WaPo: Boehner May Not Survive 'Plan C'

This was the biting statement by Ezra Klein in the Washington Post's 'Wonkblog' after House Speaker John Boehner called off a vote Thursday night on his Plan B that would raise taxes on those earning a $1 million or more:

"Has there been a House speaker in modern American history with less control over his members than John Boehner?"

The Post went on to say that Boehner spent all his political muscle working to get his party behind him on Plan B, to no avail.

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According to the Post:

"The failure of Plan B proved something important: Boehner doesn’t have enough Republican support to pass any bill that increases taxes — even one meant to block a larger tax increase — without a significant number of Democrats. The House has now adjourned until after Christmas, but it’s clear now what Plan C is going to have to be: Boehner is going to need to accept the simple reality that if he’s to be a successful speaker, he’s going to need to begin passing legislation with Democratic votes."

Klein asserts that Boehner's speakership is threatened because at least a number of House members don't trust his instincts, don't feel personally bound to him and disagree that tax hikes are a necessary part of any deal he cuts with the president.

The embarrassing loss puts Boehner on a possible course to lose the speakership as only a handful of votes could deny him the p osition.

According to Klein:

"If a conservative spoiler runs, he or she could very possibly deny Boehner the 218 votes he needs to become speaker, clearing the way for a more moderate candidate like Eric Cantor to unite the party. It’s hard to say exactly how likely that is. But it’s likelier than it was, say, this morning."