Boehner: Democrats Want To 'Annihilate Us'

Speaker John Boehner rallied his troops this morning at a closed-door conference meeting at the Capitol. Democrats are trying to “annihilate us,” he told his members. “We can get through this if we stick together.”

The Ohio Republican added that a “grand bargain” is off the table. What he wants is something that “builds on the gains we’ve made over the past three years, puts points on the board, and doesn’t raise taxes.”

Though much press has been given to a group of moderates who are feeling the heat from voters over the shutdown and pushing for a “clean” continuing resolution (CR), Boehner has moved to quiet their concerns. Several Republicans listed in media whip counts over the past few days have recanted, and any building concerns about strategy and direction are staying private, for now.

“We’re united as a party,” says Representative Justin Amash of Michigan, who has often warred with Boehner. “We’re sending over bills with almost unanimous Republican support and we’re pulling over 20, 30 sometimes 40 Democrats on these individual bills. We feel like we’re making quite a bit of headway,” he adds.

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