‘This is the floor; we’re underneath it’

House Republicans meet every Wednesday morning to talk about strategy and direction, and most of the time, the meetings seem to improve GOP morale. Two weeks ago, Roll Call noted that Minority Leader John Boehner received a standing ovation when he explained to the caucus that they had nothing to worry about.

At a minimum, he said at the time, Republicans know precisely how to keep open “red” districts in GOP hands — nationalize the races, tie the Dems to Obama and Pelosi. Winning over “blue” districts is trickier, the Republican leadership said, but holding onto existing seats isn’t nearly as difficult.

Now that Boehner’s strategy has failed three times in three months in three reliably-Republican districts, Republican leaders aren’t getting standing ovations anymore.

House Republican leaders on Wednesday tried to quell internal dissent following the party’s third special election loss this year in a race in Mississippi yesterday.

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma accepted blame for the loss during a closed-door meeting with his GOP colleagues, according to members in attendance, but neither he nor Republican Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio announced any major changes atop the leadership tree or at the campaign committee.

“It was a very somber meeting,” said one lawmaker leaving the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Former NRCC Chairman Tom Davis, the Virginia Republican who is retiring this year, seems to have largely given up on his party’s chances. “This is the floor,” Davis said, stopping his foot on the concrete. “We’re underneath it.”

There have been rumors that Davis might replace Cole soon. Cole told reporters, “Nobody’s talking to me about anything like that yet, but I said ‘yet.”’

Cole’s not the only one looking shaky. Even Boehner’s future is looking less than secure.

NBC News’ Chuck Todd reported this morning that he’s “already been hearing whisper campaigns about John Boehner, the Republican leader, people are thinking about challenging him.” Politico’s Mike Allen added, “Whispers among some House Republicans about trying to replace Cole with Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), who was NRCC chairman from 1998 to 2002. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) also has to watch his back. House conservatives especially restive.”

When Republican House members are leaking word about possibly deposing their leader, you know a sense of panic has become rather pervasive.

For what it’s worth, Cole has a new spin.

“Clearly, we have got problems that are deep and serious in terms of how we are going to do in the fall elections,” Cole said. “Having said that … we haven’t lost as a party because of the ideological agenda on the other side. The obvious challenge we face is we had somebody running as a Republican, pro-life, pro-gun, who wants to cut taxes, wants to control spending. That’s not particularly in step with where the Democratic majority is. So, that is going to create some opportunities for us. I think those issues clarify and reinforce [our agenda].”

In other words, Cole is saying that a conservative Dem can beat a conservative Republican in a conservative district, which explains the GOP’s three recent special-election defeats.

There might be a kernel of truth to this. The Dems who’ve won in Louisiana and Mississippi have not exactly been from the liberal wing of the party. They’re Dems, but they’re to the right of the Democratic mainstream on several hot-button issues.

But as far as Cole and the NRCC are concerned, that should be cold comfort. Right-leaning Dems are winning in right-leaning districts. More liberal Dems are excelling elsewhere.

Either way, people don’t want to vote for Republicans.