Word is that it was a humbling morning for the RSC, for what was considered a breach of etiquette. Politico has details:
… there was a serious internal blowup over the Republican Study Committee, a bloc of conservative lawmakers chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio). Jordan, who is opposed to the Boehner plan, was forced to apologize on Wednesday after an RSC staffer sent out e-mails to outside conservative groups asking them to target GOP lawmakers to oppose the leadership proposal. A number of House Republicans were infuriated by the RSC tactic, with some threatening to quit the group…
The RSC dispute dominated much of Wednesday’s morning GOP conference. The RSC missive angered some rank-and-file Republicans who came under fire from outside groups, including Rep. Renee Ellmer (N.C.), Todd Young (Ind.) and Bill Flores (Texas). Elmers stood up at the GOP Conference meeting and blasted the RSC for the move, saying she was ashamed to be part of the group, according to sources in the room. Afterwards, Elmers said she may quit the RSC.
“I am not sure I’m going to stay part of the RSC as it is now,” Ellmers told POLITICO.
Seeking to limit fallout from the controversy, Jordan apologized to his fellow House Republicans for the e-mail.
But Rep. Tom Reed, a New York Republican who belongs to the RSC, said the organization’s staffers “are not going to have a good day.”
“As an organization, we’re best served to take care of our issues in the room, among ourselves,” Reed said. “So I’m hopeful the RSC will take care of it.”