Gingrich Backs Boehner For Speaker

The 114th Congress takes office today as the GOP takes control of both chambers for the first time since 2006. The big story today will be the Tea Party attempt to unseat House Speaker John Boehner, who is facing declared challengers from several nutbags, most notably Rep. Louie Gohmert. Over on Twitter, reporters from Breitbart have spent the last two days breathlessly recounting behind-the-scenes jockeying and speculative whip counts. Adding a wrinkle to the Boehner battle is today’s funeral for Mario Cuomo, which will keep much of the New York delegation out of the voting. Other House members may not make the vote due to a snowstorm that has delayed air traffic to DC. Most mainstream outlets expect Boehner to retain his gavel, but Politico notes that “absolute chaos could ensue” if the Tea Party faction manages to push the vote to a second ballot. I’ll post a live-stream of the vote if one becomes available.