Cong. Louis Gohmert (R-TX), a Tea Party favorite, will challenge House Speaker John Boehner for the top leadership position in Congress, the Boston Globe reports today. Gohmert has been a critic of Boehner’s leadership as speaker, representing Tea Party affiliated members who prefer a more conservative member as the speaker.
“I’m putting my name out there today to be another candidate for speaker,” Tea Party supported Gohmert said in an interview on Fox News.
“At this point, the Speaker’s election is not about a particular candidate,” Gohmert said about this Tea Party backed challenge to Boehner reported by the Washington Post . “It is about whether we keep the status quo or make the change the country demands. I am putting forward my name for consideration as Speaker and hope that with a new Speaker, be that me or someone else, we can fight for the ideals and principles that the voters wanted when they elected us in November.”
Tea Party groups have also lined up against the reelection of Boehner as Speaker. Tea Party Patriots is urging members to contact their representatives in Congress to urge them to vote for Gohmert or Florida Cong. Ted Yoho, who is also challenging Boehner.
TeaParty.org is also opposing the reelection of Boehner as Speaker. The Tea Party web site announced the challenge by Gohmert yesterday, urging support for Tea Party backed Gohmert in his race for Speaker of the House.
The Tea Party movement has opposed the reelection of Boehner, The Inquisitr reported yesterday. Tea Party Nation announced support for defeating Boehner’s bid for reelection as speaker.
According to Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation, “a month after its incredible victory, the GOP squandered its mandate, surrendering to the Democrats. The GOP led House of Representatives did not proclaim its mandate and hold off on major decisions until the Republican majority in the Senate was sworn in. No, they went to the GOP position of preemptive surrender and gave President Obama and the Democrats almost everything they wanted,” The Inquisitr reported about Tea Party opposition to Speaker Boehner.
The Tea Party movement has been critical of Boehner’s style of leadership and has desired GOP leadership in the position that would take a more aggressive stance in opposing the policies of Democrats. Tea Party leaders has criticized the speaker for compromising with Democrats and not fighting aggressively enough against Democrats. Several Tea Party backed members of Congress have announced support for Gohmert or Yoho.
Image from Wikipedia profile of Gohmert.