Did Surrender Strengthen Boehner?

New York Times: “For the fifth time since January 2013, Mr. Boehner on Tuesday effectively turned the floor of the House over to Democrats to secure must-pass legislation. But rather than weakening his control of the House, he may have strengthened it. He showed a relish for combat, both with the ranks of his right-wing antagonists in the House and with the increasingly angry Tea Party activists off Capitol Hill.”

“By testing multiple options of policies that he could attach to a debt ceiling increase, he showed his own members that they would never be able to unify around any legislative package that could actually pass the House… And the deep divisions within his conference over tactics and targets will most likely insulate him from any significant repercussions.”