Depending on who you talk to, it sure sounds like John Boehner and crew want to send Tom Cole's sorry ass packing -- and fast. From The Hill:
Speculation continued to swirl that some members of the leadership team want to remove Cole and install Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), a former NRCC chairman, as his replacement. One former senior GOP leadership aide close to the leadership team said there have been "quiet conversations" with Davis about taking the NRCC chairmanship, and that GOP leaders believe he will do so if asked.
Finding an appropriate way to get rid of Cole, though, remains the primary obstacle, the source said.
"Leadership can't fire Tom Cole," the former staffer said. "If they could, yes, they would. It doesn't appear that the conference wants to self-initiate, but people at the leadership table think he needs to step down and he needs to step down soon."
Thursday afternoon, the source said, leaders were trying to find a way to pressure Cole to make several changes at the party committee that he may not be able to stomach, such as firing staff and accepting new hires of the leaders' choosing. Leaders want the change at the top to occur before the Memorial Day recess, sources said.
You may recall that, last September, Cole threatened to resign after Boehner attempted to force some personnel changes at the NRCC. So this would be a roundabout way of showing Cole the door.
How long do you give Cole? Two weeks? Or another six months?
