A senior Republican member tells me that Boehner is nearing the number. Still, he says, the “no” votes are rallying together and shaking up the final whip count: “They think they have the momentum.”
Once one “no” vote announces, he says, the media attention and cheers from fellow conservatives becomes a huge factor — and influences others to join the camp. “Saying no, at the hour, is like scoring a last-minute touchdown,” he says. “They are loving the spoiler role, from what I can tell. It’s a big problem for Boehner — not devastating, but big.”