offer both inducements and punishments to party members. In modern times, most whips are concerned primarily with ensuring a desired attendance for an important vote.” Wikipedia.com
The Speaker presides over points of order, but usually delegates a Presiding Officer for debates in committees etc.
Committee Chairman is a majority party position.
Ranking Member is a minority party position in committees.
Hope this helped
Posted by: Luke | November 6, 2008, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm