Since the first meeting of the 112th Congress, much has been made of the difficulty John Boehner has had in controlling the fractious members of the Republican delegation identified as members of the Tea Party Caucus. The “establishment” wing of the party has uneasily made way for the newcomers, while attempting to use the Tea Party’s groundswell of support for their own ends. But cracks appeared almost instantly in the facade between the two wings of the party as challenges from the right have swept establishment members from office and members of both wings have acidly criticized each other’s policies and tactics.
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