After the tax cut passed the House last week, the Washington Post said speaker Newt Gingrich had improved his “beleaguered” position. Maybe, but the battle to succeed him as Republican leader continues.
A House GOP conference on June 23 amounted to a cattle show among four candidates, the same four Republican leaders who refused to cave with Gingrich and vote for President Clinton’s disaster-relief bill. They were asked to explain their votes. Majority leader Dick Armey apologized abjectly. Whip Tom DeLay said he didn’t like the pork in the bill. Conference chairman John Boehner said maybe he’d erred. Only Bill Paxon, who chairs the leadership meetings, was defiant. He declared there are simply times when he won’t go along meekly. Paxon, by the way, delivered a strong anti-MFN speech the next day. The week’s winner of the sweepstakes to succeed Gingrich: Paxon.
