From the midweek edition of the Morning Jolt:

GOP Leadership in Congress Can’t Keep Ignoring Conservative Frustration
As they sing in Chicago, “He had it comin’.”
In a move unprecedented in the history of the House of Representatives, a Republican lawmaker filed a motion Tuesday to remove House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, from his post, in another sign of dissatisfaction with Boehner’s leadership by a number of House conservatives.
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., filed the resolution — a “motion to vacate the chair” — late Tuesday, claiming that he “has endeavored to consolidate power and centralize decision-making, bypassing the majority of the 435 Members of Congress and the people they represent.
Sure, a leadership fight may not strengthen the hands of conservatives right now. But the base is deeply disappointed in this era of a Republican-controlled Congress so far. The major accomplishment is… a trade bill? What happened to all of that talk about forcing President Obama to veto popular legislation on a regular basis?
Why did they go along with the Corker agreement, requiring only 34 votes to sustain the Iran deal? Why all the hesitation to have a vote on defunding Planned Parenthood? Why is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell backing a reauthorization of the Export-Import bank? Are we really supposed to be excited about a long-term highway funding bill?
There’s the told saying, “if you aim at the king, you had better not miss.” And that’s true – but if you aim at the king and miss, the king learns that some people out there are mad enough to take shots at him – and maybe he takes steps to address that.
As John Fund pointed out on the cruise, you can’t beat somebody with nobody. Frustrated conservatives need a lawmaker to stand as the alternative Speaker. So who’s it going to be?

What’s there to smile about lately, guys?