BY PAUL BARTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
John Boehner
|
WASHINGTON - The Tristate lost a powerful voice in the House Wednesday when Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester, was ousted from his No. 4 spot as Republicans chose their leaders.
Taking Mr. Boehner's post as chairman of the House Republican Conference is Rep. J.C. Watts, R-Okla., the only African-American among House GOP members, who won 121-93. Mr. Boehner had held the job since January 1995.
Republican House members also unanimously elected Rep. Bob Livingston of Louisiana as speaker, gave Rep. Dick Armey of Texas another term as majority leader and kept Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas as whip.
"There are some who insist the Republican era is over," Mr. Livingston told fellow GOP lawmakers. "But that's like saying the American dream is over. It isn't true, and they know it."
Mr. Livingston, 55, a pragmatic conservative and chairman of the Appropriations Committee with a history of working with Democrats, was nominated without opposition to succeed Newt Gingrich.
Mr. Gingrich bade farewell to the Republicans whom he led to power four years ago, handed a gavel to Mr. Livingston to signal the shift in power, then left Washington with his wife for a Florida vacation.
Mr. Armey was re-elected, but he needed three ballots before vanquishing Reps. Steve Largent of Oklahoma, Jennifer Dunn of Washington and J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, the chief deputy whip whose name was offered by other lawmakers in a draft effort. Mr. Armey won 127-95 over Mr. Largent on the final ballot. Mr. DeLay was unopposed.
House GOP members interviewed Wednesday said Mr. Boehner was generally regarded as having done a good job as conference chairman but that members expected Mr. Watts, a former University of Oklahoma football star, to strike a favorable chord with the public.
Mr. Watts has a reputation as an effective orator, having given a speech at the 1996 GOP convention and a reply to one of President Clinton's State of the Union messages.
"Of course Republicans were conscious of the symbolism of electing a black member of the leadership," said Jack Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College who has studied the 1994 Republican Revolution in depth.
It was a point that Mr. Watts acknowledged.
"I think it's good for the Republican Party for America to know that the Republican Party - that we're a party of men and women, and red, yellow, brown, black and white Americans," Mr. Watts told reporters.
Even though Mr. Gingrich had already resigned, many GOP members said Wednesday they felt the need to make additional changes to respond to the Nov. 3 elections that cost them five House seats. Mr. Boehner, in a statement issued afterward, said he was grateful for the chance to have been part of the leadership of the first Republican Congress since the 1950s.
Mr. Boehner was only the third House member from Ohio to hold a congressional leadership position in this century, and his was the most significant since Nicholas Longworth, R-Cincinnati, served as speaker from 1925-31.
As Republican Conference chairman, Mr. Boehner played a key role in GOP communications and delivered a steady stream of materials and talking points that members could use in their own dealings with the media and constituents. He controlled a conference staff and office separate from his 8th District office and presided over regular weekly meetings of House Republicans when Congress was in session.
Wednesday was the 41st birthday of Mr. Watts. Mr. Boehner had turned 49 on Tuesday.
"This has turned out to be a terrific birthday," Mr. Watts said, adding, "I congratulate John Boehner on his service to our party, and I am proud to call him a friend."
Mr. Boehner, who first won election to the House in 1990, grew in stature among GOP members as a protege of Mr. Gingrich. He made a name for himself as part of the "Gang of Seven," GOP members who highlighted congressional abuses such as a 1992 check bouncing scandal.
In 1994, he helped draft the 10-point Contract With America that was the basis of the GOP's resurgence to the majority in the House. He then helped engineer Mr. Gingrich's election as speaker. But since joining the leadership in 1995 Mr. Boehner had had his differences with Mr. Gingrich over how best to present the party's message to voters.
Many saw it as a troubling sign for Mr. Boehner on Wednesday when Mr. Armey held onto his job.
That meant any additional change among the GOP's top four leaders would have to come at Mr. Boehner's expense.
"I think the key factor in Watts winning was Armey holding on," said Larry Sabato, political scientist at the University of Virginia. "Suddenly, the caucus looked at a public relations disaster again - no women, no females, all white males again. Boehner was the victim."
Latest news on GOP shuffle from Associated Press
