By Susan Ferrechio Washington Examiner
Republicans elected Rep. John Boehner of Ohio to be the 61st speaker of the House of Representatives while House Democrats resisted calls from within their caucus for new leadership in the wake of their historic election losses voting to keep Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California as their leader.
Im proud to be part of this leadership team Pelosi said after winning the job of minority leader in the new Congress.
Our consensus is we go out there and listen to the American people. Its about jobs and reducing the deficit and fighting for the middle class.
Pelosi who will surrender the speakers gavel Jan. 5 survived a challenge by Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina who ran as a moderate alternative by a vote of 150 to 43.
Boehner meanwhile was elected unanimously by the
House Republican Conference which picked up 61 seats in the election more than enough to take back the majority and the largest gain in decades by either party.
Boehner pledged to the conference that the new GOP leadership would not repeat the mistakes of the last Republican majority which was criticized for abandoning its conservative fiscal roots.
This is the dawn of a new majority Boehner told the current lawmakers and new members who officially take office in January one that I believe will be humbler wiser and more focused than its predecessors on the priorities of the people.
The GOP election took place on Boehners 61st birthday and just hours after learning that the GOP had picked up its 61st House seat after Tea Party favorite Joe Walsh officially unseated Rep. Melissa Bean D-Ill. Republicans
celebrated with a cake.
The atmosphere was far less festive for House Democrats who were deeply divided about how to proceed in the 112th Congress.
Pelosis supporters first had to beat back a challenge by moderate Democrats who wanted to delay the leadership vote to give the rank-and-file time to reflect on the historic election losses they suffered under Pelosi. Shuler said new leadership was needed to assure voters that Democrats got the message and to ensure that moderates are heard within the caucus and that we have a seat at the table.
Pelosi held onto her leadership post in part because so many moderate Democrats were defeated in the election. Her role supporters said would be to keep President Obama from shifting to the center on issues like the Bush tax cuts.
We got our rear ends kicked and we are all licking our wounds and there is a lot of frustration said Rep. Tim Ryan D-Ohio.
But as we move forward with the White House backpedaling on some of this stuff having Nancy in charge I think is going to help us hold our ground as Democrats on some of our core values.
