Boehner Boxed In

After passage of the fiscal-cliff deal and the House’s inability to
pass a Hurricane Sandy relief package, First Read notes House Speaker John Boehner “finds himself boxed in
like never before.”

Roll Call:
“Over the past few weeks, the Ohio lawmaker has been raked over the
coals by members of all stripes within his own party — first by those
seeking less spending in exchange for tax rate hikes, then by those
seeking more spending for disaster aid. The public thrashing came to a
head Wednesday when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie … blatantly accused
Boehner of political cowardice for pulling a supplemental aid package
for those affected by Superstorm Sandy.”

That said, it’s still likely that Boehner will be re-elected as speaker later today as the 113th Congress kicks off.