Politics: Afternoon Edition: John Boehner assumes the gavel as House speaker

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Wednesday, January 5, 2011 HEADLINES 1) John Boehner assumes the gavel as House speaker Rep. John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) was elected speaker of the House on Wednesday, as the GOP formally took control of the chamber on the opening day of the 112th Congress. » Read full article 2) PLUM LINE: Here it is: The Senate filibuster reform package While the broad outlines of the proposal were already public, the details were being debated by Senators Udall, Jeff Merkley, Tom Harkin and Amy Klobuchar until as late as yesterday. » Read full article 3) Robert Gibbs leaving White House White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced Wednesday that he is leaving the administration in the coming days, saying he will play an outside advisory role and give speeches before helping President Obama gear up for the 2012 campaign. » Read full article 4) 44: 19 House Democrats defect from Pelosi Eleven Democrats voted for Rep. Heath Shuler (D-Tenn.) for House speaker. Shuler waged an unsuccessful battle against Pelosi for Democratic leader in mid-November but picked up 43 votes at the time. » Read full article 5) Birthright citizenship under fire again State lawmakers from across the country announced Wednesday that they were launching a united effort to prevent the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to all children born in the United States, from applying to children of undocumented immigrants. » Read full article QUOTE OF THE DAY Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), accepting the gavel as the new House speaker: "The people voted to end business as usual, and today we begin to carry out their instructions." COMMENT OF THE DAY motiv8ed, on Paul Kane's 'New House GOP majority plans to undo Obama's agenda' article: This time the ball is in the Republican court, they will be responsible for the results. Q&A Discussion Allan Lichtman was online at at 1p.m. ET to discuss the new session of Congress: Why so fast?: Over the last two years the GOP constantly complained about legislation being rammed down the nation's collective throat. Everything was always going too quickly. Now suddenly the House switches sides and I'm reading about a 20-day (!) plan to undo as much of the president's accomplishments as possible. Why the rush? How does that approach square with what was supposedly the last Congress' biggest drawback? How can the legislative process be open, transparent and fair if it's being rushed through on such an unreasonable schedule? Thanks. Allan Lichtman: The simple answer is that the party out of power always complains about the use of dictatorial powers by the party in power. Of course, once party control shifts, then the players become reversed, but the script remains the same. Of couse, the process cannot be open, tranaparent, and fair under the circumstances you describe, but no one cares very much for process once in power. It is very rare for a Congress to roll back legislation of a previously Congress. It took until 1996 for Congress to rewrite even a single New Deal entitlement program. » View full Q&A session MULTIMEDIA Video: Boehner assumes speaker's gavel Video: Boehner assumes speaker's gavel Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) was elected speaker of the House Wednesday, ending the time of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) at the helm. SEND US A TIP | ADVERTISE | UNSUBSCRIBE | PRIVACY POLICY | NEWSLETTER CENTER Washington Post Digital c/o E-mail Customer Care 1150 15th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20071