House Speaker John Boehner told his GOP caucus members last week they have to avoid the nasty showdowns that marked so much of the past two years. Their party lost badly, Boehner said in a conference call, and members seemed to get the message. "To have a voice at the bargaining table, John Boehner has to be strong," said Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, one of the speaker's lieutenants. "Most members were just taught a lesson that you're not going to get everything that you want. It was that kind of election."
NEW YORK TIMES
