House GOP campaign chairman under fire from his own party

[WestVirginiaRebel]

The Hill:

The House Republican campaign chief came under fire from senior members of his own party on Thursday after he split with party leaders in criticizing a Social Security change in President Obama’s budget that Republicans have long sought.

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, on Wednesday called a proposed cut to Social Security a “shocking assault on seniors,” hours after Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) had praised the president for offering the same policy change, known as chained CPI.

Boehner said he spoke to Walden about his comments, which were made in a CNN interview, and the Speaker reiterated his support for an idea he had included in multiple fiscal offers to Obama.

“I’ve made it clear that I disagree with what Chairman Walden said. He and I have had a conversation about it,” Boehner told reporters at a Capitol press conference. “This is the least we must do to begin to solve the problems with Social Security.”

Chained CPI refers to a different way of calculating inflation for the purposes of determining entitlement benefits and tax obligations. Until recently, the loudest opposition to the change has come from liberals, who say it will cut Social Security benefits and reduce the deficit on the backs of those who can least afford it.

Boehner would not describe his talk with Walden, nor would he say whether he would oppose the NRCC running political attacks on Democrats who supported the policy. But he and other GOP leaders took the opposite line on Obama’s budget, calling the proposed entitlement change too “modest.”

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Walden accuses own party of pushing Grandma over the cliff...

[Valin]

The soon to be EX House Republican campaign chief.