Boehner Faces Intraparty Revolt

Update (5:15 p.m. ET): House Republican leadership aides today brushed aside complaints over the choice of Rep. Ken Calvert to replace embattled Rep. John Doolittle on the Appropriations Committee.

"We've not heard anybody complain directly," said one aide, who called U.S. News to dispute an earlier item (below).

The official said it was the GOP steering committee, not just Boehner, that picked Calvert after a "spirited discussion" of allegations that he benefited from a highway earmark.

"He answered all the questions and made everybody feel comfortable with it," said the official, who called the allegations "weak." Leadership officials chalked the controversy up to critics who succeeded in hyping it on the blogs, like Redstate.com, but said it is dying down.

If true, that would be a blow to the 15 critics in the GOP membership who were considering going public with their complaints if the issue stayed hot.

Original Item:

Rep. John Boehner, the Republican minority leader in the House, is facing a minirevolt from moderate and conservative House members upset that he picked a new Appropriations Committee member beset with ethical questions to replace Rep. John Doolittle -- who quit amid an investigation into his alleged ties to lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Sources said this morning that a growing group of members -- now at 15 -- are watching how Boehner handles challenges to his decision to name California Rep. Ken Calvert to the panel, hopeful that he reverses his move. But the sources say that House leadership aides are pressuring the critics to keep quiet or else.

Calvert is facing questions about his support for a highway earmark near property he allegedly sold for a steep profit. He has also been pegged as a big spender on the panel. Those readying a public challenge to Boehner complain that he should have picked a member with no ethical issues hanging over him or her, and a spending critic as well, to signal voters that the GOP was is changing its ways.

--Paul Bedard