BY PAUL BARTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
John Boehner
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WASHINGTON - With his leadership post gone, Rep. John Boehner faces the challenge of finding a new role for himself in Congress.
But those who know the West Chester Republican say they expect he will find a way to continue to figure prominently among House Republicans.
"I think there are plenty of opportunities out there. You do not have to have an official title to have an impact on the (Republican) conference," said GOP strategist Ed Gillespie.
"People have come back. Boehner could come back," said Ryan Barilleaux, political scientist at Miami University in Oxford. And Carlos Todd, Butler County Republican chairman, said, "John will regroup and be stronger than ever, because I think he is the kind of individual that can pull himself together."
Mr. Boehner was declining to give interviews after his loss Wednesday to Rep. J.C. Watts of Oklahoma in the race to be chairman of the House Republican Conference for the 106th Congress.
A Boehner spokesman said he was "letting the dust settle" as he assesses where to go next in his political career.
Mr. Boehner, 49, had held the job of conference chairman, the fourth-ranking position in the House GOP leadership, since Republicans took control of Congress in 1994.
He had risen rapidly in Republican congressional circles after arriving on Capitol Hill in 1990.
Most political analysts attributed his defeat last week to a desire among rank-and-file GOP members to add more fresh faces to the party leadership after disappointing Nov. 3 election results. "He was the victim of an election that didn't go right, and that was not his fault," said Rep. John Kasich, R-Westerville, chairman of the House Budget Committee.
The defeat should not hurt Mr. Boehner with his constituents in Ohio's 8th Congressional District, most said.
"Obviously, we would have liked to see John keep that position," said Mr. Todd.
But when asked if his defeat would be a psychological blow to the 8th District, the county chairman said, "Not at all."
Among the options for Mr. Boehner now are seeking a committee or subcommittee chairmanship - either on the Agriculture Committee, where he is already a member, or on another panel.
Others say he could create a role for himself that would allow him to continue to be a prominent spokesman for the party.
Still another option, observers say, is running for a statewide office in Ohio.
Most, however, expect him to remain in Congress - at least for now.
"The question is whether John Boehner is interested in continuing in the House given that he is no longer in that leadership spot," Mr. Barilleaux said. "He probably would not be happy being a back-bencher in the House."
Most say they expect a congressional comeback.
"My guess is he will continue to be a player," said Norm Ornstein, congressional expert at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank.
Frank Luntz, a prominent GOP pollster, added, "John Boehner is smart enough and creative enough to assume a leadership role regardless of his title."
Similarly, Mr. Gillespie said, "Boehner is a very smart and well-liked member of Congress with a lot of good ideas."
Keeping the 8th District congressional seat, where Mr. Boehner has faced only token opposition in recent elections, should not be a problem.
"As long as he wants to stay in the House, he will probably be able to hold onto his seat pretty handily here," Mr. Barilleaux said.
