House GOP stays course

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House Republicans yesterday overwhelmingly re-elected most of their top leadership despite losing about 30 seats in last week's elections and control of the chamber.

Rep. John A. Boehner of Ohio was picked to be minority leader -- replacing outgoing Speaker J. Dennis Hastert as the party's leader in the House -- and Whip Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri was re-elected as Republicans regroup for life in the minority.

"I've pledged to them to do everything I could to bring our team together and to work hard so that we can earn our way back into the majority," Mr. Boehner said.

"And to do that means that we need to fight for smaller, less costly and more accountable federal government," he added, harkening back to the principles that won the House for Republicans in 1994 after 40 years in the minority.

Mr. Boehner defeated Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana in a secret ballot vote of 168-27, stepping up from the party's No. 2 slot he had assumed in February when replaced former Texas Rep. Tom DeLay as majority leader.

Mr. Blunt, who has been a part of the leadership since 1998 and had close ties to Mr. DeLay, defeated Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona 137-57, keeping his post, which in the minority ranks him as second in command.

Conservatives questioned the wisdom of staying the leadership course following a decisive defeat.

"House Republicans have decided to reward failure," said conservative icon Richard A. Viguerie, comparing them to the "biblical Jews" who wandered the desert for 40 years.

"And Republicans are not going to get to the political promised land until they get new leaders who are principled conservatives," he said.

John Hawkins, editor of the conservative Web site Right Wing News, voiced similar sentiment.