For a second straight day, House Speaker John Boehner expressed frustration with outside conservative groups over their opposition to a bipartisan budget deal, as the top Republican in Congress again lashed out at critics in his own party.
"Frankly, I think they've just lost all credibility," Boehner said at his weekly news conference.
Boehner then very publicly said what many in the halls of Congress believed, that he wanted no part of the big government shutdown fight earlier this year.
"They pushed us into this fight to de-fund Obamacare and to shutdown the government. Most of you know, my members know, that wasn't exactly the strategy I had in mind," Boehner said.
Here is video of Boehner's remarks.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid774331384001?bctid=2928940995001
As the House debated the budget deal, conservative critics of Boehner returned his fire, raising questions about his future as Speaker.
"It won't reduce the deficit, I think the Speaker is misleading when he says that," said Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS), who tried last year to oust Boehner at the start of the 113th Congress.
"The rumor is, he's not going to be here in a year and a half," Huelskamp told a knot of reporters off the House floor.
"I'm sure he's just frustrated," said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), who said he fully understood Boehner's aggravation with critics from within the GOP.
"I think the Speaker was right; they want to take advantage of Republican members of Congress to raise money," Westmoreland said.
