Boehner's Ark

There's a new captain of the S.S. House Republicans. Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the hell-raisin', Sallie Mae-squeezin', tobacco check-repurposin' man from Porkopolis, has outflanked Missourian Roy Blunt to become House majority leader. Says commenter Pro Libertate: "Great, maybe he can hand out tobacco checks again."

Update: It turns out the House GOP conclave initially produced some black smoke. The first vote resulted in a wacky mixup wherein nobody was sure whether they had the correct number of ballots. Republican sources say the Puerto Ricans are to blame for the snafu, which resulted in the House majority leadership's being temporarily awarded to funnyman John Byner.