GOP Advisers Press Boehner to Be More Aggressive
House Republican advisers, antsy with the go-slow approach by leaders like Minority Leader John Boehner, are urging that the GOP instead follow the pattern of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has aggressively moved on several fronts, including the war in Iraq, taxes, and stem cell research.
"McConnell is on the offense. He's smart, savvy, and aggressive and builds confidence in the Senate GOP," one House adviser to Republican leaders wrote in an E-mail to U.S. News. "This is what we are lacking in the House."
Others have been quietly criticizing Boehner's approach, though he signaled it weeks ago when aides said that the GOP was going to give the Democrats enough space to make a mistake. But some members, especially conservatives and those newly elected, want the leadership to be more sharply critical of the Democrats–and more often.
"Our younger guys are not going to be patient for long," says one outside adviser to conservative members. Not all leadership officials are under the gun, however. Some members are cheering Rep. Jeb Hensarling's focus on Democratic leadership flaws. Just today, for example, the head of the Republican Study Committee rapped Speaker Nancy Pelosi's use of government cars and jets.